Agenda and minutes

The minutes of the Extraordinary Meeting held on 16 May 2017 and of the Annual Meeting held on 18 May 2017 were signed as true records.

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 press and public be excluded under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 relating to the private report headed “ Unit 1 Dutton Road, Alderman’s Green Industrial Estate, Coventry – Investment Opportunity” on the grounds that the report involved the likely disclosure of information defined in Paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A of the Act, as it contains information relating to the financial and business affairs of any particular proposed person (including the authority holding that information) and the amount of expenditure proposed to be incurred by the  Council under a particular contract or the supply of goods or services. The public interest in maintaining the exemption under Schedule 12A outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

To be presented by the Lord Mayor and His Honour Judge Lockhart QC, Honorary Recorder

On behalf of the City Council, the Lord Mayor and His Honour Judge Lockhart QC presented Mr Richard Knowles with the Good Citizen Award. His citation read:

“In 2014 Richard Knowles set up Makerspace, a community interest company which has enabled the people of Coventry to come together to forge new friendships, learn new skills and work on exciting projects, which has helped the local community to thrive both socially and educationally.  Makerspace allows individuals of all walks of life to meet up and take part in general activities, work on collaborative projects as well as enrol in metal and wood working workshops. Makerspace also actively promotes Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)education for children in the Coventry and surroundingareas. Through STEM education children will be able to become creative thinkers and problem solvers which will help them in their future. Due to Richards guidance a "Kids Coding Club" has been set up where young people are able to teach each other on how to writecomputer code, which will certainly be a great investment for the future of the children and Coventry itself.

Alongside Richard’s work with Makerspace, he is heavily invested in working with local community centres such as the Stoke Aldermoor Community Centre,where Richard has helped individuals to apply for grants to restorethe Stoke Aldermoor War Memorial to make the community a better place for everyone.  Richard also devotes his time to help run theKoco Community Centre where he is on the board of directors and accepting the role of Chairman, where issues of social isolation, disability, mental ill health and homelessness are addressed.

From the work that Richard does it is evident that he is a passionate and caring individual, who takes comfort in helping people in any way that he can. His actions truly merit this Good Citizen Award”.

(a)  Birthday Honours

The Lord Mayor referred to the awards made to the following people associated with the City in the recent Queen’s Birthday Honours List:

-  OBE: To Amanda Mordey who lives in Earlsdon, for her services to special educational needs and disabilities. Amanda is Principal of Merstone Special School in Solihull.

Members noted that a letter of congratulations had been sent to Amanda, on behalf of the City Council.

(b)  Congratulations on Awards

On behalf of the City Council, the Lord Mayor congratulated the recipients of the following awards:

The Queens Award for Voluntary Services:

·  Coventry Muslim Forum

·  Savers

The Queens Award for Enterprise:

·  Premier Health Products for International Trade

·  Mike de Courcey Travel for Sustainable Development

(c)  Condolences

·  Grenfell Tower – The Lord Mayor referred to the tragic fire in Grenfell Tower. On behalf of the City Council, a joint letter of condolence had been sent by the Lord Mayor and the Leader of the Council to the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea extending the City’s condolences.

·  National Terrorist Attacks – The Lord Mayor referred to the national terrorists attacks and joint letters of condolences had been sent by the Lord Mayor and the Leader of the Council to local authorities relating to the Manchester bomb, London Bridge/Borough Market terrorist attack and the Finsbury Park Mosque attack expressing the City Council’s condolences to the families and loved ones of those injured or killed.

·  Srebrenica – The Lord Mayor referred to Srebrenica and as part of the national Srebrenica Memorial Week, the Department of Communities and Local Government had asked all Councils to mark the 22^nd anniversary of the worst atrocity on European soil since World War II during this week.

In view of these tragic circumstances in recent months, as well as commemorating Srebrenica, Members of the City Council stood for a minute’s silence as a mark of respect to honour the victims and to raise awareness about the significance of building a cohesive society.

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

(a)  Request the Council not to sell the 27% of Green Belt land that they own at Kings Hill to developers – 92 signatures, presented by Councillor Blundell.

(b)  Objection to planning application at the former Aylesford Care Centre site to build 189 bedroom student accommodation – 418 signatures presented by Councillor Welsh.

(c)  Request for double yellow lines to be introduced on both sides of Merynton Avenue, Hilary Road and Tutbury Avenue – 61 signatures, presented by Councillor Blundell.

(d)  Request for rear access gates on Meadfoot Road, Remembrance Road and Mary Slessor Street – 71 signatures, presented by Councillor Lakha.

(e)  Objection to planning application by Amazon Warehouse, Lyons Park to amend conditions allowing lorries to use reversing alarms throughout the night – 439 signatures, presented by Councillor Williams.

(f)  Request for the installation of parking restrictions on William Bree Road to allow the weekly bin collections to be made as scheduled – 10 signatures, presented by Councillor Ridley.

(g)  Request the Council to institute Article 4 Direction to limit the number of houses in multiple occupation – 15 signatures, presented by Councillor Sawdon.

(h)   Objection to planning application at Little Cedars, Meadfoot Road – 42 signatures, presented by Councillor Lakha.

Councillor N Akhtar declared a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest in the matter referred to in Minute 29 (Debates) in so far as his wife was currently employed by Whitefriars Housing Group. He left the meeting during the consideration of this item.

Councillors Harvard, Lakha, Taylor and Thomas also declared a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest in the matter referred to in Minute 29 (Debates) in so far as they are Directors of Whitefriars Housing Group. They left the meeting during the consideration of this item.

From the Cabinet, 13 June 2017

Report of the Deputy Chief Executive (Place)

Further to Minute 5/17 of the Cabinet, the City Council considered a report of the Deputy Chief Executive (Place) which outlined proposals for the acquisition of an income producing industrial property investment.

A corresponding private report detailing confidential aspects of the proposals was also submitted to the meeting for consideration.

The Council was currently looking at ways of increasing revenue to support the provision of services it seeks to deliver. An opportunity had been presented to the Council to acquire an income producing investment within one of the City’s established industrial estates.

The investment currently produced an income, the level of which was considered commercially sensitive and was therefore outlined in the corresponding private report.

Personal Hygiene Services Limited (“PHS”) who currently occupied the premises and paid the rent was part of a national company with a turnover of £280M in 2015/16. They had approximately 7 years left on their current lease.

The Council already owned the land upon which the building was constructed but granted a lease dated 13^th September 1989 for a term of 99 years with effect from 20^th May 1989 in respect of the industrial site at Dutton Road Aldermans Green Industrial Estate Coventry. The long leasehold interest, which received the rent from PHS, was currently owned by Real Estate Investors PLC (REI). REI currently paid the Council an annual ground rent for the land, the level of which was outlined in your private report.

Real Estate Investors had indicated a willingness to sell its leasehold interest to the Council, subject to the existing lease to PHS and therefore the right to receive the annual rent for a negotiated price. Stamp Duty land Tax would be payable by the Council in addition to the purchase price, the level of which was outlined in the private report.

The initial net return on the investment was assessed at circa 8.8% after assumed purchasing costs. This would be reduced to a return of 8.0% based on the net rental increase for the Council as it already received a ground rent from the property.

The level of return generated was based on the level of risk associated with the length of lease and the security of the income. The negotiated price had been validated by external property experts as providing ‘best value’ for the Council.

It was intended that the property would be held by the Council as an investment asset and managed by the Council’s Commercial Property Management. 

RESOLVED that the City Council approve the adjustment of the Capital Programme to reflect the capital expenditure incurred in the acquisition of the long leasehold interest in Unit 1, Dutton Road.

RESOLVED that the City Council notes the Scrutiny Boards' Annual report to the City Council for 2016/17 which highlights examples of the wide-ranging scrutiny work undertaken during the year across all the Scrutiny Boards and the Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee.

Report of the Deputy Chief Executive (People)

The City Council considered a report of the Deputy Chief Executive (People) which outlined proposals to establish arrangements for Coventry City Council to establish a Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee with Warwickshire County Council in line with the provisions set out in legislation and guidance.  

Legislation provided for local authorities to appoint a discretionary Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee to carry out all or specified health scrutiny functions, for example health scrutiny in relation to health issues that cross local authority boundaries. Establishing a joint committee of this kind would not prevent the appointing local authorities from separately scrutinising health issues. However, there were likely to be occasions on which a discretionary joint committee would be the best way of considering how the needs of a local population, which happened to cross council boundaries, were being met.

Legislation also required that local authorities to appoint joint committees where a relevant NHS body or health service provider consulted more than one local authority’s health scrutiny function about proposals for substantial development or variation of services. In such circumstances:

·  only the joint committee may respond to the consultation (i.e. rather than each individual local authority responding separately).

·  only the joint committee may exercise the power to require the provision of information by the relevant NHS body or health service provider about the proposal.

·  only the joint committee may exercise the power to require members or employees of the relevant NHS body or health service provider to attend before it to answer questions in connection with the consultation.

Increasingly, proposals from the National Health Services (NHS) were affecting larger geographical areas, particularly for local residents in Coventry and Warwickshire.

RESOLVED that the City Council:

1.  Approves the proposed approach for the establishment of a Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee with Warwickshire County Council as set out in the report.

2.  Approves the terms of reference for the Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee at Appendix 1 of the report.

3.  The Director of Finance and Corporate Services be delegated, following consultation with the Chair of Coventry City Council’s Health and Adult Social Care Scrutiny Board (5), the authority to finalise the Terms of Reference with Warwickshire County Council and to take any necessary steps to implement the arrangements.

4.  Retains the City Council’s powers to make referrals to the Secretary of State in prescribed circumstances and not delegate these to the Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

5.  Appoints Councillors Clifford, Gannon, Kershaw, Lapsa and Miks as Coventry City Council’s representatives on the Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee for 2017/18, with subsequent appointments to be made at the Council’s Annual Meetings.

6.  Authorises the Monitoring Officer to include the terms of reference in the Council’s Constitution.

Report of the Deputy Chief Executive (Place)

The City Council considered a report of the Deputy Chief Executive (Place) which sought approval to appoint an Acting Monitoring Officer as the current Acting Monitoring Officer was leaving. The report set out the legal basis for the need to appoint a Monitoring Officer and a recommendation that the Legal Services Manager (People) be appointed as Acting Monitoring Officer.

 Under Section 5 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989, every local authority must designate one of its officers as the Council’s Monitoring Officer. The Monitoring Officer could not be the Chief Finance Officer or Head of Paid Service. This designation must be made by the full Council and could not be made by an elected member or officer. The Council’s designated Acting Monitoring Officer was leaving the Council on 28^th July 2017 and the Council now needed to appoint another officer as its Monitoring Officer.

The requirement to designate an officer as Monitoring Officer was also set out in Part 2M of the Council’s Constitution.

RESOLVED that the City Council:

1.  Approves the designation of the Legal Services Manager (People) as Acting Monitoring Officer under Section 5 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 with effect from 28^th July 2017; and

2.  Authorises the Legal Services Manager (People) to amend the Constitution accordingly.   

Report of the Deputy Chief Executive (Place)

The City Council noted a report of the Leader which reported on Key Decisions made in the previous year where the Special Urgency provisions were used.  This applied where it was not practicable to give notice at least 5 clear days in advance of a Key Decision being made.

The Leader reported that there were no such cases during the 2016/17 municipal year.

Report of the Deputy Chief Executive (Place)

The City Council considered a report of the Deputy Chief Executive (Place) which sought approval to amend appointments made at the Annual Meeting of the City Council in May 2017 in respect of City Council Representatives to Outside Bodies. 

In addition, the report also sought one further nomination and one substitute nomination to the West Midlands Combined Authority – Overview and Scrutiny in order to meet requirements to a change to the Combined Authority’s Constitution.

RESOLVED that the City Council approves the following appointments:

1.  Councillor Ridley as a representative on the Coventry and Solihull Waste Disposal Company Limited Advisory Forum for 2017/2018 in place of Councillor Mayer.

2.  Councillor Kershaw as a representative on the Sir Charles Barrett Memorial Foundation for 2017/2018 in place of Councillor Innes.

3.  Councillor Brown as the jointly nominated representative and Councillor McNicholas as the jointly nominated substitute representative of Coventry City Council and Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council on the West Midlands Combined Authority – Overview and Scrutiny Committee for 2017/2018.

(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 Bigham, Duggins, Innes and A Khan provided written answers to the question set out in the Questions Booklet together with oral responses to supplementary questions put to them at the meeting. Councillor Lakha, Deputy Cabinet Member for City Services responded to questions on behalf of Councillor Innes.

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

The Lord Mayor referred to the fact that today was Helen’s last Council meeting as she will be leaving the Council on 28 July to take up her new role as Head of Legal and Democratic Services in Durham.

Helen has been with the Council for 4 years and during that time she has been involved in many projects and has acted as Monitoring Officer for the last 2 years. She has jointly overseen Legal Services through a review and the Service has been recognised both locally and nationally, recently winning both the In House Legal Team of the Year at the Birmingham Law Society Awards and the Legal Services Team of the Year at the National Municipal Journal Awards.

Members thanked Helen for all her hard work during her time at Coventry and wished her all the very best for her new role.

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

Councillor Ridley 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 Lepoidevin responded to the statement.

“This Council commends those involved in the City of Culture Bid which has brought together individuals and businesses from within and outside our multi-cultural city.

This Council believes it’s vital that this momentum continues in our city, which leads the World in Peace and Reconciliation”.

The following motion was moved by Councillor Hammon and seconded by Councillor Bailey:

“This Council commends those involved in the City of Culture Bid which has brought together individuals and businesses from within and outside our multi-cultural city.

This Council believes it’s vital that this momentum continues in our city, which leads the World in Peace and Reconciliation”.

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

“This Council calls upon the Government to make available to Local Authorities and Social Housing providers the full amount of funding needed to ensure the safety of residents in all housing.

We also call upon the Government to bring forward, as a matter of urgency, a complete review of fire and building regulations which includes the proviso that Local Authorities will be the only organisation responsible for the signing off of building regulation compliance”.

The following motion was moved by Councillor Welsh (on behalf of Councillor Harvard) and seconded by Councillor Mulhall:

“This Council calls upon the Government to make available to Local Authorities and Social Housing providers the full amount of funding needed to secure the safety of residents in all housing.

We also call upon the Government to bring forward, as a matter of urgency, a complete review of fire and building regulations which includes the proviso that Local Authorities will be the only organisation responsible for the signing off of building regulation compliance”.

The following amendment was moved by Councillor Ridley, seconded by Councillor Crookes and lost:

“This Council calls upon the Government to make available to Local Authorities and Social Housing providers the full amount of funding needed to ensure the safety of residents in all housing.

 We also call upon the Government to bring forward, as a matter of urgency, a complete review of fire and building regulations.”

RESOLVED that the Motion as set out above be adopted.

Note: Councillors Bigham, Harvard, Lakha and Taylor left the meeting during the consideration of this item.

From the Cabinet, 13 June 2017

Report of the Deputy Chief Executive (Place)

(Listing Officer: Paul Beesley, Tel: 024 7683 1377)

Further to Minute 19 above and Minute 8/17 of the Cabinet, the City Council considered a private report of the Deputy Chief Executive (Place) which detailed confidential aspects of Unit 1 Dutton Road, Aldermans Green Industrial Estate, Coventry – Investment Acquisition.

RESOLVED that he City Council approves the adjustment of the Capital Programme to reflect the capital expenditure incurred in the acquisition of long leasehold interest in Unit 1 Dutton Road.