Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor M Bailey, Councillor R Rogers and Councillor T Jay.

The minutes of the meeting held on 11^th September 2018 were approved and signed as a correct record.

It was noted by Councillor Dr S Peaple that the Constitution states a Champion under a Cabinet member cannot be a Chair.

Rule 2.7.10 a Champion cannot be a Tamworth Borough Council Executive Member, Committee Chair, Vice Chair, Deputy Mayor or Mayor/ or in receipt of a special Responsibility Allowance.

(Moved by Councillor D Cook and seconded by Councillor Dr S Peaple)

Councillor P Standen mentioned a Declaration of Interest in relation to Agenda item 6 for information as he is related to a member of the Elections team.

Councillor R Bilcliff mentioned a Declaration of Interest in relation to Agenda item 6

The following Announcements were made:-

Mayor P Thurgood -

Welcome to this festive period special Council, I have 2 announcements.

First that we have a minute silence for a former Mayor, Mayor Owen was buried today so please be respectful and one minute please

A one minute silence followed

Thank you, second announcement I must apologise to those that wasn’t here when we said prayers that was an error on my part I got in my head 17.50 so I do apologise most sincerely for that and it will be addressed at next full Council meeting where we will have our prayers at 18.00 in the members room then re convene with all other members at 18.10. Apologies for that. Thank you,

Councillor Dr S Peaple -

Mr Mayor with your indulgence and the Councils indulgence as per our conversation I am grateful to you for calling the minutes silence for Dereck Owen, Dereck’s family were very pleased today that he was been remembered tonight. As you mentioned he was cremated today mention was made today at the funeral both of his public services and his commitment to the town.

He was born in Wilnecote, grew up in Wilnecote and lived in Wilnecote before he moved to Belgrave at the end but I suppose not everything can have a good ending in regards to Wilnecote. But from a practical point of view he was somebody who really felt for the town, I think myself and Councillor Standen had the longest overlap.

He was a lovely warm individual and he chaired meetings very carefully, at the time there was about a 20/10 split on the Council so a significant number of opposition members he always accorded them with respect and time, from that point of view he was a model citizen and I thank you for giving us the opportunity to remember him tonight so thank you.

One other thing at the time he was presented with this Alderman award I saw his son about a week and half later and he said how he had come home thrilled to bits and put the certificate on his wall, And can I thank members, because the Alderman awards means that some of the people who served for many years in his case received the recognition and I’m grateful to everyone for making that possible. Thank you Mr Mayor.

Councillor D Cook -

Thank you Mr Mayor. Thank you Councillor Peaple  I have got a note here you are quite right with regards to the previous minutes and Councillor B Price been appointed as Champion. How our Constitution is worded, Says that no one receiving SRA or a Chair can be a Champion under a Cabinet member, Myself and Councillor Pritchard will work to rectify the Constitution on that matter through its natural process as the Committee Meets coming fourth,. We will honour that for now as the Legislation says if you’re a Scrutiny Chairman we have actually worded it wrong  ...  view the full minutes text for item 49.

QUESTIONS FROM MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL NO. 1

Under Procedure Rule No 11, Councillor Dr S Peaple will ask the Leader of the Council, Councillor D Cook, the following question:-

“As the Council states that Tamworth has been open for business since the 7^th Century and traffic movements on Junction 10 are now regularly slower than that of a Saxon horse and cart, would the Leader of the Council tell us what steps he has taken to gain funding to alleviate the problems being faced by the businesses based in Tamworth and those based in North Warwickshire but which provide considerable employment to our residents?”

Councillor D Cook gave the following reply:-

“Thank you Mr Mayor.

It is important I cover the whole of the question asked

Denis Havlik of Vienna University in Austria, a Ph.D and expert in experimental Physics states the average speed of a horse and cart is barely faster than a walk. He would expect the average speed of a cart to be near to 5km/h, 10km/h at most. Speed depends on many factors, including the quality of roads, weather, and the nature of the travelling party. One estimate suggests that a small group with good horses could move as much as 30 miles in a single day. On the other hand, a larger group that included pack animals, a cart, or travellers on foot might make only half that distance. This would not, however, include rest days, bad weather or roads, natural obstacles such as rivers and mountains, and so forth.

So if we said for the sake of argument that the horse, the cart and all travellers and associated carry on goods aboard travels at an average speed of 7kph, so basically about 4.38 miles per hour. Then the distance from the top of the slip road at Ventura to the slip road North on the M42 at Junction 10 is give or take exactly 3 miles.

It would therefore take the horse and cart and travellers and associated carried goods around 41 minutes to traverse this distance. Even in rush hour, other than an accident on the A5, I am sure I can get from Ventura to over Junction 10 in less than 41 minutes in my lovely Ford Focus. Incidentally the government calculated average speed for rush hour is 18mph.

What do we take from this analysis Mr Mayor? We deduce that if the Leader of the opposition is playful with his questions in your chamber I am pretty sure I can reciprocate in my answers.

However, let me answer the actual question

Councillor Peaple is correct of course that the junction is critical to residents, businesses and visitors to Tamworth and it is clear it is a busy junction and often experiences congestion in peak times. This possibly a reflection of our success as a place – people going to and from work, businesses moving goods and services, visitors coming to experience our excellent leisure offer.

The responsibility  ...  view the full minutes text for item 50.

(Report of the Audit and Governance Standards Sub-Committee)

The Audit and Governance Standards Sub-Committee on 21^st November 2018 having found a breach of the Members Code of Conduct by Councillor R Bilcliff made the following decisions;

a) The findings in respect of the member’s conduct be published;

b) The Sub-Committee report its findings to full Council for information;

c) It be recommended to full Council that Councillor Bilcliff be issued with a formal censure or be reprimanded.

This report therefore was presented to Council in respect of decisions b and c above of the Standards Sub-Committee.

(Moved by Councillor D Cook and seconded by Councillor R Pritchard)

A motion was made to make the following amendments:

That the Censure or reprimand be deferred until procedural issues for the Code of Conduct have been properly reviewed by the Council and that any possible risks to this decision have been assessed.

(Moved by Councillor R Bilcliff and seconded by Councillor C Cooke)

This motion was not carried.

Rule 4.17.5 of the Constitution, Right to require individual vote to be recorded

Councillor P Standen abstained

(Report of the Portfolio Holder for Assets and Finance)

The Portfolio Holder for Assets and Finance presented to Members the Mid-year Review of the Treasury Management Strategy Statement and Annual Investment Strategy

(Moved by Councillor R Pritchard and seconded by Councillor D Cook)

(Report of the Portfolio Holder for Assets and Finance)

The Portfolio Holder for Assets and Finance advises Members of the results and feedback from the recently undertaken consultation on the proposed Local Council Tax Reduction Scheme from 2019/20 onwards.  To review the consultation feedback when considering potential changes to be applied in the 2019/20 onwards Local Council Tax Reduction Scheme;

To advise members that the Local Council Tax Reduction Scheme for working age customers for 2019/20 should include continued alignment to Applicable Amounts with those of Housing Benefit;

That Council endorses the proposed change, moderately supported by the consultation results, that the Local Council Tax Reduction Scheme for 2019/20 be aligned with the Universal Credit Regulations for self-employed working age earners.

(Report of the Portfolio Holder for Communities and Partnerships)

It is a requirement of the Gambling Act 2005 that the Council publishes a revised Statement of Principles in respect of the requirements of the Act by 3 January 2019. Following appearances before Licensing Committee on 21 June and 11 October 2018; Infrastructure and Growth Committee on 23 October 2018; a consultation between 11 July - 30 September 2018 and Cabinet on 30 November 2018, a revised Statement of Principles has been prepared.

(Moved by Councillor S Doyle  and seconded by Councillor B Price)

Rule 4.17.5 of the Constitution, Right to require individual vote to be recorded.

Councillor Dr S Peaple Voted against the motion.