Agenda, decisions and minutes

Venue: Council Chamber - South Cambridgeshire Hall

Contact: Democratic Services  03450 450 500 Email: democratic.services@scambs.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

1.

APOLOGIES

 

To receive any apologies for absence from Members.

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Anna Bradnam, Francis Burkitt, Tom Bygott, Caroline Hunt, Peter Johnson, Ben Shelton and David Whiteman-Downes.

2.

DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

Minutes:

Declarations of interest were made as follows:

 

·         Councillor Brian Burling declared an interest in agenda item 9(b), Community Governance Review for Willingham and Over, as a landowner.  Councillor Burling had received a dispensation to participate in the debate but not vote.

·         Councillor Ray Manning declared an interest in agenda item 9(b), Community Governance Review for Willingham and Over, as a landowner.  Councillor Manning had received a dispensation to participate in the debate but not vote.

·         Councillor Tim Wotherspoon declared an interest in item 9(b), Community Governance Review for Willingham and Over, as the County Councillor for Cottenham and Willingham Division, but had been advised that he could participate in the discussion and voting thereon.

 

3.

Register of Interests

 

Members are requested to inform Democratic Services of any changes in their Register of Members’ Financial and Other Interests form.

Minutes:

The Chairman reminded Members that they needed to update the register of interests whenever their circumstances changed.

4.

MINUTES pdf icon PDF 336 KB

 

To authorise the Chairman to sign the Minutes of the meeting held on 23 November 2017 as a correct record.

Minutes:

The minutes of the meeting of the Council held on Thursday 23 November 2017 were confirmed as a correct record and approved for signature by the Chairman, subject to the following amendments:

 

·         The replacement of “Cicily” by “Cicely” in Minute No. 1 (Apologies); and

·         The replacement of “Fraser” by “Turner” in the final sentence of the second bullet point in Minute No. 2 (Declarations of Interest).

5.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

 

To receive any announcements from the Chairman, Leader, the Executive or the Head of Paid Service.

Minutes:

The Chairman of the Council announced that the new intranet would go live on Tuesday 30 January 2018.  Sonia Constant would give a quick overview session on the new intranet and hand round a Members’ information sheet on 29 January 2018 before the all Member briefing.

 

(Note: The all Member briefing was subsequently postponed)

 

Councillor Topping, the Leader of the Council:-

 

·         Reported that he had spoken with Sir Oliver Letwin, who was leading the independent review into the gap between the number of planning permissions granted and homes built, and who had agreed to review sites in South Cambridgeshire as part of the evidence gathered.

·         Announced that Councillor Neil Davies had been appointed as the Member Champion for Mental Wellbeing.  Mental health and wellbeing was currently an issue high on the public agenda and the Leader anticipated that Councillor Davies would be able to provide invaluable support to the Portfolio Holder for Health and Wellbeing in this area.

·         Reported on his expectation that Councillor Scott, in his capacity as the Member Champion for the Environment, would be able to advise on how best new settlements could be planned and designed with a view to protecting the natural environment. In that context, he noted that a workshop had been arranged on that subject to be led by Dr Paul Leinster of Cranfield University.

·         Noted that a response would be made in respect of the proposals in the National Infrastructure Commission’s report relating to the Oxford Cambridge Arc.  In particular,  there was a need to establish the route of the proposed east-west railway line east of Sandy and the timetable for the development of the Cambridge South railway station.

·         Commented that Councillor Henry Batchelor was running in the Brighton Marathon to raise funds for the Arthur Rank Hospice and wished him good luck for the event.

 

The Chairman congratulated Councillor Davies on his appointment as Member Champion for Mental Wellbeing.  Councillor Davies thanked the Council for his appointment and addressed Members on the importance of mental wellbeing.

 

In response to a question from Councillor Kindersley, the Leader of the Council indicated that he had no comment to make at this time on the possible designation of the Council and that if the Council was designated, it would be dealt with at that point.

6.

QUESTIONS FROM THE PUBLIC

 

To note that no questions from the public have been received. 

Minutes:

No questions from the public had been received. 

7.

PETITIONS

 

To note that no petitions for consideration by Council have been received since the last  meeting.

Minutes:

No petitions for consideration by Council had been received. 

8.

APPOINTMENTS TO COMMITTEES pdf icon PDF 211 KB

 

Following the resignation of Councillor Simon Crocker to report on the political composition of the Council and to invite the Council to make appointments to fill vacancies on committees.

 

Report attached

Decision:

Council AGREED:

 

(1)  To note the resignation of Councillor Crocker and that since the resignation is within six months of the 3 May 2018 elections, there will be no election to fill this vacancy.

 

(2)  To note the political composition of the Council as set out in paragraph 5 of the report but that no adjustments to the allocation of seats are required.

 

(3)  To appoint Councillor Cone to fill the current vacancy on the Audit and Corporate Governance Committee.

 

(4)  To confirm the appointment of Councillor Bard to serve on the Civic Affairs Committee.

 

 

Minutes:

The report of the Head of People and Organisational Development was submitted which, following the resignation of Councillor Simon Crocker, reported on the political composition of the Council; noted that this change was not sufficient to affect the political balance on committees and invited the Council to make appointments to fill vacancies upon committees.

 

It was noted that in accordance with Council Standing Oder No 4.5, the Leader of the Conservative Group had appointed Councillor Bard to fill the vacancy on the Civic Affairs Committee until such time as the Council had confirmed an appointment.  There was also a vacancy on the Audit and Corporate Governance Committee and the Council was requested to fill that vacancy in accordance with the nomination from the Leader of the Conservative Group.

 

 

Councillor Fraser moved the recommendations, including, with reference to recommendation (c), the appointment of Councillor Graham Cone to fill the vacancy on the Audit and Corporate Governance Committee.  Councillor Chamberlain seconded the proposition.

 

Upon being put to the vote, the proposition was approved by affirmation.

 

The Council:

 

RESOLVED:

 

(1)  To note the resignation of Councillor Crocker and that since the resignation is within six months of the 3 May 2018 elections, there will be no election to fill this vacancy.

 

(2)  To note the political composition of the Council as set out in paragraph 5 of the report but that no adjustments to the allocation of seats are required.

 

(3)  To appoint Councillor Cone to fill the current vacancy on the Audit and Corporate Governance Committee.

 

(4)  To confirm the appointment of Councillor Bard to serve on the Civic Affairs Committee.

 

 

9.

RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL

9a

Localised Council Tax Support Scheme (Finance & Staffing Portfolio Holder, 21 November 2017) pdf icon PDF 317 KB

 

The Finance and Staffing Portfolio Holder

 

RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL:

 

That the current Localised Council Tax Support Scheme be continued into 2018/2019 with minor technical changes where necessary.

 

Report attached.

Additional documents:

Decision:

Council AGREED:

 

That the Localised Council Tax Support Scheme be continued into 2018/19 with minor technical changes where necessary.

Minutes:

Councillor Edwards, Portfolio Holder for Finance and Staffing, proposed the recommendation from his Portfolio Holder’s meeting held on 21 November 2017,  which invited the Council to approve that the current Localised Council Tax Support (LCTS) Scheme be continued into 2018/19, with minor technical changes where necessary. He noted that the current scheme had been in operation since April 2013 and had remained almost unchanged since implementation.  A maximum of 91.5% LCTS relief was available for those who were not in protected groups. Whilst the Council’s scheme was relatively generous, it did not impact adversely on collection rates which, at 99.4% in the previous year, had been the equal highest collection rate in the Country. The continuation of the scheme, with some minor technical changes, would allow time to evaluate the administrative impact of the roll out of Universal Credit. It was acknowledged that the impact of Universal Credit was unpredictable and would need to be carefully monitored.

 

Councillor Fraser seconded the proposition.

 

During discussion:

 

·         Members congratulated the Benefits Team on the high level of service delivery.

·         Councillor Williams referred to the potential implications of the implementation of Universal Credit and to delays experienced elsewhere which meant that residents were without any benefits for some considerable period of time.  The need closely to monitor the impact and ensure that the most vulnerable residents in the District were supported was emphasised.

·         In response to a question from Councillor Hazel Smith and with reference to paragraph 23 of the report, the Finance and Staffing Portfolio Holder confirmed that the Council had now received notification of the grant received towards the cost of administering housing benefit and which had been £3,000 less than anticipated.

·         Following a question from Councillor Hawkins as to the level of contingency planning for the introduction of Universal Credit, the Finance and Staffing Portfolio Holder indicated that it was difficult actively to plan until the impact of Universal Credit on LCTS administration had been assessed. A feature of the scheme was that those in protected groups received 100% relief and thus it was possible that the impact would be disproportionately felt by those of working age who were not in protected groups. The Council did have mechanisms in place to respond to short term issues but the need carefully to monitor the impact of Universal Credit was acknowledged..

 

Upon being put to the vote, the proposal was approved by affirmation.

 

 

The Council accordingly:

 

RESOLVED:

 

That the Localised Council Tax Support Scheme be continued into 2018/19 with minor technical changes where necessary.

9b

Community Governance Review for Willingham and Over (Civic Affairs Committee, 4 January 2018) pdf icon PDF 205 KB

 

The Civic Affairs Committee

 

RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL:

 

That Council agrees to

 

(a)  agree the alternative boundary, as shown on the green line in the attached map (Appendix L), less the red cross hatched area, and

 

(b)  make a request to the LGBCE to re-align the County Council boundary along the new parish boundary.

 

Report Attached.

Additional documents:

Decision:

Following amendment of the original recommendation of the Civic Affairs Committee, Council AGREED:

 

(1)  To agree the alternative boundary, as shown on the green line, less the red cross hatched area, in the newly circulated map marked L1; and

 

(2)  To make a request to the Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE) to re-align the County Council boundary along the new parish boundary.

 

 

Minutes:

Councillor David McCraith, Chairman of the Civic Affairs Committee, presented a report which invited the Council to consider the recommendations of the Committee, at its meeting held on 4 January 2018, regarding the Community Governance Review for Willingham and Over.

 

In so doing, he reminded Members that the Council had received a petition signed by local residents and businesses to carry out a Community Governance Review of the Willingham and Over boundary.  The terms of reference for the review had been published and public consultation undertaken. The Civic Affairs Committee had initially considered the options at its meeting held on 28 September 2017 and had agreed to recommend no change to the boundary for the reasons set out in the report before Council.  Subsequently, as a result of a third party challenge and legal advice received, the decision had been taken by officers to refer the matter back to the Civic Affairs Committee for re-consideration.  The Civic Affairs Committee, at its meeting held on 7 December 2017, had reconsidered the options in relation to the Community Governance Review.  The unanimous decision had been to defer consideration to allow the two parish councils time to discuss and resolve the matter locally.  On reconvening on 4 January 2018, the Civic Affairs Committee had been advised that the two parish councils had been unable to reach agreement.  Having considered all the options available and the need to secure that community governance in the area under review reflected “the identities and interests of the community in that area” and was “effective and convenient”, the Committee had agreed the recommendation as set out in item 9(b) of the agenda.  The draft minutes of the meeting held on 4 January 2018 had also been attached at Appendix M to that report.

 

CouncillorMcCraith accordingly moved the following recommendations of the Civic Affairs Committee:-

 

“That the Council agrees to

 

(a)  Agree the alternative boundary, as shown on the green line in the attached map (Appendix L), less the red cross hatched area, and

(b)  Make a request to the LGBCE to re-align the County Council boundary along the new parish boundary.”

 

Councillor Charles Nightingale seconded the proposition.

 

Councillor Peter Topping proposed an amendment as follows:-

 

“That recommendation (a) be amended to delete the words “in the attached map (Appendix L)” and to insert the following words after “area” “in the newly circulated map marked L1”; and so that (a) reads:

 

(a)  Agree the alternative boundary, as shown on the green line, less the red crossed hatched area, in the newly circulated map marked L1; and

 

Recommendation (b) to remain as set out in the original recommendation.”

 

Councillor Topping outlined his reasoning for proposing the amendment, noting that it was intended to tighten the boundary and reduce the amount of land which would move from Over to Willingham with the aim of achieving a fair compromise in respect of a subject which had been subject of much debate over the last year.

 

Councillor David Bard seconded the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9b

9c

Pay Policy Statement (Employment Committee, 11 January 2018) pdf icon PDF 226 KB

 

The Employment Committee

 

RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL:  

 

That Council approve the Pay Policy Statement.

 

Report attached.

Additional documents:

Decision:

Council AGREED:

 

To approve the Pay Policy Statement.

Minutes:

Councillor Ray Manning, Chairman of the Employment Committee, proposed the recommendation of the Employment Committee that the Pay Policy Statement for 2018/19 be approved. In so doing, he drew particular attention to the mean gender pay gap of – 4.99% in favour of females as indicated in paragraph 17.2 of the Policy.

 

Councillor Val Barrett seconded the proposal.

 

During discussion:

 

·         Councillor Williams, whilst welcoming the indication in the Policy Statement that the Council would have regard  to the Living Wage Foundation rate when agreeing annual pay awards for staff each year, suggested that it would be preferable for the Council to commit to honouring that rate.

·         Councillor de Lacey expressed disappointment that the Council did not have a policy that discouraged a wide disparity between the Council’s lowest and highest paid employees and that annual pay increases were not shared amongst all employees at the same rate.

·         Councillor Hazel Smith referred to paragraph 17.6 of the Policy Statement which seemed to indicate that the reason the gender pay gap reporting appeared healthy was that the Council’s workforce in the bottom quartile was mainly male as the Council directly employed the refuse operatives. Councillor Smith suggested that perhaps an alternative methodology for reporting on shared services should be considered.

 

On being put to the vote, the proposal was approved by affirmation.

 

The Council:

 

RESOLVED:

 

To approve the Pay Policy Statement for 2018/19.

10.

CAMBRIDGESHIRE AND PETERBOROUGH COMBINED AUTHORITY pdf icon PDF 235 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Council noted reports prepared by the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority summarising the work of the Authority in November and December 2017.

 

The Council’s representatives on the Combined Authority were invited to comment on the reports, as summarised below:-

 

·         Councillor Topping, the Council’s representative on the Combined Authority Board commented on:

o   the proposal for the Combined Authority to undertake a strategic review of bus services;

o   the position with the development of the Cambridge Mass Rapid Transit Options Appraisal which was due to be considered by the Combined Authority and Greater Cambridge Partnership;

o   the independent Economic Commission being led by Dame Kate Barker which was undertaking a review of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough economy; and

o   recent Parliamentary scrutiny of the Greater Cambridge Greater Peterborough Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) which had now been brought under the auspices of Combined Authority.

 

·         Councillor Fraser, a member of the Audit and Corporate Governance Committee, noted that the Mayor had been invited to attend the meeting of the Committee on 18 December 2017. As indicated in the decision summary the Committee had highlighted the need for risks around the Mayor operating without appropriate arrangements in place or in the absence of the Section 151 Officer to be reflected in the risk audit carried out by the external auditor.

 

·         Councillor John Batchelor, the Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, reported that the Committee had been concerned to understand the potential implications of the decision with regard to the LEP for the way in which the Combined Authority ran its business, in particular with regard to officer structures going forward.  He also commented that the Overview and Scrutiny Committee would be considering the mass rapid transit plans at its meeting on 29 January 2018.

 

During general discussion:-

 

·         The Leader noted and took on board concerns raised by Councillor Bridget Smith about the need to maintain the positive work of the Greater Cambridge Partnership Skills Working Group, which had been chaired by the previous Chair of the LEP, in order to ensure that there was no adverse impact on skills accessibility in South Cambridgeshire. 

·         Councillor Van de Weyer observed that the report on Mass Rapid Transit Options had not been published with the agenda for the meeting of the Combined Authority Board.

·         With reference to the Decision Summary for Audit and Governance Committee (page 203), Councillor Bridget Smith drew attention to concerns expressed that the Code of Conduct for the Combined Authority appeared “lightweight” in comparison to that of other local authorities.  She suggested that a suitably robust Code of Conduct should be in place for the Mayor and Combined Authority.  In response, Councillor Fraser noted that the Committee had also highlighted these concerns but that he could flag them again.

·         Councillor Cathcart expressed reservations about the proposal to establish the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Land Commission and suggested that the activities of the Commission should be kept closely under review.

·         In response to a question from Councillor Kindersley, Councillor Riley confirmed that substitutes  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10.

11.

QUESTIONS FROM COUNCILLORS

 

A period of 30 minutes will be allocated for this item to include those questions where notice has been provided (as set out on the agenda below) and questions which may be asked without notice.

 

Members wishing to ask a question without notice should indicate this intention to the Democratic Services Team Manager prior to the commencement of the item.  Members’ names will be drawn at random by the Chairman until there are no further questions or until the expiration of the time period. 

 

11a

Question from Councillor Grenville Chamberlain

 

There are many unused agricultural buildings which could be used for the development of rural businesses but without access to high speed broadband they will remain unused for the foreseeable future. Can the Leader explain what is being done to ensure the delivery of high speed broadband across South Cambridgeshire?

Minutes:

There are many unused agricultural buildings which could be used for the development of rural businesses but without access to high speed broadband they will remain unused for the foreseeable future. Can the Leader explain what is being done to ensure the delivery of high speed broadband across South Cambridgeshire?

Councillor Nick Wright, the Business and Customer Services Portfolio Holder, responded that the Council had supported the work of Connecting Cambridgeshire to improve broadband service across the District. As a result, 96.4% of South Cambs properties now had access to superfast broadband with speeds greater than 24Mb per second. This was better than the County average of 95.8%.

The recent Let's Talk consultation with South Cambs residents and the successful Member-led Task & Finish Group on supporting the development of rural small and medium-sized businesses had both highlighted that access to broadband remained a key issue for residents and businesses.

South Cambridgeshire District Council officers were now working with Connecting Cambridgeshire to bid for over £4 million of Rural Development Programme for England Growth Programme Rural Broadband Infrastructure funding to cover the harder to reach rural premises (especially businesses, including farms).  This would, alongside a potential European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) application, form Phase 4 of the rollout. With South Cambridgeshire District Council officer input, Connecting Cambridgeshire was about to start procurement for this phase with work beginning around Autumn 2018.

Councillor Chamberlain noted that the lack of broadband was just one impediment to the use of agricultural buildings for business and commercial purposes, another was rural crime.  As a supplementary question he asked what steps could be taken by the Council to encourage the Police to take a more active role in preventing rural crime.

In response, the Business and Customer Services Portfolio Holder reported on a meeting which had taken place between the Leader and the Police Superintendent responsible for the Rural Crime unit to discuss rural crime and when, amongst other issues, the opportunity had been taken to discuss the problems associated with illegal hare coursing.

 

11b

Question From Councillor Kevin Cuffley

 

With the changes and improvements being made to the Council’s refuse service and collections, can the Leader explain the impact of the benefits and savings these will have for this Council?

Minutes:

With the changes and improvements being made to the Councils refuse service and collections, can the Leader explain the impact of the benefits and savings these will have for this Council?

 

Councillor Mark Howell, the Environmental Services Portfolio Holder, started by thanking his predecessors Councillor Martin and Councillor Ellington for the work they had undertaken to improve the refuse collection service.  He reported that the Shared Waste service was currently undertaking a number of changes and improvements to the Council’s refuse service which were delivering a range of benefits and savings for this Council. The service was well on its way to delivering the planned savings of £700,000 over 3 years.  

 

Improvements in collection rounds so far this year had helped to save the service over 15,000 litres of fuel,  which in turn would mean that the Council was doing fewer miles and reducing the effect on air quality and saving money, so far over £13,000.  It was envisaged that with the move to fully co-mingle recycling collections it should be possible  to improve cross service recycling collection rounds, building on this saving further. 

 

The Council was investing in 14 new collection vehicles – these vehicles would be EURO 6 standard which  was better for the environment in terms of emissions and would generate further fuel efficiencies and help to provide an even more effective service for residents allowing the Council to increase the number of successful, on-time collections from the current extremely high levels of 99.5% even further.

 

The Council’s move to fully co-mingled dry recycling collections in December 2017, made it easier for residents to recycle, which would hopefully lead to recycling more. Even with the excellent record of South Cambridgeshire’s residents on recycling, sampling demonstrated that there was still a lot of recyclate in the black bin. For those who only generated additional recycling occasionally they could present this in a clear plastic bag next to their bin.

 

The Council was working with developers to deliver innovative ways of recycling and waste collection, such as the underground systems at the North West Cambridge Development with straddled the City / South Cambs border. Residents in this development were currently recycling nearly double the amount of recycling compared to other areas in the district.

 

The service was working with other Council departments and external partners to develop new end to end systems, supported by a new ICT system, that would support residents to interact  with the service more easily. The new systems should enable residents to easily enter and track service requests and enable the service to monitor, manage and report in more detail, thus making the service more transparent and efficient.

 

The service, with the support of communication team and others, had recently developed a number of successful communication programmes such the move to the fully co-mingled service and Christmas day changes. The service would be launching a new service wide campaign called “Metal Matters” shortly focused on asking residents to recycle more metals from all around the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 11b

11c

Question from Councillor Ruth Betson

 

Can the Leader give us examples of communities that have benefitted from the community chest and the positive impact it has had?

 

Minutes:

Can the Leader give us examples of communities that have benefitted from the Community Chest and the positive impact it has had?

           

The Leader of the Council reported that  63 local community projects had been supported by the Community Chest in 2016/17 and  £78,977 had been distributed.  89 local community projects had so far been supported in 2017/18.  £77,634 had been distributed and there was £5,586 remaining in the pot, some of which would be allocated during January.

 

The Leader referred to a number of individual projects supported by the Community Chest, which highlighted the positive impact the funding had on local communities. In particular, he drew the Council’s attention to the following projects funded by the Community Chest:-

 

              Green Minds Therapeutic Garden, Landbeach - £890 had been awarded to purchase new equipment to help participants recover from a range of health problems.

              The Arthur’s Shed Gardening Project in Great Shelford had received £900 to purchase equipment, which was enabling local residents to share their gardening knowledge and skills, and get to know each other.

              The Avenelles Way elderly people’s group in Gamlingay had been able to purchase a chest freezer for its lunch club to enable them to cook meals in advance and bulk purchase ingredients when they were on offer.

 

The Leader also commented on a proposal to introduce a green energy fund  in the next financial year which would  give communities the opportunity to apply for grants to support sustainable schemes.

 

Noting that certain parishes were larger than others, Councillor Betson asked, by way of a supplementary question, what the Council’s position would be if a larger parish was to make a request for an increased grant amount.  In response, the Leader indicated that he was conscious that some of the larger parishes had significant needs, but also had significant precepts. It was a matter of fact and degree and each case would need to be looked at on its merits.  

 

11d

Question from Councillor Bunty Waters

 

Loneliness has been shown to affect physical and mental health and therefore the quality of life for some elderly, infirm, and isolated residents.


What is the Council doing to help Parish Councils and local groups to address this issue?

Minutes:

Loneliness has been shown to affect physical and mental health and therefore the quality of life for some elderly, infirm, and isolated residents.

 

What is the Council doing to help Parish Councils and local groups to address this issue?

 

The Health and Wellbeing Portfolio Holder responded by referring to the Member Task and Finish Group which had met during 2016 and 2017 and had come up with a number of recommendations to tackle social isolation.

 

She noted that based on estimates in the Campaign to End Loneliness toolkit, it was estimated that between 1,700 and 3,840 people aged 65+ were lonely in South Cambridgeshire.  The prevalence of social isolation amongst older people was estimated to be similar to that of loneliness.

 

Whilst social isolation was more commonly associated with older age, it could occur at all life stages and some individuals would be more vulnerable to social isolation than others. 

 

The recommendations that would specifically help parish councils and local groups to address the issue were:

 

·         Developing a parish toolkit on reducing social isolation.

·         Supporting the set up of two new timebanks in the District. 

·         Continuing to promote community transport and community car schemes through the South Cambridgeshire transport directory, and working with parishes and partners to ensure greater community transport provision for the north villages. 

·         Continuing to facilitate meetings between parishes to help them to work together where it made sense for them to do so. 

·         Encouraging the use of communal rooms, for wider community use, in sheltered housing complexes where there was a lack of other community space in villages.  A review of the communal rooms was currently under way.

·         Piloting a social prescribing project with the Granta Medical Practice at Sawston.  This would link patients in primary care with sources of support within the community and help to build social connections. 

11e

Question from Councillor David Bard

 

We welcome the news that Sawston has been selected as one of the first three sites for a rural travel hub. We note, however, that the current Stagecoach CITI7 return bus fare from Sawston to Cambridge is charged at the Dayrider Plus rate (£6.70) whereas that from Staplefordto Cambridge is charged at the Dayrider rate (£4.30). Since the proposed Sawston rural travel hub lies between these two villages, will the Portfolio Holder be negotiating with the bus operator to have the new rural hub included within the Dayrider zone?

Minutes:

We welcome the news that Sawston has been selected as one of the first three sites for a rural travel hub. We note, however, that the current Stagecoach CITI7 return bus fare from Sawston to Cambridge is charged at the Dayrider Plus rate (£6.70) whereas that from Stapleford to Cambridge is charged at the Dayrider rate (£4.30). Since the proposed Sawston rural travel hub lies between these two villages, will the portfolio holder be negotiating with the bus operator to have the new rural hub included within the Dayrider zone?”

 

Prior to making his response, the Strategic Partnership and Infrastructure Portfolio Holder clarified that the decision on the rural travel hubs was due to be made by the Greater Cambridge Partnership Executive Board at its meeting to be held on 8 February 2018.

 

The Strategic Partnership and Infrastructure Portfolio Holder noted that concerns about the cost of bus fares was not limited to Sawston and that residents of Northstowe and Cambourne were also aggrieved that they fell within the Dayrider Plus rate.

 

He commented that there had been discussions with Stagecoach for many years with a view to introducing a middle band and the bus operator had advised that it would consider doing so as part of the work all partners were undertaking to try to achieve the free flow of buses in to and out of the centre of Cambridge.

 

Following a further question from Councillor Bard, the Strategic Partnership and Infrastructure Portfolio Holder indicated that the GCP Executive Board, at its meeting to be held on 8 February 2018, would be invited to approve three pilot rural travel hub sites to progress to phase two of the project. 

11f

Question from Councillor Anna Bradnam

 

In July 2017 China and Hong Kong announced a clampdown on ‘foreign garbage’, that is, they have imposed very tight contamination standards on 24 categories of imported waste, especially paper and plastic. As the UK has exported more than 2.7 million tonnes of waste plastic to China and Hong Kong since 2012, please let us know:

 

What effect will the loss of the market for waste paper and plastic have on  the finances of the Shared Waste Service and what practical changes might this necessitate in the service in future?

 

Minutes:

In July 2017 China and Hong Kong announced a clampdown on ‘foreign garbage’, that is, they have imposed very tight contamination standards on 24 categories of imported waste, especially paper and plastic. As the UK has exported more than 2.7 million tonnes of waste plastic to China and Hong Kong since 2012, please let us know:

 

·         What effect will the loss of the market for waste paper and plastic have on the finances of the Shared Waste Service; and

·         What practical changes might this necessitate in the service in future?

 

The Environmental Services Portfolio Holder responded that in July 2017 China and Hong Kong had announced a clampdown on ‘foreign garbage’ and had imposed very tight contamination standards on 24 categories of imported waste, especially paper and plastic. The UK had exported more than 2.7 million tonnes of waste plastic to China and Hong Kong since 2012.

 

Regular reports from Amey, who operated the Materials Recycling Facility at Waterbeach, showed that very little of South Cambs recycling was going to China at the moment  and they were not flagging significant concerns at this stage due to having a range of end user outlets.

 

Plastic and paper collected in the blue bins was going to a variety of UK brokers and reprocessors. The destinations that the material went to varied each month subject to market fluctuations. The Council would continue to monitor the situation with Amey as it was their responsibility to find suitable outlets.

 

Practically, the Shared Waste Service needed to continue to educate resident to recycle and use their bins correctly to ensure the delivery of a high standard of recycling. It was also important to make full use of national recycling campaigns such as the “Metal Matters” Campaign which would be launched at the end of January to boost the collection of high value material.  There was additionally a need to work with residents to reduce levels of contamination in the blue recycling bin.

11g

Question from Councillor Ben Shelton

 

What happens to the plastic waste that goes into the blue recycling bins?

 

 

 

 

Minutes:

What happens to the plastic waste that goes into the blue recycling bins?

 

The Environmental Services Portfolio Holder explained that the plastic collected in the blue bins went  to a variety of UK brokers and reprocessors, the destination that the material went  to varied each month subject to market fluctuations, however the Council worked closely with its contractor to understand what happened to all recycling.

 

Recycled plastic could be used in almost as many applications and products as prime plastic - for example packaging, construction and automotive products. Recycled Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) (Pop Bottles) and High-density polyethylene (HDPE) (Milk Bottles) was increasingly used in primary packaging by retailers and branded manufacturers for bottles and trays.

 

Recycled plastic was widely used in mainstream construction and landscaping products such as damp proof membrane, drainage pipes, ducting, flooring, walkways, jetties, pontoons, bridges, fences and signs. Polyester fleece clothing and polyester filling for duvets, coats etc was frequently made from recycled PET bottles (e. g. soft drink and water bottles). Polyester fibre was the largest single market for recycled PET bottles worldwide.

 

Plastic film from sources such as pallet wrap, carrier bags, and agricultural film were made into new film products such as bin liners, carrier bags and refuse sacks on a large scale.

 

It was important to remind residents that they could recycle plastic bottles from all about the house such as bleach and screen washes for example, provided they were rinsed and squashed before placing in the bin.   

 

The Portfolio Holder concluded by indicating that across the 125,000 households in City and South Cambs, around 60,000 tonnes of black bin waste were collected each year to be processed at the County Council/Amey Cespa Mechanical Biological Treatment Plant at Waterbeach.

11h

Question from Councillor John Batchelor

 

Could we have an update on progress with the ‘Bus Survey’ that Council allocated £50k to contribute towards?

Minutes:

Could we have an update on progress with the ‘Bus Survey’ that Council allocated £50k to contribute towards?

 

The Strategic Partnership and Infrastructure Portfolio Holder responded that access to public transport remained an important issue for South Cambridgeshire residents, which was why in September 2017 this Council  had agreed to commit up to £50k to the County Council's review of bus services.

 

The Portfolio Holder was pleased to report that since then, the Combined Authority had agreed  to allocate £150k to fund this bus review. As a result, South Cambridgeshire District Council would save the £50k previously agreed and would not duplicate the Mayor's spending plans. He provided further detailed background on the terms of reference for the Combined Authority’s bus review.

 

In response to a supplementary question as to what the Council would do with the £50k allocated for the bus survey, it was confirmed that the money remained within the Council’s reserves.  

11i

Expiry of Question Time

Minutes:

The Chairman declared that the thirty minutes allowed for questions had expired and therefore there would be insufficient time to answer the questions from Councillors Deborah Roberts, John Williams, Philippa Hart, Tumi Hawkins and Janet Lockwood.

 

In response to a request, the Chairman indicated that it should be possible to provide written responses to those questions within a reasonable timeframe.

12.

NOTICES OF MOTION

12a

Motion from Councillor Bridget Smith

 

This Council believes that collaboration between the local government bodies of Cambridgeshire must be built on mutual trust and confidence that we are working together in the interests of all residents.

 

This Council expresses its disappointment that, in December, the Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough chose to prematurely release to the press a preliminary report on mass public transport options in advance of its publication and long before it was shown to members of its co-commissioners, the Combined Authority and the Greater Cambridge Partnership.

 

The Council therefore requests that the Leader write to the Mayor to express its disquiet and its hope that he will act in future in a manner that helps to restore confidence.

Decision:

The following motion was LOST:-

 

This Council believes that collaboration between the local government bodies of Cambridgeshire must be built on mutual trust and confidence that we are working together in the interests of all residents.

 

This Council expresses its disappointment that, in December, the Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough chose to prematurely release to the press a preliminary report on mass public transport options in advance of its publication and long before it was shown to members of its co-commissioners, the Combined Authority and the Greater Cambridge Partnership.

 

The Council therefore requests that the Leader write to the Mayor to express its disquiet and its hope that he will act in future in a manner that helps to restore confidence.

 

 

 

Minutes:

Councillor Bridget Smith moved the following motion as set out on the agenda:-

 

“This Council believes that collaboration between the local government bodies of Cambridgeshire must be built on mutual trust and confidence that we are working together in the interests of all residents.

 

This Council expresses its disappointment that, in December, the Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough chose to prematurely release to the press a preliminary report on mass public transport options in advance of its publication and long before it was shown to members of its co-commissioners, the Combined Authority and the Greater Cambridge Partnership.

 

The Council therefore requests that the Leader write to the Mayor to express its disquiet and its hope that he will act in future in a manner that helps to restore confidence.”

 

In moving her motion, Councillor Smith noted that the mass public transport study had been jointly commissioned by the Greater Cambridge Partnership (GCP) and the Combined Authority and was therefore concerned that the Mayor appeared to have prematurely released information about the report to the press before it had been shared with GCP partners and questioned whether this represented a breach of the Code of Conduct. She further commented that the GCP had also issued a press release in advance of consideration by the GCP Joint Assembly and that the Joint Assembly had not even received the report, just a presentation upon it.  She therefore called upon the Leader to raise these concerns with the Mayor.

 

The motion was seconded by Councillor Aidan Van de Weyer.

 

During discussion:-

 

·         Councillor Kindersley expressed the view that the motion raised an important point of principle with regard to respecting confidentiality and not inappropriately disclosing information.

·         Councillor Cuffley referred to earlier discussions during the meeting about the need for transparency and public engagement and commented that the statement had been positive in that it had showed that the Mayor supported the GCP and had provided information about a matter of public interest.

·         Councillor Topping spoke against the motion.

·         Councillor Manning referred more generally to information being made available in the public domain on matters of public interest. 

·         Councillor de Lacey felt that the release of the information was regrettable and supported the motion.

·         Councillor Van de Weyer spoke in support of the motion and noted that despite the press release having been made 7 weeks ago, the report in question still had  not been released.

 

Following further discussion both in support and against the motion and upon being put to the vote, votes were cast as follows:-

 

In favour (15)

 

Councillors Henry Batchelor, John Batchelor, Nigel Cathcart, Neil Davies, Tumi Hawkins, Sebastian Kindersley, Douglas de Lacey, Janet Lockwood,  Cicely Murfitt, Deborah Roberts, Bridget Smith, Hazel Smith, Edd Stonham, Aidan Van de Weyer and John Williams.

 

Against (24)

 

Councillors David Bard, Val Barrett, Ruth Betson, Grenville Chamberlain, Graham Cone, Christopher Cross, Kevin Cuffley, Sue Ellington, Andrew Fraser, Roger Hall, Lynda Harford, Ray Manning, Mick Martin, Raymond Matthews, David McCraith  ...  view the full minutes text for item 12a

12b

Motion from Councillor Aidan Van de Weyer

 

This Council allocates the sum of £10,000 towards the cost of commissioning, in collaboration with other councils and interested bodies, an analysis of the impact of leaving the European Union on the economy of Cambridgeshire in order to support residents and businesses in planning for Brexit.

 

Decision:

The following motion was LOST:

 

This Council allocates the sum of £10,000 towards the cost of commissioning, in collaboration with other councils and interested bodies, an analysis of the impact of leaving the European Union on the economy of Cambridgeshire in order to support residents and businesses in planning for Brexit.

Minutes:

Councillor Aidan Van de Weyer moved the following motion as set out on the agenda:-

 

“This Council allocates the sum of £10,000 towards the cost of commissioning, in collaboration with other councils and interested bodies, an analysis of the impact of leaving the European Union on the economy of Cambridgeshire in order to support residents and businesses in planning for Brexit.”

 

In moving his motion, Councillor Van de Weyer elaborated on the perceived benefits of commissioning a study to review the impact of Brexit on the local economy and indicated that it would be advantageous to develop objective data to inform future planning.

 

Councillor Douglas de Lacey seconded the motion.

 

During discussion:-:

 

·         Councillor Topping referred  to the Economic Commission being led by Dame Kate Barker which it was believed would cover such research as part of its work and suggested that there was no point in duplicating that effort. Councillor Topping further argued that it was not an appropriate time to carry out such a review as, given the uncertainty around whether there would be a “hard” or “soft” Brexit, there were too many variables to enable a meaningful review to be undertaken.  He noted that the European Commission was due to meet at the end of June and the Committee on Migration was due to report in early September and thereafter there would be a much clearer picture on which to do some modelling.

·         Councillor Wright shared the view that such a review would form part of the Economic Commission’s work and that £10,000 could therefore be put to better use for South Cambridgeshire’s residents.

·         Councillor Cathcart expressed concern at the impact of the uncertainty caused by Brexit on the local economy and argued that  £10,000 was a small price to pay in order to try to provide data to support businesses in their future planning.

·         Councillor Kindersley was mindful that the Economic Commission would not necessarily deliver the evidence base required and suggested that the motion presented an opportunity for the Council to demonstrate  leadership in supporting businesses and residents in planning for the challenges of Brexit.

·         Councillor Hawkins was concerned that there was currently no evidence to support businesses in South Cambridgeshire in preparing for Brexit.

·         Councillor O’Brien referred to the desirability of establishing reliable base data on the current level of business with Europe in South Cambridgeshire.

·         Councillor Van de Weyer did not agree that it was not the appropriate time to carry out a survey, noting that the UK was scheduled to leave the European Union on 29 March 2019 meaning that there was little time for businesses to plan for the impact of Brexit.

 

Upon being put to the vote, votes were cast as follows:-

 

In favour (17)

 

Councillors Henry Batchelor, John Batchelor, Nigel Cathcart, Neil Davies, Roger Hall, Tumi Hawkins, Sebastian Kindersley, Douglas de Lacey, Janet Lockwood,  Cicely Murfitt, Des O’Brien, Deborah Roberts, Bridget Smith, Hazel Smith, Edd Stonham, Aidan Van de Weyer and John Williams.

 

Against (20)

 

Councillors David  ...  view the full minutes text for item 12b

12c

Motion from Councillor Tumi Hawkins

 

This Council recognises that a significant part of South Cambridgeshire’s economy is dependent on frictionless trade with the EU, both in goods and services.

 

This Council therefore requests that the Chief Executive write to the Secretary of State for Exiting the EU and to the Prime Minister to request that during the withdrawal negotiations, the government seeks to remain part of the single market and customs union.

 

Decision:

The following motion was LOST:

 

This Council recognises that a significant part of South Cambridgeshire’s economy is dependent on frictionless trade with the EU, both in goods and services.

 

This Council therefore requests that the Chief Executive write to the Secretary of State for Exiting the EU and to the Prime Minister to request that during the withdrawal negotiations, the government seeks to remain part of the single market and customs union.

Minutes:

Councillor Tumi Hawkins moved the following motion as set out on the agenda:-

 

“This Council recognises that a significant part of South Cambridgeshire’s economy is dependent on frictionless trade with the EU, both in goods and services.

 

This Council therefore requests that the Chief Executive write to the Secretary of State for Exiting the EU and to the Prime Minister to request that during the withdrawal negotiations, the government seeks to remain part of the single market and customs union.”

 

In moving her motion, Councillor Hawkins spoke strongly in support of maintaining the single market and customs union which she believed would be in the best interests of businesses and the local economy. She was concerned that without free access to trade with Europe, and given the anticipated higher staffing costs and reduced capacity,  South Cambridgeshire’s current thriving economy would lose its cutting edge.  Noting that 60% of South Cambridgeshire residents had voted to remain in the EU, Councillor Hawkins believed that the Council should write to the Secretary of State urging that the UK remain part of the single market and customs union.

 

Councillor John Williams seconded the motion.  In so doing he commented on the current frictionless trade enjoyed with the EU and was concerned at the additional red tape and costs that he believed would arise if the UK no longer benefited from the single market and the customs union.

 

Councillor Cathcart spoke in support of the motion.  He argued that margins were very tight and markets competitive and that any additional friction in trade would increase cost and delay.  Referring to the important part business played in the District, he agreed that the Council should use its influence by requesting the Government to seek to remain in the single market and customs union and accordingly urged all Members to vote for the motion.

 

Councillor Hall expressed the view that the UK had the strength to be a counterweight to French and German influence in the European Union. With regard to the motion, he suggested that the correct protocol would be for the Council to write to the MPs, rather than the Prime Minister and Secretary of State.  He felt that membership of the single market and customs union would mean accepting the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice and spoke on the opportunities for  developing trading opportunities with worldwide markets.

 

It was moved by Councillor Ray Manning and seconded by Councillor Sue Ellington:

 

“That the question be now put” .

 

Upon being put to the vote, votes were cast as follows on the procedural motion:-

 

In favour (28):

 

Councillors David Bard, Henry Batchelor, John Batchelor, Ruth Betson, Nigel Cathcart, Graham Cone, Christopher Cross, Kevin Cuffley, Neil Davies, Sue Ellington, Andrew Fraser, Roger Hall, Lynda Harford, Philippa Hart, Tumi Hawkins, Mark Howell,  Douglas de Lacey, Janet Lockwood, Ray Manning, Raymond Matthews, David McCraith, Tony Orgee, Bridget Smith, Edd Stonham, Peter Topping, Richard Turner, John Williams and Tim Wotherspoon.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 12c

13.

URGENT EXECUTIVE DECISION pdf icon PDF 200 KB

 

To provide an information report on a decision which was exempted from call-in under Scrutiny and Overview Procedure Rules 12.18 – 12.20.

 

Report attached.

Minutes:

The Council received an information report from the Monitoring Officer on a decision taken as a matter of urgency and which had been exempted from call-in under Scrutiny and Overview Procedure Rules 12.18 – 12.20.  Rule 12.19 provided that decisions taken as a matter of urgency must be reported to the next available meeting of the Council.

 

The report advised that an urgent decision had been taken by the Planning Portfolio Holder on 24 November 2017 to approve the South Cambridgeshire housing data and commentary text from the 2017 Annual Monitoring Report as set out in the appendices to the decision, a link to which was contained in the report before Council.

 

The reason for urgency had been to allow the earliest possible date for when public consultation on proposed modifications for the Local Plan could begin and to minimize the length of the period before receipt of the Inspector’s Report and when the Council could consider adoption of the Local Plan.

14.

CHAIRMAN'S ENGAGEMENTS

 

To note the Chairman’s engagements since the last Council meeting:

 

 

 

 

 

Date

Venue/Event

Attendee

 

 

 

November

 

 

 

 

 

Thursday, 23

Council Presentation: Nicole Stimson – Huntingdonshire Business Awards, Apprentice of the Year category, runner up

Chair

December

 

 

 

 

 

Friday 01             

Mayor of Cambridge Reception                                                 Vice Chair

Vice-Chair

Tuesday 05

Mayor of Huntingdon’s Civic Carole Service

Vice-Chair

Thursday 07

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Armed Forces Community Covenant Event       

 

Chair

Friday 08

Mayor of St Ives Charity Christmas concert

Chair

Wednesday 13

Mince pies and awards South Cambs

Chair

Wednesday 13

Gifts to Fulbourn Hospital

Chair

Thursday 14

Mince pies to staff at Waterbeach Depot

Chair

Tuesday 19

Invitation to St Ives Civic Service of Carols

Chair

January 2018

 

 

 

 

 

Saturday 06

Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Presentation Awards

Chair

Friday 19

Official Opening of the Arthur Rank Hospice, Shelford Bottom

Chair

Monday 22

Chairman of Huntingdon Holocaust Memorial Day

Chair

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Minutes:

The Council noted those engagements attended by the Chairman and Vice-Chairman since the last meeting.