Agenda and minutes

The Mayor was pleased to present the “Outstanding Response to the Economic Downturn” award from Local Government Yorkshire and Humber to the officers from the various teams that worked on projects relating to the Town Centre.

Congratulations were offered to all those involved in gaining this award which was very much a team effort with major contributions, including the work of the Town Centre Grants Programme and the Shop Local Initiative.

Resolved:- That the minutes of the meetings of the Council held on 2^nd November, 2011 be approved for signature by the Mayor.

Mover:-  Councillor Stone                               Seconder:-  Councillor Akhtar

(1) The Chief Executive submitted the following petition which had been referred to the appropriate Directorate for consideration:-

·              From one hundred and thirty three residents of Rotherham in support of the Queen Elizabeth II Sports Field Challenge.

(2) The Chief Executive submitted apologies for absence from Councillors Burton, Dodson, Donaldson, Gosling, Hodgkiss, Jack, License, McNeely, Rushforth, P. Russell and Walker.

The question submitted by the member of the public was withdrawn due to non-attendance.

Resolved:- That the reports and minutes of the meeting of the Standards Committee (Section B) (pages 12B to 15B) be adopted.

Mover:- Councillor Buckley                             Seconder:- Councillor Gilding

Mid Year Treasury Management and Prudential Indicators Monitoring Report 2011/12 (Minute No. C96) (Page 70C)

Resolved:- That the reports and minutes of the meetings of the Cabinet (Section C) (pages 12C to 15C) be adopted.

Mover:- Councillor Stone                                Seconder:- Councillor Akhtar

Councillor Stone declared a personal and prejudicial interest in Minute No. C91 (Photo Voltaic Panels on Council Housing) and left the room whilst questions on this matter were discussed).

Safeguarding Children and Adults – Pages 24D to 28D (Section D)

Community Development,  Equality and Young Peoples Issues – Pages 29E to 33E (Section E)

Lifelong Learning and Culture – Pages 21F to 29F (Section F)

Town Centres, Economic Growth and Prosperity – Pages 48G to 58G (Section G)

Adult Social Care – Pages 32H to 37H (Section H)

Safe and Attractive Neighbourhoods – Pages 28J to 34J (Section J)

Health and Wellbeing – Pages 27K to 30K (Section K)

Waste and Emergency Planning– Pages 11L to 18L (Section L)

Deputy Leader and Organisational Change and Governance – Pages 8N to 10N (Section N)

Resolved:- That the reports and minutes of the meetings Cabinet Members as listed below be adopted:-

·              Safeguarding Children and Adults – Pages 24D to 28D (Section D)

·              Community Development,  Equality and Young Peoples Issues – Pages 29E to 33E (Section E)

·              Lifelong Learning and Culture – Pages 21F to 29F (Section F)

·              Town Centres, Economic Growth and Prosperity – Pages 48G to 58G (Section G)

·              Adult Social Care – Pages 32H to 37H (Section H)

·              Safe and Attractive Neighbourhoods – Pages 28J to 34J (Section J)

·              Health and Wellbeing – Pages 27K to 30K (Section K)

·              Waste and Emergency Planning– Pages 11L to 18L (Section L)

·              Deputy Leader and Organisational Change and Governance – Pages 8N to 10N (Section N)

Mover:- Councillor Stone                                Seconder:- Councillor Akhtar

Resolved:- That the reports and minutes of the meetings of the Audit Committee (Section P) (pages 18P to 20P) be adopted.

Mover:- Councillor Sangster                           Seconder:- Councillor Kaye

Resolved:- That the reports and minutes of the meetings of the Licensing Board (Section Q) (pages 16Q to 18Q) be adopted.

Mover:- Councillor Wootton                           Seconder:- Councillor Barron

Resolved:- That the reports and minutes of the meetings of the Health and Wellbeing Board (Section S) (pages 7S to 15S) be adopted.

Mover:- Councillor Wyatt                                Seconder:- Councillor Doyle

Resolved:- That the reports and minutes of the meetings of the Planning Board (Section T) (pages 52T to 61T) be adopted.

Mover:- Councillor Pickering                           Seconder:- Councillor Dodson

(1)  Councillor Gilding asked why the maroons were not fired at 11.00 a.m. on Remembrance Day at All Saints’ Square?

The Leader suggested this question would be better put to the British Legion, who organised the event.

(2)  Councillor Turner asked how did the bill for the maintenance of the buildings at Walker Place reach such an horrendous figure?

Councillor Smith assumed Councillor Turner was referring to the £108 million revenue figure released last week. This illustrated the additional maintenance cost, over 35 years if the Council had spent an additional £37 million of capital, (including lost receipts) on refurbishing its existing buildings, including those around Walker Place, instead of moving to Riverside House.

The figure of £108 million of avoided expenditure over 35 years was consistent with national guidance for office accommodation property maintenance costs.

(3)  Councillor Turner asked was the maintenance of the building ongoing to be in the hands of the landlord or indeed a sister company?

Councillor Smith explained that the ongoing maintenance of Riverside House was to be organised by the Council using specialist firms many of which would be local companies.

(4)  Councillor Turner asked at what figure did the Council’s Asset Board presently value the Riverside offices?

Councillor Smith reported that asset values were set at the 31st March, 2011 so this would be determined for Riverside House following the 31st March, 2012.

(5)  Councillor Turner asked how could it be that, after years of trumpeting the success at great expense of RBT, the arrangement was now considered a mistake such that we were paying to get out of the contract early?

Councillor Akhtar confirmed that RBT had provided the Council with improved services and significant investment. It was not a mistake.

It had been a successful partnership, generating financial savings for the Council as well as improved services for people across the Borough.

The world had changed a lot since the partnership was first created in 2003 and since it was last reviewed and “refreshed” in 2007.  Much of the change had occurred over the last couple of years.  It was now believed that an early completion of the partnership would allow the Council to tackle the challenges that lay ahead in new and more relevant ways.

The Council would not be paying to get out of the contract early, but was proposing to provide a proper level of payment to its partner, BT, for the investments they have already made in services - financial investments that they have been recovering through the charges made for the delivery of services and payments that the Council were proposing would now end sooner than originally envisaged.

Councillor Stone introduced the report which requested that consideration be given to the absence of Councillor Gamble from meetings of the Council.

Section 85(1) of the Local Government Act, 1972 provided that if a Member of a Local Authority failed throughout a period of six consecutive months from the date of his last attendance to attend any meeting of the Authority he shall, unless the failure was due to some reason approved by the Local Authority before the expiry of that period, cease to be a Member of the Authority.

Councillor Gamble had been unable to identify any meetings attended in the last six months or evidence any suitable reason for absence.

Resolved:-  That Councillor Gamble be disqualified by virtue of Section 85(1) of the Local Government Act, 1972.

Mover:- Councillor Stone                                Seconder:- Councillor Akhtar