Agenda and minutes

Prior to the commencement of formal business, Elected Members, Officers and members of the public, observed a minute’s silence as a mark of respect and remembrance in relation to the recent death of former Councillor, Fred Gee.

There were no declarations of interest made at the meeting.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the Council Meeting held on Thursday, 17th November, 2022, a copy of which had been circulated to each Member, be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the Extraordinary Council Meeting held on Thursday, 17th November, 2022, a copy of which had been circulated to each Member, be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

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

“Colleagues, I would like to give you all a quick update in relation to trying to save Doncaster Sheffield Airport.

You will all be aware that we have commenced formal Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) proceedings, which is a lengthy and complicated legal process that will take roughly two years.

In an effort to avoid this lengthy legal process, we approached Peel and made a suggestion that this Council buy the freehold for the airport site.  We did not mention a monetary figure as that would require an independent valuation of a now closed airport site and to go through the appropriate decision mechanism, but Peel did know we were serious.  Unfortunately, Peel dismissed this completely, but stated they would look at a potential leasehold sale, which we are exploring whilst CPO proceedings continue.

I was planning to announce this today at Full Council, but unfortunately on Friday evening of last week, it became apparent that this letter had been leaked, hence the need for an urgent update to you and our MPs, alongside the press statement.  I would like to thank our Officers for the swift turnaround of this press statement.

Doncaster Sheffield Airport was a key economic driver for Doncaster, South Yorkshire and the North, and so it should be again.

I must emphasise to all of you that as we are in formal CPO legal proceedings and that there will be considerable legal challenges as we move forward, it is vital that we show a united front in our efforts to save our Airport.

Councillors are aware of the Ward Budgets which provides £3,000 of funding per Councillor, to award to community groups and organisations within their Ward.  This funding is to support our residents and communities at a neighbourhood level.  This financial year, we have seen grants paid out to food banks, youth groups, sports teams, leisure and craft groups.  These are but a few examples of where your Ward Budgets have been allocated, and your constituents are beyond grateful for the support, especially during these difficult times.

As you should already know, the deadline for submissions this year is the end of February.  I am proposing that any remaining Ward Budgets should be allocated to the Local Assistance Scheme.  This will enable the remaining funding to be able to support those most in need across Doncaster, rather than see the funding go back into the general fund.  We are also able to show you how many people within your Wards have already benefitted from the scheme this year.

I will be putting a formal decision through the appropriate Governance procedures in the next month or so, with the aim of being able to support the Local Assistance Scheme for the next financial year.

Colleagues, you are probably already aware, late last night Government announced the successful bids to the Levelling Up Fund, Round 2. Unfortunately neither our scheme for Don Valley or Doncaster North were successful.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 49.

None received for this meeting.

There were no questions from the public received for this meeting.

The Council considered the 2022 Director of Public Health Annual Report, which was introduced by Councillor Nigel Ball, Cabinet Member for Public Health, Leisure, Culture and Planning, and presented by Dr Rupert Suckling.

Councillor Nigel Ball introduced the report and highlighted that it had continued to be a challenging year for Doncaster, the United Kingdom, and indeed worldwide.  The main focus of the report focused on the longer term effects of the pandemic and how this continued to impact on Doncaster and its people in terms of life expectancy. 

Members were informed that the regeneration of Doncaster’s most deprived communities and the residents within them must be at the forefront of its actions to deal with deprivation and hopelessness.  In order to address poverty, inequality and lack of opportunity in communities, real community action needed to take place and the key to this would be empowerment, enabling the people and the communities in which they lived. This would in turn work in tackling the health inequalities faced by so many.

Councillor Nigel Ball paid tribute to the Doctors, nurses, health care professionals, ambulance workers and social carers across Doncaster, who continued to play an important role in terms of the prevention of ill-health and provided care for sick residents, family and friends.

The report, which was the eighth Annual Report authored by Dr Suckling, provided a high level assessment of how the overall health status was changing in Doncaster and that this year, it was clear there were significant reductions in life expectancy, healthy life expectancy and increases in health inequality.  These were caused by the direct and indirect impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and other infectious diseases including the increase in the invasive Group A Streptococcal disease at the end of the year.  The pandemic had unearthed and exacerbated long standing inequalities experienced by older residents, those in key worker roles, those in poverty and those from ethnic minorities.  Women had borne the brunt of the pandemic which would continue and was likely to be a contributor to the reduction in women’s healthy life expectancy.

Doncaster continued to be on the frontline of the climate emergency and had continued to play its part supporting refugees and asylum seekers displaced by conflict, but there was now a ‘cost of living crisis’, caused by rising inflation because of the Ukraine war, the impact on global energy and food process, ongoing impacts from leaving the EU, on top of people’s sheer exhaustion at dealing with one crisis after another.

In conclusion, the report made the following six recommendations for Team Doncaster partners:-

•      Revitalise approaches to health inequalities, poverty and social exclusion, taking into account the new Geneva Charter for Wellbeing, learning from both the ‘cost of living crisis’ and the Doncaster Fairness & Wellbeing Commission;

•      Review and refresh the Health and Wellbeing Strategy to set out action to address health inequalities, improve healthy life expectancy, especially for women, reduce preventable mortality and related risk factors across the life course, including children  ...  view the full minutes text for item 51.

The Council considered a report, which was presented by the Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee (OSMC), Councillor Jane Kidd, which provided a summary of the key work undertaken by the OSMC and its four Standing Panels, during the period of May to December 2022, and also any future issues to be considered.

It was reported that there continued to be a real effort to focus on performance monitoring and review work through OSMC and the Panels which was of paramount importance as the Council looked at how services were being delivered, and communities were being supported during the current cost of living crisis.

The report highlighted the engagement with key partners, the public and stakeholders, and the ongoing dialogue with young advisors and the Youth Council.  The Committee and its Panels had also undertaken meaningful engagement with those with lived experiences including, carers and people who had suffered with mental illness, which had helped Scrutiny Members to fully understand the experience of service users.

Councillor Kidd highlighted some of the key issues Scrutiny would be focusing on which included:-

•        The Mayor’s Budget Proposals;

•        The Corporate Plan;

•        Regular Finance & Performance updates;

•      Review of the Crime and Disorder Partnership’s performance and priorities;

•      Update on the Environmental & Sustainability Strategy Action Plan 2022/23 and lessons learned through the heatwave of Summer 2022;

•      Update on Major Schemes and the Levelling Up Fund;

•      Updates on the developments of the Bentley and Rossington Primary Care Estate; and

•      Special Educational Needs and Disability Strategy and Green Paper Update.

Councillor Kidd conveyed her thanks to all Members, the Executive, Officers, partners, stakeholders, young advisors and the public, who had taken the time to attend meetings and engage in the Overview and Scrutiny process.

RESOLVED that the work of Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee and its four Standing Panels for the period May to December, 2022, be noted.

The Council considered a report which outlined the draft diary of meetings for the 2023/24 and 2024/25 Municipal Years.

Members were informed that in approving an advanced calendar of meetings that encompassed two Municipal Years, it provided Members and Officers with advanced notification of meetings, training or seminars and other key dates, which was particularly helpful for those who needed to organise their time due to other commitments.

It was reported that whilst the proposed calendar covered a two-year period, there would be the opportunity to review the meeting dates for 2024/25, when the 2024/25 to 2025/26 Diary of Meetings was considered by Full Council in May, 2024.

Members noted that the final version of the diary would be agreed at the Annual Meeting of Council in May, 2023 and any amendments between consideration of the draft diary and this meeting, would be incorporated.

Following the introduction of the report, when Members in the Chamber were afforded the opportunity to comment on the report, the Mayor of Doncaster, Ros Jones, announced the following revised Cabinet meeting dates:-

·         The Cabinet meeting scheduled on 14th February, 2024 be rescheduled to 7th February, 2024; and

·         The Cabinet meeting scheduled on 12th February, 2025 be rescheduled to 5th February, 2025.

RESOLVED that

(1)      the proposed Diary of Meetings for the 2023/24 and 2024/25 Municipal Years, as attached at Appendix A to the report, be noted; and

(2)      the final version of the Diary of Meetings be presented to the Annual Meeting of Council in May, 2023, for final approval.

“In future any changes, including increases to the members allowance, should be debated as a separate and stand-alone agenda item as part of the budget.”

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 16.1, a Motion was submitted by Councillor Steve Cox and Seconded by Councillor Nick Allen:-

“In future any changes, including increases to the members allowance, should be debated as a separate and stand-alone agenda item as part of the budget.”

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 Steve Cox, which was declared as follows:-

For - 10

Against - 35

Abstain - 2

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

(i)       Questions on Notice to the Executive:-

None received for this meeting.

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

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 Steve Cox asked the following question:-

“What part have you personally played in the negotiations with Peel and the closure of the Airport.  Why do we constantly receive updates through a person on social media resulting in Councillors not receiving them?”

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

“Doncaster Sheffield Airport (DSA) was and hopefully will again be a key economic driver for Doncaster, South Yorkshire and the North.

There is a great deal of complexity and commercial confidentiality involved in both the negotiations, and CPO process. It is up to our Officers and appointed experts to ensure we are fully compliant and do everything within our power to save our Airport.

I am leading our efforts to see DSA reopened, but I am not an expert in aviation or in the legal processes involved.  However, I am fully abreast, regularly updated, and committed to doing all we can to see our Airport reopen.

We regularly keep our MPs and Councillors up to date, when we have something to share.

It is not the role of MPs to be a part of such negotiations; the role of an MP is to represent the interests and concerns of their constituents in the House of Commons.

Trying to indicate that either you as a Ward Member or the MP for Don Valley have been excluded is simply false.  You have all had separate briefings and discussions with our Chief Executive and other Council Officers in relation to the Airport, but you must understand and appreciate that DSA is a key Doncaster and South Yorkshire asset, which is why we are taking our current stance.

There is a great deal of community, business and press interest in our efforts to save DSA. This is why we are very careful with our updates to ensure commercial confidentiality and that we do not say anything that could hinder the chance of a successful CPO or leave this Council liable.

From the start, I committed to providing updates as and when we can.  I cannot and will not provide a running commentary, as this is a complex commercial and legal process.

Our MP for Don Valley is not helping the situation, as he continues to share misinformation, especially in relation to CPO, devolved powers and the timelines involved.  He is happy to criticise me on social media, yet not once has he called me to discuss our Airport. It would appear that the Conservatives have resorted to being the nasty party.”

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

Q.   “The question I asked was, what part have you played.  I did not  ...  view the full minutes text for item 55.

A.  South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority Board held on 14th November, 2022.

B.   South Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership Board held on 3rd November, 2022.

C.  South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority held on 10th October, 2022.

D.  South Yorkshire Pensions Authority held on 8th September and 8th December, 2022.

E.  South Yorkshire Pensions Authority Local Pension Board held on 4th August and 3rd November, 2022.

F.  South Yorkshire Police and Crime Panel held on 5th December, 2022.

G.  Team Doncaster Strategic Partnership held in 13th September, 2022.

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

A.  South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority Board held on 14th November, 2022.

B.   South Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership Board held on 3rd November, 2022.

C.  South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority held on 10th October, 2022.

D.  South Yorkshire Pensions Authority held on 8th September and 8th December, 2022.

E.  South Yorkshire Pensions Authority Local Pension Board held on 4th August and 3rd November, 2022.

F.  South Yorkshire Police and Crime Panel held on 5th December, 2022.

G.  Team Doncaster Strategic Partnership held in 13th September, 2022.