Agenda and minutes

Prior to the commencement of formal business, Elected Members, Officers and members of the public, were led in prayer by the Reverend David Stevens.

It was MOVED by Councillor Glyn Jones and SECONDED by Councillor Pat Knight, that Councillor David Nevett be elected as Chair of Council of Doncaster Metropolitan Borough for the 2016/17 Municipal Year.

On being put to the meeting, the Motion was declared CARRIED.

RESOLVED that Councillor David Nevett be and is hereby elected, Chair of Council of Doncaster Metropolitan Borough, for the 2016/17 Municipal Year.

It was MOVED by Councillor Ken Keegan and SECONDED by Councillor Charlie Hogarth, that Councillor George Derx be elected as Vice-Chair of Council of Doncaster Metropolitan Borough for the 2016/17 Municipal Year.

On being put to the meeting, the Motion was declared CARRIED.

RESOLVED that Councillor George Derx be and is hereby elected, Vice?Chair of Council of Doncaster Metropolitan Borough, for the 2016/17 Municipal Year.

The Chair of Council then announced a 15 minute recess for exchanging robes and determined that the meeting would reconvene at 11.40 a.m.

On behalf of the Council, Jo Miller, Chief Executive, presented badges to the retiring Chair of Council and his Consort.

It was MOVED by Councillor Jane Kidd and SECONDED by Councillor Eva Hughes, that the Council place on record its thanks and appreciation to Councillor Paul Wray for the manner in which he had fulfilled the Office of Chair of Council, during the past year.

Councillor Paul Wray suitably responded and thanked Councillors Jane Kidd and Eva Hughes for their support over the past year. 

Councillor Wray recalled some of the memorable highlights from his year in office and spoke of how it had been a great honour to serve Doncaster as Civic Mayor.  He stated that it had been an exciting, interesting, varied and extremely busy year; one that he had enjoyed immensely and would remember for the rest of his life.  It had been a great privilege to meet many interesting and inspiring people of all ages and from all walks of life; many had worked tirelessly in their communities to improve the lives of others, often with very little recognition or personal gain.  He said that on many occasions, he had been left humbled by their stories, their determination, generosity of spirit and sometimes sheer ‘bloody’ mindedness to succeed against all the odds.

Councillor Wray expressed thanks to the staff in Member Support for their valued support over the year.  He also expressed his gratitude to Councillor David Nevett, the Deputy Civic Mayor and Renee Thaxter, the Junior Civic Mayor, for their support during the year.

Councillor Wray also expressed his appreciation to Elizabeth Marsden, who had been his Consort throughout the year and thanked everyone who had attended and supported his charities by donating prizes and attending events. 

To conclude, Councillor Wray wished Councillor David Nevett and his Consort, every success for the future.

The Chair of Council, Councillor David Nevett, delivered his inaugural speech.

 “Good morning everyone,

I would first like to thank my friends and colleagues for putting me forward for this role.

I seem to have had an extended apprenticeship to now arrive at this point today. I am proud to be given the opportunity to hold this special office from today for 12 months; the Chair of Council, Doncaster’s Civic Mayor, the 1st citizen.

I feel that I have grown into this role, as I was very quiet and reserved for many years, and I hope I can make a valued contribution in the next 12 months and beyond to the Borough of Doncaster and its residents, and also to keep Council meetings and Councillors to order too!

The loss of Tony Revill, my ward colleague, was unexpected and sudden. He was an excellent Councillor locally and regionally too.

Standing with me from now on is our newest Councillor, Andrea Robinson, who has and will, work tirelessly in Kirk Sandall and Edenthorpe, whilst I attend various events.

In Tony Revill’s honour and many other local residents, I wish to support the following Charities during my year of office; Aurora, who help keep the spirits up of local people and their carers, who are affected by Cancer, and also the Yorkshire Air Ambulance who help so many residents with specialist trauma care and a speedy transit to the appropriate hospital after an incident which attended recently in my village at a car crash site.

There were many charitable organisations we looked at and it was especially difficult to choose who to support this year.

I hope that with the team, we can have some enjoyable events to raise funds for these two worthy charities through the year. Please support me and attend some of these events as we hope to have a range of events which will be suitable for everyone to enjoy.

I want to thank Kathleen for agreeing to be my Mayoress and the family too for their forbearance as I will have to attend many events and meetings in the Borough.

As my wife Kathleen works part time, it may be that she cannot attend a function so my mum Phyllis or my daughter Lesley, have agreed to stand in when needed.

I have to also thank my employer formerly Rockware Glass, now Ardagh Glass, for supporting me with some time off to attend official events as and when required, and Kathleen’s too for giving her some flexibility also.

I look forward to promoting Doncaster in this ambassadorial role to further Doncaster and make progress in these testing times.

Finally, it is lovely to see people here today who mean so much to our families and I hope you have enjoyed this ceremony today; I have a hard act to follow from previous Civic Mayors and their achievements.

Thank you.”

No declarations of interest were made at the meeting.

RESOLVED that the Minutes of the Meeting of the Council held on 1st March, 2016, a copy of which had been circulated to each Member, be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

The Chair of Council, Councillor David Nevett, made the following announcements:-

“Thank you all for today.  As Chair of Council I will look to go forward with the Council and the Borough.

The Tour de Yorkshire that was recently held, was a great event and it was good to see the Borough in such a positive light, and to see so many people turning out to watch. It was a brilliant day and I hope you all enjoyed it.

I went to the Aurora Fashion Show last night held at the Dome, it was a fantastic night, raising money for a great cause. It cost £10 a ticket and is on again tonight so I urge people to go and see it.”

The Mayor of Doncaster, Ros Jones, made the following announcements:-

“On Saturday 30th April, we welcomed the Tour de Yorkshire to Doncaster and what a fantastic day it was.  Rarely, if ever, have we experienced such a widespread and well supported community event across our Borough. It was incredibly uplifting to see so many people enjoying themselves and really getting into the spirit of things.

When we put in our bid for the Tour, I wanted to achieve a number of goals.  Firstly, to bring something special to Doncaster that people could really enjoy, get involved in and be proud of, not just in the centre of Town, but across as many communities as possible.

Secondly, to deliver economic benefits for local businesses and positively showcase our Borough to people from outside Doncaster and to inspire local people, particularly children and young people, and secure some long term benefits.

On almost every front, the Tour was a huge success with estimates suggesting more than 50,000 people lined the route, with many cafes, pubs and shops experiencing a huge boost in trading.  I want to thank everyone involved in making the event such a massive success, including staff from the Council, Police and other organisations, volunteers who gave up their time, local Councillors, the press, and most of all our local communities who came out to support the event in their thousands.

This week, I was pleased to attend the ground breaking at the site of the new National College for High Speed Rail.  I am delighted that construction has officially begun on its two sites in Doncaster and Birmingham, and I am sure Members will join me in welcoming this significant milestone.

The college is a very significant project for both the UK and the future of Doncaster, and our young people.

One of my priorities is to bring more highly skilled jobs to the Borough which local people are able to benefit from, and the College will play a central role in delivering these kinds of opportunities.  The College will open in September 2017, and will cater for well over 1,000 students a year when at full capacity.

In November 2014, Councillors chose to waive an increase in Members’ Allowances in view of the deep and disproportionate  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

The Mayor of Doncaster, Ros Jones, informed the Council of the composition of her Cabinet and Portfolio Holder responsibilities of her Cabinet Members.

RESOLVED that the composition and Portfolio remits of the Mayor’s Cabinet, be noted.

The Council considered a report which advised Members of the results of the Edenthorpe and Kirk Sandall By-Election held on Thursday, 5th May, 2016.

RESOLVED that the report on the results of the Edenthorpe and Kirk Sandall By-Election held on Thursday, 5th May 2016, be noted.

The Council considered a report which sought approval to the proposed revisions of the Terms of Reference of some Committees and Sub-Committees, for the 2016/17 Municipal Year, for the discharge of functions.

In light of operational experience during the current year and as a consequence of legislative requirements, it was proposed to make revisions to the Terms of Reference of the Awards, Grants and Transport (Appeals) Committee and Audit Committee, which were set out within Paragraph 7 and Appendix A to the report.  Proposed deletions were crossed through whilst additions were shown in bold italics.

Council was asked to support the recommendations outlined in paragraph 2 of the report, which aimed at ensuring that the Terms of Reference were ‘fit for purpose’ for the 2016/17 Municipal Year.

RESOLVED that

(1)       for the reasons set out at paragraph 7 of the report, the proposed revisions to the Terms of Reference of the Awards, Grants and Transport (Appeals) Committee and Audit Committee, as set out at Appendix A to the report, be approved;

(2)       it be noted that the existing Terms of Reference for all other Committees and Sub-Committees, as set out within Part 3 of the Constitution, remainunchanged; and

(3)       it be noted that the Constitution will be updated to reflect any revisions to the Terms of Reference agreed at this meeting.

(Notice – Approval of alternative arrangements for appointments to some Committees and Sub-Committees on a non-proportionate basis, is to be considered).

The Council considered a report which proposed the allocation of seats on Committees and Sub-Committees of the Council, having regard to political balance in accordance with the provisions of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989, following the Borough Council By-Election held on 5th May, 2016.

It was reported that since the last Annual Council Meeting held on 22nd May, 2015 and the Borough Council By-Election held on 5th May, 2016, there have been no changes in the political composition of the Council.

However, the Authority had a statutory duty to review the allocation of seats on Committees, which was explained in more detail in the Legal Implications of the report, as referred in paragraphs 11 to 18 of the report.

The Council was also advised of adjustments necessary to reflect a best proportionate fit in accordance with the principles of proportionality, as set out within paragraphs 25 and 28 of the report.

It was reported that following the dispatch of the agenda papers, a list of Political Group nominations for the appointment of Members to serve on Committees, Sub-Committees and Scrutiny Panels, had been tabled at the meeting, which outlined nominations received from Group Leaders.

The Council was also requested to make appointments and co?options to other Committees of the Council, not subject to the requirement for proportional balance.

Members noted that the proposed allocation of seats set out in the report, was based on:-

(i)        Proportionality being applied to the Committees/Sub-Committees shown in the table below based on the membership indicated:-

(ii)       Proportionality would not apply to the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee or the four Overview and Scrutiny Standing Panels, in order to maximise cross-party representation;

(iii)      the Licensing Committee, set up under the Licensing Act 2003, need not be politically proportionate.  However, in seeking nominations from Group Leaders onto these 14 seats, these had been sought in proportion to the overall composition on the Council.  The appointment of Licensing Sub-Committees to conduct hearings under Section 10 of the Licensing Act 2003, was a statutory function reserved by the Act to the statutory Licensing Committee.  Accordingly, it was a matter for the Licensing Committee to appoint these Sub?Committees and to schedule any required meetings; and

(iv)      Proportionality would not apply to the Health and Wellbeing Board in accordance with legislative requirements.

RESOLVED that

(1)       seats on Committees and Sub-Committees be allocated as set out in the table at paragraph 25 of the report, subject to the adjustments detailed below:-

(a)      the Conservative Group lose one seat on each of the following Committees:-

·      Employee Relations Disputes Resolution Committee (Councillor R. Allan Jones, Substitute, Councillor Cynthia Ransome)

·      Chief Officers’ Appointments Committee

(Councillor Cynthia Ransome, Substitute, Councillor James Hart)

(b)     the Mexborough First  ...  view the full minutes text for item 13.

The Council considered a revised list of Political Group nominations for the appointment of Members to serve as Chairs and Vice-Chairs on Committees, Sub-Committees and Scrutiny Panels, which had been tabled at the meeting following the despatch of the agenda papers.

RESOLVED that the Chair and Vice-Chair of Committees and Sub-Committees for the 2016/17 Municipal Year, be as follows:-

The Council considered a report which outlined the schedule of meetings for the 2016/17 Municipal Year, as attached at Appendix A.

Members were asked to note that as of last year, the frequency of Council meetings had been retained at six, with evening meetings starting at 6.00pm being held in the months of July and September.  All remaining scheduled meetings would start at 2.00 pm.  In order to comply with statutory requirements for agreeing the Council Budget and setting the Council Tax, it is proposed to hold one meeting of Council in March.  Meetings had been kept to a minimum during peak holiday periods in late July/August and over the Christmas period.

A schedule of Cabinet Meetings approved by the Mayor of Doncaster, had been incorporated in the Diary of Meetings.

The dates for Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee meetings had been diarised to ensure that they synchronised with the budget setting process and coincided with the publication of the quarterly Performance and Improvement reports, to be considered in a timely manner.

Meetings of the Health and Wellbeing Board had been programmed on a bi-monthly basis, which was in keeping with current arrangements.

As far as possible, all dates for Member Training sessions had been included within the diary to ensure Members had sufficient notice, particularly for any mandatory training they were required to undertake. Any amendments, additional dates or training sessions that may be arranged during the course of the year, would be communicated to Members as they arose. In addition to the diary, Members had been circulated details of proposed training and development for the forthcoming year.

The Chair of Council, Councillor David Nevett, also informed Members that the four Member Training sessions scheduled to be held week commencing 5th September, 2016, were to be re-arranged.

RESOLVED that

(1)       the proposed Diary of Meetings for the 2016/17 Municipal Year, attached at Appendix A to the report, be approved subject to the re-arrangement of the following Member Training sessions scheduled in week commencing 5th September, 2016:-

·      Health and Safety Member Training

·      Equalities Member Training

·      Scrutiny and Challenge Member Training

·      Performance Management Member Training

(2)       the schedule of Cabinet meetings as determined by the Mayor of Doncaster, be noted.

The Council considered a report which sought the appointment of Members to the schedule of Outside Bodies for the 2016/17 Municipal Year, as set out in the revised list detailed within Appendices A and B to the report, which had been tabled at the meeting.

The Deputy Leader of the Labour Group, Councillor Glyn Jones, and the Group Leader of the Conservative Group, Councillor R. Allan Jones, outlined some minor revisions to their Group’s nominations on Outside Bodies.

In addition, the following nominations were proposed for appointment to the vacant seat on Mexborough Charity Trust for the 2016/17 Municipal Year:-

Nominations

Mrs T. Leyland-Jepson

Councillor Andy Pickering

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 21.6, the two nominations were put to the meeting in alphabetical order of surname, the result of the vote being as follows:-

For Mrs T. Leyland-Jepson – 40

For Councillor Andy Pickering – 14

On being put to the meeting, the Motion to appoint Mrs T. Leyland-Jepson to Mexborough Charity Trust for the 2016/17 Municipal Year, was declared CARRIED.

The following nominations were proposed for appointment to the two vacant seats on Mexborough Citizens Advice Bureau for the 2016/17 Municipal Year:-

Nominations

Councillor Sean Gibbons

Mrs T. Leyland-Jepson

Mrs S. Phillips

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 21.6, the three nominations were put to the meeting in alphabetical order of surname, the result of the vote being as follows:-

For Councillor Sean Gibbons – 14

For Mrs T. Leyland-Jepson – 40

For Mrs S. Phillips – 39

On being put to the meeting, the Motion to appoint Mrs T. Leyland-Jepson and Mrs S. Phillips to Mexborough Citizens Advice Bureau for the 2016/17 Municipal Year, was declared CARRIED.

The following nominations were proposed for appointment to the Rossington and Bawtry Ward Member seat on Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield Consultative Committee for the 2016/17 Municipal Year:-

Nominations

Councillor Rachael Blake

Councillor Clive Stone

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 21.6, the two nominations were put to the meeting in alphabetical order of surname, the result of the vote being as follows:-

For Councillor Rachael Blake – 40

For Councillor Clive Stone – 14

On being put to the meeting, the Motion to appoint Councillor Rachael Blake to the Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield Consultative Committee for the 2016/17 Municipal Year, was declared CARRIED.

The following nominations were proposed for appointment to the Rossington and Bawtry Ward Member seat on Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield Noise Monitoring and Environmental Sub-Committee for the 2016/17 Municipal Year:-

Nominations

Councillor Rachael Blake

Councillor Clive Stone

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 21.6, the two nominations were put to the meeting in alphabetical order of surname, the result of the vote being as follows:-

For Councillor Rachael Blake – 40

For Councillor Clive Stone – 12

On being put to the meeting, the Motion to appoint Councillor Rachael Blake to Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield Noise Monitoring and Environmental Sub-Committee for the 2016/17 Municipal Year, was declared CARRIED.

RESOLVED that

(1)       the appointments  ...  view the full minutes text for item 16.

The Council considered a report, presented by Councillor Tony Corden, Cabinet Member for Customer, Corporate and Trading Services, which provided a summary of the 2015/16 Member training programme and the proposed programme of Member training and development for 2016/17.

RESOLVED that

(1)          the Member Development activities undertaken during 2015/16, be noted;

(2)          the programme of Member Development activities and seminars scheduled for 2016/17, as set out at Appendix A to the report, including the list of training deemed to be mandatory for all Members and for specific groups of Members, be approved; and

(3)          following the 2017 local elections, all Councillors be required to undertake training deemed mandatory for all Members during 2017 and that this remains valid during their four year term of office, subject to any necessary updates that may require this training to be refreshed.

Council considered a report, presented by John Mounsey, Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee (OSMC), which sought approval of a revision to Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rule 9.

It was reported that at its meeting on 11th February, 2015, OSMC agreed a number of changes to the Call In process which sought to improve, clarify and strengthen the processes already in place.  A summary of these changes and the updated Call In Protocol and form, were attached at Appendix A and B respectively for Members’ information.

Members noted that in addition to amending the Protocol, OSMC recommended that Council make the necessary changes to Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rule 9 in relation to the reduction in the number of Councillors from 63 to 55 from May 2015.  Therefore, it was proposed that the trigger for Call In be amended to any 5 Members or any 4 Members provided they were not all from the same Political Group.  This amendment reduced the current threshold of any 5 Members of the Council provided that not all the Members were from the same Political Group or any 7 Members of the Council from the same Political Group.

It was also reported that to ensure there was robustness in the Call In process, OSMC recommended that the Monitoring Officer would rule on the validity of a request for calling in a decision to ensure clarity over the reasons and compliance with the agreed process.

RESOLVED that

(1)       the following Constitutional amendment to Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rule 9 (d), be approved:-

At any time during the Call In period any 4 Members of the Council (provided that not all the Members are from the same Political Group), or any 5 Members of the Council from the same Political Group, may trigger a Call In by satisfactorily completing and signing a form approved by the Council for this purpose and delivered to the Monitoring Officer within the required timescales. The Monitoring Officer will rule on the validity of the Call In;

(2)     the revised Call In Protocol attached at Appendix B, be noted; and

(3)     the revised Call In form detailed at Appendix A of the Call In Protocol, be approved.