Agenda and minutes

Venue: Virtual Meeting via Microsoft Teams

Contact: Sarah Maxfield  01302 736723

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

Items
No. Item

1.

Prayers

Minutes:

The Chair, Councillor Linda Curran, welcomed Elected Members, Officers and Members of the public to the first virtual meeting of Full Council and invited the Civic Chaplain, Canon Reverend David Stevens to address the meeting with a prayer.

 

2.

Election of Chair of Council.

Minutes:

It was MOVED by Councillor Jane Kidd and SECONDED by Councillor Eva Hughes that Councillor Paul Wray be elected as Chair of Council of Doncaster Metropolitan Borough for the 2020/21 Municipal Year.

 

RESOLVED that Councillor Paul Wray be hereby elected as Chair of Council of Doncaster Metropolitan Borough for the 2020/21 Municipal Year.

 

3.

Election of Vice-Chair of Council.

Minutes:

It was MOVED by Councillor David Nevett and SECONDED by Councillor Paul Wray that Councillor Andrea Robinson be elected as Vice-Chair of Council of Doncaster Metropolitan Borough for the 2020/21 Municipal Year.

 

RESOLVED that Councillor Andrea Robinson be hereby elected as Vice-Chair of Council of Doncaster Metropolitan Borough for the 2020/21 Municipal Year.

 

4.

Presentation of the Retiring Chair of Council's Commemorative Badge

Minutes:

The Chief Executive, Damian Allen informed Council that due to the social distancing restrictions currently in place due to Covid-19, it was not possible to present the retiring Chair of Council, Councillor Linda Curran with her commemorative badge, but would ensure that it was given to her following the meeting.

5.

Chair of Council's Inaugural Speech.

Minutes:

The Chair of Council, Councillor Paul Wray, delivered his inaugural epeech:-

 

“Good evening everyone.

 

I would like to start by offering my congratulations to my predecessor Cllr Curran, I know that she has worked really hard over the past 2 ½ years, first as Deputy and then as Civic Mayor and she has done an excellent job.

 

Many of you know that I was Civic Mayor in 2015/16, so to be granted this honour again, in what will be my final year as a councillor before I retire, is more than I ever could have hoped for.

 

Of course, the circumstances are very different this time around but I can assure you that I will approach the role with the same enthusiasm as before and ensure that, within the boundaries that we all now have to operate within, that I carry out the role of Civic Mayor to its fullest.

 

 I hope to meet and thank personally as many as possible of the front line workers who have worked tirelessly throughout this pandemic to ensure that critical services are  delivered. I also wish to meet and thank the volunteers who have ensured that the most vulnerable and isolated in our communities have been supported.

 

I would like to thank Councillors Jane Kidd and Eva Hughes for their nomination and kind words and all my colleagues for your support.

 

I would also like to thank my wife Suefor her continued love and support. Thank you also to my friend Elizabeth Marsden who has kindly agreed to once again be my consort.

 

As you know the Civic Mayor nominates a charity to support during their time in office and although it will be difficult to host our usual fundraising events under the current restrictions, I will look at ways we can raise much needed funds for Armed Forces charities that support local residents.

 

Thank you again for the great honour that you have bestowed on me today and I aim to do my very best in representing Doncaster throughout my time as Civic Mayor.”

 

6.

Vote of thanks to the retiring Chair of Council.

Minutes:

It was MOVED by Councillor Derek Smith and SECONDED by Councillor Duncan Anderson, that the Council place on record its thanks and appreciation to Councillor Linda Curran for the manner in which she had fulfilled her role as Chair of Council for the 2019/20 Municipal Year.

 

Councillor Linda Curran responded as follows:-

 

Good evening everyone.

 

When I was chosen to serve as Civic Mayor in May last year  it was, and remains, one of the proudest moments of my life.

 

At that time, none of us could have imagined what lay ahead. The corona virus continues to impact on all of our lives. Many of us have lost family, friends and colleagues to this dreadful virus and we are all trying to adjust to a new way of living in order to keep safe. Difficult times lay ahead but in the past few months I have been humbled and inspired by the way our communities have pulled together to support each other and make sure that the most vulnerable are cared for and looked after..

 

I am so grateful and proud of our NHS workers, carers, keyworkers and front line staff who have continued to work under extreme pressure throughout this pandemic and I thank them for the work that they have done and continue to do.

 

They say ‘a week is a long time in politics’; well, so sometimes is a ‘civic year’! In my case 16 months, and whilst we acknowledge what is happening, and the impact that it has had, on all of us, I do not wish it to define my year because, it was, for the most part, memorable for all the right reasons.

 

It would take far too long to tell you about the many inspirational and wonderful people that I have had the pleasure and the privilege of meeting. People who work tirelessly for the benefit of others;  volunteers who give up their time freely, without recognition or reward, to help make life a little easier or better for the most vulnerable in our community.

 

 There have been so many highlights that it is impossible to pick a favourite moment or to thank everyone individually, so I would just like to say a very heartfelt thank you to every individual and organisation that extended an invitation to me and to all those people who attended and supported mayoral events during my period of office.

 

As you know, at the start of the year I chose Firefly as my charity to support during my year in office. It is a tremendous charity, they do a fantastic job and I am sorry that many of my fundraising events were cancelled and I was unable to raise as much as I had hoped.  It is a very difficult time for them, and indeed a great many charities who depend on fundraising events to keep going and I hope that we can all find ways of supporting them going forward.

 

On a personal note, I would  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

7.

Declarations of Interest, if any.

Minutes:

There were no declarations made at the meeting.

8.

Minutes of the Council Meeting held on 5th March, 2020. pdf icon PDF 141 KB

Minutes:

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting of Council held on 5th March, 2020, be approved as a true record.

9.

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

Minutes:

Announcement from the Chair of Council, Councillor Paul Wray:-

 

“I am pleased to welcome the High Sheriff, Carole O’Neill, who is attending the Annual Meeting this evening, and I look forward to inviting her to future events over the course of the Municipal Year”

 

Announcements from Ros Jones, Mayor of Doncaster:-

 

We continue to see a rise in coronavirus infection rates both nationally and locally. In Doncaster, up to the end of August we were averaging 3.2 cases per 100,000 population per week in Doncaster. This has now jumped to 44 cases per 100,000 and it is expected to increase further over the coming days and weeks.

 

I fully empathise with people who are struggling with the restrictions that have been placed on all our lives. The past 6 months have not been easy, and I fear that we could be at the brink of a potential second lockdown.

 

Our local track and trace team are working flat out, I am glad that the national government focus has shifted to a more localised approach to track and trace, but we need our allocation of resources in order to manage effectively.

 

I am pleased to see the NHS Covid-19 app has launched today, albeit 4 months later than promised. I hope it delivers all that has been promised. To ensure the effective tracking and tracing of those at risk of catching the virus.

 

Testing is still a problem, Doncaster residents are still struggling to get a test, being offered tests many miles away from Doncaster, which doesn’t take into consideration potential difficulties in travelling. What we need is local testing stations for local people.

 

Last week I joined with other leaders from Yorkshire in writing to Matt Hancock the Secretary of State offering local lab capacity in order to support the testing programme, we are yet to be taken up on this offer.

 

I make a plea to the residents of Doncaster, I do not want to scare people, but I need to stress the importance of following the guidelines especially social distancing. We had been doing so well in Doncaster, but the risk of a local or national lockdown is real. We must all do what we can to protect ourselves and others.

 

I would also like to make an announcement with regard to the Climate and Bio Diversity Emergency:

 

A little over a year ago, this council backed my motion to declare a climate and biodiversity emergency. Since then in Doncaster we have seen flooding devastate our communities, wildfires destroy thousands of acres of woodland in Australia and California, we are at a critical point in the life of planet earth. That's why I set up our climate commission led by Ed Milliband, with the report being launched in the coming weeks.

 

I want it to be bold, we have the opportunity to build back from coronavirus with a green recovery, to continue to reduce our carbon footprint, provide high skilled high paid jobs for our residents  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

10.

Notification by the Elected Mayor of the Composition of the Executive and the Elected Mayor's Scheme of Delegations. pdf icon PDF 156 KB

Minutes:

Council received an oral report from Ros Jones, Mayor of Doncaster with regard to the composition of her Cabinet for the 2020/21 Municipal Year.

 

Members were reported that there would be no changes to the Membership of Cabinet, with no changes to the portfolios or the scheme of Delegation, other than that Enforcement would now fall under Councillor Joe Blackham rather than Councillor Chris McGuinness. This would enable Councillor McGuinness to give more time to other areas of his portfolio. The Cabinet would therefore 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 Council note the composition of the Executive for the 2020/21 Municipal Year.

11.

Council appointed Committees and Sub-Committees Terms of Reference for 2020/21. pdf icon PDF 178 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Members considered a report that sought approval for the proposed revisions to the Council’s Terms of Reference for Council appointed Committees for the 2020/21 Municipal Year.

 

The revisions were outlined within Paragraphs 8 to 9 of the report and in the attached appendix to the report.

 

Council was asked to support the recommendations as outlined which sought to approve the Terms of Reference on block, as well as changes to the Terms of Reference of the Health and Wellbeing Board, and the addition of the Terms of Reference of the newly established Doncaster Covid-19 Oversight Board.

 

            RESOLVED that 

 

1)    Council approve the proposed revisions to the Terms of Reference set out in Appendix A, as detailed in paragraphs 8 and 9 of the report, including the addition of the Doncaster Covid-19 Oversight Board;

 

2)    Council note the existing Terms of Reference for all other Committee and Sub-Committees as set out within Part 3 of the Constitution remain unchanged; and

 

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

12.

Local Government and Housing Act 1989 - Review of the allocation of seats on Committees and Sub-Committees. pdf icon PDF 233 KB

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

 

Additional documents:

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 circulated for consideration 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 the Council:-

 

(1)          resolves before any adjustments are determined, that seats on Committees and Sub-Committees are allocated, as set out in the Table at paragraph 25 of the report;

 

(2)        determines the necessary adjustments that the Conservative Group lose 1 seat on 2 different Committees/Sub-Committees;

 

(3)        as a consequence of the loss of the 2 seats at (2) above, allocate the 2 seats to the Independent Members, Councillors John Cooke and George Derx;

 

(4)        determines the appointment of Members to Committees and Sub-Committees as set out in the schedule attached to these minutes at Appendix A in accordance with the wishes of Political Groups;

 

(5)        notes that in appointing members to the Audit Committee, in accordance with the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) guidance, any Member appointed to Cabinet should not be a member of the Audit Committee;

 

(6)        notes the requirement to include at least one Executive Member on the Chief Officers  ...  view the full minutes text for item 12.

13.

Appointments of Chairs and Vice-Chairs of Committees and Sub-Committees. pdf icon PDF 166 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 2020/21 Municipal Year.  The list of nominations had been distributed to Members in advance of 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 2020/21 Municipal Year, be as follows:-

 

 

Committee                                         Chair                                Vice- Chair

 

Overview & Scrutiny                           Cllr Jane Kidd                  Cllr John Healy

Management Committee

 

Communities & environment              Cllr Mark Houlbrook         Cllr Nigel Cannings

Overview & Scrutiny Panel

 

Children & Young Peoples                 Cllr Neil Gethin                 Cllr John Gilliver

Overview & Scrutiny Panel

 

Health & Adult Social Care                 Cllr Andrea Robinson       Cllr Cynthia Ransome

Overview & Scrutiny Panel

 

Regeneration & Housing                    Cllr Majid Khan                Cllr David Nevett

Overview & Scrutiny Panel

 

Chief Officer Appointments                Cllr Glyn Jones                Cllr Nuala Fennelly

Committee

 

Elections & Democratic                      Cllr Phil Cole                    Cllr Nick Allen

Structures Committee

 

Planning Committee                           Cllr Susan Durant            Cllr Sue McGuinness

 

Awards, Grants & Transport               Cllr Nikki McDonald         Cllr Andrea Robinson

Appeals Committee

 

Audit Committee                                 Cllr Austen White            Cllr R. Allan Jones

 

Chief Officer Appeals                          Cllr Rachel Hodson         Cllr Mick Cooper

Committee

 

Chief Officers Investigatory                Cllr John Mounsey           Cllr Ian Pearson

Sub-Committee

Employee Relations Disputes            Cllr Sue Wilkinson            Cllr Phil Cole

Resolution Committee

 

Licensing Committee                          Cllr Ken Keegan              Cllr Iris Beech

 

Health & Well Being Board                 Cllr Rachael Blake          TBD at first meeting.

14.

Diary of Meetings 2020/22. pdf icon PDF 153 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Members were presented with a report that provided the schedule of meetings for the 2020/21 Municipal Year. The calendar of meetings provided a detailed plan of Council and Committee Meetings throughout the year and gave members of the public a chance to engage in the democratic process where possible and hoped to encourage people to attend.

 

The draft diary had previously been considered at the Council Meeting on 23 January, 2020, which had given Members an earlier opportunity to comment and propose any amendments. Several changes had been made to the diary since this point largely due to Covid-19, which had resulted in a number of meetings being cancelled or rescheduled. Additionally a further change had been made to the dates of the Council Meetings in March 2021 and March 2022 to ensure that specific budgetary setting decisions being taken at these were taken to allow specific timescales to be met and ensure decisions were lawful.

 

            RESOLVED that:-

 

1)    Council approve the Diary of Meetings for 2020/21 and 2021/22 Municipal Years attached at Appendix A to the report; and

 

2)    Note the schedule of Cabinet Meetings determined by the Mayor of Doncaster.

15.

Council Appointments to Outside Bodies 2020/21. pdf icon PDF 161 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Council were presented with a report that determined the appointment of Members to Council Outside Bodies for the 2020/21 Municipal Year.

 

Members had been provided with a hard copy of the nomination lists prior to the meeting as attached at Appendix A to the report and discussions had taken place in the Political Groups. The appendix also detailed a small number of outside bodies where no new appointments were required this year.

 

RESOLVED that Council approve the appointments to Outside Bodies as set out in Appendix A to the report.