Agenda and minutes

Venue: Harper Hall, Shoreham Centre, Shoreham-by-Sea

Contact: Chris Cadman-Dando
Democratic Services Officer
01903 221364  Email  chris.cadman-dando@adur-worthing.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

c/38/21-22

Apologies for Absence

Minutes:

There were apologies for absence from Councillors Arnold, Collins, Funnell and Mansfield.

c/39/21-22

Declarations of interest

Members and officers must declare any disclosable pecuniary interests in relation to any business on the agenda. Declarations should also be made at any stage such an interest becomes apparent during the meeting.

 

If in doubt contact the Legal or Democratic Services representative for this meeting.

Minutes:

 

There were no declarations of interest made.

c/40/21-22

Questions from the public

To receive any questions from members of the public addressed to Members of the Executive in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 11. There is up to 5 minutes for each question, one supplementary question may be asked arising from the original question.

 

Questions must relate to any matter the Council has power or which affects the District except no questions may be asked on

 

a)     A specific planning or licensing application

b)     A specific staffing appointment or appeal or Standards determination

 

Public question time will last up to 30 minute; questions will be taken in order of receipt. The deadline for submissions is 14 December 2021 at 12 noon.

 

Questions to be submitted to democratic.services@adur-worthing.gov.uk

Minutes:

There were no questions from the public.

c/41/21-22

Confirmation of Minutes

To approve the minutes of the meeting of the Council on 28 October 2021, copies of which have been previously circulated.

Minutes:

Resolved, that the minutes of the meeting held on 28 October 2021 be approved as a correct record and be signed by the Chairman.

c/42/21-22

Announcements by the Chairman, Leader of the Council, Executive Members and / or Head of Paid Service

Minutes:

The Chairman made the following announcements

 

West Downs Neighbourhood Watch Task Force

 

In recognition of the sterling voluntary work that West Downs have undertaken on behalf of the people of Adur over the past years in connection with the Remembrance Services, I would like to formally recognise their contribution and I look forward in the new year to meeting the group and presenting them with a certificate of commendation. A special mention should be made of Terry Rickards who was a member of the West Down Task Force and a Worthing lollipop man who died suddenly last month.  Terry was firmly committed to crime prevention, community and public safety and he was an enormous asset to communities in Sussex. He was greatly loved and liked and he will be sadly missed by the West Down team, family and friends.

 

MJ Awards

 

The Councils have received yet further national recognition after being Commended in the "Leadership in responding to the climate emergency" category at The MJ Awards 2021.

 

Last year Adur and Worthing were the only district councils in the country to be shortlisted for the local authority of the year award at what is the Oscars of local government awards. That was followed by a similar shortlisting in the LGC Awards.

 

This year's award recognises the work being done across the Councils to meet the global crisis, ensuring we become a carbon neutral organisation by 2030 and live in net zero communities by 2045.

 

Much of this was reflected in the recent ClimateActionAW campaign, which was featured across our social media channels to coincide with COP26.

 

I want to thank officers across the Councils for their ongoing hard work in this vital area and invite Paul Brewer, Director for Digital, Sustainability and Resources to collect the honour on their behalf.

 

Civic Events - November/December

 

12th November I attended the Adur and Worthing business awards.  I presented the Leisure and Tourism award with the New leader of Worthing Borough Council Kevin Jenkins.  The evening was absolutely fantastic with entertainment, lovely food and dancing at the close.  Many congratulations to all Adur and Worthing Businesses that were nominated and won awards.  I actually won the evening’s charity prize draw which was for an exceptionally large bottle of Tattinger Champagne which I graciously (ahem) asked to be re-drawn.

 

14th November I laid wreaths for remembrance day first at 11am in Southwick with my Daughter aiding me and my Son being chosen from his Beavers troop to lay their wreath and carry the standard – proud Daddy moment.  I then travelled to Lancing to lay the wreath and accept the salute before entering the Church for a lovely service.  With family that have been in the Military this is one event that even prior to becoming a Cllr always means a lot to me.

 

4th December I attended, with my family, the Shoreham Wordfest Children's Poetry Book launch.  This was at Ropetackle. We listened to several readings of local children who performed  ...  view the full minutes text for item c/42/21-22

c/43/21-22

Items raised under urgency provisions

To consider any items the Chairman has agreed are urgent

Minutes:

The Chairman announced that there were no urgent items.

c/44/21-22

Returning Officer's Return of Persons Elected on 2 December 2021

Ward

 

Name of Member

Party Description

Year of Retirement

 

Hillside

 

Leila Yasmin Williams

 

The Conservative Party candidate

 

2022

 

To note the following return of person’s elected

Minutes:

Resolved: the Council noted the returning officers return of person elected in the by-election held on the 2 December 2021 for the Hillside ward vacancy, that being Councillor Leila Williams.

c/45/21-22

Recommendations from the Executive and Committees to Council pdf icon PDF 32 KB

To consider recommendations to the Council, details of which are set out in the attached items as 8. Item 8c and 8d were not available at the time of publication and will follow in a separate pack. Full reports are available on the website as listed below:

 

 

Executive/Committee

Date

Item

8a

Joint Senior Staff Committee

8 October 2021

JSnSC/012/21-22       Salary review and proposed recruitment process for the post of Head of Legal Services and Monitoring Officer

8b

Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee

25 November 2021

JOSC/XX/21-22          Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee Work Programme for 2021/22

8c

Joint Strategic Committee

7 December 2021

JSC/XX/21-22Investing in our Places - Capital Programme 2022/23 to 2024/25

8d

Joint Strategic Committee

7 December 2021

JSC/XX/21-22Council Tax Support Schemes for 2022/23

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

8a)                   Joint Senior Staff Committee - 29 July 2021

 

Joint Governance Committee Appointments: Parish Councillors

 

Salary review and proposed recruitment process for the Head of Legal Services and Monitoring Officer

 

The Leader introduced the recommendation to the Council. Members were told that an amendment to the recommendation was being proposed due to a delay in the meeting of the job evaluation panel. Therefore members were asked to approve the following recommendation: ‘That the Council approves a proposed remuneration of up to £80,794.00 subject to further approval from the job evaluation panel’.  The proposal was seconded and debated. On a vote it was:

 

Resolved, That the Council approved a proposed remuneration of up to £80,794.00 subject to further approval from the job evaluation panel. 

 

 

8b)                   Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee -  25 November 2021

 

Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee Work Programme for 2021/22

 

The Chairman of the Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee introduced the recommendation to the Committee which was seconded and debated. On a vote it was,

 

Resolved, That the Council noted the changes made to the JOSC Work Programme since it was agreed by both Councils in April 2021.

 

 

Item 8c                        Joint Strategic Committee - 7 December 2021

 

Investing in our Places - Capital Programme 2022/21 to 2024/25

 

The Leader of the Council introduced the motion which was seconded and debated. On a vote it was,

 

Resolved, That the full programme detailed at Appendices 5 and 6 be approved

 

 

 

 

 

Item 8d                       Joint Strategic Committee - 7 December 2021

 

Council Tax Support Schemes for 2022/23

 

The Leader of the Council introduced the motion which was seconded and debated. On a vote it was

 

Resolved, that the Council Tax Support scheme for Adur District Council in respect of working age customers for 2022/23

 

i)          Should be based upon the scheme for 2021/22 with no restrictions; and

ii)         No other changes should be made beyond necessary technical amendments required to keep the scheme consistent with the national rules in respect of Housing Benefit.

The Leader introduced the recommendation to the Council. Members were told that an amendment to the recommendation was being proposed due to a delay in the meeting of the job evaluation panel. Therefore members were asked to approve the following recommendation: ‘That the Council approves a proposed remuneration of up to £80,794.00 subject to further approval from the job evaluation panel’.  The proposal was seconded and debated. On a vote it was:

 

 

 

 

 

 

c/46/21-22

Report of the Leader on decisions taken by the Executive pdf icon PDF 106 KB

To receive a report from the Leader. The report contains executive decisions since the last Council meeting.

 

There is up to 15 minutes for Executive Members to make any statements on the report.

 

There is up to 15 minutes for Executive Members to respond to questions on the report; these questions will not be the same as any asked under ‘Members Questions under Council Procedure Rule 12’    

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The report before members set out the decisions made by the Executive since the last meeting of Council.

 

Questions were received in relation to the newly appointed transition manager and the previous management of Adur Homes properties

c/47/21-22

Members question time under Council Procedure Rule 12

Members question time will last up to 30 minutes, questions will be taken in order of receipt, in rotation from each political group on the Council. The deadline for submission of questions is 14 December 2021 at 12 noon. Questions to be submitted to democratic.services@adur-worthing.gov.uk

 

Questions received can be asked of the following:

 

a)     The Chairman

b)     A Member of the Executive

c)     The Chairman of any Committee

d)     The Councils representative on any outside body

 

Questions cannot be asked on the following

 

a)     A specific planning or licensing application

b)     A specific staffing appointment, appeal or Standards determination

Minutes:

There were no questions.

c/48/21-22

Motion on Notice pdf icon PDF 64 KB

To consider a report by the Interim Director for Communities, a copy of which is attached as item 11

Minutes:

Before the Committee was a report by the Interim Director for Communities, which had been circulated to all members and a copy of which is attached to the signed version of these minutes.

 

The motion on compulsory voter identification was proposed by Councillor Lee Cowen and seconded by Councillor Jeremy Gardner. The motion was debated. Supporting arguments as summarised, included the cost of identification alienating certain sections of society, a predicted drop in voter turnout. It was put forward that voter fraud was not a significant problem and the proposal to introduce compulsory voter ID was ‘like a sledgehammer to crack a nut’. Those arguments against the motion as summarised, disputed figures put forward in the motion, provided arguments that there was a problem with voter fraud and that claims of a lack of affordable identification were overstated.

 

The motion was voted on and it was

 

 

Resolved, that the motion be not supported