Agenda and minutes

The minutes of the meeting held on 6 September 2016 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 Mr Lonnie Downes with the Good Citizen Award. His citation read:

“Lonnie is awarded the Good Citizen Award for the variety of tasks he undertakes. He is Chairman of Longford CAN and led on the forming of this group which grew out of the amalgamation of several small residents associations in Longford. In this role he works tirelessly for the benefit of local residents.

As Welfare Officer for the Bedworth Branch of the Parachute Regiment Association he arranges for local fundraisers to take part in parachute jumps with the Red Devils team. In 2014 Lonnie arranged for the Lord Mayor’s Consort to undertake a tandem jump to raise money for the Lord Mayor’s Charity Appeal. Lonnie has numerous parachute jumps to his name, many for charities such as SSAFA, but also whilst serving in the Parachute Regiment.  Lonnie also visits wounded forces personnel in hospital.

Lonnie was instrumental in setting up the Airborne Forces Memorial in the War Memorial Park.  Without his support this project would not have come to fruition.

As a member of the Ricoh Arena Monitoring Group he attended many meetings regarding the building of the arena offering a lay persons thoughts on behalf of the local community.

In 1972 Lonnie reported that poisonous waste was being dumped locally. As a result of this a bill was rushed through Parliament regarding the disposal of toxic waste and was passed in to law in March of that year.

Lonnie does not think he does anything special but his work in the community is now being recognised for his commitment, hard work and sincerity to all; he is a real Community Champion.”

The Lord Mayor reminded Members that it was ‘Local Democracy Week’ and outlined a series of events that the City Council were hosting aimed at encouraging democratic engagement, especially amongst younger people. Members were invited to drop in on any of the sessions during the course of the week.

The Lord Mayor presented Councillor Michael Hammon, Lord Mayor for 2015/16, with his Illuminated Address.

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

(a)  Request to stop Caludon Library from closing – 43 signatures, presented by Councillor Abbott.

(b)  Request for pavement improvements on Greens Road – 36 signatures, presented by Councillor Williams

(c)  Request for pavement improvements on Norman Place Road – 8 signatures, presented by Councillor Williams

(d)  Request for parking restrictions on Hollyfast Road – 19 signatures, presented by Councillor Williams

(e)  Request to review entry/exit to the new housing estate on the former Lyng Hall School playing fields – 197 signatures, presented by Councillor K Caan

(f)  Request for traffic calming measures on Remembrance Road – 261 signatures, presented by Councillor Lakha

Although not a disclosable pecuniary interest, Councillor Ridley declared that he would be withdrawing from the meeting for the matter referred to in Minute 64 below (Local Growth Deal – Public Realm Phase 4 & Infrastructure Projects) to avoid any perception of bias in respect of his employment with Sustrans.

Further to Minute 36 of the Cabinet, the City Council considered a report of the Executive Director of Resources, which presented the Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS), incorporating an Efficiency Plan for 2017-2020 for adoption by the City Council.The previous strategy was approved in December 2015.The Strategy set out the financial planning foundations that supported the Council’s vision and priorities and lead to the setting of the Council’s revenue and capital budgets.

The government was to commit to 4 year funding settlements to local authorities in order to encourage efficiency savings. To qualify, each local authority needed to produce an Efficiency Plan setting out how the authority intended to increase efficiency over the planning period.

Looking forward, the Council’s pre-budget report would be brought to members on 29th November 2016, followed by the budget setting report in February 2017.

Local authorities would continue to face severe financial pressures for the foreseeable future in what were very uncertain times. Although the previous government policy of targeting a budget surplus by 2020 had been dropped, following the EU referendum, the downgrading of growth forecasts indicated that the severe financial pressures on public finances would continue.  The fundamental factor shaping the City Council’s MTFS remained that of unprecedented financial pressure leading to further significant reductions in spending levels that were likely to continue in the period up to at least 2020.The national and local contexts that framed this Strategy were detailed in the report and represented a combination of reducing 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 both 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.

The City Councils strategic financial approach to the demands that it faced were detailed in the report.

Based on the 2016/17 approved budget, the financial gap for the following 3 years was:

The financial position would be developed further in the Pre-Budget and Budget Setting reports.

RESOLVED that the City Council approve the Medium Term Financial Strategy.

Further to Minute 39 of the Cabinet, the City Council considered a report of the Executive Director of Place, which sought endorsement of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the planned distribution of employment land within Coventry and Warwickshire.

The MoU, attached as an appendix to the report, was presented to the Coventry, Warwickshire and Hinckley and Bosworth Joint Committee (CWHJC) at its meeting on 21^st July 2016. For the avoidance of doubt, the report only related to the six local authorities of Coventry and Warwickshire (Coventry City, Rugby Borough, Warwick District, North Warwickshire Borough, Stratford on Avon District and Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough). The MoU was accompanied by a covering report which recommended the MoU be endorsed by each of the six authorities.

The MoU sought to ensure the current employment land requirements of the Coventry and Warwickshire sub-region were planned for in full during the current round of Local Plans. In doing so it primarily responded to the fact that Coventry City was unable to accommodate its full employment land requirements within its own boundaries. In this respect it was similar to the housing requirements MoU agreed at the Joint Committee in September 2015 and endorsed by the City Council in January 2016. It was also a vital component of the City’s ability to demonstrate its responsibilities under the Duty to Cooperate were satisfied in relation to the delivery of employment land.

Over the course of 2016, the MoU had been developed by all six authorities with further support from Warwickshire County Council and the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership. Its development had been supported by an officer and member reference group of the CWHJC. It had been informed by updated evidence of economic growth forecasts and land requirements at a range of geographies across the sub region. It contained points of agreement that related to the quantum of employment land that should be distributed across the sub-region. This distribution supported both demographic and workforce growth, market signals and demand as well as considering commuting flows between the six authorities and opportunities to combat deprivation.

The MoU proposed distribution of employment land requirements to be taken forward into plan making were detailed in the report.  The MoU was supported by all relevant Members of the CWHJC.

As part of this agreement, the CWHJC sought a formal commitment from each of the individual Local Authorities represented to formally endorse the MoU by the end of October 2016. This was with a view to supporting the timely progression of Local Plans (including Coventry’s) and the Council’s responsibilities under the Duty to Cooperate.

The report also provided an update on the housing requirements MoU which confirmed that all authorities had endorsed the MoU with the exception of Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council who were continuing to review their land capacity in advance of potentially signing the MoU later this year.

RESOLVED that the City Council endorses the Memorandum of Understanding, attached as an appendix to the report, relating to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 63.

Further to Minute 41 of the Cabinet, the City Council considered a report of the Executive Director of Place, which sought authorisation of a new and additional Public Realm programme of works and to enter into Local Growth Deal funding agreements.

Since 2011 the City Council had delivered over £33M public realm improvements in Coventry City Centre.  Schemes such as Broadgate, Council House Square, Gosford Street and the route from Bull Yard to the railway station had transformed the city’s environment, provided more green space and created a more attractive city for residents, businesses and visitors to enjoy. Phase 3 of the public realm improvements was completed earlier this year, using European Regional Development Fund and Local Growth Deal grant, along with some private investment to deliver improvements, including to the route between Coventry University campus and the city centre, Far Gosford Street, Lidice Place, Belgrade Plaza and Whittle Arch.

The impact of this work had been significant, attracting developers to invest in the city such as Shearers Property Group who cited the improvements to Broadgate as part of the reason they took the decision to invest to transform Cathedral Lanes into a vibrant restaurant quarter, with plans for further investment for phase 2 which was set to commence shortly. Broadgate continued to host popular events, from farmers markets to concerts and exhibitions which attracted visitors into the city centre. An increasing number of the city’s bars and restaurants were taking the opportunity to provide more outdoor seating areas to enable people to sit out and enjoy the newly improved urban and green spaces. Footfall in the City Centre during the evening was up 23%, well above the national average.

The Council had successfully secured £1.9M Local Growth Deal funds from Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP) to deliver Phase 4 of city centre public realm improvements. The investment would focus on delivery of high quality schemes as per previous schemes in the city centre within the funding available.

To ensure that the public realm programme could be delivered within the available budget, a priority order for the schemes was proposed. A pipeline of public realm schemes had been established in priority order for investment, and these were detailed in the report.

Separately, Local Growth Deal had also been awarded for infrastructure improvements to the A45/Leamington Road and A46 Stoneleigh Interchange. £0.75M had been awarded to the A45/Leamington Road to reduce road traffic congestion during peak periods and improve safety for all road users at the busy road junction on the A45 Kenpas Highway at its junction with the B4113 Leamington Road and B4113 St Martin’s Road. A further £1.1M had been awarded for scheme development for the A46 Stoneleigh Interchange improvement. The scheme, being led by delivery partner Warwickshire County Council with support from Warwick District Council would improve access to the University of Warwick and the adjoining science and business parks, as well as provide a basis to access a number of proposed major developments in the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 64.

Report of the Executive Director of Resources

The City Council considered a report of the Executive Director of Resources which sought approval to appoint a City Council representative to the West Midlands Strategic Migration Partnership.

Strategic Migration Partnerships (SMPs) were local authority-led partnerships which provided structures and forums of engagement for dealing with migration at a local, national and regional level.

SMPs bring together senior representatives from Local Government, Home Office, national government, statutory, voluntary and community and private sectors. These unique cross-sector partnerships with political oversight, support, discuss and represent national and local needs to ensure that migration is managed to benefit all in the UK.

The West Midlands Strategic Migration Partnership (WMSMP) was one of twelve Migration Partnerships across the UK that were established following the introduction of a regional dispersal policy in 1999 for people seeking asylum. Since then the West Midlands Partnership had developed in response to changes in dispersal and migrant patterns, numbers and policy requirements.  In 2007, the core activities of the partnerships were broadened to cover the wider migration agenda and their impacts on local areas. This included economic migration and consideration of how the region could benefit.

Coventry City Council was requested to nominate one representative of the Authority to sit on the Board of the WMSMP with immediate effect and until the end of April 2017, after which the Partnerships Governance Arrangements, including the terms of office for future appointments, were being reviewed. 

RESOLVED that the City Council appoint Councillor Mrs Bigham to the West Midlands Strategic Migration Partnership.

(a)  Written Question – Booklet 1

(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

Councillors Innes and A Khan provided written answers to the questions set out in the Questions Booklet together with oral responses to supplementary questions put to them at the meeting.

The following Members answered oral questions put to them by other Members as set out below, together with supplementary questions on the same matters:

(a)  The Leader made a statement in respect of “Progress on the Combined Authority”

Councillor Blundell responded to the Statement.

(b)  The Cabinet Member for Children and Equalities, Councillor Ruane, made a statement in respect of the “Children’s Services Improvement Plan”.

Councillor Lapsa responded to the Statement.

Coventry City Council recognises the Key objectives of the Feeding Coventry partnership project to tackle food poverty in Coventry:-

1) addressing emergency food needs;

2) increasing the understanding of the causes of food poverty;

3) promoting a sustainable food economy;

4) joining support networks which offer mentoring to achieve their goals.

5) developing cohesive partnerships across all organisations involved in emergency food provision, welfare and research

6) to provide a single simple information source for the city on the provision of food and related support.

Coventry city council supports the feeding Coventry project and calls on the government to support the feeding Britain initiative which is working on a national level to eliminate food poverty.

The following motion was moved by Councillor Abbott and seconded by Councillor N Akhtar:

“Coventry City Council recognises the key objectives of the Feeding Coventry Partnership Project to tackle food poverty in Coventry:

1.  Addressing emergency food needs

2.  Increasing the understanding of the causes of food poverty

3.  Promoting a sustainable food economy

4.  Joining support networks which offer mentoring to achieve their goals

5.  Developing cohesive partnerships across all organisations involved in emergency food provision, welfare and research

6.  To provide a single simple information source for the City on the provision of food and related support.

Coventry city council supports the feeding Coventry project and calls on the government to support the feeding Britain initiative which is working on a national level to eliminate food poverty.”

RESOLVED that the Motion as set out above be unanimously adopted.

“Coventry Council will write to all drivers who received the unlawful fines after driving through bus gates – designated sections of road for buses and taxis only at Park Road, Greyfriars Green and Gosford Street – between December 10, 2015 and April 21, 2016. Fines were issued because the Council failed to comply with legal signage. 

The council realise motorists have been treated unfairly and have they paid a fine they should never have received. The council will now write to motorists wrongly fined to explain their right to apply for a refund and apologise for any undue stress this may have caused."

The following motion was moved by Councillor Mayer and seconded by Councillor Ridley:

“Coventry Council will write to all drivers who received the unlawful fines after driving through bus gates – designated sections of road for buses and taxis only at Park Road, Greyfriars Green and Gosford Street – between December 10, 2015 and April 21, 2016. Fines were issued because the Council failed to comply with legal signage. 

The council realise motorists have been treated unfairly and have they paid a fine they should never have received. The council will now write to motorists wrongly fined to explain their right to apply for a refund and apologise for any undue stress this may have caused."

RESOLVED that the Motion as set out above be not adopted.