Agenda and minutes

Venue: Council Chamber, Civic Office, Waterdale, Doncaster DN1 3BU. View directions

Contact: David Taylor  01302 736712

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

Items
No. Item

22.

Declarations of Interest, if any

Minutes:

In accordance with the Members’ Code of Conduct, Councillor Frank Tyas declared a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest in Agenda Item No. 8, ‘Appointment of the Section 151 Officer’, by virtue of Faye Tyas being a member of his family and took no part in the discussion at the meeting and vacated the Chamber during consideration thereof.

 

Councillor Joe Blackham declared a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest in Agenda Item No. 11, ‘Publication (Regulation 19) of the Doncaster Local Plan 2015-2035’, by virtue of a live application for planning permission in respect of land he owned in the Borough and took no part in the discussion at the meeting and vacated the Chamber during consideration thereof.

 

Councillors Pat Haith and Cynthia Ransome declared a Non-disclosable Interest in Agenda Item No. 12, ‘Motion in relation to the South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority, (SYFRA),’ by virtue of being Members of the SYFRA.

 

Councillor Charlie Hogarth declared a Non-disclosable Interest in Agenda Item No. 7(b) & (c), ‘Questions from the Public in relation to South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue’ and Agenda Item No. 12, ‘Motion in relation to the South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority, (SYFRA)’ by virtue of being a Member of the SYFRA.

23.

Minutes of the Annual Council Meeting held on 17th May, 2019 pdf icon PDF 359 KB

Minutes:

RESOLVED that the minutes of the Annual Council Meeting held on Friday, 17th May, 2019, a copy of which had been circulated to each Member, be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

24.

Minutes of the Extraordinary Council Meeting held on 6th June, 2019 pdf icon PDF 121 KB

Minutes:

RESOLVED that the minutes of the Extraordinary Council Meeting held on Thursday, 6th June, 2019, a copy of which had been circulated to each Member, be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

25.

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

Minutes:

The Chair of Council, Councillor Linda Curran congratulated Damian Allen on his recent appointment as Chief Executive and welcomed him to his first Council meeting as Chief Executive.

 

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

 

“At the Full Council meeting on the 6th June, I called on Doncaster to play its full part in combatting global warming and the bio-diversity crisis, and emphasised that what we do now matters for future generations; we must ‘go long-term’ with this, it’s imperative.

 

I announced that we would:-

 

  • Refresh our long term plan for the Borough, ‘Doncaster Growing Together’ to reflect this climate change emergency and other key long-term priorities, to create a cleaner, greener, safer and stronger Borough for both our residents and future generations; and

 

  • In order to do this, a ‘Doncaster Talks’ listening exercise would take place over the summer across the Borough with residents, businesses and local organisations.

 

I would like to provide an update to Council on the progress we have made since then.

 

Firstly, regarding climate change and Biodiversity, I am really pleased by the cross-party support in wanting to tackle the climate change and bio-diversity crisis we face and the need for action now, in the medium term and longer term.

 

It is important to remember that Doncaster has some stunning world-class green and blue assets such as Humberhead Peatlands, Thorne and Hatfield Moors, Quarry Park, Yorkshire Wildlife Park, Potteric Carr and Loversall Carr. Going forward, it is vital that these areas are enhanced and protected.

 

We want to be radical and look for example, at how we can support initiatives like the Northern Forest by planting more trees, and explore re-wilding opportunities to support and enhance our biodiversity.

 

Team Doncaster has agreed to create a cross-sector partnership group, which will be Chaired by Ed Miliband and involve lead members from Cabinet and Overview & Scrutiny.

 

This partnership group will advise Team Doncaster on:-

 

  • A robust baseline starting position for CO2 emissions in the Borough;

 

  • The ambition for achieving net zero emissions;

 

  • Best practice from across the country and beyond, and

 

  • Recommendations on what actions we can take in the short, medium and long term.

 

The group will report back to Team Doncaster in spring 2020.

 

As I mentioned last month, I’m proposing to bring a climate and bio-diversity emergency Motion to Full Council in September, and I will be asking the group to meet urgently, and provide me with initial advice with regards to this Motion, particularly the net-zero emissions ambition for our Borough.

 

My second update is on the ‘Doncaster Talks’ engagement exercise. I am pleased to announce this engagement exercise is now live and will run until the end of September.

 

Based on examples of best practice and testing with community engagement, the questions will focus on the:-

 

·         ‘Here and now’ lived experiences of residents, and

 

·         Their hopes for the future.

 

We would like this exercise to be as broad and inclusive as possible and Elected Members are encouraged to support  ...  view the full minutes text for item 25.

26.

Questions from the public in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 13

 

(a)  Question from Mr. C. J. Nowak to the Mayor of Doncaster, Ros Jones:-

 

“I have recently been assured by a DMBC official that the Public Space Protection Order for the town centre is still in effect and being upheld when required by PCSO's, town centre ambassadors, neighbourhood enforcement officers and the police.

 

This being the case why do I see the same people begging, on a daily basis, on St. Sepulchre Gate, High Street, Baxtergate and the market place car park?”

 

(b)  Question from Mr. N Carbutt, on behalf of the Fire Brigade Union, to the Mayor of Doncaster, Ros Jones:-

 

“South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue have released a draft Integrated Risk Management Plan in which their preferred proposal to remove 84 firefighting posts is outlined. How and when has the fire Authority consulted with this Council and does this Council intend to respond formally?”

 

(c)   Question from Mr. M. Nicholls to the Mayor of Doncaster, Ros Jones:-

 

“SYFR have indicated a potential 4 million pound funding shortfall and propose to cut 84 firefighters from the current establishment of 594. Should this issue be referred to Doncaster scrutiny board for further examination of the issues and the effects on Doncaster's Communities?”

Minutes:

(A)      Question from Mr. C. J. Nowak to the Mayor of Doncaster, Ros Jones:-

 

“I have recently been assured by a DMBC official that the Public Space Protection Order for the Town Centre is still in effect and being upheld when required by PCSOs, Town Centre ambassadors, Neighbourhood Enforcement Officers and the Police.

 

This being the case, why do I see the same people begging, on a daily basis, on St. Sepulchre Gate, High Street, Baxtergate and the market place car park?”

 

The Mayor of Doncaster, Ros Jones, gave the following reply:-

 

“Thank you for your question Mr. Nowak.  Firstly, I can confirm that the Public Space Protection Order is in force and active.

 

On the point about seeing the same people begging, I can advise that the Public Space Protection Order for Doncaster Town Centre is only one part of a comprehensive plan of activity to support people with complex lives.  This includes preventing and tackling homelessness and rough sleeping, drug and alcohol misuse, mental ill-health, offending and anti-social behaviour, and begging.

 

Since November 2017, the Public Space Protection Order and our complex lives work, have supported and encouraged many people to break the cycle of begging, drug and alcohol misuse and anti-social behaviour.

 

It is important to remind everyone that the Public Space Protection Order was introduced following a very strong level of public and business support for all of the prohibitions we consulted upon, but also, there was a very clear message that we should provide support for those who are vulnerable and locked into dangerous and damaging lifestyles.

 

This we have done and our innovative complex lives work now has 100 people that are receiving support.  These are people who were previously rough sleeping in and around the Town Centre.

 

So, I want to be absolutely clear here that this Council is fully committed to supporting people who are in this unfortunate position, and much of the focus of the way this Public Space Protection Order is being managed is geared towards connecting people to accommodation and support services.

 

To do that we have to remove the barriers that begging in particular creates.  So it is not our aim to criminalise misfortune.

 

We know that in the current policy and funding climate across the UK, we are seeing rises in homelessness and rough sleeping and the issues that surround it, like begging and problematic drug use.  This is forecast to rise further, and of course we are all concerned about the ongoing impact of Universal Credit on this.

 

Therefore, it is our ongoing multi-agency effort, involving the Police, teams across the Council, St Leger Homes, drug and alcohol and mental health services and others, to continue this work as more people find themselves in this unacceptable situation.

 

But we are also clear that some of the people who are causing these issues are not so needy and are preying on people’s good will, and damaging the prospects of our Town Centre and people’s  ...  view the full minutes text for item 26.

27.

Appointment of the Section 151 Officer pdf icon PDF 321 KB

Minutes:

The Council considered a report, presented by Mayor Ros Jones, which sought approval to appoint Faye Tyas as Doncaster Council’s Chief Financial Officer (Section 151 Officer) and Assistant Director of Finance with effect from 5th August, 2019.

 

It was reported that following the resignation and departure of the current post holder who left their employment at the beginning of August, arrangements had been put in place to appoint a replacement as this was a statutory role. 

 

Following a rigorous recruitment process, final interviews were held by an established panel from the Chief Officers Appointments Committee, supported by the Assistant Director for Human Resources and Communications, who unanimously recommended that Faye Tyas be appointed as the Council’s Chief Financial Officer (Section 151 Officer) and Assistant Director of Finance.

 

RESOLVED that Faye Tyas be appointed as Doncaster Council’s Chief Financial Officer (Section 151 Officer) and Assistant Director of Finance with effect from 5th August, 2019.

28.

Youth Justice Plan 2019/20 pdf icon PDF 365 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Council considered a report, introduced by Councillor Chris McGuinness, Cabinet Member for Communities, Voluntary Sector and the Environment, which sought approval of the statutory Youth Justice Plan for 2019/20, covering the work of the Youth Offending Service (YOS) in Doncaster.  The Youth Justice Plan had to be reviewed and considered by Council each year under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, in order to identify how Youth Justice Services would be provided and funded.

 

It was reported that the Plan set out the resourcing and value for money, performance against last year’s plan, structure, governance and partnership arrangements, and risks to future delivery of the service. The Plan also included the actions and timescales set to develop the service and ensure the best provision for the children and young people of Doncaster.

 

In addition to the statutory Plan, a Young People’s Youth Justice Plan had also been produced, which was designed to be accessible and understandable for young people and families.  The Plan highlighted some exceptional performance against the targets set in last year’s Plan, particularly for reducing the number of young people entering the Youth Justice System for the first time, and for the use of custody.

 

It was noted that the success in reducing the number of young people entering the formal Youth Justice System had enabled the service to shift some of its resource further “upstream” into Team EPIC, to work preventatively with those at risk of entering the system.  This meant that more young people could be helped to avoid further offending without them being given a criminal record which could severely restrict their future prospects.

 

Councillor McGuinness reported that the Youth Justice Plan outlined Doncaster’s performance against the national Youth Justice indicators including:-

 

·         The re-offending rate;

·         First Time Entrant (FTE) rate;

·         Custody rate;

·         The proportion of young people completing Court Orders who were in education, training and employment; and

·         The proportion of young people completing orders who were living in suitable accommodation.

 

In welcoming the report, Councillor McGuinness reported that across all of the indicators, the YOS had performed above target, which had seen Doncaster having its lowest first time entry rate (FTE) in its history.  Doncaster’s FTE rate was one of the fastest reducing in England and Wales, and was on the cusp of being within the lowest 10% amongst all areas.  As a result of this, more young people were being diverted away from the formal Youth Justice system.  Those remaining in the system were on average, more entrenched in offending and have more complex needs than previously.  This had brought about a marginal increase in the re-offending rate, as although the number of young people re-offending and the number of further offences they committed had both reduced, the number of young people in the cohort had reduced even more, which meant that the proportion who re-offended was higher.  However, Councillor McGuinness reported that on the annualised re-offending rate, Doncaster remained below the England average.

 

It was noted that the custody  ...  view the full minutes text for item 28.

29.

Overview and Scrutiny Annual Report 2018/19 pdf icon PDF 323 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Council considered the Overview and Scrutiny Annual Report, which highlighted the progress of Doncaster Council’s Overview and Scrutiny function during 2018/19.  The report also provided a summary of the work undertaken by the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee (OSMC) and its four Standing Panels during 2018/19, and highlighted some of the key achievements and the impacts that Overview and Scrutiny had made over the past year, and identified priorities for 2019/20.

 

In presenting the report, Councillor Jane Kidd, Chair of the OSMC, conveyed her thanks to Members, the Executive, Officers, the Youth Council, Partners, Stakeholders, and the public, who had all taken the time to attend meetings, evidence gathering sessions, site visits and contribute to the Overview and Scrutiny process.  Councillor Kidd also expressed particular thanks to Scrutiny Officers, Andrew Sercombe, Caroline Martin and Christine Rothwell, who had provided the management Committee and the Panels with such fantastic support.

 

Councillor Kidd confirmed that much of Scrutiny’s work had been driven by the wider strategic objectives of Doncaster Growing Together and the priorities detailed in the Corporate Plan.  The challenges facing the Borough required joined up thinking and effective partnership working through Team Doncaster.  Overview and Scrutiny worked best to support this when it took a holistic cross-cutting view of issues that the Borough faced and took evidence from a wide range of partners, most importantly, the views of those people who were directly affected by how services worked, such as young people in care and survivors of domestic abuse.  Overview and Scrutiny could give a voice to Doncaster’s communities, including the most excluded.

 

Councillor Kidd highlighted some of the key activities undertaken by OSMC and its Panels, which demonstrated the key areas of Overview and Scrutiny’s remit including:-

 

  • public engagement and participation;
  • policy review and development;
  • reviewing the performance and the work of partners; and
  • holding to account and being a critical friend to challenge decision makers

 

Councillor Kidd also highlighted some of the key issues for consideration by the Committee during 2019/20.  These would continue to be reviewed over the course of the year as the Committee responded to the outcomes of the “Doncaster Talks” exercise and heard what its residents had to say about the kind of Borough they wanted for the future and consider the options for effectively engaging with residents at a local level.  The review of area governance would form a major part of the Committee’s work next year and Councillor Kidd encouraged all Members to get involved in the review.

 

Furthermore, Overview and Scrutiny would also continue to hold decision makers to account for the effective delivery of services and budgets, to ensure Overview and Scrutiny could support the Council’s Performance Monitoring arrangements and help improve the delivery of services to residents.

 

Councillor Kidd concluded by conveying thanks to everyone who had contributed to the Overview and Scrutiny process last year, and challenged everyone in the Chamber, no matter what their role was, to think about whether they could contribute to the work  ...  view the full minutes text for item 29.

30.

Publication (Regulation19) of the Doncaster Local Plan 2015-2035 pdf icon PDF 28 MB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Council considered a report, presented by the Mayor of Doncaster, Ros Jones, which summarised the next stage of the Local Plan process which was known as ‘Publication’ in line with Regulation 19 of The Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012.  A copy of the Doncaster Local Plan 2015-2035 (Regulation 19 Proposed Submission Version) was appended to the report alongside an electronic link to the Interactive Policies Map for reference, and further information as to its detailed content.  Key site allocations for housing, employment and minerals, as well as other Local Plan land use allocations and designations could be found via the online Interactive Policies Map.  The Proposed Submission Version Local Plan must be published for a minimum of 6 weeks to allow for representations to be made by any interested parties.

 

Further to the publication of the agenda for this meeting, an Addendum document had been provided to all Members of Council prior to the meeting, setting out a number of revisions that had been made to policies in the Local Plan (Appendix 1) document.  This was in light of objections submitted in writing by Elected Members in relation to individual site allocations in advance of the Full Council meeting.  It was noted that this information superseded the relevant policies contained within the agenda papers previously circulated to Members, and that the updated policy text would be included in the Local Plan if approved by Members.

 

Mayor Ros Jones, in presenting the report, emphasised that the Plan was key for encouraging new investment, stimulating jobs and growth and building new homes across Doncaster, and creating a Borough and environment that met the needs of its residents for years to come.  The Plan shaped the look and feel of Doncaster in the future, and helped grow the Borough, so that Doncaster would be a truly great place to live, work and enjoy.

 

Members were informed that the Local Plan built on Team Doncaster’s Growing Together Strategy, in order to maximise the benefits of the Borough’s many assets and opportunities whilst addressing its challenges.  The Local Plan provided sufficient housing sites to deliver at least 920 new homes each year, which ensured not just enough housing to meet the needs of its communities, but also ensured there was a workforce to contribute towards the planned economic growth and job numbers in line with the Council’s Inclusive Growth Strategy, and the aspirational and ambitious Sheffield City Region Strategic Economic Plan.

 

The Mayor explained that an essential part of housing delivery was the provision of affordable homes.  This was a national issue with under provision occurring across the nation.  The Mayor had ensured that all Members of the Council had received affordable housing information which illustrated this. She further explained that the status of this data was contextual, but should be taken into account to inform future decisions. Housing market delivery was unable to meet the actual need that was required, and this was the case across Doncaster and the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 30.

31.

To consider the following Motion, written notice of which has been given by Councillor John Healy and Seconded by Councillor Lani-Mae Ball, in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 16.1

“This Council is aware that public services have suffered severe cuts since austerity began in 2010 and that South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority (SYFRA) will have had a real term reduction in the grant support that it receives from Government of 50% between 2010 and 2020.

 

Fire stations have been closed, downgraded or merged causing longer travel distances and therefore increased attendance times.

 

South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue are predicting a £3.8 million shortfall on previous revenue grants and state that future funding remains unclear beyond 2020/21.

 

This Council believes the cuts have simply gone too far. Public and firefighter lives are now at risk. Nationally, fire deaths are on the increase and within South Yorkshire, primary and secondary fires have increased from 5,841 in 2016 to 7,330 in 2018.

 

The blame for the situation SYFRA finds itself in must be placed firmly at the feet of the architects of those cuts, the Conservative Government. However, we believe that SYFRA must use all the flexibility at its disposal to resist further damaging cuts to the Fire and Rescue Service.

 

The tragedy of Grenfell Tower and the recent terrorist attacks must serve as a stark warning to us all about the risks our communities face and the perils of being ill-equipped and understaffed during potential emergencies.

 

Therefore, the immediate protection of our communities, infrastructure and businesses must be a priority for us all, whilst we build for a future Labour Government. National agreements must be utilised to ensure that as many South Yorkshire firefighters as possible are immediately available whilst we continue to lobby Government over our concerns.

 

This Council applauds the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) for their dignified and determined campaign to protect this vital public service and for playing their part in lobbying for a fairer funding settlement for South Yorkshire.

 

We request that:-

 

  • A lobbying strategy is developed and implemented with the aim of securing a fairer funding formula for South Yorkshire residents from this Tory government.

 

  • The Fire Authority continues to re-examine its expenditure of its reserves to protect the Fire Service in full consultation with the FBU, the public and others.

 

We also request the Mayor to write to the Police and Fire Minister, Nick Hurd MP and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Phillip Hammond MP stating that not only should austerity measures cease but there should be a reversal of previous cuts made to South Yorkshire Fire Service, the safety of Doncaster residents and property is at risk.”

Minutes:

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 16.1, a Motion was submitted by Councillor John Healy and Seconded by Councillor Lani-Mae Ball:-

 

“This Council is aware that public services have suffered severe cuts since austerity began in 2010, and that South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority (SYFRA) will have had a real term reduction in the grant support that it receives from Government of 50% between 2010 and 2020.

 

Fire stations have been closed, downgraded or merged causing longer travel distances, and therefore, increased attendance times.

 

South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue are predicting a £3.8 million shortfall on previous revenue grants and state that future funding remains unclear beyond 2020/21.

 

This Council believes the cuts have simply gone too far. Public and firefighter lives are now at risk. Nationally, fire deaths are on the increase and within South Yorkshire, primary and secondary fires have increased from 5,841 in 2016 to 7,330 in 2018.

 

The blame for the situation SYFRA finds itself in must be placed firmly at the feet of the architects of those cuts, the Conservative Government. However, we believe that SYFRA must use all the flexibility at its disposal to resist further damaging cuts to the Fire and Rescue Service.

 

The tragedy of Grenfell Tower and the recent terrorist attacks must serve as a stark warning to us all about the risks our communities face, and the perils of being ill-equipped and understaffed during potential emergencies.

 

Therefore, the immediate protection of our communities, infrastructure and businesses must be a priority for us all, whilst we build for a future Labour Government. National agreements must be utilised to ensure that as many South Yorkshire firefighters as possible are immediately available whilst we continue to lobby Government over our concerns.

 

This Council applauds the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) for their dignified and determined campaign to protect this vital public service, and for playing their part in lobbying for a fairer funding settlement for South Yorkshire.

 

We request that:-

 

  • A lobbying strategy is developed and implemented with the aim of securing a fairer funding formula for South Yorkshire residents from this Tory government.

 

  • The Fire Authority continues to re-examine its expenditure of its reserves to protect the Fire Service in full consultation with the FBU, the public and others.

 

We also request the Mayor to write to the Police and Fire Minister, Nick Hurd MP and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Phillip Hammond MP, stating that not only should austerity measures cease, but there should be a reversal of previous cuts made to the South Yorkshire Fire Service.  The safety of Doncaster residents and property is at risk.”

 

The Chair afforded all Members in the Chamber, the opportunity to speak on the Motion.

 

An amendment to the Motion was MOVED by Councillor Tosh McDonald and Seconded by Councillor John Gilliver, in that the second bullet point in paragraph 9 read as follows:-

 

32.

To consider the following Motion, written notice of which has been given by Councillor Rachael Blake and Seconded by Councillor Andrea Robinson, in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 16.1

“This Council notes that over a million older people in England are struggling with unmet care needs and believes that in light of an ageing population we need bold changes to deliver a long term funding solution for social care. 

 

Doncaster Council believes that it is fundamentally unfair that in order to access basic care, many older people face catastrophic costs that can run into hundreds of thousands of pounds, wipe out a lifetime of savings, and force families to sell their homes.

 

This Council also believes that England’s care system needs major reform to provide a long-term sustainable funding solution and to make care free at the point of use.

 

The Council therefore supports Independent Age’s call for the introduction of free personal care for all older people in England, alongside a new social care contribution to fully fund the policy on a sustainable basis. 

 

This Council calls on the Government to take the necessary steps to implement this policy as swiftly as possible to end the care crisis and properly support older people in Doncaster.

 

Doncaster Council also calls on our local MP’s to support the campaign for free personal care, and to speak up in favour of the policy in the House of Commons and through their wider engagements.”

Minutes:

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 16.1, a Motion was submitted by Councillor Rachael Blake and in the absence of Councillor Andrea Robinson, Seconded by Councillor Pat Haith:-

 

“This Council notes that over a million older people in England are struggling with unmet care needs and believes that in light of an ageing population, we need bold changes to deliver a long-term funding solution for social care. 

 

Doncaster Council believes that it is fundamentally unfair that in order to access basic care, many older people face catastrophic costs that can run into hundreds of thousands of pounds, wipe out a lifetime of savings, and force families to sell their homes.

 

This Council also believes that England’s care system needs major reform to provide a long-term sustainable funding solution, and to make care free at the point of use.

 

The Council therefore supports Independent Age’s call for the introduction of free personal care for all older people in England, alongside a new social care contribution to fully fund the policy on a sustainable basis. 

 

This Council calls on the Government to take the necessary steps to implement this policy as swiftly as possible to end the care crisis, and properly support older people in Doncaster.

 

Doncaster Council also calls on our local MPs to support the campaign for free personal care, and to speak up in favour of the policy in the House of Commons and through their wider engagements.”

 

The Chair afforded all Members in the Chamber, the opportunity to speak on the Motion.

 

A vote was taken on the Motion proposed by Councillor Rachael Blake, which was declared as follows:-

 

For - 42

 

Against - 0

 

Abstain - 0

 

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

 

RESOLVED that this Council notes that over a million older people in England are struggling with unmet care needs and believes that in light of an ageing population, we need bold changes to deliver a long-term funding solution for social care. 

 

Doncaster Council believes that it is fundamentally unfair that in order to access basic care, many older people face catastrophic costs that can run into hundreds of thousands of pounds, wipe out a lifetime of savings, and force families to sell their homes.

 

This Council also believes that England’s care system needs major reform to provide a long-term sustainable funding solution, and to make care free at the point of use.

 

The Council therefore supports Independent Age’s call for the introduction of free personal care for all older people in England, alongside a new social care contribution to fully fund the policy on a sustainable basis. 

 

This Council calls on the Government to take the necessary steps to implement this policy as swiftly as possible to end the care crisis, and properly support older people in Doncaster.

 

Doncaster Council also calls on our local MPs to support the campaign for free personal care, and to speak up in favour of the policy in the House of Commons and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 32.

33.

Questions by Elected Members in accordance with Council Procedure Rules 15.2 and 15.3

(i)      Questions on Notice to the Executive:-

 

None received for this meeting.

 

(ii)     Questions without Notice to the Executive and the Chairs of Committees.

 

Minutes:

A.        Questions on Notice

 

No questions on Notice from Elected Members had been received for this meeting.

 

B.     Questions Without Notice

 

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 15.2, the Chair of Council sought questions from Elected Members during question time.

 

A.     Questions to the Mayor of Doncaster, Ros Jones

 

Q.  Councillor Dave Shaw asked the following question:-

 

“Ros, I fully support your earlier announcement that we need to be radical in our response in tackling climate change, carbon emissions and encouraging biodiversity. You know that this is something that I feel very passionate about and something that I intend to be fully involved with.  Back in March, there was a global climate strike for the future, which many Doncaster Schools and young people got behind. There is a further global strike planned on 20th September. Will you and the Council be supporting this campaign?”

 

A.   The Mayor of Doncaster gave the following response:-

 

“Thank you for your question Dave and I do know that it is something that is of particular interest to you. I will be supporting the campaign and I will be liaising with the Chief Executive to identify how the Council can support the global climate strike planned for September without impacting on School attendance, and I will ensure that you are invited along to it.”

 

Q.   Councillor Andy Pickering asked the following question:-

 

“In view of the fact that today, Grant Shapps has been appointed as the new Transport Secretary to replace the intransigent and incompetent Chris Grayling, would the Mayor herself be prepared to take this opportunity to write to Mr Shapps to make him aware of the unanimous opposition in this Chamber, to the currently proposed Phase 2b route of HS2; the route that seriously damages the Wards of this Borough?”

 

A.    The Mayor of Doncaster gave the following response:-

 

“I would be happy to write to him yet again, as I have continued to say that we do not support the current HS2 route. That is not to say that we are against the HS2 per se, but Meadowhall is the correct area for it to go to without devastating the areas of Doncaster and Rotherham.  So, I am more than happy to write again, to ask him to look again at all the different options to avoid the devastation it is going to create on Doncaster.”

 

Q. Councillor Nick Allen asked the following question:-

 

“Do you think that more could have been done to keep the Dolly Parton Imagination Library in Doncaster?

 

A.   The Mayor of Doncaster gave the following response:-

 

“This is outside the grant regime.  We would love to see this go ahead, but we have got schemes like Re-Read that’s actually using recycled books as well, which we all want to subscribe to.  So, given the situation that we are in with the cuts that we have had to make, and I would remind this Council there is a further £14m that we are having to look for,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 33.

34.

To receive the minutes of the following Joint Authorities. pdf icon PDF 133 KB

 

A.        Sheffield City Region Combined Authority held on 25th March, 2019.

 

B.      Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership Board held on 4th March, 2019.

 

C.      South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority held on 11th February and 8th April, 2019.

 

D.      South Yorkshire Pensions Authority Local Pension Board held on 18th April, 2019.

 

E.      South Yorkshire Pensions Authority held on 14th March, 2019.

 

F.      South Yorkshire Police and Crime Panel held on 4th February and 1st April, 2019.

 

G.      Team Doncaster Strategic Partnership held on 15th January, 26th February and 16th April, 2019.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Neil Concannon, Deputy Monitoring Officer,drew Members attention to an inaccuracy in relation to paragraph 6, of Minute No.11, (page 570 of the agenda papers) of the Minutes of the South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority (SYFRA) held on 8th April 2019, which referred to ‘Askern’ rather than ‘Aston Park’.  The Deputy Monitoring Officer reported that Councillor Charlie Hogarth, as one of the Council representatives who served on the SYFRA (Joint Authority), had already asked for this inaccuracy to be corrected at a subsequent meeting of the SYFRA on 24th June, 2019, and the minutes of that meeting would be reported to the next ordinary meeting of Full Council. The Deputy Monitoring Officer confirmed that this was the correct procedure to follow for dealing with such an issue.  He also confirmed that all minutes of Outside Bodies presented to Full Council, were for information only and clarified that Members were not being asked to either approve or endorse the minutes in any way.

 

With regard to the minutes of the SYFRA held on 8th April, 2019, a debate was held in respect of the development of a new Integrated Risk Management Plan as a consequence of the removal of the Close Proximity Crewing System.  Members expressed their concerns with regard to the statements made by the Chief Fire Officer relating to the subsequent impact on the budget cuts required to the Service and how these could be realistically achieved.  In response, the Deputy Monitoring Officer reiterated that the Minutes of the SYFRA were submitted to Council for information purposes only, Council was not being requested to endorse the minutes and the concerns expressed by Members would be noted in the minutes of Full Council.

 

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 18.11(f), the meeting stood adjourned at 4.40 p.m. and reconvened on this day at 5.09 p.m.

 

Following an adjournment and reconvening of proceedings, it was Moved and Seconded that the Council was concerned about potential inaccuracies within the minutes of the SYFRA held on 8th April, 2019, and therefore, resolved to not note the minutes.  It was also agreed that all future Doncaster Council Full Council Agendas clearly specify that minutes from Joint Authorities were for information and not endorsement.  On being put to the meeting, the Motion was declared Carried.

 

RESOLVED that

 

(1)          the minutes of the following Joint Authorities be noted:-

 

A.        Sheffield City Region Combined Authority held on 25th March, 2019.

 

B.      Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership Board held on 4th March, 2019.

 

C.     South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority held on 11th February, 2019.

 

D.     South Yorkshire Pensions Authority Local Pension Board held on 18th April, 2019.

 

E.      South Yorkshire Pensions Authority held on 14th March, 2019.

 

F.      South Yorkshire Police and Crime Panel held on 4th February and 1st April, 2019.

 

G.     Team Doncaster Strategic Partnership held on 15th January, 26th February and 16th April, 2019.

 

(2)      this Council is concerned about potential inaccuracies within the minutes of the South Yorkshire Fire and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 34.