Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor David Jefferys. Apologies for lateness were received from Councillors Lydia Buttinger and Nicky Dykes.

The Leader of the Council drew attention to the fact that, for the first time in thirty-nine years’ service, the Committee Steward, Angelo Victorio, was unable to be present due to ill-health. The Council recorded their best wishes for a speedy recovery.

There were no declarations of interest.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 26^th September 2016 be confirmed.

Questions must be received by 5pm on Tuesday 6^th December 2016.

Fourteen questions had been received from members of the public. These are set out in Appendix A to these minutes.  

Seventeen questions for oral reply had been received from members of the Council. These are set out in Appendix B to these minutes. 

Thirteen questions had been received from members of the Council for written reply. These are set out in Appendix C to these minutes. 

The Portfolio Holder for Public Protection and Safety, Councillor Kate Lymer made a statement on the Government’s announcement that drivers caught using their hand held mobile phones while driving would face much tougher penalties. The Government had also launched a further consultation on dangerous driving offences.

The Borough Commander had been successful in obtaining funding to train further local police officers in the use of speed guns, and had initiated a borough-wide road safety enforcement initiative. On average, 55 drivers had been stopped a week, most of them for driving whilst using their mobile phones, but also for a variety of other offences including speeding, not wearing seatbelts and driving without insurance or road tax. The Portfolio Holder hoped that this initiative, along with the Government’s attempts to change attitudes through education and deterrence, would improve driver behaviour in the borough.

Councillor Pauline Tunnicliffe thanked the Portfolio Holder for her statement and urged that the Council continue to support such initiatives.    

Report CSD16167

A motion to note the response of the Education Select Committee to the responses received concerning the First Select Committee Report on the Education Landscape in Bromley was moved by Councillor Nicholas Bennett, seconded by Councillor Neil Reddin and CARRIED.

Report CSD16168

A motion to invite the Leader and appropriate Portfolio Holders to consider the recommendations in the report and (a) refer the recommendations to Service Directors where appropriate and (b) provide a written response to the Education Select Committee for consideration at their next meeting on 17^th January 2017 was moved by Councillor Nicholas Bennett, seconded by Councillor Neil Reddin and CARRIED.

Report CSD16176

A motion to release funds for 2016/17 (at £3.5m) to provide the funding requested by Bromley Clinical Commissioning Group, and agree in principle to the funding for 2017/18, subject to a further report being provided to the Executive at a later stage to seek approval for the release of funds (at £3.5m) for 2017/18, was moved by Councillor Robert Evans, seconded by Councillor Stephen Carr and CARRIED.

Report CSD16174

An amendment to include the following additional recommendation was moved by Councillor Angela Wilkins and seconded by Councillor Kevin Brooks.

“That young people leaving care should be entitled to 100% relief from the ages 18 to 25.”  

The following Members voted in favour of the amendment -

Councillors Vanessa Allen, Kathy Bance, Kevin Brooks, Ian Dunn, Peter Fookes, Angela Wilkins and Richard Williams.

The following Members voted against the amendment -

Councillors Graham Arthur, Douglas Auld, Julian Benington, Nicholas Bennett, Ruth Bennett, Eric Bosshard, Kim Botting, Katy Boughey, Lydia Buttinger, Stephen Carr, David Cartwright, Alan Collins, Mary Cooke, Peter Dean, Nicky Dykes, Judi Ellis, Robert Evans, Simon Fawthrop, Peter Fortune, Ellie Harmer, Will Harmer, Samaris Huntington-Thresher, William Huntington-Thresher, Charles Joel, David Livett, Kate Lymer, Russell Mellor, Alexa Michael, Peter Morgan, Terence Nathan, Keith Onslow, Tony Owen, Angela Page, Sarah Phillips, Tom Philpott, Chris Pierce, Neil Reddin, Catherine Rideout, Charles Rideout, Michael Rutherford, Richard Scoates, Colin Smith, Diane Smith, Melanie Stevens, Tim Stevens, Teresa Te, Michael Tickner, Michael Turner, Pauline Tunnicliffe, and Stephen Wells. 

The Mayor, Councillor Ian F. Payne, and the Deputy Mayor, Councillor Hannah Gray, abstained.

The amendment was LOST.

A motion to note the responses to the public consultation exercise, the response from the Greater London Authority to the consultation documents and the content of the Impact assessment, and to adopt, for the financial year 2017/18, a scheme retaining the calculation of entitlement for working age claimants on 75% of the household’s Council Tax liability (thereby, the maximum assistance provided to a claimant of working age is 75% of his/her Council tax), was moved by Councillor Graham Arthur, seconded by Councillor Stephen Carr and CARRIED.

Report CSD16184

A motion to approve the following schemes for inclusion in the Capital Programme –

(1) A scheme of land acquisition at the end of Cornwall Drive, St Paul’s Cray at a total cost of £2,709k (£2,409k to be funded by the Environment Agency and a £300k contribution from the 2016/17 Central Contingency);

(2) Capital funding of £1,145k, of which £995k is from capital receipts and £150k from the earmarked reserve, for the Beckenham Town Centre Improvement Scheme;

(3) £11.8m capital funding for investment in planned highway maintenance to be funded from capital receipts; 

was moved by Councillor Graham Arthur, seconded by Councillor Stephen Carr and CARRIED.

Report CSD16178

A motion to (1) note the Treasury Management Annual Report 2015/16 and approve the actual prudential indicators in the report and (2) note the quarter 2 Performance Report and Mid-Year Review, and approve changes to the prudential indicators, as set out in Annex B1 of the report, was moved by Councillor Graham Arthur, seconded by Councillor Stephen Carr and CARRIED.     

Report CSD16179

A motion to receive and note the Annual Report of the Local Pension Board 2015/16 was moved by Councillor Tim Stevens, seconded by Councillor Diane Smith and CARRIED.

Report CSD16185

A motion to approve the proposal to become an “opted in” authority with Public Sector Appointments Ltd for the appointment of External Auditors was moved by Councillor Tim Stevens, seconded by Councillor Diane Smith and CARRIED.

Report CSD16183

A motion to appoint Councillor Mary Cooke to the membership of the Public Protection and Safety Policy Development and Scrutiny Committee to replace Councillor Tim Stevens was moved by Councillor Michael Tickner, seconded by Councillor William Huntington-Thresher and CARRIED.

Report CSD16180

A motion to add the following provisions to paragraph 10.2 Questions on Notice at full Council in the Council Procedure Rules in Part 4 of the Constitution -

“10.2.5 Members of the Executive may not submit questions on notice at full Council on executive functions.

10.2.6 Executive Assistants may not submit questions to the Portfolio Holder that they assist.”

- was moved by Councillor Tony Owen, seconded by Councillor Stephen Carr and CARRIED.

The updated Scheme of Delegation to Officers will be to follow.

Report CSD16173

Report withdrawn.

No motions had been received.

The Mayor drew attention to the envelopes on every desk and encouraged all Members to make a contribution to the Mayor’s charity.

The Mayor thanked Members who attended his spectacular Masquerade Ball at the Beaverwood Club and the Civic Christmas Carol Service, for which he particularly thanked his Chaplains and Bromley Salvation Army.

The Deputy Mayor, Councillor Hannah Gray, had raised around £2,000 for the Mayor’s Charity from her sponsored parachute jump.    

The Mayor also commented that a Bromley resident had won the X-Factor.

The Mayor drew attention to the following future events –

·  Magic and Music Evening – 20^th January 2017 at the Churchill Theatre

·  The Annual quiz on 17^th February 2017

·  A dinner hosted by the Mayor at the House of Commons on 9^th March 2017

Further details would be sent out shortly and would be available from the Mayor’s Office.

On behalf of the Council the Mayor wished all residents a happy Christmas and a peaceful 2017.