Agenda and minutes

In the absence of the Lord Mayor, Councillor A Lucas, in accordance with the Constitution, the Deputy Lord Mayor, Councillor J McNicholas Chaired the meeting.

In his opening remarks, the Deputy Lord Mayor indicated that the Council’s sympathies and thoughts were with the families of all those who had lost loved ones during the Covid -19 pandemic (Minute 7 below also refers)

The minutes of the Extraordinary Meeting held on 17 March 2020 and the Ordinary Meeting held on 21 May 2020 were agreed and signed as a true record.

(a)  Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service – Coventry recipients

The Deputy Lord Mayor referred to the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service being recently granted to two Coventry organisations: EnV (Coventry) CIC – Coventry Ambassador Programme and Coventry Boot Fund. This was the highest award a voluntary group can receive in the UK and was the volunteering equivalent to an MBE.

The Coventry Ambassadors Programme had been inspiring local people to welcome the world to the city of Coventry since Coventry was a host city for the London Olympic Games. Over the past couple of years EnV has been sharing best practice with host cities ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Games and delivered training for volunteers in Tokyo with representative Coventry Ambassador volunteers. 

Coventry Boot Fund was founded in the poverty of industrial Coventry at the end of the 19^th Century by George Booth, a young teacher at South Street School.  Parents or guardians of children attending school in Coventry who find themselves in need of help may apply for assistance from the Boot Fund.  Around 500 pairs of shoes were handed out last year.

(b)  Promotion of Coventry City Football Club

The Deputy Lord Mayor congratulated Coventry City FC on being named Champions of League One and their promotion to the Championship next season.

(c)  Death of former Councillor Jeff White

The Deputy Lord Mayor referred to the recent death of former Councillor Jeff White.

Jeff had served as a Councillor for 31 years between 1965-1996 representing Henley Ward and was Lord Mayor in 1987-88.

Tributes were paid to Jeff during the meeting and Members noted that a letter of condolence has been sent from the Lord Mayor and the Leader to Jeff’s family.

(d)  George Floyd

The Deputy Lord Mayor referred to the recent tragic death of George Floyd in America and indicated that the thoughts and prayers of everyone at Coventry City Council – Elected Members and Officers – were with his family at this time.

*A Minute’s silence was held in memory of all those who had lost their lives during the Covid- 19 pandemic, former Councillor J White and George Floyd

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

(a)  Request that the City Council to investigate and implement traffic calming measures on the junction of Browns Hill Road and Norman Place Road, 81 signatures, presented by Councillor T Jandu

(b)  Objection to the application in respect of the UHCW car park exit on Farber Road and the impact of additional noise, pollution and traffic, 192 signatures, presented by Councillor K Maton

(c)  Request for the completion of the footway between St Martins Road and the cul de sac adjoining Howes Lane, 81 signatures, presented by Councillor Heaven.

(d)  Objection to planning proposal for 22 properties off Little Cryfield, planning application FUL/2020/1010, 73 signatures, presented by Councillor J Blundell.

(e)  Request to stop plans to build a cycleway from Norman Place Road to Hill Street Coventry without face to face meetings with concerned residents, 127 signatures, presented by Councillor G Williams.

There were no declarations of interest.

From the Cabinet, 9 June 2020

Further to Minute 4 of the Cabinet, the City Council considered a report of the Director of Business, Investment and Culture that sought approval for the Council to act as accountable body and guarantor for additional funding for European Structural Investment Fund Business Support.

Coventry City Council had secured an additional £9.28m in European Structural Investment Funds (ESIF) which would allow four key business support programmes to be extended until June 2023. 

ESIF included both the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the European Social Fund (ESF). ERDF was designed to fund economic development projects and support the growth of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in a modern economy. ESF was designed to support individuals who were employed to upskill and progress in their career.  Details of the four programmes that had secured additional funding was set out in the report.

This additional funding would also play a key role as the economy began to recover after the Covid-19 pandemic.

The current ERDF Programmes were due to come to an end in December 2021 and the ESF Programme in June 2020 (ESF). In view of this, the Council submitted bids for extensions to the ERDF programmes and a new ESF Skills 4 Growth Programme which had now been approved.

The report provided information on each of the bids and requested approval for the Council to act as accountable body and guarantor for the funding programmes.

RESOLVED that the City Council:

1)  Approve the acceptance and drawdown of the grant funding totalling £9.28m (£8.12m for European Regional Development Fund and £1.16m for European Social Fund) from European Structural Investment Fund to be utilised in delivering the City’s priorities as set out in this report.

2)  Delegate authority to the Director of Business, Investment and Culture and the Director of Finance, following consultation with the Director of Law and Governance and the Cabinet Member for Jobs and Regeneration, to negotiate final terms and approve entry into:

a)  The grant funding agreement for the extensions to secure the European Regional Development Fund funding with the City Council acting as the Accountable Body for the funding.

b)  New funding agreement to secure European Social Fund funding with the City Council acting as the Accountable Body for the funding.

c)  A Grant Aid Agreement with such delivery partners as is deemed necessary to deliver the City’s priorities as set out in this report.

3)  Following completion of the actions set out in recommendation 2), delegated authority is given to the Director of Business, Investment and Culture to manage to administer the Grant Funding Agreement with European Structural Investment Fund and the agreements with the delivery partners, to ensure compliance in accordance with their terms.

From the Cabinet Member for Policing and Equalities, 16 June 2020

Further to Minute 3 of the Cabinet Member Policing and Equalities meeting, the City Council considered a report of the Director of Law and Governance which reported on The Local Authorities and Police and Crime Panels (Coronavirus) (Flexibility of Local Authority Police and Crime Panel Meetings) (England and Wales) Regulations 2020 which provides local authorities with the legal power to hold remote meetings in place of physically present meetings. The Regulations override any earlier legislation which requires elected members to be in the meeting venue in order to be classed as present and modify other legal requirements in connection with meetings such as being open to the public and the provision of online meeting papers only.  The Regulations were temporary, being in effect until 7 May 2021 unless extended.

There is no legal requirement for local authorities to update their meeting standing orders or procedure rules, but it is good practice for the Constitution to reflect how the Council is conducting its business. It is therefore proposed that the Temporary Procedure Rules set out in the Appendix to the report should be adopted by the Council.

The Rules are based on ones published by Lawyers in Local Government and the Association of Democratic Services Officers. The continuing need for these Rules will be reviewed regularly.

Regulation 5 of the 2020 Act allows local authorities to make other standing orders and any other rules governing the meeting about remote attendance at meetings.  This may include provision for—

(a) voting;

(b) member and public access to documents; and

(c) remote access of public and press to a local authority meeting to enable them to attend or participate in that meeting by electronic means, including by telephone conference, video conference, live webcasts, and live interactive streaming.

It was therefore proposed that the Temporary Procedure Rules set out in the Appendix to this report should be adopted by the Council. The new Rules may operate until 7 May 2021 and would be reviewed before then to ensure that they were still relevant. Once approved, the Rules would be published on the Council’s website.

RESOLVED that the City Council that it adopts the Temporary Procedure Rules set out in the Appendix to the report.

Report of the Director of Law and Governance

The City Council considered a report of the Director of Law and Governance seeking approval for changes to a number of appointments of the City Council.

Appointments to Council bodies and outside bodies were normally made annually at the Council’s Annual Meeting. However, as part of the Government’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the requirement for Local Authorities to hold an Annual Meeting was removed. Whilst most of the City Council’s current appointments to both its bodies and outside bodies will continue to the next Annual Meeting (anticipated to be held in May 2021), there were changes required to some of these appointments.  These changes were due to vacancies following the sad death of Councillor S Bains and the subsequent election of Councillor G Hayre; the appointment of Councillors A Lucas and J McNicholas as Lord Mayor and Deputy Lord Mayor respectively; and requests from the Political Groups. This report seeks approval to those changes. 

RESOLVED that the City Council approves the following appointments:

Council Bodies:

1.  That Councillor L Bigham be appointed to the Licensing and Regulatory Committee in place of Councillor A Lucas

2.  That Councillor C Miks be appointed as Chair of the Business, Economy and Enterprise Scrutiny Board (3) in place of Councillor J McNicholas

3.  That Councillor C Miks be appointed to the Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee in place of Councillor J McNicholas

4.  That Councillor G Hayre be appointed to the vacancy on Finance and Corporate Services Scrutiny Board (1)

5.  That Councillor L Bigham be appointed to the Business, Economy and Enterprise Scrutiny Board (3) in place of Councillor A Lucas

6.  That Councillor G Hayre be appointed to the vacancy on the Business, Economy and Enterprise Scrutiny Board (3)

7.  That Councillor J McNicholas be appointed to the Communities and Neighbourhoods Scrutiny Board (4) in place of Councillor C Miks

8.  That Councillor M Heaven be appointed to the Communities and Neighbourhoods Scrutiny Board (4) in place of Councillor T Mayer

9.  That Councillor B Singh be appointed to the vacant post of Deputy Chair of the Audit and Procurement Committee

10.  That Councillor C Miks be appointed to the Coventry Local Development Plan Advisory Panel in her role as Chair of the Business, Economy and Enterprise Scrutiny Board (3)

11.  That Councillor C Miks be appointed to the City of Culture 2021 Panel in her role as Chair of the Business, Economy and Enterprise Scrutiny Board (3)

Outside Bodies:

1.  That Councillors G Duggins (Chair), P Hetherton and G Lloyd be appointed to the Tom White Waste Limited Shareholders Panel

2.  That Councillor G Hayre be appointed to the Sir Charles Barratt Memorial Fund in place of David Kershaw

3.  That Councillor P Akhtar be nominated as the joint appointment of Coventry City Council and Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council to the Police and Crime Panel (this is a further appointment to the Panel which rotates annually with Solihull Metropolitan Council)

4.  That Councillor L Bigham be appointed to the vacancy on the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 13.

Report of the Chief Executive

The City Council noted a report of the Chief Executive which informed Council of decisions undertaken by the Chief Executive, in accordance with the Constitution and following consultation with the Leader of the Council, Councillor G Duggins, to exercise emergency functions as a consequence of the Covid-19 pandemic to ensure the continuous functioning of the business of the Authority, including its response to the pandemic.  The decisions taken pursuant to the emergency provision to ensure continuity of the Council’s business and the proper discharge of its functions were detailed in the report.

Report of the Director of Law and Governance

The City Council noted a report of the Director of Law and Governance which reported on key decisions made under the Special Urgency Provisions in 2019/20.

The Leader must submit to the Council at the first ordinary meeting after the Annual Meeting, a report of 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.

In light of this year’s Annual Meeting being deferred, this report has been prepared to report on key decision made in the year 2019/2020.

The Leader reported that there were no such cases during the 2019/2020 municipal year.

Councillors J O’Boyle and T 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:

The Leader, Councillor G Duggins, made a Statement in respect of a number of current issues including the Covid-19 pandemic and the One Coventry response to the crisis and the murder of George Floyd in America.

Councillor G Ridley responded to the Statement.