Agenda and minutes

The Mayor referred to the recent death of ex-Councillor and former Mayor Ronald Windle

Members of the Council stood in silence for a minute as a token of their respect.

The Mayor was pleased to announce the excellent news that the Rotherham Council had been named ‘Council of the Year’ by the Association for Public Service Excellence, the not-for-profit body dedicated to promoting and supporting excellence in frontline services within local government

Rotherham was also a finalist in five of the twenty-one different categories for service delivery and also a finalist in the Best Employment and Equality Initiative, the Best Healthy Living Initiative, the Best Community and Neighbourhood Initiative and the Best Service Team for Social Care.

Congratulations were offered to all those involved in these achievements for their hard work and dedication in delivering vital services to the Rotherham public and especially the Retail Investment Team for the Shop Local Scheme who were presented with the award along with Councillor Richard Russell.

Resolved:- That the minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 27^th July, 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 fifteen residents of Eastwood Village, Rotherham regarding anti-social behaviour.

(2) The Chief Executive submitted apologies for absence from Councillors Andrews, Havenhand, Kaye, Mannion, G. A. Russell, Sims, Steele and Turner.

There were no questions from members of the public.

Appointment of Deputy Returning Officer and Deputy Electoral Registration Officer (Minute No. C35) (Page 26C)

Revenue Account Outturn 2010/11 (Minute No. C37) (Page 28C)

Capital Programme Outturn 2010/11 and Updated Estimates 2011/2012 to 2013/14 (Minute No. C38) (Pages 28C and 29C)

Rationalisation of Property Assets – Adoption of an Asset Transfer Policy (Minute No. C43) (Pages 33C and 34C)

Resolved:- That the reports and minutes of the meetings of the Cabinet (Section C) (pages 24C to 39C) be adopted.

Mover:- Councillor Stone                                Seconder:- Councillor Akhtar

(Mr. R. Waller, declared a personal interest in Minute No. C35 (Appointment of Returning Officer and Deputy Electoral Registration Officer) and left the room whilst this matter was discussed)

Safeguarding Children and Adults – Pages 17D to 18D (Section D)

Community Development,  Equality and Young Peoples Issues – Pages 13E to 18E (Section E)

Lifelong Learning and Culture – Pages 8F to 13F (Section F)

Town Centres, Economic Growth and Prosperity – Pages 19G to 31G (Section G)

Adult Social Care – Pages 20H to 24H (Section H)

Safe and Attractive Neighbourhoods – Pages 12J to 16J (Section J)

Health and Wellbeing – Pages 12K to 15K (Section K)

Waste and Emergency Planning – Pages 5L to 6L (Section L)

Deputy Leader and Organisational Change and Governance – Pages 2N to 5N (Section N)

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

·              Safeguarding Children and Adults – Pages 17D to 18D (Section D)

·              Community Development,  Equality and Young Peoples Issues – Pages 13E to 18E (Section E)

·              Lifelong Learning and Culture – Pages 8F to 13F (Section F)

·              Town Centres, Economic Growth and Prosperity – Pages 19G to 31G (Section G)

·              Adult Social Care – Pages 20H to 24H (Section H)

·              Safe and Attractive Neighbourhoods – Pages 12J to 16J (Section J)

·              Health and Wellbeing – Pages 12K to 15K (Section K)

·              Waste and Emergency Planning – Pages 5L to 6L (Section L)

·              Deputy Leader and Organisational Change and Governance – Pages 2N to 5N (Section N)

Mover:- Councillor Stone                                Seconder:- Councillor Akhtar

Resolved:- (1)  That the reports and minutes of the meetings of the Audit Committee (Section P) (pages 11P to 14P) be adopted.

(2)  That the contents of the Audit Committee Annual Report 2010/11 be noted.

Mover:- Councillor Sangster                           Seconder:- Councillor Gilding

Resolved:- That the reports and minutes of the meetings of the Licensing Board (Section Q) (pages 7Q to 8Q) be adopted.

Mover:- Councillor Wootton                           Seconder:- Councillor Barron

Resolved:- That the reports and minutes of the meetings of the Planning Board (Section T) (pages 20T to 35T) be adopted.

Mover:- Councillor Pickering                           Seconder:- Councillor Dodson

(1)  Councillor Fenoughty asked where were we currently at in the process of the BDR waste disposal contract?

Councillor R. S. Russell confirmed that in March, 2011 approval was given to appoint a consortium of Shanks Waste Management/Scottish and Southern Energy (3SE) as the preferred bidder for the Public Finance Initiative (PFI) to develop a sub-regional waste facility for the Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham (BDR) Waste Partnership.

Since then the Project Team and 3SE had been working to finalise the Project Agreement and related documents. It was expected that financial close on this project would be completed in December, 2011. The project would then move into the planning, construction, commissioning and operational phases.

In respect of planning for the Bolton Road site, 3SE intended to submit an application by the end of September, 2011. The Waste Development Plan Document (Waste DPD) which was submitted to the Planning Inspector in July, 2011, was expected to be approved in January, 2012, prior to the 3SE planning application being considered by the Council’s Planning Board. 

(2)  Councillor Gilding asked how many Private Finance Initiatives did the Council have, what was the annual cost of them and for how many years and, bearing in mind the dire straits that the last Labour Government left this country’s finances in, had any effort been made to renegotiate better terms for these contracts?

Councillor Akhtar confirmed the Council had in place two long term contracts under the Private Finance Initiative (PFI) arrangements - one for the provision of nine primary schools and six secondary schools and the other for construction and operation of three combined swimming pools and dry leisure centres and one stand alone swimming pool and joint service centre.

The Schools PFI contract ran until 2034 and the sports and leisure PFI contracts ran until 2041. In 2010/11, payments of £12.64m and £3.94m respectively were made to the contractor. Annual contractual payments were subject to availability and performance related deductions and contractually agreed inflation adjustments.

For both contracts the Council had put in place appropriate governance and contract management arrangements to oversee each contract and was regularly looking to improve the value for money provided by the facilities for users of the facilities and local Council taxpayers.

Further guidance had been issued by the Department for Education on the 19^th July, 2011 and the advocating of a similar scheme to PFI and Councils were being asked, therefore, to consider similar arrangements to the ones previously invested.

Councillor Whelbourn presented the 2010/11 Annual Report which represented a summary of the work undertaken by the Scrutiny Service during the last municipal year.

Resolved:- That the Scrutiny Report for 2010/11 be received.

Mover:- Councillor Whelbourn                        Seconder:- Councillor Hughes