Agenda and minutes

        The Worshipful The Mayor advised that she intended, in accordance with Section 100B(4)(b) of the Local Government Act 1972, to take an additional urgent item concerning Participation in Voter ID Pilot Scheme. The reason for the urgency was because a decision on the matter was required prior to the next scheduled meeting of the Council and in order to respond to the Government Cabinet Office and make necessary arrangements for participation in the proposed pilot Voter ID Scheme. This item would be considered as agenda item 6(a).

The Worshipful The Mayor invited all Councillors to join her at the Remembrance Sunday Ceremony to be held at 11:00 am at the Cenotaph on Sunday 12th November 2017.

The Mayor reported that Mr Bernie Brannan, Corporate Director Communities and Housing was attending his last Council meeting having worked for the Council, since 1984.  The Council joined the Worshipful The Mayor in recording its appreciation for the work Mr Brannan had undertaken for the Council and its residents and wish him a happy retirement.

          Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Emma Bushell, Toby Elliott and Stephanie Exell.

The Chief Executive reported that communications had been received from Mr Angus Macpherson, Police and Crime Commissioner for Wiltshire and Swindon in respect of Minute 37 (Motion – Local Policing).

          Resolved – That the minutes of the meeting held on 28^th September 2017, be confirmed and signed.

The Worshipful The Mayor reminded Members of the need to declare any known interests in any matters to be considered at the meeting. 

          Councillor Kevin Parry made non-prejudicial and personal declaration of interest in respect of Agenda Item No. 7(b) (Motion – Pay Claim) on the grounds that he was a Member of the Unite Trade Union.

No Public Questions were asked.

(1) To consider a Minute for Confirmation from the Cabinet.                             

·       Minute 51 – (Polling District and Places Review).

(2) To note a Minute from the Cabinet.

·       Minute 47 – (Fire safety in high-rise residential blocks of flats).

          (1) Councillor David Renard moved and Councillor Russell Holland seconded that Minute 51 of the Cabinet (Polling Districts and Places Review) be confirmed and adopted.

          The Motion was put to the vote and declared carried.

          (2) Councillor Cathy Martyn moved and Councillor David Renard seconded that Minute 47 of the Cabinet (Fire in high-rise residential blocks of flats) be noted.

          Councillor Steve Allsopp moved and Councillor Bob Wright Seconded that the Motion be amended to read:

“This Council:

·       Supports the proposals agreed by the Cabinet for fire safety in multi-storey Council buidlings.

·       Asks the Leader of the Council to write to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government to urge the Government, rather than Swindon Council Tenants, pay for the fire safety improvements required.”

The amendment was put to the vote and declared lost.

The Substantive Motion was put to the vote and declared carried.

          The Leader of the Council and Returning Officer/Director of Law and Democratic Services submitted a joint report setting out a Cabinet Office request for Swindon Borough Council to participate in a proposed Voter ID Pilot in relation to the scheduled Borough and Parish elections in Swindon on Thursday 3^rd May 2018.

          Councillor David Renard moved and Councillor Russell Holland seconded:

          “(1) That the invitation from the Cabinet Office for Swindon Borough Council to take part in a proposed Voter ID Pilot in relation to the scheduled Borough & Parish elections in Swindon on Thursday 3^rd May 2018 be approved.
          (2) That the Returning Officer/ Director of Law and Democratic Services be authorised to participate in the Voter ID election pilot in 2018.”

          The Motion was put to the vote and declared carried.

A formal division was requested in accordance with Standing Order 14(2).

Members voting for the motion were Councillors Alan Bishop, Wayne Crabbe, Malcolm Davies, Oliver Donachie, Claire Ellis, Emma Faramarzi, Fionuala Foley, Brian Ford, Mary Friend, John Haines, Dale Heenan, Russell Holland, Colin Lovell, Mary Martin, Nick Martin, Cathy Martyn, Gemma McCracken, Stan Pajak, Barbara Parry, Kevin Parry, Maureen Penny, Garry Perkins, David Renard, Eric Shaw, Gary Sumner, Tim Swinyard, Caryl Sydney-Smith, Vera Tomlinson, Steve Weisinger, Keith Williams and David Wood.

Members voting against the motion were Councillors Junab Ali, Steve Allsopp, Abdul Amin, John Ballman, Ray Ballman, Matthew Courtliff, Mark Dempsey, Paul Dixon, Jim Grant, Fay Howard, Jane Milner-Barry, Des Moffatt, Derique Montaut, Teresa Page, Jim Robbins, Carol Shelley, Kevin Small, Joe Tray, Chris Watts, Nadine Watts, Peter Watts, Julie Wright and Robert Wright.

Councillor Chris Watts will move:

“This Council:

-        Recognises the concerns of local residents regarding the current Council policy not to maintain trees the Council are responsible for, unless they are a safety risk. There is no longer maintenance of Council trees to control the impact on the public realm or on peoples’ properties.

-        Is concerned this policy particularly impacts on residents in the borough who are vulnerable, elderly or disabled, who have to pay for the impact overgrown trees are having on their properties.

-        Requests the Director of Law and Democratic Services review its current tree maintenance policy to assess if it is in contravention of the Equality Act (2010) for not putting in place support to vulnerable, elderly or disabled residents unable to mitigate the impact of this policy on their properties.”

          Councillor Chris Watts moved and Councillor Derique Montaut seconded:

This Council:

·       Recognises the concerns of local residents regarding the current Council policy not to maintain trees the Council are responsible for, unless they are a safety risk. There is no longer maintenance of Council trees to control the impact on the public realm or on peoples’ properties.

·       Is concerned this policy particularly impacts on residents in the Borough who are vulnerable, elderly or disabled, who have to pay for the impact overgrown trees are having on their properties.  

·       Requests the Director of Law and Democratic Services review its current tree maintenance policy to assess if it is in contravention of the Equality Act (2010) for not putting in place support to vulnerable, elderly or disabled residents unable to mitigate the impact of this policy on their properties.”

The Motion was put to the vote and declared lost.

Councillor Jim Grant will move and Councillor Kevin Small will second:

“This Council:

-        Notes that Swindon Council workers have been subject to eight consecutive annual real terms pay cut since 2009. Within the context of rising living costs, this has resulted in real terms pay cuts of 21% for public sector workers.

-        Notes the Trade Unions’ pay claim of a 5% increase on all pay points for Swindon Council workers, including the deletion of pay points on the Swindon Pay & Grading Spine of J1, J2, J3, and K1 to ensure no local government worker falls below the real Living Wage (as set by the Living Wage Foundation).

-        Requests the Leader of the Council write to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, calling on him to use the Autumn Statement to provide extra funding to give to schools and local authorities for their workers to get a real terms pay rise.”

Councillor Jim Grant moved and Councillor Kevin Small seconded:

“This Council:

·       Notes that Swindon Council workers have been subject to eight consecutive annual real terms pay cut since 2009. Within the context of rising living costs, this has resulted in real terms pay cuts of 21% for public sector workers.

·       Notes the Trade Unions’ pay claim of a 5% increase on all pay points for Swindon Council workers, including the deletion of pay points on the Swindon Pay & Grading Spine of J1, J2, J3, and K1 to ensure no local government worker falls below the real Living Wage (as set by the Living Wage Foundation).

·       Requests the Leader of the Council write to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, calling on him to use the Autumn Statement to provide extra funding to give to schools and local authorities for their workers to get a real terms pay rise.”

Councillor Russell Holland moved and Councillor Keith Williams seconded that the Motion be amended to read:

“This Council notes with regret that the total amount of public spending on debt interest this financial year (£46bn) is greater than the amount spent on public order and safety (£34bn) or housing and environment (£38bn).

This Council therefore recognises the urgent need for reform to public sector spending in order to ensure that future generations can enjoy sustainable public services and pay staff appropriate salaries.

This Council recognises and appreciates the work of all its employees but also recognises the need for reform to public services.

This Council notes and welcomes reforms which have reduced or removed the income tax burden on the lowest paid workers so that 4 million of the lowest-paid have been taken out of income tax altogether and another 1.3 million are expected to join them by 2018.  This will include those at the lowest pay points on the Swindon Pay and Grading Spine.

This Council therefore requests that the Leader of the Council writes to the Borough’s two MPs to request that they set out how they will work with the Council to deliver the Borough’s Economic Strategy, which will provide the sustainable source of income to pay for public services and those who deliver them.”

          The Amendment was put to the vote and declared carried becoming the Substantive Motion.

          The Substantive Motion was put to the vote and declared carried.

(Councillor Kevin Parry made a non-prejudicial and personal declaration of interest in respect of this item in as he was a member of the Unite Trade Union.)

          The Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning and Sustainability submitted a report setting out the result of the referendum of the South Marston Neighbourhood Plan and seeking Council’s approval for its adoption.

          Councillor Toby Elliott moved and Councillor Colin Lovell seconded:

“That the South Marston Neighbourhood Plan be formally adopted and made as part of the statutory Development Plan for the Borough.”

          The Motion was put to the vote and declared carried.

To approve changes to the Council’s membership of Committees and Outside Bodies.

Councillor David Renard moved and Councillor Russell Holland seconded:

“That Mick Bowden, John Gilbert and Susie Kemp be appointed as Directors of the Wichelstowe Joint Venture Board.”

            With the agreement of the Council it was agreed that consideration of the appointment of Directors to the Wichelstowe Joint Venture Board be deferred to a meeting of the Council’s Special Committee.

          Councillor David Renard moved and Councillor Russell Holland seconded:

“(1) That that the Indicative Timetable of Meetings for 2018-19 and 2019-20 as set out in Appendix 1 and Appendix 2 be approved for formal adoption by Annual Council, with the provisions that:

(i) The dates for Audit, Council, Cabinet, Licensing, Planning, and Scrutiny shall not be changed as far as is practicable.

(ii) In accordance with current practice, Annual Council will be asked to authorise the Director of Law and Democratic Services, in consultation with the Leader of the Council, to vary the dates for meetings of the Council, the Cabinet, Committees and Other Swindon Borough Council bodies should this prove necessary for the efficient discharge of Council business.

(2) The scheduling of a joint meeting of the overview and scrutiny committees that cover health in order to provide a formal response to the Great Western Hospital Foundation Trust’s Annual Quality report be noted.”

          The Motion was put to the vote and declared carried.

          The Council considered (a) the minutes of the meeting of the Cabinet held on 18^th October 2017, and (b) questions to the Cabinet Members regarding their portfolio responsibilities and answers received.

          The Council (a) received the minutes set out in the “Minutes of Other Council Bodies” circulated with the Agenda, and (b) considered questions to Chairs relating to the work of their Committees and other bodies and answers received.

          The Director of Law and Democratic Services reported that no Standing Order 15 Questions had been received.