Agenda and minutes

Venue: Ballroom - Mansion House. View directions

Contact: David Taylor  01302 736712

Link: click here to see audio visual recording of the meeting

Items
No. Item

1.

Prayers

Minutes:

The Chair, Councillor Majid Khan, welcomed Elected Members, Officers and members of the public to the meeting and asked that they remain standing whilst they were led in prayer by the Civic Chaplain, Canon Reverend David Stevens.

2.

Election of Chair of Council

Minutes:

It was MOVED by Councillor Derek Smith and SECONDED by Councillor Duncan Anderson that Councillor Linda Curran be elected as Chair of Council of Doncaster Metropolitan Borough for the 2019/20 Municipal Year.

 

RESOLVED that Councillor Linda Curran be hereby elected as Chair of Council of Doncaster Metropolitan Borough for the 2019/20 Municipal Year.

3.

Election of Vice-Chair of Council

Minutes:

It was MOVED by Councillor Jane Kidd and SECONDED by Councillor Eva Hughes that Councillor Paul Wray be elected as Vice-Chair of Doncaster Metropolitan Borough for the 2019/20 Municipal Year.

 

RESOLVED that Councillor Paul Wray be hereby elected as Vice-Chair of Council of Doncaster Metropolitan Borough for the 2019/20 Municipal Year.

 

4.

Presentation of a Commemorative Badge to the retiring Chair of Council

Minutes:

On behalf of the Council, Jo Miller, Chief Executive, presented a Commemorative Badge to the retiring Chair of Council.  Flowers were presented to the new Chair of Council, Councillor Linda Curran.

5.

Chair of Council's Inaugural Speech

Minutes:

The Chair of Council, Councillor Linda Curran, delivered her inaugural speech.

 

“This is an extremely proud moment for me.  Being chosen by my fellow Councillors to be the Civic Mayor of Doncaster is such a great honour.  It is a position I never dreamt I would hold when I became a Councillor, and I am looking forward to it very much.

 

I would like to thank Councillors Duncan Anderson and Derek Smith for their nomination and kind words, and all my colleagues in this room today for your support.

 

In my role as Deputy Civic Mayor, I have been lucky enough to meet many interesting people of all ages and from all walks of life, and I have felt humbled and inspired by the work that they do in their communities to improve the lives of others, often with very little recognition or personal gain.

 

I am sure that the next twelve months will be exciting, interesting and exhausting in equal measure, and it is a year that I intend to savour and enjoy.

 

I would like to thank all my family and friends, some of whom are here today, for the support that they have given me, and will continue to give me in the future.  Without them, I would not be standing here today.  I would like to give particular thanks to my son James who will be my Consort during my year in office.

 

I would also like to thank my predecessor, Councillor Majid Khan, for the work he has done.  It is a very difficult task to balance the demands of family, full-time work, his role as an Elected Councillor and that of Civic Mayor, and I know that he and his family have made sacrifices to do that.  Majid, you have done a wonderful job and I hope you get a chance to take a well-earned break.

 

Finally I would like to announce that I have chosen to support the local charity ‘Firefly’ and I hope that you will all support me to raise much needed funds for the fantastic service that they provide to cancer sufferers, and their friends and families.

 

Thank you again for bestowing this honour upon me.”

6.

Vote of thanks to the retiring Chair of Council

At the conclusion of item 5 above, the meeting will stand adjourned and reconvene at 2.00pm in the Council Chamber in the Civic Office, Waterdale, Doncaster.

Minutes:

It was MOVED by Councillor Neil Gethin and SECONDED by Councillor Paul Wray, that the Council place on record its thanks and appreciation to Councillor Majid Khan for the manner in which he had fulfilled his role as Chair of Council for the 2018/19 Municipal Year.

 

Councillor Majid Khan responded as follows:-

 

“Distinguished guests, colleagues, friends and family.

 

I wish Mayor Curran all the best in her role as the Civic Mayor of Doncaster.

I hope it is as fulfilling and inspiring for her as it has been for me.

 

My year as Mayor has been an eye opening and amazing experience.

I’ve seen first hand the fantastic work which the voluntary, community and charity sector are carrying out.

 

I thank the dedicated, hardworking and selfless volunteers across our Borough who help to make Doncaster an open, inclusive and welcoming place to be.

 

I would like to thank Councillor Gethin for his support in managing the Ward work in Bessacarr, Cantley and Lakeside.  I know it is not been easy for him to look after the Ward on his own.  Without him, I would not have been able to carry out my role in the way I have.

 

I would like to thank my wonderful wife Sobia, for managing with three children and still keeping her sanity. Hamza and Zahraa for acting as my unofficial Consorts.  My family and the wider community for their help, support and understanding.

 

I am grateful to Cannon Stephens for acting as my Chaplain and ensuring that my moral compass was always pointing true North.  Our fantastic Labour Mayor, Ros Jones, who has always made herself available to me and Jo Miller, who fully supported me and gave valuable advice whenever it was required.  Unfortunately for us, her missionary work in Doncaster is coming to an end.

 

Many thanks to David, Amanda, Paul and David Milnes for their support and ensuring that I was fully briefed and on time every time.

 

David Chorlton, Chris Dungworth, Mandy Burns and Marcus Isman-Egle saw my vision for the Civic Mayors Awards.  We were able to work in partnership with local businesses and the DfE to deliver an awards programme to recognise the valuable contribution that the young people of Doncaster make.

I am grateful to Nadeem and Tariq Shah of VIGO Group, for agreeing to continue their sponsorship of the Civic Mayors Awards.

 

There have been too many events to list or to rank in any kind of order of importance, but my opening Civic Service at the Minster saw all of Doncaster’s religions come together, and my end of year Iftar meal held last week opened up Doncaster’s Jamia Sultania Mosque to all and allowed the people of Doncaster to break our fast together.

 

The Doncaster I have seen is one where our communities do come together for mutual benefit, and I have tried my best to ensure that these communities come even closer to work as one Doncaster.  Our Doncaster is a vibrant, forward thinking, embracing  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

7.

Declarations of Interest, if any

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest made at the meeting.

8.

Minutes of the Council Meeting held on 4th March, 2019 pdf icon PDF 217 KB

Minutes:

RESOLVED that the minutes of the Council Meeting held on Monday, 4th March, 2019, a copy of which had been circulated to each Member, be approved as a correct record, and signed by the Chair.

9.

To receive any announcements from the Chair of Council, the Mayor,Members of the Cabinet or the Head of Paid Service

Minutes:

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

 

“As this will be the final meeting that Jo Miller will be attending in her capacity as Chief Executive, prior to taking up her new position as Chief Executive at Hutt City Council in New Zealand, I would like to place on record, on behalf of the Labour Group, our thanks for all the work that you have done for Doncaster.”

 

Jo Miller, Chief Executive, gave the following response:-

 

“This is my last Council Meeting after a 10 year relationship with Doncaster.  I was appointed permanently in November 2011, by the then Conservative Secretary of State, Eric Pickles, and it has been my pleasure and my privilege to lead an amazing workforce of people at Doncaster Council.

 

The people in public services are not always recognised, and I would like to convey my thanks.  Thanks to Mayors past and present, Cabinet Members past and present.  You should all be proud of how far you have come.  There have been differences in the national weather and the sun has not shone equally across the land.  It is important to focus on the people we serve and the best for Doncaster is yet to come.  My relationship with the Mayor has been exceptional, and when I leave, I leave you in good hands.”

10.

Notification by the Elected Mayor of the Composition of the Executive and the Elected Mayor's Scheme of Delegations pdf icon PDF 290 KB

Minutes:

The Council received an oral update from the Mayor of Doncaster, Ros Jones, with regard to the composition and constitution of the Executive for the 2019/20 Municipal Year, and announced that the Cabinet would be comprised as follows:-

 

Councillor Glyn Jones, Deputy Mayor

Cabinet Member for Housing and Equalities

 

Councillor Nigel Ball

Cabinet Member for Public Health, Leisure and Culture

 

Councillor Joe Blackham

Cabinet Member for Highways, Street Scene and Trading Services

 

Councillor Rachael Blake

Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care

 

Councillor Nuala Fennelly

Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Schools

 

Councillor Chris McGuinness

Cabinet Member for Communities, Voluntary Sector and the Environment

 

Councillor Bill Mordue

Cabinet Member for Business, Skills and Economic Development

 

Councillor Jane Nightingale

Cabinet Member for Customer and Corporate Services

 

Mayor Ros Jones

Cabinet Member for Budget and Policy Framework and lead on Local Plan

 

RESOLVED that the Mayor’s oral report to Council on the composition of the Executive, be noted.

11.

Council appointed Committees and Sub-Committees Terms of Reference for 2019/20 pdf icon PDF 321 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Council considered a report which sought approval for a number of proposed revisions to the Terms of Reference for Council appointed Committees and Sub-Committees.

 

The Terms of Reference were approved at Council each year and ensured that the highest standards of governance were met, and allowed for the proper discharge of functions.

 

Council noted that changes had been proposed to the Terms of Reference to five Committees which had been appended to the report at Appendix A, with proposed deletions shown as crossed through, and additions in bold.

 

Members noted that the changes made to the Chief Officers Appointments Committee, Chief Officers Investigatory Sub-Committee and Chief Officers Appeals Committee, were largely typographical in nature with regard to the amendment of the title of Chief Finance Officer to Chief Financial Officer.  A further change related to the Terms of Reference of the Chief Officers Appointments Committee with regard to the Appointments Panel, to state that it would now have up to five Members, which provided greater flexibility when arranging meetings.

 

In terms of the Audit Committee, the Terms of Reference had been amended to reflect the model set of Terms of Reference for an Audit Committee issued by CIPFA (Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy) in the 2018 publication, ‘Audit Committees; Practical Guidance for Local Authorities and Police’ which generally reflected terminology changes following auditing standards revisions.  The new terms proposed still reflected local requirements with regard to discharging the role of the Standards Sub-Committee.

 

Finally, in terms of the Health and Wellbeing Board, the minutes of the Joint Commissioning Management Board (JCMB) and the Integrated Care Partnership Board, would now be received at Board meetings to increase the transparency and openness of two key health and care planning groups, and provide members of the public the opportunity to ask questions relating to the JCMB and the Integrated Care Partnership Board in a meeting held in public.

 

RESOLVED that

 

(1)      the proposed revisions to the Terms of Reference as set out in paragraphs 8-10 and in Appendix A of the report, be approved;

 

(2)      the existing Terms of Reference for all other Committees and Sub-Committee of the Council remain unchanged; and

 

(3)       the Constitution be updated to reflect the revisions to Terms of Reference as agreed.

12.

Local Government and Housing Act 1989 - Review of the allocation of seats on Committees and Sub-Committees pdf icon PDF 593 KB

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

Minutes:

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.

 

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 paragraph 25 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 Panelshad 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:-

 

Committee/Sub-Committee

Size

 

 

Planning Committee

  11

Elections & Democratic Structures Committee

  11

Chief Officers Appointments Committee

  11

Awards, Grants and Transport (Appeals) Committee

    7

Audit Committee

    5

Chief Officer Appeals Committee

    5

Employee Relations Disputes Resolution Committee

    5

Chief Officers Investigatory Sub-Committee

    5

Total

  60

(ii)       Proportionality would not apply to the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee, or the four Overview & 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 Labour Group losing one seat on each of the following Committees:-

 

·      Chief Officers Appeals Committee; and

 

·      Chief Officers Investigatory Sub-Committee

 

(2)      as a consequence of the loss of the 2 seats detailed at (1) above, the two seats be allocated to the two Independent Members, Councillors Nigel Cannings and John Cooke, as follows:-

 

(a)     Councillor Nigel Cannings

 

·      Chief Officers Investigatory Sub-Committee

 

(b)     Councillor John Cooke

 

·      Chief Officers Appeals Committee

 

(3)      the membership of Committees and Sub-Committees for 2019/20 including substitute provision in respect of the Chief Officers Appointments Committee, the Chief Officers Appeals Committee and the Employee Relations Disputes Resolution Committee, be as set out in the schedule attached to these minutes at Appendix A in accordance with the wishes of Political Groups;

 

(4)      it be noted that in appointing Members to the Audit Committee,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 12.

13.

Appointments of Chairs and Vice-Chairs of Committees and Sub-Committees pdf icon PDF 302 KB

Minutes:

The Council considered a list of political nominations for the appointment of Members to serve as Chairs and Vice-Chairs on Committees, Sub-Committees and Scrutiny Panels for the 2019/20 Municipal Year.  The list of nominations had been tabled at the meeting, following the dispatch of agenda papers.

 

It was noted by Council that in line with best practice, Council had endorsed the principle that the Health and Wellbeing Board be chaired by the Portfolio Holder responsible for Adult Social Care, or the Portfolio Holder responsible for Public Health, and this was accordingly represented in the Appendix attached to the report.  Additionally, in accordance with Rule 3 of the Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rules, Council looked to ensure that not all Chairs and Vice-Chairs were drawn from the same Political Party.

 

RESOLVED that the Chairs and Vice-Chairs of Committees and Sub-Committees for the 2019/20 Municipal Year, be as follows:-

 


Committee

Chair

Vice-Chair

 

 

 

Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee

Councillor Jane Kidd

Councillor John Healy

 

 

 

Children and Young People’s Overview and Scrutiny Panel

Councillor Neil Gethin

Councillor Lani-Mae Ball

 

 

 

Communities and Environment Overview and Scrutiny Panel

Councillor Mark Houlbrook

Councillor Jane Cox

 

 

 

Health and Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Panel

Councillor Andrea Robinson

Councillor Cynthia Ransome

 

 

 

Regeneration and Housing Overview and Scrutiny Panel

Councillor Majid Khan

Councillor David Nevett

 

 

 

Planning Committee

Councillor Susan Durant

Councillor Sue McGuinness

 

 

 

Elections and Democratic Structures Committee

Councillor Phil Cole

Councillor Nick Allen

 

 

 

Chief Officers’ Appointments Committee

Councillor Glyn Jones

Councillor Nuala Fennelly

 

 

 

Awards, Grants and Transport (Appeals) Committee

Councillor Nikki McDonald

Councillor Andrea Robinson

 

 

 

Audit Committee

Councillor Austen White

Councillor Richard A. Jones

 

 

 

Chief Officers’ Appeals Committee

Councillor Rachel Hodson

Councillor Mick Cooper

 

 

Employee Relations Disputes Resolution Committee

Councillor Sue Wilkinson

Councillor Phil Cole

 

 

 

Chief Officers’ Investigatory Sub-Committee

Councillor John Mounsey

Councillor Ian Pearson

 

 

 

Licensing Committee

Councillor Ken Keegan

Councillor Iris Beech

 

 

 

Health and Wellbeing Board

Councillor Rachael Blake

To be appointed at the first

Meeting of the Health and

Wellbeing Board

 

14.

Diary of Meetings 2019/21 pdf icon PDF 154 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Members considered the Diary of Meetings for 2019/21, which detailed the dates of all meetings, training and scheduled events for the 2019/20 and 2020/21 Municipal Years.

 

The draft diary had previously been considered at the Council Meeting on 24th January, 2019, and had allowed Members the opportunity to make any changes if necessary.

 

RESOLVED that

 

(1)      the proposed Diary of Meetings for the 2019/20 and 2020/21 Municipal Years, as attached at Appendix A to the report, be approved; and

 

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

15.

Council Appointments to Outside Bodies 2019/20 pdf icon PDF 326 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Council considered a report which determined the appointment of representatives to the schedule of Council Appointments to Outside Bodies for the 2019/20 Municipal Year, as set out in the revised list which had been tabled at the meeting.  The list of Outside Bodies detailed the nominations for those bodies, as well as a small number of bodies where no appointment was needed for this Municipal Year.

 

RESOLVED that Council agree the appointments to Outside Bodies as set out in the nomination lists circulated to Members.

16.

Revisions to the Council's Constitution pdf icon PDF 1 MB

Minutes:

The Council considered a report which proposed revisions to the Contract Procedure Rules and Financial Procedure Rules within the Council’s Constitution, which ensured that meetings of the Council, its Committees and the Executive, were managed to the highest standards of Governance.  The revisions would also ensure that the Contract Procedure Rules and Financial Procedure Rules were in line with relevant legislation, met best practice in terms of procurement and were better aligned to key decision thresholds in order that there was greater clarity with regard to decision making.

 

The proposed revisions had been considered at the Council’s Elections and Democratic Structures Committee on the 1st May, 2019, and were detailed in depth within the Appendices to the report.

 

RESOLVED that Council approve the proposed revisions within the Council’s Constitution, as outlined within Appendices A to C of the report.

17.

Member Development Programme 2019/20 pdf icon PDF 552 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Council considered a report presented by Councillor Jane Nightingale, Cabinet Member for Customer and Corporate Services, which provided Members with feedback on the 2018/19 Member training and development programme, and also proposed a training programme for 2019/20.  At its meeting on 19th May, 2017, Council had endorsed an approach to training and development which would support Councillors during their current four-year term, and that once the mandatory training had been undertaken, this would be valid for the current four-year term of office, unless significant policy or legislative changes would require a refresh.

 

It was reported that the majority of Members had now completed their mandatory training, but further sessions would be arranged during 2019/20, to ensure those Members who had not been able to attend any mandatory training would have a further opportunity to do so.  The 2019/20 training programme had been informed by a questionnaire that was sent out to all Members in February.  Some of the key areas where Members requested development were around:-

 

  • Scrutiny and challenge;

 

  • Questioning and evaluating evidence;

 

  • ICT and Digital; and

 

  • Further sessions to develop the Local Government Association led training which took place last year around the role of Councillors as Community Leaders.

 

It was noted that Members Seminars and Briefings had been held throughout the year, to ensure Members were kept up to date on important topics such as Town Centre Issues, Major Projects, Every Conversation Counts and Emergency Planning. 

 

Members also noted that Appendix A of the report set out the full training programme for the forthcoming year.  The dates of training sessions would be finalised shortly and ‘Twillight Sessions’ would be held to assist working Members, and it was intended to expand the e-learning offer.

 

It was also reported that the Member Development Working Group (MDWG) would be reviewing and monitoring the effectiveness of the programme, and identify further opportunities for development and review attendance.  Following each training event, Members would be requested to complete an evaluation form which would be reviewed and monitored by the MDWG, and that feedback would be provided to facilitators to ensure the sessions remained relevant and appropriate for Councillors.  This cross-party group welcomed any feedback or suggestions for future training sessions.

 

In conclusion, Councillor Nightingale hoped all Councillors would find the proposed programme engaging and helpful in supporting and assisting them in undertaking their role as Elected Members.

 

RESOLVED that

 

(1)      the update on Member training and development undertaken during 2018/19, be noted; and

 

(2)       the programme of Member development activities and Seminars for 2019/20, be endorsed.