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 deaths of former Councillors Peter Farrell, John Mills and Ray Mullis, who had recently passed away.

There were no declarations of interest made at the meeting.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the Council Meeting held on Thursday, 19th November, 2020, 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:-

“I would first like to provide an update on the flooding situation.

Members are aware that we proactively declared a major incident for potential flooding.  We have seen a significant amount of rainfall and flood alerts are still in place.  It is an ongoing situation which we are monitoring closely.  Services have worked 24/7 to support local people and I would like to thank staff, communities and partners for their tremendous effort to put the robust plans in place, and for being there for our residents and businesses.  

Over the past year, Doncaster’s resilience has been tested to breaking point. 

Whilst residents and businesses were recovering from the devastating impact of the 2019 floods, the Covid-19 pandemic created an unprecedented health and economic crisis.  We have persevered and delivered for our communities as part of an incredible Team Doncaster effort to save lives, provide care and stop the virus spreading.

We have worked with partners to get financial support out to those whose businesses and livelihoods have been affected, whilst continuing to deliver housing, major projects and essential services for the people of Doncaster.  The response to the pandemic continues at pace, and we are supporting NHS colleagues to vaccinate priority groups, and to test for the virus.

We are continuing, where possible, to provide Council services and protect our most vulnerable residents, while working in a safe environment.  We need to continue to be innovative and agile in our response.

Responding to and recovering from the pandemic, will be our priority in 2021.  We have great cause for optimism with the roll out of vaccinations, but we are at a critical stage with the pandemic, and hospital admissions are still rising.

We have responded throughout the crisis to help people, communities, businesses and organisations, to get through the Covid emergency.  For example, we have:-

•   Supported 1,000s of residents struggling to pay their Council Tax;

•   Made quicker payments to small businesses;

•   Boosted funding for voluntary groups to help residents;

•   Increased Ward budgets;

•   Opened a Community Hub as a one-stop shop for advice and support, and provided 1,000s of food parcels;

•   Opened up Town Centres and got services back up and running when we could over the summer;

•   Developed a jobs and skills programme with partners; and

•   Secured £7m from the Government for capital projects.

I will shortly be announcing a further plan for the next 3 months.  The ‘Spring Sprint Plan’ will respond to the additional, acute impact of the pandemic on people and businesses.  It will build on the support already in place and include actions to:-

•   Ramp up the support for the most vulnerable residents in our communities; and

•   Support businesses and help residents get back to work.

At the same time, a clearer sense of hope for the future will come into view.  Council approved a Motion to declare on the climate change and biodiversity crisis.  

We  ...  view the full minutes text for item 29.

(a)   Question from Mr Chris Nowak to Councillor Chris McGuinness, Cabinet Member for Communities, Voluntary Sector and the Environment:-

“On March 17th last year Councillor Glyn Jones told me:-

‘The Council remains committed to ensuring that the people of Doncaster are not unduly impacted by the actions of an anti-social few.’

However this commitment has not been enough.  As I predicted at the Council meeting I attended 12 months ago, I am asking the same question.

Why is fly tipping of household waste still happening on a regular basis in the alleyways behind houses in Hexthorpe and other areas?

It seems the Council is happy to clean up the mess but not take positive action to stop it.”

(A)      Question from Mr. C. J. Nowak to Councillor Chris McGuinness, Cabinet Member for Communities, Voluntary Sector and the Environment:-

“On March 17th last year, Councillor Glyn Jones told me:-

‘The Council remains committed to ensuring that the people of Doncaster are not unduly impacted by the actions of an anti-social few.’

However, this commitment has not been enough.  As I predicted at the Council meeting I attended 12 months ago, I am asking the same question.

Why is fly-tipping of household waste still happening on a regular basis in the alleyways behind houses in Hexthorpe and other areas?

It seems the Council is happy to clean up the mess, but not take positive action to stop it.”

Councillor Chris McGuinness gave the following response:-

“Doncaster Council does not, and never has, permitted or condoned fly-tipping.  Fly-tipping is a national issue and something that blights both rural and urban areas of Doncaster.  As an Authority, we have taken a range of steps to provide advice and guidance to residents in affected areas, on the correct/legal means of waste disposal, especially in areas such as Hexthorpe where we have had a more transient population.  However, there continues to be instances of fly-tipping throughout the Borough and some of this is linked to organised crime.  We continue to work with partner agencies and South Yorkshire Police to address such activities. 

From an enforcement perspective, we have and continue to use a range of approaches and powers; these include:-

•   Inspection of fly-tipped waste to identify the source(s);

•   Installation of CCTV, overt and covert, to identify those responsible;

•   Officers undertaking regular inspections of known hotspots, Borough-wide, to identify issues and problems;

•   Ongoing engagement with landlords and residents about legal means of waste disposal as part of the Selective Licensing Scheme and general advice/guidance;

•   Additional funding through the Safer Streets Programme has been secured to install additional CCTV, improved street lighting and alley gates, to prevent anti-social behaviour, including fly-tipping; and

•   Multi-agency operations to tackle fly-tipping; waste carrier permit enforcement.

I think I should point out that through our Communications Team, we have reminded Doncaster residents repeatedly and will continue to do so, that under the duty of care, residents should check whether the carriers they are handing their waste to, are licensed carriers.  If the waste is traced back to the household, the household could receive a Fixed Penalty and that tends to take some people by surprise, but we will continue to issue Fixed Penalties to people we trace.

The 2020 Enforcement figures, Borough-wide are:-

•   8 successful prosecutions completed and 21 waiting to be heard;

•   73 Fixed Penalty Notices issued; and

•   2 vehicles have been seized and one has been crushed recently.

I should point out that if people know of anyone or who have heard of anyone who is waiting to be interviewed, or is waiting for a date to appear in Court, and it has been some considerable time due to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 30.

The Council considered the 2020 Director of Public Health Annual Report, which was presented by Dr Rupert Suckling.

The report, which was the sixth Annual Report authored by Dr Suckling, detailed the course of the global COVID-19 pandemic in Doncaster and included a rapid assessment of whether health was improving locally.  The report also demonstrated how the public health grant was being used locally and how the commissioned services had performed, and identified the role and content of a new Borough Strategy to support the recovery and renewal of Doncaster over the next decade.

Members were informed that the immediate lessons learnt from the COVID-19 pandemic included:-

• Doncaster people, families, communities, businesses, groups and institutions, had all pulled together amazingly, responding to need quickly and effectively;

• The importance of ‘key workers’ was reinforced during the first national lockdown;

• Not everyone had been impacted equally.  Existing inequalities, poverty and social exclusion were highlighted, and the following impacts were felt differently locally:-

o   Impacts directly from COVID

o   Impacts of overwhelmed health services

o   Impacts of changes to health services

o   Impacts of lockdown and other measures

o   Impacts on particular communities and groups

• National decision makers were too remote and lacked the local knowledge needed for many decisions, including the relaxing of the first national lockdown, the re-opening of Schools and return of elite sporting events;

• Pandemic preparation should not be neglected.  This included better understanding of how local people lived their lives, investment in health protection, establishing clear, agile, system leadership and supporting better data to aid management as well as increasing transparency; and

• Health and the economy were intrinsically linked and the best way to address the pandemic was good for both health and the economy.

In conclusion, the report made the following five recommendations for Team Doncaster and its partners:-

• Recognise, celebrate and support the role of ‘Key workers’ in the way Doncaster operated;

• Develop and adopt a new Borough Strategy to spearhead recovery and renewal;

• Continue to develop asset based, community centred approaches to health and wellbeing, working with and for communities;

• Revitalise approaches to health inequalities, poverty and social exclusion; and

• Learn the lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic and continue to prepare for future public health emergencies in light of the creation of the National Institute for Health Protection (NIHP) following the review of Public Health England.

RESOLVED that the Director of Public Health’s Annual Report for 2020, be noted and be published.

The Council considered a report, which was presented by Councillor Chris McGuinness, Cabinet Member for Communities, Voluntary Sector and the Environment, which sought approval of the Council’s Environment and Sustainability Strategy, which had been developed in response to the climate change and biodiversity emergency declaration made by Full Council in 2019.

In presenting this item, Councillor McGuinness emphasised the importance of the Strategy and pointed out that the climate and biodiversity crisis could not be tackled by any single organisation, group or sector alone, so the partners in ‘Team Doncaster’ recognised that a partnership approach was essential.

It was reported that the Strategy had been developed by multiple organisations and was based on the latest data and local resident opinion, which had been derived directly from numerous ‘Doncaster Talks’ exercises, and indirectly via elected representative workshops involving Ward Members, Parish Councils and MPs.  Consultation had taken place alongside the work of the Climate and Biodiversity Commission, which had been established following Full Council's Climate Change Emergency declaration.  The report and recommendations emanating from the consultation had been published just before Christmas.

Councillor McGuinness highlighted that at the heart of the Strategy, was an ambition to reduce Doncaster's contribution to climate change, protect and improve biodiversity in Doncaster, and become carbon neutral by 2040. He explained that this was consistent with the recommendations of the Climate and Biodiversity Commission and sat alongside a number of key objectives and actions under each topic within the Strategy, which were set out in detail in the report.

Councillor McGuinness also outlined that the Strategy also recognised the inter dependencies between these topics, as well as the links with other strategies such as health and wellbeing, economic growth, and the forthcoming Borough Strategy.  He pointed out that the response to these priorities did not start in 2021, as multiple partners had been working to reduce carbon emissions and help protect and enhance biodiversity for a number of years, and whilst some progress had been made, there was a significant way yet to go. 

Councillor McGuinness stated that whether that would be further investment in electric vehicles and charging infrastructure, continued improvement of housing and building energy efficiency, increased tree planting, or renewable energy, all partners needed to work collectively to ensure these interventions and impacts were achievable across all sectors, and all localities, so that the sustainability and wellbeing goals identified were realised by everyone.

It was noted that there were numerous supporting strategies and plans that sat beneath the partnership Strategy, and which provided detail on specific activities in specific areas, such as active travel plans, or a public and private sector tree planting. Councillor McGuinness pointed out that some of these supporting strategies were already in existence, but there were others that needed to be developed further, all of which were identified in the section within the Strategy as associated strategies and plans.

In conclusion, Councillor McGuinness emphasised that given the level of partner, resident and member engagement, it was no  ...  view the full minutes text for item 32.

The Council considered a report which outlined the draft diary of meetings for the 2021/22 and 2022/23 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 2022/23 when the 2022/23 to 2023/24 Diary of Meetings was considered by Full Council in May, 2022.

Members noted that the final version of the diary would be agreed at the Annual Meeting of Council in May, 2021 and any amendments between consideration of the draft diary and this meeting, would be incorporated.

RESOLVED that

(1)      the proposed Diary of Meetings for the 2021/22 and 2022/23 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, 2021, for final approval.

(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 Ian Pearson asked the following question:-

“I am appalled at the behaviour of the local Conservative MP, Nick Fletcher, and his ‘Trumpesque’ attitude to the storm and the bad weather at the moment by using it as a photo opportunity.

A year ago, my colleagues and I along with residents, met with him and he promised that he would do all he could and vote for everything to support the improvements for flooding and other green and blue issues.  I suspect that without the hard work and leadership of my colleague, Councillor Lani-Mae Ball, we would not be in the position we are today.  I would like to hear your feelings about this unacceptable attitude of this MP to make out he has done everything to help residents or contacted any of them during the flooding in Conisbrough and Denaby?”

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

“We have all been out there assisting with the latest flood alerts we have had, and again, I would like to pay tribute to our staff who have been working 24/7.  Nothing should be used as a photo opportunity; it should be about working together to get the funding for Doncaster, and as an MP, I would hope that their motives would be about bringing funding to Doncaster.  They have the ability to vote on many things going through Parliament; voting against providing free school meals through the holidays; that did not happen, it took us to move it forward.  We actually got the proposal for Universal Credit payments dropped.  The latest figures I have indicate the Universal Credit payments are being made to over 9,000 people in Don Valley and over 35,000 within the Borough.  Therefore, I ask that they work alongside of all our Councillors to get the best for the Borough.  It is deplorable if they do not take the residents’ views into account when voting.”

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

Q. “Is there anything we can do to bring this MP to account with regard to him failing to do what he promised to do for our residents.  I feel that he has lied to our residents about what he was going to do for them.  I think it is despicable to mislead people who are in such distress and worry over the last 12 months?”

A.The Mayor gave the following response:-

“Regular meetings are taking place between our Officers and our MP’s.  We will continue to write to them to ask them to support us in lobbying for different things.  I ask that all three MPs support us rather than just one  ...  view the full minutes text for item 34.

A.        Sheffield City Region Mayoral Combined Authority Board held on 21st September and 16th November, 2020.

B.      Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership Board held on 10th September and 5th November, 2020.

C.      South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority held on 12th October and 23rd November, 2020.

D.      South Yorkshire Pensions Authority held on 30th September, 2020.

E.      South Yorkshire Police and Crime Panel held on 7th September and 10th November, 2020.

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

A.     Sheffield City Region Mayoral Combined Authority Board held on 21st September and 16th November, 2020.

B.   Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership Board held on 10th September and 5th November, 2020.

C.   South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority held on 12th October and 23rd November, 2020.

D.   South Yorkshire Pensions Authority held on 30th September, 2020.

E.   South Yorkshire Police and Crime Panel held on 7th September and 10th November, 2020.