Agenda and minutes

          The minutes of the meeting of Council held on 20 May 2016, having been circulated, were taken as read and signed as a correct record.

          The Mayor made the following announcements:

·       He had recently attended an event at Brookvale Primary School to commemorate the Diana Anti-Bullying Champions Award, which had been given to the Brookvale Buddies for the tenth year in a row; and

·       The Ushakov medal had been awarded to seven Halton residents who had served on the Arctic Convoys to Russia in World War Two. A formal ceremony would take place on 19 July 2016, with the Mayor in attendance.

          The Leader made the following announcements:

·       The Leader’s Briefing had recently been circulated to Members;

·       The consultation on devolution arrangements for the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority had been published, and views were invited on the Scheme and Governance arrangements by 5 August 2016;

·       There would be a special meeting of Council on 14 September 2016 starting at 6.30pm. This would be preceded by a presentation on Liverpool City Region Governance arrangements at 5.30pm for all Members; and

·       The Appointments Committee had appointed Mr Milorad Vasic as the new Strategic Director – People – who would take up his post in October 2016.

          The Council considered the minutes of the Executive Board meetings on 28 January 2016, 11 February 2016, 25 February 2016, 10 March 2016, 24 March 2016, 7 April 2016, 17 May 2016 and 16 June 2016.

          RESOLVED: That the minutes be received.

          The Council considered the minutes of the Health and Wellbeing Board meeting on 9 March 2016.

          RESOLVED: That the minutes be received.

          It was noted that no questions had been submitted under Standing Order No.8.

The Council considered the report of the Scrutiny Co-ordinator, outlining the Annual Reports for each of the Policy and Performance Boards (PPBs) for 2015/16, which had been submitted and which outlined their work and made recommendations for future work programmes.

          RESOLVED: That the 2015/16 Annual Reports, submitted from the Policy and Performance Boards, be received.

Standards Committee had considered the Annual Report of the Operational Director/ Monitoring Officer, which summarised the work of the Committee in the last Municipal Year.

RECOMMENDED: That the report be noted and referred to Council for information.

Standards Committee had considered the attached report of the Operational Director, Legal and Democratic Services/Monitoring Officer, which summarised the work of the Standards Committee in its Annual Report.

RESOLVED: That the report be noted.

Following the recent restructuring of the Council’s Senior Management Structure, arising from the resignation of the Strategic Director, People and Economy, it is necessary for the Council to designate one of its senior team as its “statutory” Director of Children’s Services in accordance with statutory guidance, a role previously performed by the former SD –People and Economy.

It is therefore RECOMMENDED: That

1)    Tracey Coffey be designated as the Council’s “statutory” Director of Children’s Services as an individual who has the knowledge, skills and experience to fulfil that role; and

2)    The Chief Executive, in consultation with the Leader, be authorised to make any other consequential changes in officer delegations, consequent on that restructuring, which need to be done in advance of the usual annual review of the Council’s Constitution.

          Council was advised that, following the recent restructuring of the Council’s Senior Management Structure, which arose from the resignation of the Strategic Director, People and Economy, it was necessary for the Council to designate one of its senior team as its “statutory” Director of Children’s Services. This was in accordance with statutory guidance, a role previously performed by the former Strategic Director, People and Economy.

          RESOLVED: That

1)    Tracey Coffey be designated as the “statutory” Director of Children’s Services as an individual who has the knowledge, skills and experience to fulfil the role; and

2)    the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Leader, be authorised to make any other consequential changes in officer delegations, consequent on that restructuring, which need to be done in advance of the usual annual review of the Council’s Constitution.

          The Council considered the reports of the following Boards in the period since the meeting of Council on 3 February 2016:-

·       Children, Young People and Families;

·       Employment, Learning and Skills and Community;

·       Health;

·       Safer;

·       Environment and Urban renewal;

·       Corporate; and

·       Business Efficiency Board.

Following a question from Councillor Chris Loftus, the Chair of the Health Policy and Performance Board, Councillor Joan Lowe agreed that the Board would receive a report at its next meeting which provided detail on the effect that the increase in the National Living Wage had had on the budgets of the Borough’s Residential/Care Homes.

(N.B. Councillor Cole declared a Disclosable Other Interest in Minute DEV52 of the Development Control Committee of 16 May 2016, as he was a Member of Halton Housing Trust Board)

          The Council considered the reports of the following Committees in the period since the meeting of Council on 3 February 2016:-

·       Development Control;

·       Regulatory;

·       Standards;

·       Appeals Panel; and

·       Appointments Committee.

(N.B. Councillor Norman Plumpton Walsh declared a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest in the following item of business as he was an employee of the Department for Education, left the room and took no part in the discussion)

          Council considered a Notice of Motion submitted in accordance with Standing Order Number 6.

          The Motion was proposed by Councillor Tom McInerney and seconded by Councillor Mark Dennett.

Supporting Our Schools

Halton Council are committed to having aspirational and effective education for all our children.

Currently, the vast majority of our schools are good or outstanding and we are committed to seeing all our schools achieve the highest standard of attainment.

The partnership between schools in Halton and Halton Council is a strong one which has delivered good educational outcomes for Halton’s children, including the added value through extra-curricular activities.

The current Tory Government proposed in their March 2016 Budget to force all schools to become Academies by 2022. This is still the Government’s ultimate goal.

The Council believes this ideologically driven policy will not deliver the aspirational and effective education we want for all children in Halton.

We believe this Council has a continued role to play in the future education of our children in Halton.

We call on the Secretary of State for Education to allow us to work with all those schools who want to, in creating a new educational partnership.

          RESOLVED: That the motion be agreed.

The Local Government Ombudsman has issued a report against the Council following her investigation of an Adult Care Services complaint (Copy enclosed separately).

The Ombudsman has found there has been fault on the part of the Council.

The Council has agreed to take the action which the Ombudsman regards as providing a satisfactory remedy. The Council is in the process of implementing the recommendations contained in the report and will report back to the Ombudsman in due course.

          Council considered a report of the Local Government Ombudsman following an investigation into a complaint against the Council.

The Council had agreed to take the action which the Ombudsman regarded as providing a satisfactory remedy. The Council was in the process of implementing the recommendations contained in the report and would report back to the Ombudsman in due course.

          RESOLVED: That the report be noted.

        In this case Council has a discretion to exclude the press and public and, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted, it is RECOMMENDED that under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, having been satisfied that in all the circumstances of the case the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraphs 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Act.

Please note that if this resolution is passed, members of the press and public will be asked to leave the room prior to the consideration of the following business.

            Council considered:

(1)      whether Members of the press and public should be excluded from the meeting of the Board during consideration of the following item of business in accordance with Sub-Section 4 of Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972 because it was likely that, in view of the nature of the business to be considered, exempt information would be disclosed, being information defined in Section 100 (1) and paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972; and

(2)      whether the disclosure of information was in the public interest, whether any relevant exemptions were applicable and whether, when applying the public interest test and exemptions, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighed that in disclosing the information.

          RESOLVED: That as, in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighed the public interest in disclosing the information, members of the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following item of business in accordance with Sub-Section 4 of Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972 because it was likely that, in view of the nature of the business, exempt information would be disclosed, being information defined in Section 100 (1) and paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972.

(N.B. Councillors Polhill and McDermott declared a Disclosable Other Interest in the following item of business as they were both Board Members of Widnes Regeneration, left the room and took no part in the discussion)

Executive Board considered the attached Part II report.

RECOMMENDED: That Council approve the allocation of Capital Funding, not exceeding £235k, to acquire the sites outlined in the report.

          Executive Board had considered the report of the Strategic Director, People and Economy, on the proposed acquisition of land and property in Widnes, as set out in the report.

          RESOLVED: That the allocation of Capital Funding, not exceeding £235k, to acquire the sites outlined in the report, be approved.