Agenda and minutes
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Contact: Marcus Prouse Email: m.prouse@somersetwestandtaunton.gov.uk and Clare Rendell Email: c.rendell@somersetwestandtaunton.gov.uk
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Apologies
To receive any apologies for absence. Additional documents: Minutes: Apologies were received from Councillors Paul Bolton, Dave Durdan, Simon Nicholls and Peter Pilkington. |
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Minutes of the previous meeting of Full Council
To approve the minutes of the previous meeting of the Committee. Additional documents: Minutes: (Minutes of the meeting of Full Council held on 15 December 2020 circulated with the agenda)
Resolved that the minutes of Full Council held on 15 December 2020 be confirmed as a correct record. |
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Declarations of Interest
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:-
The following councillors declared a personal interest on agenda item 9, Review of Voluntary and Community Sector Grants:- Councillors Caroline Ellis, Libby Lisgo, Marcia Hill and Brenda Weston.
The following councillors declared a pecuniary interest on agenda item 9, Review of Voluntary and Community Sector Grants and left the meeting for the debate:- Councillor Andrew Pritchard as an employee of an organisation that had benefited from a grant. Councillor Roger ... view the full minutes text for item 126. |
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Public Participation
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: Submission from Mr David Redgewell We were still very concerned about provision of safe stopping places in Taunton town centre essential on journeys from Castle Way, The Parade and Corporation Street. Before lockdown we were very concerned about the lack of social distancing among passengers in Taunton town centre and the risk of super spreading and we would like to see Somerset West and Taunton Council through its bus scrutiny commission to work on improving bus passengers interchange facilities. The vision for Taunton development which we welcomed but needed a lot of good urban design work showed no provision for bus and coach interchange facilities. We felt there was a need for a Transport vision for the Town centre with a bus gate included on East Reach, The Parade with access for walking, cycling, disabled vehicles and public transport. And bus passenger’s facilities similar to the new bus boulevard interchange on Flemming Way in Swindon or in Cheltenham with bus and coach facilities in Royal Wells, The Promenade with real-time passenger’s information and in the high street. Somerset West and Taunton Council
needed to bid for Government grant through the South West Transport
Board for bus and coach interchange facilities in Taunton town
centre. We needed to make sure any future plans for the
development of Taunton Town Centre included public transport
interchange facilities. Cheltenham had good bus passenger’s facilities in Royal Wells and The Promenade. In Exeter a brand new bus station was opening soon and a brand new bus station had opened in Gloucester as a transport hub with a second phase to link to the railway station and a new bus interchange in Weston Super Mare was to be constructed all with Department for Transport government grant. Swindon had just been given £25 million to regenerate the town centre and there was a new bus and coach station on Flemming Way. On railway service we welcomed the on-going work on Taunton Railway station public transport interchange but as first group had pointed out not a replacement for good bus interchange facilities in the town centre and improvement to the station and work on Wellington railway station. We hoped to see the West Somerset railway line reopened this summer between Bishops Lydeard, Watchet and Minehead. With a Dmu shuttle from Taunton. Bus service to Taunton racecourse vaccinations centre. On the issue of public transport access to which we were very concerned the Taunton racecourse vaccinations centre had only a limited bus service by route 99 Taunton to Chard service operated by First Group South West the buses of Somerset every 3 hours. Lucy Travis of Somerset catch the bus campaign has been contacted by patients in 70, 80 and 90 who had struggled to access the centre. Who had raised the issue with Somerset County Council and First Group who were going to run a shuttle bus ... view the full minutes text for item 127. |
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To receive any communications or announcements from the Chair of the Council
Additional documents: Minutes: The Chair of the Council acknowledged the sad loss of Cliff Mann, who was a consultant at Musgrove Park Hospital. |
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To receive any communications or announcements from the Leader of the Council
Additional documents: Minutes: The Leader of the Council advised that the Stronger Somerset consultation had been launched by Government on Monday 22 February 2021. She asked all councillors to spread the message and encouraged everyone to take part as the consultation was only open for 8 weeks. |
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To receive any questions from Councillors in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 13
Additional documents: Minutes: The Chair advised that no questions had been received under Procedure Rule 13. |
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Council Tax Setting 2021-22
This matter is the responsibility of Executive Councillor for Corporate Resources, Councillor Ross Henley.
The purpose of this report is for Full Council to approve the calculation and setting of the Council Tax for 2021/22. This incorporates the precepts approved by all the local authorities for whom SWTC collects the council tax – county, district, town, parish, charter trustees, police and fire authorities.
Note - A recorded vote on these recommendations and amendments will be required as per the legislation. Additional documents: Minutes: During the discussion, the following points were raised:- · Concern was raised on the precept amount set by the Police, as places in the former West Somerset part of the district rarely saw a Police Officer patrolling in their area. However, Councillors from the former Taunton Deane part of the district advised that they had received good support from the Police and were happy to pay the increase. · Councillors queried why there was such a comparison in the precepts for the Town/Parish Councils in the former West Somerset and Taunton areas. The Lead Finance Business Partner advised that the Unparished Area of Taunton precept had been agreed within the budget setting for Somerset West and Taunton (SWT). Town/Parish Councils were not limited with their precepts as SWT was. The Taunton Chartered Trustees did not have the same powers as a Town/Parish Council so could only set a precept for the mayoralty functions. The Community Governance Review should resolve this for the future of the Unparished area. · The Leader of the Council advised that the Community Governance Review was an important piece of work to be carried out especially with the possibility of a unitary council being formed in the next couple of years. · The Portfolio Holder for Corporate Resources thanked the councillors for all their comments.
In accordance with Standing Order 18(2)(i), the Chair called for a recorded vote to be taken and recorded in the Minutes.
The recommendations, which are detailed below, were put and were CARRIED with forty-nine councillors in favour and three abstaining:-
Resolved that Full Council:- 2.1Approved the formal Council Tax Resolution in Appendix A; and 2.2Noted that if the formal Council Tax Resolution at Appendix A was approved, the total Band D Council Tax would be:
Those voting FOR the MOTION: Councillors I Aldridge, B Allen, L Baker, M Blaker, C Booth, S Buller, N Cavill, S Coles, D Darch, H Davies, C Ellis, H Farbahi, E Firmin, A Govier, A Hadley, J Hassall, R Henley, Mrs M Hill, J Hunt, M Kravis, R Lees, S Lees, L Lisgo, M Lithgow, J Lloyd, D Mansell, A Milne, C Palmer, D Perry, M Peters, H Prior-Sankey, A Pritchard, M Rigby, F Smith, F Smith-Roberts, V Stock-Williams, P Stone, A Sully, N Thwaites, A Trollope-Bellew, R Tully, T Venner, S Wakefield, A Wedderkopp, D Wedderkopp, B Weston, K Wheatley, L Whetlor and G Wren.
Those ABSTAINING from voting: Councillors M Barr, R Habgood and S Pugsley. |
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Review of Voluntary and Community Sector Grants
This matter is the responsibility of Executive Councillor for Community, Councillor Chris Booth.
To report on progress since February 2020 regarding the Annual Review for Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) Grants and make future spending proposal. Additional documents: Minutes: During the discussion, the following points were raised:- · Councillors thanked the Portfolio Holder for Community and officers for all their hard work. · Councillors thanked the Portfolio Holder for Community for the continued support given to the Advice Bureaus, which enabled them to continue to provide valued support to the residents of SWT. · Councillors were keen to be involved in the review and to have input through the member working group. · Concern was raised that discrimination and abuse had not been included in section 4.4 of the report and requested that they be added. The Portfolio Holder for Community was happy to add the comments to the report. · Councillors thanked the officers for the work carried out to ensure that continued support was given to the many charity and voluntary groups within the SWT area. · Councillors highlighted the valued support the charity and voluntary groups had provided during the Covid Pandemic. · Councillors highlighted how well the groups used the grants received from SWT. · The Portfolio Holder for Community thanked councillors for all their comments and agreed those made on the support provided by the charity and voluntary groups throughout the Covid Pandemic.
Resolved that Full Council approved:- 2.1To maintain current levels of funding for the final year of the current agreement to end in March 2022; 2.2To agree schedule of grants set out at table ‘Voluntary and Community Sector Grants in section 6.2 below; and 2.3A cross party Members Working Group was established to work with officers to ensure that clear funding criteria were in place for future work with the Voluntary and Community Sector beyond March 2022. |
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Access to Information - Exclusion of the Press and Public
During discussion of the following item it may be necessary to pass the following resolution to exclude the press and public having reflected on Article 13 13.02(e) (a presumption in favour of openness) of the Constitution. This decision may be required because consideration of this matter in public may disclose information falling within one of the descriptions of exempt information in Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972. The Council will need to decide whether, in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption, outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information. Recommend that under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 the public be excluded from the next item of business on the ground that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 respectively of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act, namely information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information). Additional documents: Minutes: Resolved that the press and the public be excluded from the meeting for the item numbered 11 on the Agenda as the item contained exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule12A to the Local Government Act 1972, and the public interest in withholding the information outweighed the public interest in disclosing the information to the public. |
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Strategic Heritage Update
This matter is the responsibility of Executive Councillor for Asset Management and Economic Development, Councillor Marcus Kravis. Minutes: Resolved that Full Council approved the recommendations, with an additional recommendation, within the confidential report. |
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Re-admittance of the Press and Public
Additional documents: |
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This matter is the responsibility of Executive Councillor for Asset Management and Economic Development, Councillor Marcus Kravis.
This report details the decision taken on 17 December 2020 by the Chief Executive under the urgency rules contained within paragraph 5 of the Budget and Policy Framework within the Council’s Constitution. The Decision is attached as Appendix A. Additional documents: Minutes: During the discussion, the following points were raised:- · Councillors thanked officers for their hard work on the scheme. · Councillors highlighted that the scheme had shown customers how efficient the council could be.
Resolved that Full Council 2.1Noted the decision made; 2.2Delegated authority to the S151 Officer to add the additional Local Restrictions Support Grant (Open) expenditure and related grant income to the Council’s 2020/21 budget in line with the total amounts of £1,271,028 allocated by Government for this purpose; 2.3Delegated authority to the S151 Officer to carry forward unspent balances of the Local Restrictions Support Grant (Open) budget to 2021/22 where funds could be retained for eligible costs falling into next financial year, net of any amount to be returned to Government. Grant income received and not spent by 31 March 2021 for this purpose to be held in earmarked reserves and matched against costs in 2021/22; and 2.4Agreed that decisions to make any amendments to the scheme, in order to respond to the needs of businesses, were delegated to the Portfolio Holder for Asset Management and Economic Development and the Director of Development and Place. |
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Committee Dates for New Municipal Year - For Information Only
The new meeting dates are attached for the municipal year 2021-22. Additional documents: Minutes: Resolved that Full Council noted the committee dates for the new municipal year.
The Chair proposed a 30 minute time extension which was carried. |
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Motion to Support the Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill
To consider a motion proposed by Councillor Andrew Pritchard, seconded by Councillor Lee Baker. Additional documents: Minutes: During the discussion, the following points were raised:- · Councillors expressed their support for the Motion and the further action it took for climate change. · Concern was raised that the type of technology used was not fully utilised. · Some councillors believed the Motion was impractical. · Councillors highlighted that the Council had declared a climate emergency and that the Motion was part of the next steps for action.
Resolved that Full Council:- 1) Supported the Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill; 2) Informed the local media of this decision; 3) To write to local MPs, asking them to support the Bill; and 4) To write to the CEE Bill Alliance (www.ceebill.uk), the organisers of the campaign for the Bill, expressing its support (campaign@ceebill.uk).
The Chair proposed a 30 minute time extension which was carried. |
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To consider a motion proposed by Councillor Dixie Darch, seconded by Councillor Nick Thwaites. Additional documents: Minutes: During the discussion, the following points were raised:- · Councillors were happy to support the Motion as neonics were harmful to bees and other pollinators. · Some councillors agreed to support the Motion as they could not see an alternative for a solution. · Some councillors were not supportive as they stated the cold weather had impacted on the aphids and that the Government had been trying to remove the use of neonics for some time. · Councillors highlighted that there were no sugar beet crops within the SWT area and so therefore the Motion was not relevant.
Resolved that Full Council:- 1) Write to and lobby both our members of Parliament, urging them to consider repeal of this authorisation pointing out that the Government has stated through DEFRA that protecting pollinators was a priority; 2) Include in a message to MPs a request that they urged government to support domestic sugar beet producers by ensuring all sugar imports were produced, at minimum, to the same environmental standards as apply to UK sugar producers; and 3) Until this repeal was implemented a commitment was given that emergency authorisations would only be given in exceptional circumstances for proven need with tight controls to protect pollinators. Any licence needed to be monitored for compliance. |