Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor J Goodall

The minutes of the meeting held on 26^th May 2015 were approved and signed as a correct record.

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

To receive any declarations of Members’ interests (pecuniary and non-pecuniary) in any matters which are to be considered at this meeting.

When Members are declaring a pecuniary or non-pecuniary interest in respect of which they have dispensation, they should specify the nature of such interest.  Members should leave the room if they have a pecuniary or non-pecuniary interest in respect of which they do not have a dispensation. 

There were no Declarations of Interest.

The Mayor paid tribute to two Tamworth Soldiers namely Leon Spicer and Philip Hewitt and also Richard Shearer from Nuneaton killed in Iraq on 17 July 2005 being their 10 year anniversary this week. At the same time the Mayor paid respects to the people that were murdered in Tunisia one being a lady of Tamworth who the Mayor had known since working with her sometime ago; may they all rest in peace. A minutes silence followed

Tina Clements wished the Mayor Many Happy Returns for her birthday on 16 July 2015

(i)                 To answer questions from members of the public pursuant to Procedure Rule No. 10.

(ii)               To answer questions from members of the Council pursuant to Procedure Rule No. 11

QUESTIONS FROM MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL NO. 1

Under Procedure Rule No 11, Councillor T Madge will ask the Leader of the Council, Councillor D Cook, the following question:-

“Do you agree that it would be prudent to hold back on any sale and hearing of outline planning permission for 1100 houses on the old golf course land until we hear the result of the recent examination of the Local Plan from the Inspector, Mr FOX.

To press ahead when the report is close to publication would be counter productive should Mr FOX decide that the Local Plan is not sustainable?”

Councillor D Cook gave the following reply:-

Thank you Madam Mayor,

Cllr Madge, continuously pursuing the same end by using slightly different means takes up time, resource and capacity all at a cost to the taxpayer. Let’s see if I can help you understand the bigger and more important picture and see if a light bulb actually comes on this time………………

In January 2013 I gave instructions to the CEO that it was time Tamworth Golf Centres owners were either evicted from the golf course or settled their arrears with the Council, thus the tax-payers of Tamworth.

Long story short, as we all know the company went into liquidation and the course closed to the public. The Council then re-opened the course for a projected 2 years using the last jam jar of contingencies we had, however this was hand in hand with a full review into the future of the site. All these documents are public knowledge and available.

As members will recall in March 2013 Full Council, cross party took the decision to withdraw our Local Plan from examination by the National Inspector after he raised concerns about our five-year land supply coming forward. Basically, he questioned the numbers allocated to Anker Valley and could we meet our housing need?

As members will be aware the first five years of the plan must show exactly how land and development will come forward. In partnership with Lichfield District Council and Staffordshire County Council we commissioned a report, also available to the public, on the exact amount of houses Anker Valley could take considering the local infrastructure. The answer we got was a maximum of 700, thus we were correct to withdraw our local plan.

This is where two agendas began to converge. As the study into options for the golf course unfolded and we began to see we were far from meeting our housing need, solutions began to present themselves. There was no hidden agenda, no long term sabotage of the golf course, we did what sensible politicians do, we took a decision that solved problems and benefitted Tamworth long term. This is not to say we allocated the golf course land to fix the local plan, the course was unsustainable as a leisure business and as open space thus after an options appraisal Cabinet choose to build houses to a) net the Council a capital receipt  ...  view the full minutes text for item 25.

To consider excluding the Press and Public from the meeting by passing the following resolution:-

“That in accordance with the provisions of the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meeting and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012, and Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting during the consideration of the following business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Act and the public interest in withholding the information outweighs the public  interest in disclosing the information to the public”

At the time this agenda is published two representations have been received that this part of the meeting should be open to the public.

RESOLVED:  That members of the press and public be now excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following item on the grounds that the business involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 1, Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended).

(The Report of the Leader of the Council)

The Report of the Leader of the Council to agree additional compensation for members of Corporate Management Team in order to facilitate temporary senior management arrangements was withdrawn