Agenda and minutes

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Contact: Carolyn Sinclair/Suzanne Bennett  024 7683 3166/3072

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Items
No. Item

16.

Minutes of the Annual Meeting and Extraordinary Meeting held on 17 May 2018 and the Extraordinary Meeting held on 12 June 2018 pdf icon PDF 1 MB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The minutes of the Annual Meeting and the Extraordinary Meeting held on 17th May 2018 and of the Extraordinary Meeting held on 12th June, 2018 were agreed and signed as true records.

17.

Exclusion of the Press and Public

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

Additional documents:

Minutes:

RESOLVED that the press and public be excluded under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 relating to Minute 33 below headed “Edgwick Point and Wheler Road Seven Star, Coventry – Property Acquisitions”, on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of information defined in Paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A of the 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 circumstance of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

18.

Coventry Good Citizen Award

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

Additional documents:

Minutes:

On behalf of the City Council, the Lord Mayor and His Honour Judge Lockhart QC presented Ms Eniiwaju Etomi with the Good Citizen Award. Her citation read:

 

“For over 15 years Eniiwaju Etomi has served as the senior pastor of Redeemed Christian Church of God HGZ in Coventry. During this period, she has worked tirelessly for the betterment of the community, she has served as a volunteer with youth offending services to prevent youth reoffending and acts as a role model and life coach to many teenagers and young adults to help guide them on the right path. Alongside the work Eniiwaju does with young people she also works with black ethnic minorities to help integrate them in to the wider community of Coventry, recently working with the Coventry UK City of Culture 2021 Bid team to raise awareness among BEM communities so that they could actively get involved to help support the bid.

 

Additionally, in 2005 Eniiwaju set up a project called “Free Lunch on Jesus” the aim of the project is to distribute free food hampers to less privileged and deprived families who cannot afford food during the festive season. Since 2005 thousands of food hampers have been distributed to various families within Coventry with the distribution of 650 food hampers in Woodend alone in December 2017. Eniiwaju is also the visionary of Praise week, which celebrates academic success of ethnic minority students by awarding outstanding students with £500 cash reward for earning a first class Honours Degree or a Distinction in their Master’s degree.

 

It is evident that through Eniiwaju’s work she has shown tremendous commitment to the people of Coventry by investing her time, efforts and resources to help others in her community, her actions properly reflect her character and she is a worthy recipient of this Good Citizen Award”.

 

 

19.

Correspondence and Announcements of the Lord Mayor

Additional documents:

Minutes:

(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:

 

-  MBE: To Beverley Barnett-Jones, former frontline Children’s Service Manager for services to vulnerable children in Coventry.

-  MBE: To Alexandra Cotton, a mental health nurse as part of the Street Triage Team, for services to mental health.

-  MBE: To Autumn Tracy Jane Gray, a senior warden at the University if Warwick to higher education.

-  MBE: Michael Mogan, currently part of the UK City of Culture 2021 team for services to charity both in the UK and abroad.

-  BME: To Howard Rose, who has been recognised for his fundraising efforts at Ballsall Common Primary School – although officially in Solihull, comes with a CV postcode and accredited to Coventry.

-  DAME: Stella Manzie, City Council former Chief Executive for 7 years from 2001 to 2008, also became a Dame in the recent birthday honours for services to local government.

 

Members noted that a letter of congratulations had been sent to all of the recipients, 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:

·  Broad Street Meeting Hall

·  Coventry Resources Centre for the Blind

·  Enterprise Club for Disabled People

·  Godiva Trust

·  Langar Aid Coventry

·  Positive Youth Foundation

 

The Queens Award for Enterprise:

·  Brose Limited

 

(c)  Condolences

 

(i)  The Lord Mayor referred to the recent death of former Councillor Heather Rutter, who was a Sherbourne Ward Councillor from 2003 to 2007. 

 

Members noted that a letter expressing the Council’s sincerest condolences had been sent to Heather’s family.

 

(ii)  The Lord Mayor referred to the recent death of former Coventry Blaze Player, Adam Calder, who played 385 times for the Blaze from 2004-2010.

 

Members noted that a letter expressing the Council’s sincerest condolences would be sent to Adam’s family.

 

(d)  Congratulations

 

The Lord Mayor referred to the Wasps Netball Team who had recently won the Vitality Netball Super League, beating Loughborough University 55-51.

 

Members noted that a letter expressing the Council’s congratulations would be sent to the Team.

20.

Petitions

Additional documents:

Minutes:

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

 

(a)  Request for traffic calming measures on the roadway into Sutton Stop, utilising sleeping policemen and clear signage to effectively slow traffic on Sutton Stop – 14 signatures, presented by Councillor Harvard.

 

(b)  Residents of Sledmere Close request the grass verge opposite their houses to be laid to tarmac as it is currently a major health and safety concern and also a complete eyesore – 14 signatures, presented by Councillor Harvard.

 

(c)  Request for increased road safety measures to be put in place on the pedestrian crossings around Earlsdon Primary School before a serious accident occurs – 230 signatures (paper petition and on line petition), presented by Councillor Taylor.

 

(d)  Request the Council to deal with several issues and criminal behaviour which are causing local residents in Winchester Street distress and great concern – 15 signatures, presented by Councillor O’Boyle.

 

(e)  Residents of Earlsdon request a safer crossing by the Co-op on Earlsdon High Street – 129 signatures, presented by Councillor Sandhu.

 

(f)  Request from residents to add Hermits Croft to the Cheylesmore Residents Parking Scheme due to severe parking issues – 19 signatures, presented by Councillor Bailey.

 

(g)  Objection to planning application regarding Abbeyfields House in Allesley Village – 70 signatures, presented by Councillor Kershaw.

 

(h)  Request the Council to undertake all necessary measures to ensure that the Ponderosa, off Jardine Crescent, Tile Hill, is made secure in order to prevent further illegal encampments – 82 signatures, presented by Councillor Male.

 

(i)  Call upon the City Council to address unsafe parking on Woodridge Avenue, Allesley Green, in the vicinity of the One Stop Shop – 60 signatures, presented by Councillor Male.

 

(j)  Request for speed cushions to be installed on Burnaby Road to dramatically improve safety due to excessive speed on road and high number of serious accidents – 132 signatures, presented by Councillor Clifford.

 

(k)  Request the City Council to provide a new zebra crossing to allow the children of Pearl Hyde Primary School to cross Dorchester Way safely to and from school – 483 signatures, presented by Councillor Abbott.

 

(l)  Request the City Council to reject plans to build a new indoor facility at the Avenue Bowls Club site on Gaveston Road, Coundon – 228 signatures (paper petition and on line petition), presented by Councillor Bailey.

 

(m)  Request the City Council to take action by reassessing and identifying a more suitable affordable alternative site for the proposed 6 rink indoor bowls club development at the Avenue Bowls Club site on Gaveston Road, Coundon – 242 signatures, presented by Councillor M Mutton, in Councillor Kelly’s absence.

 

(n)  The following four petitions had been received on the same subject matter, totalling 340 signatures, presented by Councillor McNicholas:

 

·  Install traffic calming measures through Poets Corner

·  Create a safe crossing for pedestrians on Longfellow Road

·  Road safety, speed bumps on Longfellow Road

·  Create speed bumps on Longfellow Road

 

 

 

21.

Declarations of Interest

Additional documents:

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interests.

22.

Replacement of Administration Building at Whitley Depot & ICT Data Centre at Jackson Road pdf icon PDF 64 KB

From the Cabinet, 10 April, 2018

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Further to Minute 154/17 of the Cabinet, the City Council considered a report of the Deputy Chief Executive (Place) which sought approval for the replacement of the administration building at Whitley Depot and the ICT Data Centre at Jackson Road.

 

The Place Directorate had continued to review the use and effectiveness of the City Council’s operational property. It was clear that the current arrangement of two separate satellite sites for an operational depot and CCTV / data centre were tired and unfit for purpose. Including periodic repairs, they were also expensive to operate, averaging in excess of £0.5m per year.

 

The report proposed the replacement of six separate buildings on two sites with a new purpose built building at Whitley Depot to house both employee welfare facilities and office accommodation. As part of the de-commissioning of Jackson Road, it was proposed to re-provide an unmanned ICT Data Centre and improve ICT infrastructure resilience to de-risk against future ICT network outages. Planned works were estimated to cost c£5m in total. The annual cost borrowing, together with the significantly lower running costs of the new build were estimated to save the Council between £0.2m to £0.25m per year against current costs.

 

Additionally, following the demolition of Jackson Road it was proposed to re-instate this land as additional burial space for St Paul’s cemetery subject to planning permission.

 

RESOLVED that the City Council approves the addition of the replacement administration depot scheme at a cost of £4.6m to the Council’s capital programme for 2018/19 onwards and uses its prudential borrowing powers under the Local Government Act 2003 to fund the project as required.

 


 

 

23.

Revenue and Capital Outturn 2017/18 pdf icon PDF 58 KB

From the Cabinet, 12 June, 2018

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Further to Minute 04/18 of the Cabinet, the City Council considered a report of the Deputy Chief Executive (Place) which outlined the final revenue and capital outturn position for 2017/18 and which reviewed treasury management activity and 2017/18 Prudential Indicators reported under the Prudential Code for Capital Finance.

 

The overall financial position included the following headline items:

 

·  Revenue underspending of £1.6m which is required to be contributed to the Council’s General Fund reserve.

·  Within this position, contributions to reserves that require approval; £3.25m for future UK City of Culture costs and £2.1m to strengthen the Council’s Business Rates’ reserve.

·  Headline overspends of £2.7m within Children’s Services and £4.2m relating to Housing Benefit payments; part of wider budgetary pressures relating to housing and homelessness issues.

·  An underspend of £6.6m within Corporate budgets relating to variations in inflation contingency, pension, treasury management and Business Rates related budgets.

·  Capital Programme expenditure of £107mwhich is £17m less than envisaged at the start of the year.

·  An increase in the level of Council revenue reserves from £51m to £67m.

 

The underlying revenue position had improved significantly since Quarter 3 when an overspend of £1.8 was forecast. In particular this related to improvements within Children’s Services, Adult Social Care, Customer Services and Transformation and Contingency and Central budgets which were set out in the report. This had enabled the Council to bring forward the fulfilment of several policy commitments and/or transactions recommended by the Council’s Director of Finance and Corporate Services – the Council’s Section 151 officer - to strengthen the Council’s balance sheet position.

 

RESOLVED that the City Council approves reserve contributions of £3.25m to meet UK City of Culture commitments and £2.1m to add to the Council’s Business Rates reserve.

 

24.

The Burges Conservation Area Regeneration pdf icon PDF 58 KB

From the Cabinet, 12 June 2018

Additional documents:

Minutes:

This item was withdrawn from the agenda.

25.

Dissolution of the West Midlands Joint Committee pdf icon PDF 55 KB

From the Cabinet, 12 June 2018

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Further to Minute 07/18 of the Cabinet, the City Council considered a report of the Chief Executive which sought approval to a unifying Resolution to dissolve the West Midlands Joint Committee (“WMJC” or the “Committee”) and the new arrangements for managing the remaining residual business of the Committee once the Committee is dissolved. In addition, the report sought approval to establish a Joint Executive Committee with other six Councils within the West Midlands for the purpose of airport decisions known as West Midlands Shareholders Airport Committee.

 

RESOLVED that the City Council:

 

1.  Approves the dissolution of the West Midlands Joint Committee (WMJC), for the reasons set out in the report.

 

2.  Approves the proposals for managing the remaining residual business of the WMJC once it is dissolved as set out in Appendix 3 of the report.

 

3.  Approves the appointment of Councillor Duggins as voting member of the West Midlands Shareholders Airport Committee and of Councillor Abdul Khan and Councillor Ridley as non-voting members once the Committee if established.

 

4.  Authorises the City Solicitor and Monitoring Officer to make any relevant changes to the Council’s Constitution in order to enact the recommendations.

26.

Edgwick Point and Wheler Road Seven Stars, Coventry - Property Acquisitions pdf icon PDF 63 KB

From the Cabinet, 12 June 2018

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Further to Minute 08/18 of the Cabinet, the City Council considered a report of the Deputy Chief Executive (Place) which sought approval to the acquisition of commercial properties which the Council would then let to generate new income.

 

Edgwick Point was the purchase of a freehold site of 3 acres, with planning consent to create nine industrial/warehouse units, totalling 65,000sqft. Wheler Road, Seven Stars Industrial Estate, two adjacent industrial properties totalling 6,200 sqft could be acquired.

 

A corresponding private report detailing confidential aspects of the proposals was also submitted to the meeting for consideration (Minute 33 below refers).

 

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 approves the necessary adjustment of the Capital programme to reflect the capital expenditure incurred in the acquisition of the Edgwick Point and Wheler Road interests.

27.

Workforce Reform: Review of Employee Car Parking Arrangements pdf icon PDF 192 KB

Report of the Deputy Chief Executive (People)

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The City Council considered a report of the Deputy Chief Executive (People) which proposed a revised Business Car Parking pass policy and a new Workplace Parking Scheme, which would be available to all city centre based employees. The Workplace Parking Scheme would replace the current Trade Union parking arrangements.

 

At present, car parking costs for employees working within the city centre were reimbursed on an inconsistent basis. There were a range of historical reasons for the allocation of duty car parking passes that were no longer appropriate. The current Trade Union membership scheme offered a subsidised parking to Trade Union members only.

 

In response to a question, the Cabinet Member for Strategic Finance and Resources provided assurances in relation to the consultation undertaken on the proposals.

 

RESOLVED that the City Council:

 

1.  Adopts the revised policy of eligibility criteria for Car Parking Duty passes (as per appendix A of the report); and

 

2.  Approves the introduction of a subsidised Workplace Parking Scheme and the withdrawal of the Trade Union Membership subsidised parking scheme.

28.

Appointments to Outside Body - West Midlands Police and Crime Panel pdf icon PDF 60 KB

Report of the Director of Finance and Corporate Services

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The City Council considered a report of the Deputy Chief Executive (Place) which sought approval to additional appointments to the West Midlands Police and Crime Panel. Appointments of the City Council representatives to Outside Bodies were approved at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the City Council on 17 May 2018.

 

RESOVLED that the City Council makes the appointment of Councillor P Akhtar as the joint representative and Councillor F Abbott as the joint substitute representative of Coventry City Council and Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council on the West Midlands Police and Crime Panel for 2018/2019 and Councillor K Sandhu be nominated as the City Council’s substitute Member on the Panel to replace Councillor P Akhtar.

29.

Annual Report from the Leader to the Council on Key Decisions made under Special Urgency Provisions 2017/18 pdf icon PDF 73 KB

Report of the Deputy Chief Executive (Place)

Additional documents:

Minutes:

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 2017/18 municipal year.

 

30.

Question Time pdf icon PDF 47 KB

(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

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Councillors Maton and Abbott 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:

 

No

Questions asked by

Question put to

Subject matter

1

Councillor Sawdon

Councillor Harvard

Kings Hill development proposal

2

Councillor Williams

Councillor Ruane

Use of Allesley Hotel by the City Council and its impact on the residents of Allesley

 

3

Councillor Mayer

Councillor A Khan

Parking tickets

 

4

Councillor Sawdon

Councillor O’Boyle

Recent report in relation to the decline of city centres

 

5

Councillor Male

Councillor Duggins

Rescue of children trapped in a cave in Thailand

 

6

Councillor Thomas

Councillor Caan

Benefits of Coventry being European City of Sport 2019

 

7

Councillor Thomas

Councillor J Mutton

Newspaper headline in relation to Council Tax Arrears

 

8

Councillor Ridley

Councillor Duggins

England football team

 

 

31.

Statements

Additional documents:

Minutes:

(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.

 

32.

Debate - Call for tougher sentences to be introduced in respect to death caused by dangerous driving

To be moved by Councillor A Khan and seconded by Councillor J McNicholas

 

“Following the tragic deaths of Corey and Casper Platt-May on 22nd February 2018 Coventry City Council calls upon the Justice Secretary, demanding tougher sentences be introduced now in respect to death caused by dangerous driving. 

 

Although those who have campaigned for tougher sentences were incredibly relieved last October that the Government intended to toughen sentences but remain disappointed that ten months later we are still waiting for changes to be introduced.  Ministers need to make Parliamentary time available as a matter of the utmost priority.  Because, as we wait, more and more families are being forced to suffer not only a lifetime of grief at the unnecessary loss of their loved ones, but the double injustice of seeing their killers receive prison sentences of just a few years, which does not reflect the severity and impact of the crime.

 

The tragic killing of Cory and Casper Platt-May on 22nd February underlines this fact.  Had the law been changed their killer would be serving a sentence which better reflects that horrendous crime.  We call upon the Government to introduce legislation immediately so that no more families need to suffer this injustice and that a letter be sent to both the Justice Secretary and Prime Minister to inform them of this resolution”.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The following motion was moved by Councillor A Khan and seconded by Councillor McNicholas:

 

“Following the tragic deaths of Corey and Casper Platt-May on 22nd February 2018 Coventry City Council calls upon the Justice Secretary demanding tougher sentences be introduced now in respect to death caused by dangerous driving. 

 

Although those who have campaigned for tougher sentences were incredibly relieved last October that the Government intended to toughen sentences but remained disappointed that ten months later we are still waiting for changes to be introduced.  Ministers need to make Parliamentary time available as a matter of the utmost priority.  Because, as we wait, more and more families are being forced to suffer not only a lifetime of grief at the unnecessary loss of their loved ones, but the double injustice of seeing their killers receive prison sentences of just a few years, which does not reflect the severity and impact of the crime.

 

The tragic killing of Cory and Casper Platt-May on 22nd February underlines this fact.  Had the law been changed their killer would be serving a sentence which better reflects that horrendous crime.  We call upon the Government to introduce legislation immediately so that no more families need to suffer this injustice and that a letter be sent to both the Justice Secretary and Prime Minister to inform them of this resolution”.

 

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

 

33.

Edgwick Point and Wheler Road Seven Stars, Coventry - Property Acquisitions

From the Cabinet, 12 June 2018

 

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

Minutes:

Further to Minute 26 above and Minute 11/18 of the Cabinet, the City Council considered a private report of the Deputy Chief Executive (Place) that set out confidential aspects of proposals for the acquisition of commercial properties at Edgwick Point and Wheler Road Seven Stars Industrial Estate.

 

RESOLVED that the City Council approves the necessary adjustment of the Capital Programme to reflect the capital expenditure incurred in the acquisition of the Edgwick Point and Wheler Road interests.