Agenda and minutes

There were no declarations of interest made at the meeting.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the Council Meeting held on Thursday, 15th July, 2021, a copy of which had been circulated to each Member, be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

The Deputy Mayor, Councillor Glyn Jones, made the following announcement:-

“As a Council, we are troubled about the number of cases reported to the RSPCA each year, regarding live animals given as prizes via fairgrounds, social media and other channels in England; this predominantly concerns goldfish.

We are concerned for the welfare of the animals that are being given as prizes, and in an effort to combat this, we have banned the giving of live animals as prizes on land owned by Doncaster Council.  We only have control over Council land, but I strongly encourage private landowners to do the same.

Giving animals away as prizes is completely inappropriate, and as a Council, we support the RSPCA’s stance that this practice should be stopped.

I would like to thank Councillors Gemma Cobby and Daniel Barwell for championing this change.”

Councillor Mark Houlbrook, Portfolio Holder for Sustainability and Waste, made the following announcement:-

“As a Council, we are fully committed to our challenging targets to ensure we play our part in reducing carbon emissions and meet our net zero targets by 2040. This will be no easy task and will require significant investment from government, businesses and the wider public sector.

Despite the pandemic over the last two years, we have seen considerable progress being made. Planting new trees with a new tree register on the Council website, creating green gateways, investing in 100% electric fleet vehicles, creating more electric vehicle charging points, making homes more energy efficient, installing solar panels on buildings and properties, promoting active travel and rewilding green spaces to promote biodiversity and wildlife. There is a huge list of works we have done and plenty more in the pipeline.

While the Council will do all it can to lead and inspire others to take action, the action needs to be Borough-wide and needs everyone to take part. I will keep members updated via our quarterly newsletter and through our new website which should be available in the coming months, members and residents will then be able to get regular updates at the touch of a button.

We all need to play our part, reducing our energy consumption, using more active travel and public transport, as well as reducing levels of waste by recycling and re-using wherever possible.

We must do this to ensure that we leave a safe and habitable planet for generations to come. As part of our Doncaster Delivering Together, the new 10 year strategy which is before you today, our focus is on People, Place and Planet.”

None received for this meeting.

There were no questions from members of the public for this meeting.

Ros Jones, Mayor of Doncaster, presented to the Council the new Doncaster Delivering Together Plan and outlined to Members the milestones it aimed to achieve in the coming months and years.

Council was informed that the work carried out in undertaking the creation of the Plan was about addressing a step change in moving forward and ensuring that the work of the Council was refocused to build a better Borough for all its residents, with six wellbeing goals anchored at the heart of it, as follows:-

· Greener and Cleaner Doncaster

· Skilled and Creative Doncaster

· Prosperous and Connected Doncaster

· Safe and Resilient Doncaster

· Healthy and Compassionate Doncaster

· Fair and Inclusive Doncaster

Members noted that the last 18 months had been dominated by the impact of Covid-19, which had highlighted a number of inequalities across the Borough and in some cases, worsened them, meaning the support given to assist in the recovery from the pandemic would have to continue for some time to come.  This had helped to shape the ambitions to build a better Borough, with the creation of a 10 year plan that looked to developing new partnerships in order to deliver the goals detailed above.  Funding and investment would be required to achieve the vision, and it was hoped through the delivery of the Doncaster Delivering Together Plan, it would be possible to achieve the outcome of Thriving People, Places and Planet.

The Mayor commended the report to Council and asked Members to join her in supporting the Plan.

RESOLVED that the Doncaster Delivering Together Plan be endorsed and approved.

The Council considered a report which recommended the adoption of the Sprotbrough Neighbourhood Plan following a successful referendum result in the Parish. Following adoption by Full Council, the Sprotbrough Local Plan would be used to help determine planning applications within the boundary area.

Councillor Nigel Ball, Portfolio Holder for Public Health, Leisure, Culture and Planning, outlined that the Plan covered part of the Parish area of Sprotbrough and Cusworth, and the Parish Council had worked closely with the Planning Policy and Environment Team to ensure that the Sprotbrough Neighbourhood Plan complemented the Local Plan and did not conflict with any of its policies.

Council noted that 12% of the local electorate in Sprotbrough and Cusworth had turned out to vote in the referendum, with 633 out of the 773 who voted, voting for the Neighbourhood Plan.  This therefore meant that the referendum was successful and the Council was therefore required to adopt the Neighbourhood Plan.

The Vice-Chair of Council opened the debate for any contributions from Elected Members, and Councillor Cynthia Ransome voiced her support for the Sprotbrough Neighbourhood Plan, thanking all Officers involved in its development.

RESOLVED that the Sprotbrough Neighbourhood Plan be adopted as part of the statutory development plan for the Borough.

The Council considered a report, which was introduced by Councillor Nigel Ball, Portfolio Holder for Public Health, Leisure, Culture and Planning, which recommended the adoption of the Doncaster Local Plan 2015 to 2035.

It was reported that the development of the Doncaster Local Plan had been a 7 year journey, which would replace the saved policies from the Unitary Development Plan, and the strategic policies of the Core Strategy, and would become part of the Council’s statutory development plan and used for determining planning applications, alongside Neighbourhood Plans where they were in place.

It was noted that the Council had carried out far more stages of engagement as part of the Plan’s preparation than that prescribed by the legislation, and had undertaken extensive consultation as part of the Plan’s preparation.

Members were informed that the Doncaster Local Plan provided a clarity of vision for the Borough and the tools to encourage economic growth, and identified sufficient land for homes and jobs in line with broader sustainability objectives.  The Plan also ensured there was a balanced distribution of development across the Borough, so everyone in Doncaster had the opportunity to benefit from sustainable, well-planned, inclusive growth.  The Local Plan would help tackle climate change and ensure that efforts to create a stronger economy would do so in a way that supported a sustainable natural and built environment, which delivered a better quality of life for residents and for future generations.

Councillor Ball pointed out that the general extent of the Green Belt had been retained and the vast majority of the Borough’s countryside protected.  The Plan positively planned for the Borough’s future to ensure new development comes forward, supported by appropriate social, physical and green infrastructure to help mitigate its impacts and enhance the connectivity of the Borough.

RESOLVED that the Doncaster Local Plan 2015 to 2035 be adopted and become part of the Development Plan for Doncaster, and its policies be given full Development Plan weight for the purposes of determining planning applications.

(i)        Questions on Notice to the Executive:-

(a)     Question from Councillor Nick Allen to the Mayor of Doncaster, Ros Jones:-

“Do you agree that Doncaster Council should have done more to engage with the public during the consultation for the Local Plan?” 

(b)     Question from Councillor Jane Cox to the Mayor of Doncaster, Ros Jones:-

“I would like to ask the Mayor if she is confident following on from her meeting with the PCC, that Doncaster will get its fair share of the 269 new Police Officers in South Yorkshire?  Historically, Doncaster has not been prioritised and has had less than the other South Yorkshire Boroughs.”

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

A.     Questions on Notice

Q.   The following Question on Notice, had been received from Councillor Nick Allen:-

“Do you agree that Doncaster Council should have done more to engage with the public during the consultation for the Local Plan?”

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

“The Doncaster Local Plan has been through a robust and comprehensive process over a 7 year period to reach the milestone of now being ready to adopt, including being examined in public by a Government appointed Planning Inspector, and been found to be ‘sound’ and ‘legally compliant’.

There have been numerous opportunities for residents to engage with the local plan process.  I understand the concerns and objections that some of our residents and communities have.  There will be individual sites identified that Councillors from across the Borough will have objections to, but this is about the whole of Doncaster and has been prepared following all the correct legal processes and procedures.

The Council undertook extensive consultation as part of the Plan’s preparation.  Indeed, the Inspector notes in his report that there has been more stages of consultation carried out by the Council than that required by the relevant government legislation.”

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 15.7, Councillor Nick Allen asked the following supplementary question:-

Q.   “How many responses did the Council actually receive in total to the consultation?”

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

“I do not have the total number.  However, the Planning Inspector was satisfied with the numbers and as I have said before, it is the Planning Inspector who said it was robust.  I will read out what was said.  ‘The Council’s Regulation 22(1)(c) Statement of Consultation thoroughly demonstrates how the consultation carried out during the various stages of Plan preparation was in compliance with the Council’s Statement of Community Involvement adopted in July 2015.  More stages of consultation were held than required by the regulations.  Whilst not explicitly setting out the weight that the Council attached to consultation responses, that is not a legal requirement, and it is clear that they were taken into account.  The documented evidence sets out the relevant planning issues.  Where necessary, I consider those issues in my assessment of soundness in the subsequent sections of this report’.  This justifies why we have all just approved this Local Plan.  If you require numbers, I am sure the Planning Team can provide them in writing later.”

Q.   The following Question on Notice, had been received from Councillor Jane Cox:-

“I would like to ask the Mayor if she is confident following on from her meeting with the Police and Crime Commissioner, that Doncaster will get its fair share of the 269 new Police Officers in South Yorkshire?  Historically, Doncaster has not been prioritised and has had less than the other South Yorkshire Boroughs.”

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

“It is important to remember that  ...  view the full minutes text for item 37.

A.        Sheffield City Region Mayoral Combined Authority Board held on 26th July, 2021.

B.      Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership Board held on 1st July, 2021.

C.      South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority held on 21st June (Annual) 21st June (Ordinary) and 26th July, 2021.

D.      South Yorkshire Pensions Authority Local Pension Board held on 22nd April and 15th July, 2021.

E.      South Yorkshire Pensions Authority held on 10th June, 2021 (Ordinary).

F.      South Yorkshire Police and Crime Panel held on 11th June and 19th July, 2021.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the following Joint Authorities be noted:-

A.        Sheffield City Region Mayoral Combined Authority Board held on 26th July, 2021.

B.      Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership Board held on 1st July, 2021.

C.      South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority held on 21st June (Annual) 21st June (Ordinary) and 26th July, 2021.

D.      South Yorkshire Pensions Authority Local Pension Board held on 22nd April and 15th July, 2021.

E.      South Yorkshire Pensions Authority held on 10th June, 2021 (Ordinary).

F.      South Yorkshire Police and Crime Panel held on 11th June and 19th July, 2021.