Agenda and minutes
PDF 236 KBVenue: Webcasting - Virtual. View directions
Contact: Marcus Prouse Email: m.prouse@somersetwestandtaunton.gov.uk and Clare Rendell Email: c.rendell@somersetwestandtaunton.gov.uk
Webcast: View the webcast
| No. | Item | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Election of Chair
It is the legal requirement that the first formal business at the Annual Meeting of Council shall be the election of a Councillor to be the Chair of the Council. Additional documents: Minutes: Resolved that Councillor Hazel Prior-Sankey be elected Chair of the Council for the ensuing municipal year. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Appointment of Vice Chair
Additional documents: Minutes: Resolved that Councillor Simon Coles be appointed as Vice-Chair of the Council for the ensuing municipal year. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Apologies
To receive any apologies for absence. Additional documents: Minutes: Apologies were received from Councillors H Davies, D Durdan and T Venner. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Declarations of Interests
To receive and note any declarations of disclosable pecuniary or prejudicial or personal interests in respect of any matters included on the agenda for consideration at this meeting.
(The personal interests of Councillors and Clerks of Somerset County Council, Town or Parish Councils and other Local Authorities will automatically be recorded in the minutes.) Additional documents: Minutes: Members present at the meeting declared the following personal interests in their capacity as a Councillor or Clerk of a County, Town or Parish Council or any other Local Authority:-
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
To receive any communications or announcements from the Chair of the Council
Additional documents: Minutes: The Chair of the Council made the following announcements:- · The Chair reminded all Councillors that they were required to complete their Related Party Disclosure forms. · A moments silence was then undertaken at the behest of the Chair for the memory of former Councillor and Mayor of Taunton Deane, Peter Horsford and for the former Councillor of West Somerset, Neil Parbrook. · The Chair advised the Council that the last few weeks had been very different due to the Covid Pandemic and the lockdown guidance. · She advised that previous to the lockdown period, she had been to many events across the whole district and that she was getting the sense that the community was pulling together as the new area of Somerset West and Taunton. · The Chair highlighted that the charity fundraising events, run alongside the Mayor of Taunton, had been going well, but sadly had ceased due to the Covid Pandemic. · She thanked everyone for a wonderful year as Chair of Somerset West and Taunton Council and looked forward to another year serving as Chair. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
To receive any communications or announcements from the Leader of the Council
Additional documents: Minutes: The Leader of the Council made the following announcements:- · She highlighted what an incredible first year it had been for the new authority. · Amazing work had been achieved during the first year to support residents, businesses and visitors. · The Leader was regularly asked what it was like to be the Leader of the Council. Her phrase in response had been ‘challenging but exciting’. · Councillors wanted to make a difference for their communities and the past year had delivered many benefits for the local residents. · The journey to bring the two areas together had been challenging but had created a stable council that was fit for purpose. · Working together as a Council had achieved some great things and had left a lasting legacy that would change resident’s lives for the better. · She had implemented the Corporate Strategy for the next four years, which had imbedded the Liberal Democrat manifesto. · A variety of other strategies had also been implemented but it had also been a year of action. · Coal Orchard regeneration, bringing Firepool into community use, Taunton Independent Quarter had been pedestrianised, Seaward Way in Minehead and Dulverton Leat had also been supported, along with the works on the East Quay Wall in Watchet and support to reopen Wellington Railway Station. · Being a Councillor wasn’t just about business and infrastructure, it was about the impact on individual lives and the community. With that in mind, another positive had been the purchasing and building of new houses in the area to be able to offer affordable homes to local families. · Climate change had been the main thread of all of their achievements. · Life had changed recently due to the Covid Pandemic and the Council had been at the forefront of the work carried out to protect and support the community. · The Leader had huge admiration for the staff of Somerset West and Taunton Council, who had brought humanity to the forefront, worked efficiently and shown pride in the area. · How did we move forward to a new normal? · The Leader wanted to work together with other authorities to get the high street back open and to continue to engage with the communities going forward. · A paper had been written on the committee system and would be brought for discussion as we needed to look at how we adapted and committees took a lead role in that work. · How did we support the most vulnerable in the community? · One of the main successes during lockdown had been the way the Council had supported the homeless with the use of Canonsgrove. · There would always be financial challenges and the need for central and voluntary support, but there would be a time where we would need to change and take the positives from this crisis to make the future even better for the generations to come. · She looked forward to working together throughout the upcoming year to achieve even more than the first year.
During the discussion, the following points were raised:- · Councillors requested that the ... view the full minutes text for item 6. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Election of the Chair of the Scrutiny Committee
The Scrutiny Chair shall be drawn from among those Councillors proposed to serve on the Scrutiny Committee who are not from the majority political group and are not Chair of any other Committee. Additional documents: Minutes: Resolved that Councillor Gwil Wren be elected as Chair of the Scrutiny Committee for the ensuing municipal year.
Councillor Wren thanked the Council for voting him as Chair of the Scrutiny Committee and he admitted that it had been an interesting first year. He thanked his Vice-Chair, Councillor L Lisgo, for her support and his fellow committee members and officers for their support and hard work over the past year. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Public Participation
To receive any questions, statements or petitions from the public in accordance with Council Procedure Rules 14, 15 and 16.
The Chair to advise the Committee of any items on which members of the public have requested to speak and advise those members of the public present of the details of the Council’s public participation scheme.
For those members of the public who have submitted any questions or statements, please note, a three minute time limit applies to each speaker and you will be asked to speak before Councillors debate the issue.
Temporary measures during the Coronavirus Pandemic Due to the Government guidance on measures to reduce the transmission of coronavirus (COVID-19), we will holding meetings in a virtual manner which will be live webcast on our website. Members of the public will still be able to register to speak and ask questions, which will then be read out by the Governance and Democracy Case Manager during Public Question Time and will either be answered by the Chair of the Committee, or the relevant Portfolio Holder, or be followed up with a written response. Additional documents: Minutes: No members of the public had requested to speak on any item on the agenda. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
To receive any questions from Councillors in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 13
Additional documents: Minutes: Councillor R Habgood asked the following question in accordance to Procedure Rule 13:- Reports to Council He made a formal request to see all of the Portfolio holder reports submitted to Council relating to their outside body memberships for the last municipal year (to be clear to outside bodies that were reserved for Portfolio Holder). The reports were all due in during April, according to the Council’s governing documents. The constitution called for a minimum of one report annually. I asked that if no report had been submitted that it be recorded and reported as nil. I also asked for the attendance records of Portfolio Holders at the above meetings to be made available to all councillors and to be put into the public domain.
The Leader responded: The Executive were being democratic and transparent with holding member briefings and other working groups. She advised that Portfolio Holder reports were brought to the last Full Council meeting and she would look to add outside body attendance records to those reports going forward. Clarification was given that Portfolio Holder reports only go to normal scheduled Full Council meetings and not special meetings of Full Council. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Council Committees for 2020/2021 and their Terms of Reference
To decide which Committees to establish for the Municipal Year and to decide their size and terms of reference. To decide the numerical allocation of seats to political groups on Committees in accordance with the political balance rules and to make appointments to the Committees.
· Scrutiny Committee · Audit, Governance and Standards Committee · Planning Committee · Licensing Committee
Additional documents: Minutes: During the discussion, the following points were raised:- · Councillors were pleased to see that work would be carried out on the different committee structures that could be implemented to assist with the workloads of each committee. · Councillors requested that equalities were involved in all committee work. · Councillor N Cavill, J Lloyd, G Wren and E Firmin all advised they would like to be added as substitutes for the Planning Committee.
Resolved that Full Council:- a) Noted the Committee structure as set out in articles 6, 7, 8 and 9 in the Constitution; b) Noted the size and terms of reference of those Committees as set out in the attached extract from the Constitution; c) Approved the numerical political allocation as attached; and d) Approved councillor appointments to Committees. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Appointment of Representatives on Outside Bodies
To make appointments to outside organisations, except where appointment to those bodies has been delegated by the Council or is exercisable only by the Executive. In an election year, such appointments may be deferred to the first Ordinary Meeting of the Council in the municipal year. Additional documents: Minutes: During the discussion, the following point was raised:- · Councillors highlighted a few vacancies that were still showing in the papers included in the agenda. The Group Leaders advised that they would allocate representatives to those vacancies outside of the meeting.
Resolved that Full Council agreed the Appointments of Representatives to Outside Bodies for 2020/2021. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
To authorise the sealing or signing of documents to give effect to any decisions taken
To authorise the Common Seal of Somerset West and Taunton Council. Additional documents: Minutes: Resolved that Full Council approved the list of officers delegated to sign and seal Council documents as per the Constitution’s Scheme of Delegation. |
Related pages