Agenda and minutes

SWT Annual Council, SWT Full Council
Tuesday, 24th May, 2022 6.15 pm

Venue: The John Meikle Room - The Deane House. View directions

Contact: Clare Rendell Email: c.rendell@somersetwestandtaunton.gov.uk 

Webcast: View the webcast

Items
No. Item

1.

Election of Chair

2.

Appointment of Vice Chair

3.

Apologies

4.

Minutes of the previous meeting of Full Council pdf icon PDF 190 KB

5.

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:-

     

    Name

    Minute No.

    Description of Interest

    Reason

    Action Taken

    Cllr I Aldridge

    All Items

    Williton

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr L Baker

    All Items

    SCC, Cheddon Fitzpaine & Taunton Charter Trustee

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr M Barr

    All Items

    SCC & Wellington

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr C Booth

    All Items

    Wellington and Taunton Charter Trustee

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr N Cavill

    All Items

    SCC & West Monkton

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr S Coles

    All Items

    SCC & Taunton Charter Trustee

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr D Darch

    All Items

    SCC

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr H Davies

    All Items

    SCC

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr T Deakin

    All Items

    SCC & Taunton Charter Trustee

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr C Ellis

    All Items

    SCC & Taunton Charter Trustee

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr H Farbahi

    All Items

    SCC

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr A Hadley

    All Items

    SCC

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr R Henley

    All Items

    SCC & Wellington

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr Mrs Hill

    All Items

    Taunton Charter Trustee

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr J Hunt

    All Items

    SCC & Bishop’s Hull

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr D Johnson

    All Items

    SCC

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr R Lees

    All Items

    Taunton Charter Trustee

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr S Lees

    All Items

    Taunton Charter Trustee

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr L Lisgo

    All Items

    Taunton Charter Trustee

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr J Lloyd

    All Items

    Wellington & Sampford Arundel

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr D Mansell

    All Items

    SCC

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr S Nicholls

    All Items

    Comeytrowe

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr C Palmer

    All Items

    Minehead

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr D Perry

    All Items

    SCC & Taunton Charter Trustee

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr M Peters

    All Items

    Taunton Charter Trustee

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr H Prior-Sankey

    All Items

    SCC & Taunton Charter Trustee

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr S Pugsley

    All Items

    SCC

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr M Rigby

    All Items

    SCC & Bishops Lydeard

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr F Smith

    All Items

    SCC & Taunton Charter Trustee

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr F Smith-Roberts

    All Items

    SCC & Taunton Charter Trustee

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr A Sully

    All Items

    SCC

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr N Thwaites

    All Items

    Dulverton

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr T Venner

    All Items

    Minehead

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr S Wakefield

    All Items

    SCC

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr D Wedderkopp

    All Items

    Taunton Charter Trustee

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr B Weston

    All Items

    Taunton Charter Trustee

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr L Whetlor

    All Items

    Watchet

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

    Cllr G Wren

    All Items

    SCC & Clerk to Milverton PC

    Personal

    Spoke and Voted

     

6.

Public Participation - To receive only in relation to the business for which the Extraordinary Meeting has been called 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.

     

    We are now live webcasting most of our committee meetings and you are welcome to view and listen to the discussion. The link to each webcast will be available on the meeting webpage, but you can also access them on the Somerset West and Taunton webcasting website.

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    No members of the public had requested to speak on any item on the agenda.

7.

To receive any communications or announcements from the Chair of the Council

8.

To receive any communications or announcements from the Leader of the Council

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    The Leader of the Council made the following announcements:-

    ·       The Leader thanked Councillor Gwil Wren for all his work over the past three years as Group Leader of the Opposition and welcomed Councillor Loretta Whetlor to the role.

    ·       The Leader gave an update on the Executive Members for the new Municipal Year.

9.

To receive only in relation to the business for which the Extraordinary Meeting has been called any questions from Councillors in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 13

10.

Election of the Chair of the Corporate Scrutiny Committee

    The Corporate Scrutiny Chair shall be drawn from among those Councillors proposed to serve on the Corporate Scrutiny Committee who are not from the majority political group and are not Chair of any other Committee.

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    Resolved that Councillor Sue Buller be elected as Chair of the Corporate Scrutiny Committee for the ensuing municipal year.

11.

Election of the Chair of the Community Scrutiny Committee

    The Community Scrutiny Chair shall be drawn from among those Councillors proposed to serve on the Community Scrutiny Committee who are not from the majority political group and are not Chair of any other Committee.

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    Resolved that Councillor Libby Lisgo be elected as Chair of the Community Scrutiny Committee for the ensuing municipal year.

12.

Somerset West and Taunton Council Committees, Terms of Reference, Committee Allocation and Appointments to Committees pdf icon PDF 230 KB

13.

Appointment of Representatives on Outside Bodies pdf icon PDF 224 KB

14.

To authorise the sealing or signing of documents to give effect to any decisions taken pdf icon PDF 213 KB

    This matter is the responsibility of the Leader of the Council, Councillor Federica Smith-Roberts.

     

    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.

15.

Decision taken under the urgency rules regarding the Discretionary Council Tax Energy Payment Scheme pdf icon PDF 240 KB

16.

Formal delegation to the Parish Councils of Wellington, Pitminster and Milverton to determine specified types of planning application until 31 March 2023 pdf icon PDF 229 KB

    This matter is the responsibility of the Chair of the Planning Committee, Councillor Simon Coles.

     

    This report seeks authorisation for the District Council as the Local Planning Authority to delegate to the three Parish Councils its powers to determine planning applications for development of the type set out in Paragraph 4.2 of this report. 

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    During the discussion, the following points were raised:-

    ·       Councillors were pleased that the relevant Parish Councils had been granted the delegation powers within the report.

    ·       Councillors agreed that it was a good scheme which involved Parish Councils in the Planning process.

    ·       Councillors were keen to carry the scheme forward into the New Unitary Council.

    ·       Councillors agreed that planning training had helped in local planning decisions.

    ·       Councillors highlighted that some Parishes should be added to the scheme.

     

    Resolved that Full Council agreed the formal delegation to the Parish Councils of Wellington, Pitminster and Milverton under S101 of the Local Government Act 1972 and S1 of the Localism Act 2011 to determine specified types of planning application as set out in paragraph 4.2 of the report and included in a delegation agreement until 31 March 2023.

17.

Temporary Appointment of Members to Town and Parish Councils pdf icon PDF 230 KB

    This matter is the responsibility of Executive Councillor for Corporate Resources, Councillor Ross Henley.

     

    Ordinary Town and Parish Council Elections were recently conducted in Somerset on 5th May 2022. There are occasions where due to resignations or lack of applications for vacancies at an election, a Parish or Town Council is unable to operate because it is inquorate. Under section 91 of the Local Government Act 1972 the Council has power to make an Order appointing temporary members to a parish council where due to the number of vacancies the council cannot function.

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    Resolved that Full Council approved:-

    a)    Delegated the responsibility for the calling of any additional polls required after a Void Election where a Parish was inquorate to the Chief Executive as Returning Officer in line with the requirements of The Representation of the People Act 1983.

    b)    Delegated the responsibility for making temporary appointments to inquorate Parish and Town Councils along with the making of the necessary Order to the Chief Executive in consultation with Group Leaders in line with the procedure set out in Appendix A.

    c)    Approved the amendment of the Constitution to include the recommended delegations above at a) and b) as a function of the Chief Executive at 4.2 on Page 44 of the SWT Constitution under Responsibility for Functions.