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 Nuala Fennelly.

The Chair, Paul Wray, welcomed Elected Members, Officers and members of the public to the meeting and asked that they remain standing whilst they were led in prayer by the Civic Chaplain, Canon Reverend David Stevens.

It was MOVED by Councillor Jane Cox and SECONDED by Councillor Cynthia Ransome that Councillor Richard Allan Jones be elected as Chair of Council of Doncaster Metropolitan Borough for the 2021/22 Municipal Year.

RESOLVED that Councillor Richard Allan Jones be hereby elected as Chair of Council of Doncaster Metropolitan Borough for the 2021/22 Municipal Year.

It was MOVED by Councillor Lani-Mae Ball and SECONDED by Councillor Nigel Ball that Councillor Ian Pearson be elected as Vice-Chair of Doncaster Metropolitan Borough for the 2021/22 Municipal Year.

RESOLVED that Councillor Ian Pearson be hereby elected as Vice-Chair of Council of Doncaster Metropolitan Borough for the 2021/22 Municipal Year.

The Chair of Council, Councillor Richard Allan Jones, delivered his inaugural speech.

“This is an extremely proud moment both for me and my family.

To be chosen as the Civic Mayor of Doncaster is a great honour and I would like to thank Councillors Jane Cox and Cynthia Ransome for their nomination today.  I would also like to thank Jane and Steve Cox for all the support that they have, and will continue to give me as fellow Ward Councillors.

I would also like to thank all my family and friends for the support that they have given me, and will continue to give me in the future.  Without them I would not be here today.

We are emerging from a very difficult period in all our lives and as we return to a more recognisable level of normality, I hope that I will have the opportunity to visit our communities and meet with the individuals, voluntary groups, charities and businesses, who have worked so hard over the past 15 months to provide essential services and support to the most vulnerable in our society.

I have not had the luxury of a year as Deputy Civic Mayor to ease me into the role, but I am looking forward to the coming year immensely, which I am sure will be exciting, interesting and exhausting in equal measure.

I would also like to thank my predecessor, Paul Wray and his Mayoress Elizabeth Marsden, for the work he has done and to wish him all the very best for the future as he retires from local politics.

Finally, I would like to announce that I have chosen to support Children with Cancer UK during my year in office and I hope that you will all support me to raise much needed funds for this very worthy cause.

Thank you again for bestowing this honour upon me.”

It was MOVED by Councillor Jane Kidd and SECONDED by Councillor David Nevett, that the Council place on record its thanks and appreciation to Paul Wray for the manner in which he had fulfilled his role as Chair of Council for the 2020/21 Municipal Year.

Paul Wray responded as follows:-

“It was a great honour for me when I was chosen to serve as Civic Mayor of Doncaster for a second time.  I knew at the time of my appointment, that I would not be standing for re-election in May this year, so it was particularly poignant for me to end my career in local politics on such a special note.

I also knew that it would be a completely different experience the second time around. Civic Duties have been severely curtailed because of the restrictions that we have all had to live and work under, but it has not in any way, diminished the sense of pride that I feel for the role.

Together, the people of Doncaster have been through so much in the past 15 months and I continue to be humbled, and inspired by the way our communities have pulled together to support each other during this difficult time.  I hope that we can now look forward, with increasing confidence, to a return to ‘normal life’ as the restrictions are eased.

To all newly Elected Members attending their first meeting of Council today and to my colleagues who have been re-elected, I would like to say a huge thank you for your willingness, passion and commitment to serve the people of Doncaster.  Always remember that it is a great honour to be elected to represent your community.  It is a very rewarding, difficult and sometimes thankless role, but one that gives you an opportunity to make a real difference to the lives of the people you represent.

On a personal note, I would like to say a big thank you to my wife, Sue and to all my family and friends.  It would not have been possible for me to carry out the role of Civic Mayor, and a Councillor, without their unstinting support, loyalty, love and understanding.

Thank you also to my very good friend Elizabeth Marsden, who once again agreed to be my Mayoress.

I would also like to record my thanks to my fellow Ward Councillors for Wheatley and Intake Ward, Councillor Jane Kidd and former Councillor, Eva Hughes.  They have been a tremendous support, taking on additional work to allow me to carry out my role as Civic Mayor.  A huge thank you to both of you.

A final thank you to the team of Officers in the Civic Office, David, Mandy and Dave, for their support and guidance throughout my time as Civic Mayor; it is greatly appreciated.

I would like to finish by wishing my successor Councillor Richard Allan Jones all the very best during his time as Civic Mayor.

Thank you.”

There were no declarations of interest made at the meeting.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the Council Meeting held on Monday, 1st March, 2021, 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 announcement:-

“First of all, I would like to welcome back both our returning Councillors and all our new Councillors; it is great to see so many new and younger faces.

I and my Cabinet will work to deliver a safer, stronger, cleaner, greener and healthier Doncaster Borough for all.

For 2021/22, I will be allocating half of my Mayoral allowance to support my pledge to see a million trees planted across Doncaster.

Responding to the challenge of climate change is not just about reducing emissions, it is about our ambitions for the type of Borough we want to see in the future, how we hold and protect, and enhance the natural environment for future generations, the type of economy that is innovative and inclusive built on clean growth and decent wages, the type of health and care system that is sustainable, and responsive to future demands that will be placed upon it.

We will be going local and going deep.  Doncaster is the largest Metropolitan Borough in the Country with both rural and urban communities, each with differing issues and individual communities.  As we recover from the pandemic, I want to see an economic and social recovery that leaves no-one behind.

I want us to all work together, to put political party differences aside.  Only together can we bring real improvements for our residents and our Borough.”

The Council considered a report which advised Members of the outcome of the combined Local and Mayoral Elections held on Thursday, 6th May, 2021.

Members noted that the Electorate for the combined election was 227,679.  For the Mayoral Election, 60,205 postal votes had been issued to electors in a combined pack with a total of 36,023 being returned giving a Postal Vote return rate of 59.82% and a total turnout of 28.05%.  For the Local Borough Election, 35,974 postal votes had been returned giving a Postal Vote return rate of 59.75% and a total turnout of 28.02%.

RESOLVED that the results of the Combined Local and Mayoral Elections, held on Thursday, 6th May, 2021, be noted.

The Council received an oral update from the Mayor of Doncaster, Ros Jones, with regard to the composition and constitution of the Executive for the 2021/22 Municipal Year, and announced that the Cabinet would be comprised as follows:-

Councillor Glyn Jones

Deputy Mayor and lead on Housing and Business

Councillor Lani-Mae Ball

Cabinet Member for Education, Skills & Young People

Councillor Nigel Ball

Cabinet Member for Public Health, Leisure, Culture and Planning

Councillor Joe Blackham

Cabinet Member for Highways, Infrastructure and Enforcement

Councillor Rachel Blake

Cabinet Member for Children's Social Care, Communities and Equalities

Councillor Phil Cole

Cabinet Member for Finance, including the Council’s Traded Services

Councillor Mark Houlbrook

Cabinet Member for Sustainability and Waste, and lead on the Council’s response to climate change and its plan to be Carbon Neutral by 2040

Councillor Jane Nightingale

Cabinet Member for Corporate Resources

Councillor Andrea Robinson

Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care

RESOLVED that the Mayor’s oral report to Council on the composition of the Executive, be noted.

The Council considered a report which sought approval for a number of proposed revisions to the Terms of Reference for Council appointed Committees and Sub-Committees.

The Terms of Reference were approved at Council each year and ensured that the highest standards of governance were met, and allowed for the proper discharge of functions.

Council noted that changes had been proposed to the Terms of Reference to the Licensing Committee, Elections and Democratic Structures Committee, Health and Wellbeing Board and the Doncaster Covid-19 Oversight Board, which had been appended to the report at Appendix A, with proposed deletions shown as crossed through, and additions in bold italics.

RESOLVED that

(1)      the proposed revisions to the Terms of Reference, as set out in paragraphs 8-10 and in Appendix A of the report, be approved;

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

(3)       the Constitution be updated to reflect the revisions to Terms of Reference as agreed.

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

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 Panels,had been circulated to Members and tabled 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:-

(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

(1)      seats on Committees and Sub-Committees be allocated as set out in the table at paragraph 25 of the report, subject to the Labour Group losing 1 seat on the Chief Officers Appeals Committee and the Mexborough First Group losing 1 on the Awards, Grants and Transport (Appeals) Committee;

(2)      as a consequence of the loss of the 2 seats detailed at (1) above, the two seats, 1 seat to be allocated to the Conservative Group and 1 seat be allocated to the Independent Member, Councillor Rob Reid, as follows:-

(a)     Councillor Martin Greenhalgh

·      Awards, Grants and Transport (Appeals) Committee

(b)     Councillor Rob Reid

·      Chief Officers Appeals Committees

(3)      the membership of Committees and Sub-Committees for 2021/22 including substitute provision in respect of the Chief Officers Appointments Committee, the Chief Officers Appeals Committee and the Employee Relations Disputes Resolution Committee, be as set out in the schedule attached to these minutes at Appendix A  ...  view the full minutes text for item 13.

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 2021/22 Municipal Year.  The list of nominations had been circulated to Members and tabled at the meeting, following the dispatch of agenda papers.

It was noted 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.

Prior to the determination of the report, Councillor Austen White referred to an email he had received from Grant Thornton, the Council’s External Auditor, which had been sent to him as Chair of the Audit Committee, which raised a potential independence issue at the Council regarding a Council nominee.   Councillor White sought the assurance of Officers with regard to the appointment of Councillor Glen Bluff on the Audit Committee.  In response, the Chief Executive, Damian Allen, stated that the Council had also received similar correspondence from Grant Thornton and confirmed that there was no independence issue in relation to the Audit Committee or any conflict of interest, and that the Conservative Group’s nomination could stand pending agreement from Full Council.

RESOLVED that the Chairs and Vice-Chairs of Committees and Sub-Committees for the 2021/22 Municipal Year, be as follows:-

Members considered the Diary of Meetings for 2021/23, which detailed the dates of all meetings, training and scheduled events for the 2021/22 and 2022/23 Municipal Years.

The draft diary had previously been considered at the Council Meeting on 21st January, 2021, and had allowed Members the opportunity to make any changes, if necessary.

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 approved; and

(2)       the schedule of Cabinet Meetings as determined by the Mayor of Doncaster, be noted.

The Council considered a report which sought the appointment of representatives to the schedule of Council Appointments to Outside Bodies for the 2021/22 Municipal Year.  The list of nominations had been circulated to Members and tabled at the meeting, following the dispatch of agenda papers.

RESOLVED that the Council appointments to Outside Bodies, as set out in the nomination lists circulated to Members, be approved subject to Councillor Richard Allen Jones replacing Councillor Glen Bluff as the appointed Member on the Sheffield City Region Audit and Standards Committee and Councillor Glen Bluff replacing Councillor Richard Allen Jones as the Substitute Member on the Sheffield City Region Audit and Standards Committee.

The Council considered a report which sought approval to adopt the Local Government Association (LGA) new Model Code of Conduct, as recommended by this Council’s Audit Committee.

It was reported that the current Standards Regime and most Council Codes of Conduct dated back to the Localism Act 2011.  As the Council’s current Code of Conduct for Members was adopted on 12th July, 2012, and as the world had changed substantially since that point, the current Codes had not envisaged the impact of Social Media and the occasional issues that those interactions could cause. 

In 2019, the Committee on Standards in Public Life (CSPL) produced a report into Local Government ethical standards, where its remit was to assure itself that the ethical standards introduced by the Localism Act remained “conducive to promoting and maintaining the standards expected by the public”.  Whilst the Committee largely satisfied itself that the processes in place were appropriate, its main recommendation was that an updated model Code of Conduct be created, providing consistency across England and to reflect the common expectations of the public regardless of geography or tier.  The LGA was tasked with creating an updated model Code, in consultation with representative bodies of Councillors and Officers of all tiers of Local Government. 

Members noted that a key finding from the consultation was the need for further guidance and explanation about key aspects of the Code and Conduct in general.  It was a fundamental aim of the revised Code that it should be from the Councillor's perspective, and a tool to support Councillors in achieving and maintaining high standards of conduct.  The LGA also had the objective that the Code should form the basis of a 'social contract' with the general public, to address issues of public intimidation against Councillors and to help set a framework for public and Councillor interaction, emphasising the importance of courtesy and respect.  A final aim of the model Code was to be concise, written in plain English and be understandable to Members, Officers and the public.

Following the close of the consultation and the issue of a final national model Code, at its meeting held on 29th April 2021, the Audit Committee considered the content of the new Model Code and agreed to recommend to Full Council that the new Code be adopted.  The Council was therefore requested to consider the new model Code of Conduct which was detailed within Appendix A and agree to its adoption with immediate effect. 

RESOLVED that

(1)      the Local Government Association Model Code of Conduct, be adopted and come into force with immediate effect;

(2)      that the Monitoring Officer be given delegated powers to grant dispensations to Members on the grounds set out in paragraphs 11 to 14 of this report, and that the Audit Committee’s Terms of Reference be amended accordingly; and

(3)      it be noted that a number of other consequential changes to various parts of the Council Constitution arising from the adoption of the revised Code of Conduct,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 17.

The Council considered a report which sought Council approval of the Member Development activities and Seminars scheduled for 2021/22, and the approach to a four year Member Training and Development Programme to 2024/25.

RESOLVED that

(1)      the programme of Member Development activities and Seminars scheduled for 2021/22, as detailed within Appendix A to the report, including the list of training deemed to be mandatory for all Members and for specific groups of Members, be approved;

(2)      the approach to a four year Member Development Programme outlined within paragraphs 16 to 17 of the report, be approved; and

(3)      Members be developed further as digitally enabled Councillors and remote and face-to-face sessions be continued to encourage Member attendance and engagement in training and development.

The Council considered a report which sought approval to confer the Freedom of the Borough on James Coppinger.

It was reported that James Coppinger signed for Doncaster Rovers in 2004 and was the longest-serving player in the club’s history and had played beyond his 40th birthday.  He had been a virtual ever-present in the side during that time and was an integral part of Doncaster Rovers squads that won promotion from League One twice, League Two once and the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy.  Off the pitch, James had been a regular at community events and joined other club staff and fans in hiking the Inca Trail in Peru in 2011, which raised more than £50,000 for Save The Children and the NSPCC.

Members noted that James had been a powerful advocate in recent years about mental health and sharing his story, and had set up a business called Pro Mindset, helping young footballers improve their mental approach to the game.  He had been heavily involved in the club’s activities around mental health and designed the recent charity shirt which was sponsored by Campaign Against Living Miserably charity, which was also used as a celebration of his time at the club.

RESOLVED that the application to bestow the Freedom of the Borough on James Coppinger, be supported.