Agenda and minutes

Venue: Council Chamber, County Offices, Newland, Lincoln LN1 1YL

Contact: Rachel Wilson  Democratic Services Officer

Items
No. Item

26.

Apologies for Absence

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors B Adams, J W Beaver, C J T H Brewis, R G Fairman, R L Foulkes, C E H Marfleet, Miss E L Ransome, Mrs A E Reynolds, P A Robinson and Mrs L A Rollings.

27.

Declarations of Councillors' Interests

Minutes:

There were no declarations of councillors' interests at this point in the meeting.

28.

Minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 20 May 2016 pdf icon PDF 157 KB

Minutes:

RESOLVED

 

            That the minutes of the meeting held on 20 May 2016 be signed by the Chairman as a correct record.

29.

Chairman's Announcements pdf icon PDF 196 KB

Minutes:

The Chairman thanked all those councillors who attended the annual County Council Service of Dedication in the Parish Church of St Michael and All Angels, Uffington.  It had been a most pleasurable day for the Chairman and his Lady and from the feedback received the Chairman's decision to hold the service in his Electoral Division had been well received.

 

It was reported that this was the last full Council meeting before the retirement of Dr Tony Hill, Executive Director of Public Health Lincolnshire.  The Chairman thanked him, on behalf of the Council, for his work over the past three and a half years.

 

The Chairman congratulated all the Team GB Olympians and Paralympians for their successes in Rio, particularly those from Lincolnshire.  It was hoped that there would be an event to celebrate their achievements, not only the medal winners, but those who qualified as well.

 

The Chairman reported that this year's Lincolnshire Show had been a huge success, particularly with the County Council stand winning the Ransom Cup for Best Non-Agricultural Stand.  Particular thanks were expressed to Mark Stoneham and the Communications Team for all their hard work with this year's Show.

 

On a sadder note, the Chairman reported the death of former County Councillor Larry Wells who represented the Lincoln Boultham electoral division from May 1981 to May 1993.  Councillors and Officers stood in silent memory, and were then invited to pay tribute.

30.

Statements/Announcements by the Leader and Members of the Executive pdf icon PDF 77 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Statements by the Leader and Members of the Executive had been circulated with the agenda.  Further to the statement by Councillor B Young, which was printed in the agenda pack, he provided members with an update to the Council's Pay Policy Statement regarding Draft Government Regulations, as follows:

 

The Pay Policy Committee considered a report at its meeting in July 2016, regarding the changes to be made to the Pay Policy Statement, as a result of the draft Repayment of Public Sector Exit Payments Regulations 2016, for recommendation to this meeting.

 

Due to delays in finalising the Regulations, the revised Pay Policy Statement cannot be presented to this meeting.

 

An update will be provided at a future meeting once the position is clarified.

 

Furthermore, it was anticipated that the Public Sector Exit Cap Regulations, due to be implemented on or around 1st October 2016 will be delayed. Again, a future update will be provided to the Council once full details are known, including how this will impact on the Council's Pay Policy.

 

31.

Questions to the Chairman, the Leader, Executive Councillors, Chairman of Committees and Sub-Committees

Minutes:

Questions pursuant to Council procedure Rule 10.3 were asked and answered as follows:

 

Question by

Answered by

Subject

 

(a) R C Kirk

Mrs P A Bradwell

Delayed transfers of care

 

(b) Mrs M J Overton MBE

M J Hill OBE

Commissioning of contracts

 

(c) I G Fleetwood

C J Davie

Growth agenda

 

(d) S R Dodds

Mrs P A Bradwell

Government proposals regarding grammar schools

 

(e) S L W Palmer

M J Hill OBE

Supporting the work of the town and parish councils

 

(f) C E D Mair

R G Davies

Councillors contacting highways officers

 

(g) J D Hough

M J Hill OBE

Impacts of 'Brexit'

 

(h) C Pain

C J Davie

Maintenance of riverbanks by the Environment Agency

 

(i) N M Murray

C N Worth

Support for St Giles Youth Centre

 

(j) R Wootten

M J Hill OBE

 Opening hours at Grantham Hospital

 

(k) Mrs H N J Powell

R G Davies

Grass cutting and roundabouts

 

(l) N I Jackson

R G Davies

Sunday train services

 

(m) K J Clarke

B Young

Government levy on apprenticeships

 

(n) A M Austin

Mrs P A Bradwell

Recruitment of care workers in Boston

 

(o) W S Webb

M J Hill OBE

Update on present position with the devolution agenda

 

(p) R B Parker

M J Hill OBE

Local government finance settlement

 

(q) G J Ellis

R G Davies

Road improvement schemes

 

(r) P M Dilks

Mrs P A Bradwell

Grammar Schools

 

(s) R A Renshaw

R G Davies

Visit to Nettleham Road, Lincoln

 

(t) V C Ayling

R G Davies

Site visit to Toynton All Saints.

 

32.

Review of Financial Performance 2016/17 pdf icon PDF 172 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

A report by the Executive Director Finance and Public Protection had been circulated.

 

It was proposed, seconded and agreed that the Council Procedure Rules be temporarily suspended to allow for one debate to take place.

 

It was moved and seconded that

 

The County Council be recommended to:

 

1.    Note the carry forwards set out in paragraph 1.2 and 1.3 of the report, which were made in line with the Council's Financial Regulations, and approve the Information and Commissioning underspend up to 1% not being carried forward as part of the Information and Commissioning budgets but instead added to the underspends above 1% for the purposes of recommendation 2 below;

 

2.    Approve the proposed use of carry forwards of over and under spending in excess of 1% as set out in paragraph 1.4 of the report;

 

3.    Note the transfers to and from reserves summarised in Table A of this report and the position of earmarked reserves as at 31 March 2016 summarised in Table B of the report;

 

4.    Note the position in relation to general reserves set out in paragraph 1.8 and Table C of this report; and

 

5.    Note performance against the Prudential Indicators for 2015/16 as set out in paragraphs 1.10 to 1.11 and Table D of the report.

 

An amendment by the Labour Group was moved and seconded as follows:

 

Summary: To amend the amount recommended to be transferred to the Financial Volatility Reserve by £3.5 million and instead to use that funding to create a

·         a Household Waste Recycling Centres reserve - £0.5m

·         a Adult Care Services Cost Pressures Reserve - £1.5m

·         a Children's Services Cost Pressures Reserve - £1.5m

 

Page 96 – Recommendation 3 – add the words 'as amended' after both Table A and Table B.

 

Page 71 – 1.4 – first bullet point, first sentence - amend year end transfer to £9.675m from £13.175m.

 

Page 71 – 1.4 – fourth bullet point – add three new reserves as follows:

 

Household Waste Recycling Centres reserve - £0.5m

 

Adult Care Services Cost Pressures Reserve - £1.5m

 

Children's Services Cost Pressures Reserve - £1.5m

 

Page 72 – Table A – Other Earmarked Reserves block – add the three new reserves as follows:

 

Household Waste Recycling Centres reserve - £500,000

 

Adult Care Services Cost Pressures Reserve - £1,500,000

 

Children's Services Cost Pressures Reserve - £1,500,000

 

Page 72 – Table A – amend the figure in the Financial Volatility Reserve line from £8,011,183 to £4,511,183.

 

Page 73 – Table B – Earmarked Reserves block – add the three new reserves as follows:

 

Household Waste Recycling Centres reserve - £500,000

 

Adult Care Services Cost Pressures Reserve - £1,500,000

 

Children's Services Cost Pressures Reserve - £1,500,000

 

Page 73 – Table B – amend the Financial Volatility Reserve line from £23.623m to £20.123m.

 

A request for a recorded vote on the amendment was successful, and upon being put to the vote, the amendment was lost.

 

Details of recorded vote taken:

 

Those voting for the amendment:

 

K J Clarke, P M  ...  view the full minutes text for item 32.

33.

Budget Update - Efficiency Strategy and Plan plus Flexible Use of Capital Receipts pdf icon PDF 154 KB

Minutes:

A report by the Executive Director Finance and Public Protection had been circulated.

 

It was moved and seconded that

 

It was recommended that the Council:

 

1.    Approve adoption and publication of the Efficiency Plan attached at Appendix A of the report as the Council's Efficiency Plan for the purposes of applying for a four year settlement and the Council's Flexible Use of Capital Receipts Strategy for 2016/17;

 

2.    Note the effect of the above Flexible Use of Capital Receipts Strategy on the Council's Prudential Indicators for the period 2016/17 to 2019/20 as set out in Appendix A of the report; and

 

3.    Approve acceptance of the offer of a four year funding settlement from government (for the period 2016/17 to 2019/20).

 

A recorded vote was successfully requested, and upon being put to the vote the motion was carried:

 

Those voting for the amendment:

 

W J Aron, A M Austin, Mrs P A Bradwell, Mrs J Brockway, M Brookes, C J Davie, R G Davies, I G Fleetwood, A G Hagues, M J Hill OBE, D C Hoyes MBE, M S Jones, B W Keimach, J R Marriott, D McNally, Mrs A M Newton, P J O'Connor, C R Oxby, N H Pepper, R J Phillips, Mrs S Rawlins, R A Shore, Mrs E J Sneath, C L Strange, Mrs C A Talbot, T M Trollope-Bellew, A H Turner MBE JP, S M Tweedale, W S Webb, Mrs S Woolley, L Wootten, R Wootten, C N Worth, Mrs S Wray and B Young.

 

Those voting FOR - 38

 

Those voting against the amendment:

 

M G Allan, Mrs V C Ayling, A J Jesson, C E D Mair, R A H McAuley, Mrs M J Overton MBE, C Pain, S L W Palmer, Miss F E E Ransome, Mrs S Ransome, Mrs N J Smith and P Wood.

 

Those voting AGAINST – 12

 

Those abstaining:

 

K J Clarke, P M Dilks, G J Ellis, J D Hough, D M Hunter-Clarke, R J Hunter-Clarke, N I Jackson, R C Kirk, D C Morgan, N M Murray, R B Parker, Mrs H N J Powell, Mrs J M Renshaw and R A Renshaw.

 

ABSTENTIONS – 14

 

RESOLVED

 

That the Council:

 

 

1.    Approve adoption and publication of the Efficiency Plan attached at Appendix A of the report as the Council's Efficiency Plan for the purposes of applying for a four year settlement and the Council's Flexible Use of Capital Receipts Strategy for 2016/17;

 

2.    Note the effect of the above Flexible Use of Capital Receipts Strategy on the Council's Prudential Indicators for the period 2016/17 to 2019/20 as set out in Appendix A of the report; and

 

3.    Approve acceptance of the offer of a four year funding settlement from government (for the period 2016/17 to 2019/20).

 

34.

Changes to the Constitution pdf icon PDF 99 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

A report by the Monitoring Officer had been circulated.

 

It was moved, seconded and

 

RESOLVED

 

            That the Council approve the changes to Part 2 and Part 3 of the     Council's Constitution as set out in Appendix A and B of the report      respectively, to take effect from 17 October 2016.

35.

Motions on Notice Submitted in Accordance with the Council's Constitution

Minutes:

(1) Motion by Councillor R Wootten

 

It was moved and seconded:

 

That this Council understands the staffing shortages throughout health and care services in Lincolnshire and the decision to temporarily close emergency services at Grantham Hospital if patient safety is at risk. However, this Council urges United Lincolnshire Hospital Trust to re-instate those services at the hospital at the earliest opportunity.

 

The mover of the amendment previously submitted in the Order of Proceedings requested that the amendment be withdrawn.  This was granted by the Council

 

Upon being put to the vote, the motion was unanimously carried.

 

(2) Motion by Councillor P M Dilks

 

It was moved and seconded that:

 

This Council pays tribute to the dedication and achievements of staff and pupils at our existing secondary schools across Lincolnshire, whether Comprehensive, Grammar or Secondary Modern.

 

GCSE results at all levels across Lincolnshire clearly demonstrate that the most academic students can excel whether they are selected at age 11 as academically elite and destined for a grammar education or whether they are educated in a true all-ability comprehensive.

We welcome new Prime Minister Theresa May’s ambition to improve social mobility but agree with her predecessor David Cameron’s statements in May 2007 when he said history shows that establishing Grammar Schools was

 

"extremely difficult and... often leads to them being very unpopular and they are then got rid of".

 

Mr Cameron dismissed the Grammar School debate as pointless adding:

 

"...Parents fundamentally don't want their children divided into sheep and goats at the age of 11."

 

Dividing and separating children from their peers only serves to reinforce the deep divisions in our society, rather than challenge them.

 

Evidence from Lincolnshire and across the country shows that where there is selection there is a bigger attainment gap between disadvantaged children and their peers. The achievement gap last year in the numbers achieving 5+ A*-C GCSE’s in selective areas was 37 but in England as whole was only 28.

 

Almost 12% of students in Lincolnshire’s Secondary Modern Schools are on free school meals, compared to only 3% at Grammar Schools.

 

So much for the claim that Grammar Schools improve social mobility. The fact is, today, here in Lincolnshire, and elsewhere, selection acts as a glass ceiling to young people from the most socially deprived sections of the communities.

 

Real school improvement and equality of opportunity comes not from selection but through schools collaborating, and being properly supported along with relentless focus on the quality of teaching and leadership.

 

We believe that the Prime Minister’s offer of allowing every school to become selective is as flawed as the previous Government’s plan announced just a few months ago for mandatory Academisation of every school.

 

This Council understands why many parents support the notion of a Grammar School in every town - until their own child fails the entrance examination and is consigned to what is seen by many as a lifetime of rejection.

 

Where a local secondary school chooses to go selective and refuses places to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 35.

 

 
 
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