Agenda and minutes

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

To be presented by the Lord Mayor and Judge Griffith-Jones, Honorary Recorder

On behalf of the City Council, the Lord Mayor presented Carol and Neil Wilkinson with the Good Citizen Award. Their citation read:

Carol and Neil Wilkinson have been Foster Carers for almost 40 years.  During this time they have cared for approximately 100 children, of varying ages, offering short-term, long-term, emergency and respite care.

Carol has also been called upon to use her nursing skills for a child with a life limiting illness.

Carol and Neil are always willing to go ‘the extra mile’ and they work collaboratively with all the health professionals in Coventry City Council.

The whole family participate in various Council events and ensure that they provide a stable and safe environment for the children they care for.

Carol and Neil nurture and care for young people who would otherwise have a very poor start in life.  They are an inspiration to us all and without doubt deserve the accolade of ‘Good Citizens’.

The Lord Mayor referred to the recent death of Deputy Leader of the Council, Councillor Philip Townshend. 

Philip was first elected in 1999 representing Lower Stoke Ward, which he continued to represent until his death.

His Cabinet Member portfolio held responsibilities for policing, equalities, community cohesion, neighbourhoods, legal and democratic services including the Lord Mayor’s Office.  He became Deputy Leader of the Council in May 2013 and was previously Shadow Cabinet Member for City Services for a number of years. 

He was Chair of University Hospital Coventry & Warwickshire NHS Trust in 2007 and held the role for more than five years.  He was also a school governor of St Christopher’s Community Primary School and Director of the Warwickshire Law Society Limited. 

The Council stood for a minute’s silence as a mark of respect.

Members paid tribute to Philip and extended the Council’s sincere condolences to his family.

RESOLVED that the following petition be referred to the appropriate City Council body:

(a)  Request for 50% reduction of trees in Loudon Avenue – 26

signatures, presented by Councillor M Mutton.

There were no declarations of interest.

From the Cabinet Member for Culture, Leisure Sports and Parks meeting, 12 November 2015

Further to Minute 14/15 of the meeting of the Cabinet Member for Culture, Leisure, Sports and Parks, the City Council considered a report of the Executive Director of Place which provided an update on the outcome of the 12 week consultation undertaken on the review of the Council’s Statement of Licensing Policy for the Licensing Act 2003. The Cabinet Member for Policing and Equalities authorised the consultation on 26 March 2015 (minute 94 refers).

The Licensing Act requires each licensing authority to prepare and publish a statement of licensing policy. The policy statement sets out how the authority intends to approach its licensing responsibilities and in particular how it intends to promote the four licensing objectives.

The current Statement of Licensing Policy came into effect on 6 January 2011 for a period of 5 years to January 2016. This policy has to be reviewed every five years and be subject to a full consultation process.

The general principals of the Licensing Policy remain the same and the document was still centred on the Licensing Act’s four licensing objectives:

·  The prevention of crime and disorder

·  Ensuring public safety

·  The prevention of public nuisance

·  The protection of children from harm

The report outlined comments received and proposed amendments to the Council’s draft Licensing Policy. The Licensing and Regulatory Committee considered the report on 20 October 2015 and were fully supportive of the Statement of Gambling Policy and did not propose any changes to the draft Policy (their Minute 53/15 refers).

RESOLVED that the City Council adopt the revised Statement of Licensing Policy (attached as Appendix A of the report) for the purposes of Section 5 of the Licensing Act 2003. 

From the Cabinet Member for Culture, Leisure Sports and Parks meeting, 12 November 2015

Further to Minute 15/15 of the meeting of the Cabinet Member for Culture, Leisure, Sports and Parks, the City Council considered a report of the Executive Director of Place which provided an update on the outcome of the 7 week consultation undertaken on the review of the Council’s Statement of Gambling Policy for the Gambling Act 2005.

The Gambling Act required each licensing authority to prepare and publish a statement of gambling policy. The policy statement sets out how the authority intends to approach its licensing responsibilities and in particular how it intends to promote the three licensing objectives.

The current Gambling Policy came into effect on 6 January 2013 for a period of 3 years to 31 January 2016. The policy has to be renewed every three years and be subject to a full consultation process. Authority to consult was given by the Cabinet Member for Policing and Equalities on 23 July 2015 (their Minute 10/15 refers).

The general principles of the Gambling Policy remain the same and the document was still centred around the Gambling Act’s 3 licensing objectives, namely:

(i)  Preventing gambling from being a source of crime or disorder, being associated with crime or disorder or being used to support crime;

(ii)  Ensuring that gambling is conducted in a fair and open way;

(iii)  Protecting children and other vulnerable persons from being harmed or exploited by gambling.

The report outlined comments received and amendments made on the Council’s draft Gambling Policy. The Licensing and Regulatory Committee considered the report on 20 October 2015 and was supportive of revised Statement of Gambling Policy and did not suggest any changes to the revised policy (their Minute 52/15 refers).

RESOLVED that the City Council adopt the revised Statement of Gambling Policy attached as Appendix A of the report.

Further to Minute 62/15 of the Cabinet, the City Council considered a report of the Executive Director of Resources, which set out the Medium Term Financial Strategy for 2016-19 for adoption and included the financial planning foundations that support the Council’s vision and priorities, leading to the setting of the Council’s revenue and capital budgets.

The Government’s July 2015 Summer Budget announced a further period of public sector spending reductions over the course of the new Parliament and this provided a key backdrop to the Council’s medium term financial position.  However, further detail on the local future years funding was due to be published on 25^th November and the Local Government Finance Settlement was expected in late December 2015.  The high likelihood was that these would confirm continued cuts in Revenue Support Grant for local government on a trajectory broadly consistent with cuts made since 2010.  Therefore, the fundamental factor shaping the Council’s Medium Term Financial Strategy continued to be one of unprecedented financial pressure leading to further significant reductions in spending levels that would be likely to continue in the period up to 2020 and possibly beyond. 

The report submitted summarised the national and local contexts that frame the Strategy and acknowledged the Council’s in principle decision to join with other councils across the region to form a West Midlands Combined Authority.  Taken together these factors represented a combination of reduced resources, challenging underlying economic and demographic conditions, increased demand, a heightened need to improve the quality of services and new challenges represented by Government reform and local structural and governance relationships.  In these circumstances, it was crucial that the Council’s financial strategy was robust and flexible.  This would provide the financial foundations required to ensure that Council services were fit for purpose to protect the most vulnerable as well as providing decent core services for every citizen in the City.  In support of these aims, the report also set out the Council’s strategic financial approach to the demands that it faced. 

Based on initial estimates of future funding settlements, the City Council’s indicative financial position moving into 2016/17 budget setting process showed a major funding gap increasing to £28m in 2018/19.  This gave a clear picture of the massive financial challenges faced by the Council.  This financial position was developed further in the Pre-Budget report also being considered and detailed in Minute 63 below, and could be expected to become yet more acute in the period beyond the Medium Term Financial Strategy based on ministerial announcements about continued spending cuts.

The Finance and Corporate Services Scrutiny Board (1) had also considered the report at their meeting on 11^th November 2015, and a briefing note detailing their recommendations was appended to the report.  In particular, the Board recommended that the Cabinet consider incorporating the findings and recommendations of the Reserves and Underspends Working Group into the Medium Term Financial Strategy to address part of the budget shortfall for 2016/17.  The Cabinet noted the comments from the Board  ...  view the full minutes text for item 89.

Further to Minute 66/15 of the Cabinet, the City Council considered a report of the Executive Director of Resources, which set out proposals for a further round of early retirement / voluntary redundancy (ER/VR).

Since 2010 the Council had undertaken significant savings exercises across the organisation in response to on-going reductions in Government funding. Savings were initially mainly focused on back office and support services, through reducing senior management posts, merging directorates and by identifying more efficient ways of delivering services. More recently, as back office efficiencies became harder to find, front line services were being affected.

The forthcoming Spending Review announcement was likely to signal further significant resource cuts for local government and by 2017/18 Coventry was likely to face having its government funding cut by well in excess of £100m or over 55% since 2010.  Further, significant savings would be needed across services. This meant that the Council would be a smaller organisation in the future. By introducing more efficient and flexible ways of working the Council aimed to deliver better value for residents with less bureaucracy – and fewer employees.

At its meeting on 26 November 2015, the Cabinet had approved the launch, consultation and implementation of a fifth ER/VR programme with consultation from 2nd December until 16th January 2016 and a closing date for ER /VR applications of 23rd January 2016; delegated authority to the Executive Director Resources (following consultation with Cabinet Member for Strategic Finance and Resources) to develop and instigate further (general or specifically targeted) Early Retirement/ Voluntary Redundancy programmes as appropriate on an on-going basis and approved the launch, consultation and implementation of such programmes in the future.

RESOLVED that the City Council approves the virement of additional resources of £7.4m as identified in section 5 of the report to add to existing budgets of £10.1m to fund redundancy and early retirement costs.

Further to Minute 68/15 of the Cabinet, the City Council considered a report of the Director of Public Health, which set out proposals for Coventry to continue as a Marmot City.

Coventry was one of seven cities in the UK chosen in 2013 to participate in the UK Marmot Network, to become a Marmot City and develop a ‘Marmot’ approach to tackling health inequalities.  In March 2015, Professor Sir Michael Marmot from University College London’s Institute of Health Equity and key leaders from Public Health England recognised the progress Coventry had made, and committed to working together with Coventry acting as an exemplar City for its approach to reducing health inequalities for a further three years.

This would enable Coventry to accelerate the progress that had been made in reducing health inequalities over the last two years and to develop a more focused, multi-agency approach to ensure that resources and efforts were concentrated where they could make the biggest difference. As an exemplar City, Coventry would share learning with the wider system and disseminate findings to other areas. Public Health England and University College London would provide expertise and knowledge to support Coventry, and to develop Coventry’s capability to measure the impact of the Marmot City programme.

As part of this, partners were working together to develop a Marmot strategy, which would form part of Coventry’s overall Health and Wellbeing strategy and be overseen by Coventry’s Health and Wellbeing Board.  The strategy would consider the conditions which determine health, including: housing, employment, income, environment, and community, as well as access to health services and the overall health of the population, with a particular focus on young people, jobs and the economy, and improving outcomes for people from diverse backgrounds.

The Cabinet noted that the report had also been considered by the Health and Wellbeing Board on 19^th October 2015, who supported the proposals within the report.

RESOLVED that the City Council approve the proposed partnership arrangement and approach.

Further to Minute 70/15 of the Cabinet, the City Council considered a report of the Executive Director of Place, which set out proposals for bidding in the first round applications for the European Funding Programme 2014-20.

The new 2014-2020 European Structural Investment Fund (ESIF) Programme was launched in March 2015. The programme would run until 2020, and in the first round funding for projects running from January 2016 to December 2018 £35.8m had been made available to bid for. This remained a moving feast as Government continued to propose to push funding back towards the later parts of the 2014-2020 programme rather than in the early years.

The Council had been extremely successful in securing European funds in recent years and at the last count had secured in excess of £41 million from the current European programme.

The Council had submitted bids in the new programme under the Research and Innovation, Small Medium Enterprise (SME) Competiveness, Low Carbon and Technical assistance and the Inclusive Labour Markets themes. Across all the bids the amount being bid for in the first round was £19.57m, 55% of the funding available.

The Council had already taken a leadership role in bringing partners together from across the Coventry and Warwickshire LEP area to develop projects and programmes that would lead to greater economic growth across the City and the sub-region.

The Cabinet had noted that the Council has an outstanding track record of securing, managing and delivering European programme in partnership.

This report provided information on each of the bids under the various programmes and sought approval for the Council to act as accountable body and guarantor for these funding programmes should bids be successful.

RESOLVED that the City Council agree to act as guarantor and to delegate authority to the Executive Director of Place to enter into the appropriate grant aid agreements should it be successful in securing funds.

Report of the Leader

The Leader reported changes she had made in relation to the allocation of executive functions within the Cabinet following the recent death of Councillor Philip Townshend.  The updated allocation of executive functions are set out below:

*Councillor Ruane is designated as the Lead Member for Children’s Services as required by  ...  view the full minutes text for item 93.

Report of the Executive Director of Resources

The City Council considered a report of the Executive Director of Resources which sought approval to appoint to a number of vacancies on Outside Bodies.

RESOLVED that the City Council appoints:

1)  Councillor A Khan as the City Council’s named substitute Member representative on the Police and Crime Panel

2)  Councillor K Maton as the City Council representative on the Coventry & Solihull Waste Disposal Company Ltd – Shareholders’ Panel

3)  Councillor D Kershaw as a City Council nominated Trustee of Bonds Hospital Estate Charity Trustees

4)  Councillor D Kershaw as a City Council nominated Trustee of Swillington’s Charity Trustees

5)  Councillor D Gannon as a City Council representative on West Midlands Employers representative

6)  Councillor D Gannon as a City Council representative on West Midlands Joint Committee, who would also be the substitute Member for voting purposes

7)  Councillor J Clifford and Councillor F Abbottas City Council nominated Trustees on the Annie Bettmann Foundation, Councillor F Abbott to be designated as the Lead Member for the Council’s reporting purposes.

(a)  Written Question – There are no written questions  

(b)  Oral Questions to Chairs of Scrutiny Boards/Chair of Scrutiny

Co-ordination Committee

(c)  Oral Questions to Chairs of other meetings

(d)  Oral Questions to Representatives on Outside Bodies

(e)  Oral Questions to Cabinet Members and Deputy Cabinet Members on any matter

The following Members answered oral questions (and supplementary questions) as set out:

The Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, Councillor Ruane, made a statement in respect of the “Children’s Services Improvement Plan”

Councillors Blundell and Noonan responded to the Statement

Councillor Maton moved the following debate, which was seconded by Councillor Abbott:

This Council notes:

That the Housing and Planning Bill is currently being debated in Parliament, and if passed would threaten the provision of affordable homes for rent and buy through:

* forcing 'high-value' council homes to be sold on the open market

* extending the right-to-buy to housing association tenants and

* undermining section 106 requirements on private developers to provide affordable homes

The Bill has no commitment  that Government will provide resources to allow affordable homes to be replaced on a like-for-like in the local area. The 'starter homes' proposals in the Bill will be unaffordable to families and young people on ordinary incomes in most parts of the country. These homes will not preserve the taxpayers’ investment and will be built at the expense of genuinely-affordable homes to rent and buy.

This Bill undermines local decision making by taking new wide and open-ended powers for the Secretary of State over councils and local communities, including the ability to override local plans and to mandate rents for social tenants. And, it does nothing to tackle high rents, poor conditions and insecurity affecting many of England’s 11m private renters ( including one in four families with children ) and does nothing to help arrest the recent rise in homelessness.

This Council resolves:

-  To analyse and report on the likely impact of the forced sale of social homes in Coventry and the extension of right-to-buy and the 'starter homes' requirement on the local availability of affordable homes.

-  To work with housing agencies and charities in Coventry to identify any further likely impacts of the Bill on the local area.

-  To meet with local MPs to make clear the implications for Coventry citizens and to discuss future action.

-  To make public the implications of this proposed legislation and to stimulate further debate about the future of housing policy in Coventry.

The following amendment was moved by Councillor Blundell, seconded by Councillor Andrews and lost:

That the debate set out as item 17.1 on the agenda be amended as follows:

In the first line of the first paragraph delete all the text after the word “Parliament” up to “This Council resolves”.

Under the section “This Council resolves”, in the first sentence of the first paragraph, delete the word “forced”.

RESOLVED that the Motion as set out above in bold be adopted.