Agenda and minutes

The Mayor was pleased to welcome the quarterly Employee Suggestion Scheme winners for January to March, 2008 who had put forward their ideas to improve the services provided for their Directorates and would each receive a cheque for £100.00  The winners were Mick Royston, Kathryn Wilson, Tom Sweetman, Karen Copnell and Michael Clark.

The Leader was pleased to announce:-

·              The successful bid of almost £4.5 million which would be used to refurbish and update Clifton Park.  This bid was not all from the Heritage Lottery Fund and a full breakdown could be provided if required.

·              The Play Area Pathfinder had secured funding of £2.5 million, which included £500,000 revenue, to be used throughout the borough in refurbishing older areas and building new play areas for Rotherham’s children and young people.

·              Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham had also been given £77 million PFI credits to plan and invest in waste and recycling.

·              Rotherham Metro had also successfully competed in the European Polo Championships, which resulted in the ladies team being runners up.

Resolved:-  That the congratulations of the Council be forwarded to everyone concerned.

Mover:-  Councillor Stone                               Seconder:-  Councillor Sharman

Resolved:-  That the minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 5^th March, 2008 be approved for signature by the Mayor, subject to a clerical correction to Minute No. A56 referring to Minute No. B162 and not B163 as indicated.

Mover:-  Councillor Stone                               Seconder:-  Councillor Sharman

(1)  The Chief Executive submitted the following petitions:-

·              From 37 residents of Broadway East, Rotherham objecting to the planting of shrubs near the parking facilities on Broadway East.

·              From 10 users of the Turning Point/Day Programme at Sherwood House objecting to the Programme being discontinued from the end of March.

·              From 39 residents of Dalton regarding staffing matters at the Dorothy Taylor Scheme, Dalton, Rotherham.

·              From 14 residents of Windy Ridge, Aughton, Sheffield regarding staffing matters

Resolved:- That the petitions be referred to the appropriate Cabinet Member for consideration.

Mover:-  Councillor Stone                               Seconder:-  Councillor Sharman

(2)  The Chief Executive submitted apologies for absence from Councillors Currie, Gilding, N. Hamilton, Jack, Lakin, Mannion, Sangster, Sharp, Stonebridge and Whelbourn.

Resolved:-  That the reports and minutes of the meeting of the Cabinet (Section B) (pages 167B to 208B) be adopted.

Mover:-  Councillor Stone                               Seconder:-  Councillor Sharman

Resolved:-  That the reports, minutes and recommendations of the meeting of the Standards Committee (Section C) (pages 23C to 24C) be adopted.

Mover:-  Councillor Robinson                          Seconder:-  Councillor Slade

(1)   Councillor Cutts referred to some time ago when he asked this Council Chamber for an explanation as to why deceased Muslims were flown from a particular airport to avoid Hindu airspace.  The Chamber asked Councillor Akhtar for his knowledge and he explained that this did not now occur and was a practice of the past.  Councillor Cutts now asked for an explanation to be given why the Registrar’s office was being requested to open extended hours to facilitate the Muslims and Jews, what were the statistics of this practice of the two religions and why have the Jews been included? 

Councillor Wyatt reported the Registrars Service delivered by RBT currently offered the following hours of service:-

Monday to Friday 8.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m.

An out of hours service was also offered as follows:-

Saturday 11.00 a.m. to 1.00 p.m.

Sunday 10.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. (except Christmas Day and Easter Sunday)

These times were available to all members of the community and there have been no requests by service users within the last twelve months to provide additional opening hours.  However, there had been one request for service at 9.00 a.m. rather than 10.00 a.m. on a Sunday and this request was met.

The Registrars Service could only register a death if the family was in possession of a signed death certificate.

(2)   Councillor Cutts asked could an update position be given on the hopeful recovery of the missing £14 million from the South Yorkshire Trading Standards Unit and could he be advised if the Serious Fraud Squad were still investigating. 

Councillor Ellis had nothing further to report on this matter, which was indeed still subject to investigation by the Serious Fraud Office

(3)   Councillor Cutts, at the last Council Meeting, asked for an explanation with respect to a ‘Plain Speaking’ Officer.  Apparently this was incorrect and he should have titled the person as ‘Internal Communications Officer’ with the responsibility for the use of plain English, this was intended to counter the use of inappropriate ‘jargon’ by Council officers.

Councillor Cutts now enquired if he could be given the interpretation of the phrase ‘purdah period’, what was the Oxford dictionary’s interpretation and the Council’s interpretation?  The original question was submitted with sincerity and true intent to be of a good practice and encourage appropriate phraseology, this question may now be taken as the Chamber found it. 

Councillor Stone explained the Concise Oxford dictionary defined “purdah” as a curtain, especially one which served to screen Muslim or Hindu women from the sight of men or strangers.  Figuratively it described the Indian system of shielding women of rank from public view.

The “purdah period” was the term often used to describe the period prior to an election during which particular care was taken over publicity in all its forms regarding candidates, other politicians involved in the election and controversial issues.  The expression was not confined to Rotherham, but was widely used and understood within  ...  view the full minutes text for item 68.

Councillor Stone, on behalf of the Council, put forward a Vote of Thanks to Councillors Barton, Lee and Wardle for their work they had undertaken on behalf of the Local Authority during their terms of office and who were not standing in the forthcoming election.

A special tribute was made to Councillor Wardle who had served as a Councillor for twenty eight years.

Best wishes were also offered to those standing in the forthcoming election.

Resolved:-  That the appreciation of the Council be forwarded to Councillors Barton, Lee and Wardle and they be given best wishes for the future.

Mover:-  Councillor Stone                               Seconder:-  Councillor Sharman