Agenda and minutes

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Items
No. Item

129.

Minutes of the meeting held on 21 February 2017 pdf icon PDF 722 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The minutes of the meeting held on 21 February 2017 were signed as a true record.

130.

Coventry Good Citizen Award

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

Additional documents:

Minutes:

On behalf of the City Council, the Lord Mayor and Judge Griffith-Jones presented Lieutenant (SCC) Steve Warwick, RNR, with the Good Citizen Award. His citation read:

 

Lieutenant (SCC) Steve Warwick, RNR is being honoured with this Good Citizen Award for the work he undertakes for Coventry Sea Cadets. Steve became a cadet as a teenager, progressed to a uniformed instructor and has been the Commanding Officer of Coventry Sea Cadets since 2004. As an instructor Steve taught hundreds of young people aged between 10-18 in the basics of naval traditions, seamanship, boating, marching, first aid and basic training.

 

Steve dedicates much of his time and effort towards supporting the development of both the cadets and staff within his unit. He communicates with young people at their own level encouraging them to try their best and work as a team. He has helped shy and sometimes problematic cadets to mature into disciplined and confident young adults. He adopts an open door policy allowing the cadets and unit staff to speak with him at any time about issues they may have. His dedication has seen Coventry Sea Cadets become one of the top units out of 400 in the country.

 

Steve is respected by all staff, Trustees, cadets and their parents.  He has often been asked by other units in the region for his support and encouragement, without which they may have been forced to close.

 

Steve has carried out these duties whilst working full time and having a family.

Steve steps down as Commanding Officer in October.  This Good Citizen Award is in recognition of the support he has offered to the many young people of Coventry who he has supported and encouraged through their time with Coventry Sea Cadets.

131.

Correspondence and Announcements of the Lord Mayor

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Death of Former Lord Mayor of Birmingham

 

The Lord Mayor referred to the recent death of Councillor Ray Hassall, current Deputy Lord Mayor of Birmingham City Council, who was their Lord Mayor last year.

 

The Lord Mayor indicated that he had written to the Office of Lord Mayor in Birmingham asking for the Council’s sincere condolences be extended to Councillor Hassall’s family.

132.

Petitions

Additional documents:

Minutes:

RESOLVED:

 

(a)   That the following petitions be referred to the appropriate City Council bodies:

 

(i)  Request that the state of the grass verges along Wallace Road to be addressed – 60 signatures, presented by Councillor Williams.

(ii)  Request introduction of residents parking scheme on Edyth Road – 50 signatures, presented by Councillor Abbott.

(iii)  Request to look at implementation of speed reduction methods in Whitley – 548 signatures, presented by Councillors Bailey and Brown.

(iv)  Request to landscape the land at Whitley Common/JLR bridge over A444 – 38 signatures, presented by Councillor Bailey.

(v)  Request for continuous footpath at the junction of Lawley Close and Jobs Lane and a dropped kerb at the Limbrick Court junction- 36 signatures, presented by Councillor Ridley

(vi)  Supporting an application for a Gymnastics Centre for children of all ages – 690 signatures, presented by Councillor Male.

 

133.

Declarations of Interest

Additional documents:

Minutes:

(a)  Councillor Hammon declared a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest in the matter referred to in Minute 135 (Proposed Modifications to the Coventry City Council Draft Local Plan and City Centre Action Plan).  Councillor Hammon left the meeting during consideration of this item.

 

(b)  In respect of the matter referred to in Minute 137 (Review of Members Allowances Scheme) the Acting Monitoring Officer had granted a dispensation to all members of the Council uner Part 2M, paragraph 6.5.4. of the Constitution.  The dispensation would apply for the period covered by this review of the Allowances Scheme and would expire on 31 March 2020.

134.

National Schools and High Needs Funding Formula Consultation Response pdf icon PDF 342 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Further to Minute 122 of the Cabinet, the City Council considered a report of the Director of Education, Libraries and Adult Learning that set out the context and financial implications of proposed changes to funding for schools and the Council’s proposed response to the consultations on the reformed funding formula.

 

In January 2016 the Department for Education (DfE) set out their intention to reform funding for schools and high needs through a consultation on the principles that should guide the funding for those two areas. In December 2016 the DfE launched a second stage consultation, which provided further detail, financial impact and timelines.

 

The report set out the context and financial implications of the proposed changes and proposed a response to the two consultations, attached as appendices to the report, to be submitted by the 22nd March 2017. The Schools Forum would also make a response to the consultation and it was expected that individual schools and governing bodies would also make a response.

 

RESOLVED that the City Council approves the consultation response to the National Schools and High Needs funding formula consultations.

 

135.

Proposed Modifications to the Coventry City Council Draft Local Plan and City Centre Area Action Plan pdf icon PDF 146 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Further to Minute 123 of the Cabinet, the City Council considered a report of the Executive Director of Place detailing proposed modifications to the Coventry City Council Draft Local Plan and City Centre Area Action Plan.

 

The Coventry Draft Local Plan and City Centre Area Action Plan were submitted to the Secretary of State (SoS) on 1st April 2016. Following its submission, the SoS appointed an independent Inspector – Rebecca Phillips – to oversee the public examination of the Plans and their evidence base. The public examination hearing sessions took place between July 2016 and January 2017.

 

Following this examination process the Inspector had indicated that the Council should consult on proposed modifications in order to ensure both Plans could be considered ‘sound’ in accordance with the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations (2012). The majority of the proposed modifications were minor in their nature and none of them fundamentally affect either Plan or their overall objectives or direction. The vast majority of proposed changes reflected Action Points raised by the Inspector during the hearing sessions or consultation responses received during the statutory period of consultation in early 2016. Proposed modifications could only reflect changes to the Plan that made technical or factual corrections, responded to consultation responses or issues that had been raised during the examination process. For example:

 

  • The introduction sections to both Plans are updated to reflect the movement of Plans from consultation stages to possible adoption;
  • Although the most recent national data continues to show the city’s housing need is increasing this is offset by need across Warwickshire falling. As such, need at the Coventry and Warwickshire level remains stable with no significant change. This is explained within the proposed modifications;
  • A review mechanism is added to the Plan should any issues arise with delivery of new development or a fundamental failing of either Memorandum of Understanding (MOU);
  • A new Masterplan principles policy is added to guide new development proposals with a specific focus on sites at Whitley, Keresley and Eastern Green;
  • The threshold for Health Impact Assessments increases to 150 dwellings and sites over 5ha. This reflects national legislation;
  • References to Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), its supply chain and the Universities are strengthened to highlight their importance to the local economy;
  • The list of proposed site allocations remains unchanged although some small adjustments to site boundaries are proposed at Keresley, Eastern Green, Cromwell Lane, London Road / Allard Way and the Browns Lane Nursery Site (Appendix 3);
  • Infrastructure requirements and considerations for site allocations are strengthened and clarified – especially around highway improvements. This is also reflected in an updated Infrastructure Delivery Plan;
  • The new Parish Council status at Finham is recognised;
  • The threshold for retail impact assessments is increased to 1,000sq.m;
  • Additional references are added to strengthen the protection of ecology and biodiversity value as well as overall green infrastructure;
  • The management of Local Green Space is strengthened within Policy GB1. The boundaries for Local  ...  view the full minutes text for item 135.

136.

Coventry and Warwickshire Duplex Fund pdf icon PDF 122 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Further to Minute 126 of the Cabinet, the City Council considered a report of the Executive Director of Place that sought approval for capital investment in the Coventry and Warwickshire Duplex Fund.

 

The Duplex Fund would provide a new type of financial product to small businesses that combined grants and loans. The net effect for the applicant was a loan at a very attractive rate. The fund would be managed by Coventry and Warwickshire Reinvestment Trust (CWRT), a local “community bank” that lent to businesses which struggled to access finance from banks. As loans to applicants were repaid, this would make cash available for new loans later in the lifetime of the fund. An important benefit of the proposal was that grant funding, which under normal circumstances would be used once, would form part of a ten-year programme of business support. The grant element of the funding would come from UK Government sources such as Growth Deal.

 

The Council proposed to offer CWRT a loan for up to £2m as its contribution towards the fund for supporting Coventry businesses. Warwickshire County Council were currently considering a proposal for a comparable investment in the fund to provide complete Coventry and Warwickshire coverage. Grant funding worth £5.4m would also be allocated, bringing total public investment in the fund to just under £10m. This would allow £20m in financial support to be offered to businesses as the fund recycled itself over a ten year period.

 

The Council’s investment would be protected by having a strong presence on the credit committee which would award funding from the scheme, setting an interest rate in the loan arrangement that reflected the risk, and by seeking appropriate security from CWRT. In addition, a business support fund like this could also be protected by a government-backed guarantee scheme.

 

Over the ten-year life of the fund, it aimed to:

·  Provide £20m in financial assistance to Coventry and Warwickshire Businesses

·  Create just over 1400 jobs

·  Support over 360 small and medium businesses

 

RESOLVED that the City Council:

 

(1)  Agrees to capital investment of £2m in the Coventry and Warwickshire Duplex Fund in the form of a loan arrangement.

 

(2)  Delegates authority to the Executive Director Place and the Section 151 Officer, following consultation with the Cabinet Member for Strategic Finance and Resources and the Cabinet Member for Jobs and Regeneration, to:

 

  Negotiate the detailed terms of the loan arrangement and appropriate security, ensuring state aid compliance.

 

  Make such amendment and variations to the loan arrangement as is deemed necessary over the lifetime of the loan period subject to the overall capital investment not exceeding the sum of £2 million pounds.

 

137.

Review of Members' Allowances Scheme pdf icon PDF 84 KB

Report of the Director of Finance and Corporate Services

 

 

 

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The City Council considered a report of the Director of Finance and Corporate Services which presented the outcome of the Independent Remuneration Panel review of Coventry’s Members’ Allowances Scheme and recommendations. The Panel’s report was appended to the Council report. When approving changes to its Scheme, the Council must have regard to the Panel’s recommendations although were not bound by them.

 

In accordance with the Constitution, Councillor A Khan, moved the recommendations with the following alterations:

 

Recommend that the City Council:

 

(a)  “Consider the report of the Independent Remuneration Panel and approve:

Recommendation 1: That the basic allowance should remain at the current level, subject to increase by index see recommendation 7)

 

Amend Recommendation 2: that the SRA for the Leader of the Opposition be increased to £5,000

 

Amend Recommendation 3: that an SRA of £2,500 be introduced for the Deputy Leader of the Opposition

 

Amend Recommendation 7: That the Basic, Special Respnsibility, Mayoral and Co-optees allowances be increased each year by any percentage increase in pay agreed for local government employees, (pegged to spinal column point 49 of the NJC scheme); this indexing to be indexing to be effective from 1 April 20216 and expire on March 2020.

 

Amend Recommendation 8: That the Dependent Carer’s Scheme be amended to remove references to specific amounts and link allowances to the living wage and the Council’s Direct Payment rates for the care of a child and an adult respectively.

 

Reject Recommendations 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13

 

(b)  Delegate authority to the Acting Monitoring Officer to amend the Scheme of Members’ Allowances according to the decisions taken by Councl for inclusion in the Council’s Constitution.

 

RESOLVED that the City Council:

 

(a)  Approve that the basic allowance should remain at the current level, subject to increase by index see recommendation 7)

 

Approve that the SRA for the Leader of the Opposition be increased to £5,000

 

Approve that an SRA of £2,500 be introduced for the Deputy Leader of the Opposition

 

Approve that the Basic, Special Respnsibility, Mayoral and Co-optees allowances be increased each year by any percentage increase in pay agreed for local government employees, (pegged to spinal column point 49 of the NJC scheme); this indexing to be indexing to be effective from 1 April 20216 and expire on March 2020.

 

Approve that the Dependent Carer’s Scheme be amended to remove references to specific amounts and link allowances to the living wage and the Council’s Direct Payment rates for the care of a child and an adult respectively.

 

Reject Recommendations 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13 of the Independent Remuneration Panel.

 

(b)  Delegate authority to the Acting Monitoring Officer to amend the Scheme of Members’ Allowances according to the decisions taken by Council for inclusion in the Council’s Constitution.

138.

Annual Pay Policy Statement 2017/2018 pdf icon PDF 597 KB

Report of the Executive Director of People

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The City Council considered a report of the Executive Director of People setting out the Annual Pay Policy Statement 2017/18.

 

Local Authorities are required by sections 38 and 39 of the Localism Act 2011 to produce an annual Pay Policy Statement. The statement must articulate the City Council’s policies towards a range of issues relating to the pay of the workforce, particularly the most senior staff (or “chief officers”) and the relationship of their pay to the lowest paid employees. The proposed annual Pay Policy Statement for 2017/2018 was attached as appendix 1 of the report.

 

RESOLVED that the City Council approve the Annual Pay Policy Statement 2017/18 attached at Appendix 1 of the report.

139.

Question Time pdf icon PDF 40 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Councillors Innes provided a written answer to the question set out in the Questions Booklet together with oral responses to supplementary questions put to her 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:

 

No

Question asked by

Question put to

Subject Matter

1

Councillor Blundell

Councillor Innes

On the spot fines for littering

2

Councillor Williams

Councillor Innes

Delay in considering a petition at a Cabinet Member meeting

3

Councillor Williams

Councillor A Khan

Community Speedwatch

4

Councillor Williams

Councillor Welsh

Cabinet Member negotiations with private investors

5

Councillor Hammon

 Councillor Bigham

Events taking place in respect of the City of Culture application

6

Councillor Hammon

Councillor Innes

Recent traffic delays due to traffic light issues near West Orchard car park

7

Councillor Hammon

Councillor Innes

Measures in place to deal with student accommodation and HIMOs following the introduction of the 2-weekly bin collections

8

Councillor Male

Councillor Maton

City Council apprenticeship programme

9

Councillor Skinner

Councillor Bigham

Traffic issues in Westwood Ward

10

Councillor Crookes

Councillor Duggins

Commonwealth Games 2022  

11

Councillor Crookes

Councillor T Khan

Secondment of Director of Public Health to the Combined Authority

 

140.

Statements

Additional documents:

Minutes:

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

 

Councillor Blundell responded to the statement.

 

(b)  The Cabinet Member for Children and Young People made a statement in respect of “Children’s Services Improvement Plan”.

 

Councillor Lapsa responded to the statement.

 

141.

Debate

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The following motion was moved by Councillor Sawdon and seconded by Councillor Blundell:

 

“This Council is proud of its heritage and ethnic diversity in its bid to be City of Culture and calls on all faiths to engage in the 2017 heritage open day.”

Councillor Welsh proposed the following amendment, which was seconded by Councillor M Mutton and carried:

“In line 1 – delete ‘ethnic’

In line 2 – delete ‘faiths’ and insert ‘all citizens’, after ‘engage’ add ‘and support’

The amended Motion now to read:

 

*"This Council is proud of its heritage and diversity in its bid to be City of Culture and calls on all citizens to engage and support the 2017 heritage open day."

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