Agenda and minutes

The Lord Mayor, Councillor Noonan and Councillor Maton left the meeting after consideration of the item contained in Minute 128 below.  The meeting was then chaired by the Deputy Lord Mayor, Councillor Hammon.

The minutes of the meeting held on 13^th January 2015 were signed as a true record.

To consider whether to exclude the press and public for the items of private business for the reasons shown in the report.

RESOLVED that the City Council exclude the press and publicunder Section 100(A)(4) ofthe Local Government Act 1972 relating to the private report on ‘Disposal of Property Assets pursuant to Friargate’ (Minute 135 below), on the grounds that it involves the likelydisclosureof informationdefined in Paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A ofthe Act as it contains information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information) and that in all of the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

To be presented by the Lord Mayor

On behalf of the Council, the Lord Mayor presented Pat Sullivan with the Coventry Good Citizen Award.  Her citation read:

“Pat Sullivan’s commitment to the community stretches back some 30 years.  Her hard work and commitment as the Treasurer, Secretary, keyholder and General Administrator for the Village Hall in Eastern Green dates back to around 1984. She announced her intention to retire from the position – aptly described by one resident as ‘chief cook and bottle washer’ –  it soon became apparent that it will take numerous people to replace her, as parts of her role will be undertaken by many different people! In this sense, she is literally an irreplaceable individual who has offered outstanding voluntary service to her community.

It is clear that Pat’s dedication to the Village Hall and its many users has been instrumental in its continued success on a reasonably firm financial footing. The Centre is a ‘not for profit’ facility run for the benefit of the community. Pat has dedicated 3 decades to the running of the centre whilst also working full time.  Her dedication to the community is unquestionable and Pat’s retirement is considered a great loss. It is therefore entirely appropriate to mark the occasion by presenting her with the Good Citizen Award”.

(a)  Presentation of Illuminated Address to Councillor Gary Crookes, Lord Mayor for 2013/14.

(b)  Lord Mayor’s announcements

Further to Minute 112, the Lord Mayor reported on responses received from the President of the French Republic and Mayor of Paris following the receipt of a letter from the Lord Mayor and the Leader of the Council expressing the city's condolences following the attack on Charlie Hebdo magazine. The Lord Mayor also reported on a response from the High Commissioner of Pakistan and the Chief Minister for Peshawar following the receipt of a letter from the Lord Mayor expressing the City’s condolences following the terrorist attack on a school in Peshawar just before Christmas.

In accordance with the Constitution, the following motions without notice were moved by Councillor Townshend, seconded by Councillor Bailey and agreed:

(a)  To re-order the business on the agenda so that Item 6 on the agenda (Petitions) was taken after Item 8 (Coventry City Centre Area Action Plan (AAP) – The Preferred Approach).

(b)  That items 9 (2015/16 Council Tax Setting Report) and 10 (Budget Report 2015/16) on the agenda be considered together.

In addition and in accordance with legislation, it was moved by Councillor Townshend and seconded by Councillor Bailey and agreed, that a recorded vote be taken in respect of all decisions relating to items 9 and 10 (including any amendments)

Councillor Hammon declared a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest in the matter referred to Minute 129 below (Coventry City Centre Area Action Plan (AAP) – The Preferred Approach).  He withdrew from the meeting during consideration of this matter.

From the Cabinet, 10^th February 2015

Further to Minute 107 of the Cabinet, the City Council considered a report of the Executive Director of Place, which sought approval of the draft Coventry City Centre Action Plan. The report also sought authority to enter a period of public engagement on the Plan that provided the platform from which to regenerate the City Centre involving new retail provision, more new homes, employment space and leisure, social and community provisions and a strategic overview of accessibility issues including parking, pedestrian movement and associated infrastructure.

RESOLVED that the City Council approves the "City Centre Area Action Plan – The Preferred Approach (2014-2031)" document and authorises a period of seven weeks public engagement beginning on Friday 27^th February 2015 and ending on Friday 17^th April 2015.

RESOLVED that the following petitions be referred to the appropriate City Council bodies:

(1)  Lorries on Sir Henry Parkes Road – 8 signatures – presented by Councillor Taylor.

(2)  Request for changes to Taxi Licensing – 378 signatures -  presented by Councillor A Khan

(3)  Request for traffic calming measures at the Webster Street junction – 307 signatures – Councillor A Khan

(4)  Support for Earlsdon Library - 3643 signatures – presented by Councillor Taylor

(5)  Request for pavement improvements on Leicester Causeway – 62 signatures – presented by Councillor A Khan

(6)  Request for road resurfacing on James Galloway Close – 46 signatures – presented by Councillor Lakha

(7)  Request for railings at Nnaksar Gurdwara Grusikh Temple, 224-226 Foleshill Road – 74 signatures – presented by Councillor A Khan

(8)  Save Willenhall Library – 405 signatures – presented by Councillor Lakha

(9)  Save Canley Library – 136 signatures – presented by Councillor Lakha

Further to Minute 112 of the Cabinet, the City Council considered a report of the Executive Director of Resources, which calculated the Council Tax level for 2015/16.

The report indicated that the Pre-Budget Report was approved on the basis of consulting on a Council Tax rise of 1%.  It had subsequently been clarified by the Government that the Council would be required to hold a referendum if it increased council tax by 2% or above.  On that basis, the budget was being proposed on the basis of increasing the Council Tax by 1.9%.

The Executive Director of Resources reported that the precepts from the West Midlands Fire and Rescue Authority were approved at their meeting on 16 February 2015 and, as a result, the figures indicated as provisional within the report were updated, as detailed below, to reflect minor variations.

The Cabinet noted that the recommendations followed the structure of resolutions drawn up by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy, to ensure that the legal requirements were fully adhered to in setting the tax.  As a consequence, the proposed resolutions were necessarily complex.

An amendment, as detailed in the Appendix to these minutes, was moved by Councillor Sawdon, seconded by Councillor Blundell and lost.

RESOLVED that the City Council:

(1)  Note the following Council Tax base amounts for the year 2015/16, as approved by Cabinet on 6 January 2015, in accordance with Regulations made under Section 31B of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 (as amended) (“the Act”):

(a)  74,296.2 being the amount calculated by the Council as its Council Tax base for the year for the whole Council area;

(b)  Allesley  309.2

Keresley  215.4

  being the amounts calculated by the Council as its Council Tax base for the year for dwellings in those parts of its area to which one or more special items relate.

(2)  That the following amounts be now calculated by the Council for the year 2015/16 in accordance with Sections 31A, 31B and 34 to 36 of the Act:

(a)  £718,717,000  being the aggregate of the amounts that the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A(2) of the Act taking into account all precepts issued to it by Parish Councils (Gross Expenditure and reserves required to be raised for estimated future expenditure);

(b)  £616,545,753  being the aggregate of the amounts that the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A(3) of the Act.  (Gross Income including reserves to be used to meet the Gross Expenditure but excluding Council Tax income);

(c)  £102,171,247  being the amount by which the aggregate at (2)(a) above exceeds the aggregate at (2)(b) above, calculated by the Council in accordance with Section 31A(4) of the Act, as its Council Tax requirement for the year;

(d)  £1,375.19  (2)(c)  =  £102,171,247

  (1)(a)  74,296.2

  being the amount at (2)(c) above divided by (1)(a) above, calculated by the Council in accordance with Section 31B of the Act, as the basic amount of its Council Tax  ...  view the full minutes text for item 131.

Further to Minute 131 of the Cabinet, the City Council considered a report of the Strategic Management Board, which outlined the proposed final revenue budget for 2015/16, following a period of consultation on a range of budget options which were previously considered by the Cabinet on 2 December 2014.

The allocation of Government funding for 2015/16 was confirmed in the Local Government Settlement announced on 3 February 2015.  This was broadly in line with previous expectations and incorporated a headline reduction in Revenue Support Grant of £24m (15%) from 2014/15 levels.  In overall terms, the reduced Government funding was equivalent to a like-for-like reduction of £638 for every Coventry household between 2010/11 and 2015/16.

In line with its Medium Term Financial Strategy, the Council has continued to meet the challenge of significantly reduced resources through its programme of projects under the abc (A Better Coventry) banner.  The report reflected a new phase of transformation incorporating the Kickstart, Customer Journey, City Centre First, a new Workforce Strategy and Doing Things Differently projects.  The report incorporated savings within these programmes plus some expenditure proposals and pressures which together produced a balanced budget position for 2015/16.

This package of changes would allow the Council to continue to deliver its key policies, confirmed in the Council Plan approved on 14 January 2014.  As part of this, the Plan acknowledged the reductions in resources that faced the City Council and the need for the Council to reduce costs, maximise income and the use of its assets and work in a flexible and adaptable manner.  These themes were reflected within the transformation plans, which would also encompass the need for the Council to revise its expectations and those of its citizens and taxpayers in relation to the range, level and location of services that will be delivered in the future.

Despite the financial pressures it faced, the Council was maintaining an ambitious approach to kickstarting the Friargate business district, implementing the Coventry Investment Fund proposals and the leading drive for economic growth and regeneration.  The financial foundations for taking forward these initiatives had been reported within existing decisions and were noted subject to specific recommendations within the report.

The proposed rise in Council Tax levels was just below the limit set by the Government, beyond which a referendum would be required.  The referendum limit had been set at 2% and the recommended Council Tax rise was proposed just below this at 1.9%.  This option made a modest amount of resources (£1.9m) available to the Council in the short-term and guaranteed the long term security of this funding to help protect services provided to the people of Coventry.

The report also proposed a Capital Programme of £118m, compared with the current projected 2014/15 programme of £124m.  The proposals included continued significant investment in highways and public realm works programmes and construction of the Council’s new administrative office building in the Friargate Business District.  The 2015/16 Programme required £42m of funding from Prudential Borrowing, £31m of which  ...  view the full minutes text for item 132.

Further to Minute 114 of the Cabinet, the City Council considered a report of the Executive Director for Place, which set out proposals for the disposal of Civic Centres 1 to 4 as part of the Friargate project.

A corresponding private report detailing commercially confidential elements of the proposals was also submitted for consideration.

On 25 June 2013, the Council approved that the organisation support the development of the Friargate Business District to regenerate the City, transform the Council and deliver savings by the construction of a new Council owned office building at Friargate, the construction of a new bridge deck, the rationalisation of its operational property estate and the subsequent disposal of property assets vacated through such rationalisation.  The report required that the capital receipts generated from the disposal of such assets be ring fenced to the Friargate Project as part of the affordability strategy for the investment.  The report also required that a disposal strategy be developed that sought early marketing and negotiations designed to minimise the impact on the City Centre estate.  It was noted that the Council had entered into contractual arrangements for the new building to be built.

Since this time officers had prioritised the disposal of the key City Centre sites, namely Civic Centres 1 to 4 and Spire/Christchurch House.  Disposal of Spire/Christchurch House had already been approved and officers had been working closely with Coventry University in respect of Civic Centres 1 to 4.

The University had now presented their proposals for this key site to the Council which were consistent with the Council’s vision for the regeneration of this site and the city centre.  The University proposed that the site would become their key ‘front door’ site and would provide up to 35,000 sq m of development, incorporating research, HQ, commercial and international centre along with a small amount of post-graduate residential accommodation.

The development would require the demolition of all the Civic Centre 1 to 4 buildings and their phased replacement by the University.  The University had also indicated that they wished to purchase the freehold of the commercial units and flats above that front Earl Street for possible incorporation into the redevelopment.  These shops and the flats above were subject to a mixture of tenancies which were largely subject to security of tenure protection.  The University would be responsible for negotiating with the leaseholders to secure vacant possession at their expense and at an appropriate time should the properties be required to facilitate development.

Under the draft Heads of Terms the University proposed that they purchase the site and simultaneously enter into a lease back to the Council at a peppercorn rent until autumn 2017.  This would provide sufficient time for the Council to complete the move to Friargate and vacate Civic Centres 1 to 4.

In addition, the University had given a commitment to maintain the members car parking currently accommodated in the Magistrates car park albeit this may need to be reconfigured to allow it to be  ...  view the full minutes text for item 133.

Report of the Leader

The City Council received a report of the Leader which reported the appointment of Councillor Richard Brown as an additional Deputy Cabinet Member, to assist the Cabinet Member for Business, Enterprise and Employment, with effect from 6 February 2015.

The Cabinet Member (Children and Young People), Councillor Ruane, made a Statement in respect of the “Children’s Services Improvement Plan”.

Councillor Lepoidevin responded to the statement.

(Listing Officer: Richard Moon, tel: 024 7683 2350)

Further to Minute 133 above, the City Council considered a private report, which set out the commercially confidential aspects of proposals for the disposal of Civic Centres 1 to 4 as part of the Friargate project.

RESOLVED that the City Council:

(1)  Approve the freehold disposal of the site outlined in red on plan 1 comprising Civic Centres 1 to 4 to Coventry University in accordance with the terms set out in the report submitted.

(2)  Delegate Authority to the Executive Director for Place, Executive Director for Resources and the Assistant Director for Legal and Democratic Services as appropriate, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Business, Enterprise and Employment, to agree any variations or new requirements that are deemed necessary to give effect to the proposals.

(3)  Delegate authority to the Executive Director for Resources and the Assistant Director for Legal and Democratic services to complete the necessary legal documentation in this matter and collect the agreed consideration.

(4)  Approve the outline disposal strategy set out in Section 2.14 of the report submitted and delegate authority to the Executive Director for Place, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Business, Enterprise and Employment, to amend the strategy as required to minimise the impact of vacation of the City Centre estate.

(5)  Delegate authority to the Executive Director for Place, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Business, Enterprise and Employment, to agree terms for disposal under the strategy, provided that the terms are in accordance with the Friargate Business case.