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Agenda and minutes

Venue: Zoom Teleconference

Contact: Democratic Services Tel: 01684 272021  Email:  democraticservices@tewkesbury.gov.uk

Link: Click here to watch live broadcast

Items
No. Item

10.

Announcements

To receive any announcements from the Chair of the Meeting and/or the Chief Executive.

Minutes:

10.1          The Mayor advised that the meeting was being held under the emergency provisions of the Coronavirus Act 2020 and, specifically, The Local Authorities and Police and Crime Panels (Coronavirus) (Flexibility of Local Authority and Police and Crime Panel Meetings) (England and Wales) Regulations 2020.  The meeting was being broadcast live via the internet, it was not being recorded by the Council but, under the usual transparency rules, it may be being recorded by others.  

11.

Apologies for Absence

Minutes:

11.1          Apologies for absence were received from Councillors P E Smith and S A T Stevens.  

12.

Declarations of Interest

Pursuant to the adoption by the Council on 26 June 2012 of the Tewkesbury Borough Council Code of Conduct, effective from 1 July 2012, as set out in Minute No. CL.34, Members are invited to declare any interest they may have in the business set out on the Agenda to which the approved Code applies.

Minutes:

12.1          The Committee’s attention was drawn to the Tewkesbury Borough Council Code of Conduct which was adopted by the Council on 26 June 2012 and took effect from 1 July 2012.

12.2          There were no declarations of interest made on this occasion.

13.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 141 KB

To approve the Minutes of the meeting held on 30 June 2020.

Minutes:

13.1          The Minutes of the meeting held on 30 June 2020, copies of which had been circulated, were approved as a correct record.  

14.

Items from Members of the Public

a)   To receive any questions, deputations or petitions submitted under Council Rule of Procedure.12.

 

(The deadline for public participation submissions for this meeting is 22 July 2020).

 

b)   To receive any petitions submitted under the Council’s Petitions Scheme.

Minutes:

14.1          There were no items from members of the public.  

15.

Member Questions properly submitted in accordance with Council Procedure Rules

To receive any questions submitted under Rule of Procedure 13. Any items received will be circulated on 28 July 2020.

 

(Any questions must be submitted in writing to Democratic Services by, not later than, 10.00am on the working day immediately preceding the date of the meeting).

Minutes:

15.1          There were no Member questions on this occasion.   

16.

Recommendations from Executive Committee

The Council is asked to consider and determine recommendations of a policy nature arising from the Executive Committee as follows:-

16a

Climate Change and Carbon Reduction Audit and Action Plan pdf icon PDF 420 KB

At its meeting on 8 July 2020 the Executive Committee considered the climate change and carbon reduction audit and action plan and RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL that:

1.       the audit report be AGREED as having established the Council’s current position and carbon baseline; and

2.       the action plan be NOTED, and agreement given for detailed work and feasibility studies to commence in relation to the carbon reduction options set out in the action plan.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

16.1          At its meeting on 8 July 2020, the Executive Committee had considered the climate change and carbon reduction audit and action plan and recommended to Council that it be agreed as having established the Council’s current position and carbon baseline; and that agreement be given for detailed work and feasibility studies to commence in relation to the carbon reduction options set out in the action plan. 

16.2          The report which was considered by the Executive Committee had been circulated with the Agenda for the current meeting at Pages No. 8-93.

16.3          The Chair of the Executive Committee proposed the recommendation and felt it was important to note that the action plan had come forward as a result of proposals agreed by the Council in October. The Climate Change and Flood Risk Management Group had been asked to take the work forward and, thanks to that Group, the action plan was an excellent document which had been approved by the Executive Committee for recommendation to Council. The recommendation was seconded by the Vice-Chair who felt it was a concise and forward-thinking action plan. 

16.4          A Member thanked all who had worked on the report and was pleased with the suggested substantial savings – both in terms of carbon and financing - and felt this showed that ‘green’ investments could be beneficial in terms of the environment and business. Notwithstanding this, the original motion had first been introduced 12-months ago and he was concerned with the 10-year timescale given how long it had taken to get to this point, particularly when the motion only focussed on the Council’s own buildings. He noted that climate change was an extremely important issue with consequences that would affect the whole world, so everyone had to play their part. Given the flooding issues faced across Tewkesbury Borough, he felt that all Members had a vested interest in improving the effects of climate change and he indicated that, whilst the action plan was a good document, he was concerned about the short and medium-term phasing and the fact that savings needed to be achieved in as short a timeframe as possible. For that reason, he proposed an amendment that the length of the medium-term be shortened to five years instead of seven years with the intention of completing those actions by 2025. In seconding the amendment, a Member reiterated the concerns and felt strongly that the climate change emergency needed to be urgently addressed. Members were advised that safe carbon levels were below 350 parts per million but sustainable practices had to be introduced to get down to that level – as at 26 July 2020 the carbon level was 413 parts per million so there was a long way to go. The Motion only covered Tewkesbury Borough Council owned buildings and, if left with the timetable of 2030, the Council would only have 20 years to ensure the rest of the borough met the government target in 2050. As the action plan had already taken  ...  view the full minutes text for item 16a

16b

Gloucestershire Economic Growth Joint Committee - Extension of Operating Period pdf icon PDF 202 KB

At its meeting on 8 July 2020 the Executive Committee considered an extension to the operating period of the Gloucestershire Economic Growth Joint Committee and RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL:

1.       That the notice period of 12 months, contained in the Inter Authority Agreement of the Gloucestershire Economic Growth Joint Committee in respect of the extension of that agreement, be waived and removed.

2.       That it works in partnership with all Gloucestershire local authorities to enable the Gloucestershire Economic Growth Joint Committee to continue to operate for a further 18 months from 30 September 2020 until 31 March 2022, with Tewkesbury Borough Council as a member, under the terms of the existing Inter Authority Agreement.

3.       That authority is delegated to the Borough Solicitor to conclude the necessary legal agreements associated with recommendations 1 and 2 above.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

16.16              At its meeting on 8 July 2020, the Executive Committee had considered an extension to the operating period of the Gloucestershire Economic Growth Joint Committee and recommended to Council that the notice period of 12 months, contained in the Inter Authority Agreement of the Gloucestershire Economic Growth Joint Committee in respect of the extension of that agreement, be waived and removed; that the Council works in partnership with all Gloucestershire local authorities to enable the Gloucestershire Economic Growth Joint Committee to continue to operate for a further 18 months from 30 September 2020 until 31 March 2022, with Tewkesbury Borough Council as a member, under the terms of the existing Inter Authority Agreement; and that authority be delegated to the Borough Solicitor to conclude the necessary legal agreements associated with the previous two resolutions.

16.17        The report which was considered by the Executive Committee had been circulated with the Agenda for the current meeting at Pages No. 94-100.

16.18        The Chair of the Executive Committee proposed the recommendation and noted that the time limit of this important partnership was nearing an end and an extension was required to enable it to continue its good work. The recommendation was seconded by the Vice-Chair.

16.19        A Member questioned what the key successes of the Committee were. In response, the Chief Executive advised that the Gloucestershire Economic Growth Joint Committee was the only joint decision-making body in the County for economic growth. It managed the Gloucestershire business rates pool; had set up a strategic economic development fund - which had peaked at £4.5 million in terms of its ability to support growth in the county - and had funded a range of projects and continued to do so; and had taken a principle role in co-ordinating the economic response to COVID-19 across the county. In essence, this was a very important Committee which held a lot of funding for projects in the county. The 18 month extension would also be used as time to look at the governance arrangements generally and understand the best approach going forward.

16.20        Accordingly, it was

                 RESOLVED           1.   That the notice period of 12 months, contained in the Inter                                   Authority Agreement of the Gloucestershire Economic                                            Growth Joint Committee in respect of the extension of that                                        agreement, be waived and removed.

2.     That the Council works in partnership with all Gloucestershire local authorities to enable the Gloucestershire Economic Growth Joint Committee to continue to operate for a further 18 months from 30 September 2020 until 31 March 2022, with Tewkesbury Borough Council as a member, under the terms of the existing Inter Authority Agreement.

3.     That authority be delegated to the Borough Solicitor to conclude the necessary legal agreements associated with resolutions 1 and 2 above.

17.

Golden Valley Development - Supplementary Planning Document pdf icon PDF 272 KB

To approve the Golden Valley Development Supplementary Planning Document and to delegate authority to the Head of Development Services to make any minor editorial changes to the approved Supplementary Planning Document, in terms of formatting, presentation and accuracy, prior to final publication.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

17.1          The report of the Planning Policy Manager, circulated at Pages No. 101-507, attached the Golden Valley Development Supplementary Planning Document which Members were asked to approve.

17.2          In making a proposal, the Lead Member for Built Environment advised that the strategic site at west Cheltenham had been allocated thorough the Joint Core Strategy when it was adopted in December 2017. The site was formally designated for approximately 1,100 new homes and 45 hectares of employment land to be focused on a cyber security hub. The site had also subsequently been awarded Garden Community status by the government. In order to proactively influence the development and drive up quality, it was agreed jointly by Tewkesbury and Cheltenham Borough Councils to develop a Supplementary Planning Document in order to provide further detailed and site specific guidance to steer the development and help determine future planning applications. In early 2019, consultants Avison Young had been commissioned to support the preparation of the Supplementary Planning Document. The document set out the vision and objectives for the development of the area as well as providing a strategic masterplanning framework to ensure a comprehensive approach to the site. The Supplementary Planning Document was based around five key objectives of sustainability; land use; landscape; movement; and design quality and, under each objective, there were a set of detailed principles to inform and guide future development. Following a series of early informal consultation events with key stakeholders to develop a draft, the document was published for a formal consultation period which took place over five weeks between January and February 2020. This had included a series of four community drop-in events which had been attended by 210 people and a dedicated consultation website which had been visited by over 2,800 people. The feedback to the consultation had been considered and, where appropriate, amendments made in response. The proposal was seconded.

17.3          Members were advised that the Supplementary Planning Document was a culmination of the work to date and was presented at Appendix 1 to the report – this marked the final stage of the process with the document becoming a material consideration in the determination of future planning applications once it was approved by both Councils. Cheltenham Borough Council had already approved the document at its Council meeting on 20 July 2020, so Tewkesbury Borough Council was now asked to approve it as set out in the report. The Lead Member clarified that, although the first recommendation in the report sought ‘approval’ of the Supplementary Planning Document, it should be worded as seeking ‘adoption’ of the document meaning the decision of the Council would be to formally adopt the Supplementary Planning Document.

17.4          During the discussion which ensued, a Member indicated that, whilst he broadly supported the Supplementary Planning Document, he was disappointed that it did not include a vision for high speed broadband for communities and he would like to see high speed internet for 100% of houses and businesses in the Borough in future. Another  ...  view the full minutes text for item 17.

18.

Appointments

18a

COVID-19 Health Protection Board - Member Engagement Board

To note the Leader and Deputy Leader’s representation on the Member Engagement Board of the COVID-19 Health Protection Board.

Minutes:

18.1          Attention was drawn to the Agenda which asked the Council to note the Leader and Deputy Leader’s representation on the Member Engagement Board of the COVID-19 Health Protection Board.

18.2          Accordingly, it was  

                 RESOLVED           That the Leader and Deputy Leader’s representation on the                         Member Engagement Board of the COVID-19 Health                                            Protection Board be NOTED.

18b

Pensions Committee

To note Councillor Gray’s appointment to the Pensions Committee as the Districts Councils representative.

Minutes:

18.3          Attention was drawn to the Agenda which asked the Council to note Councillor Gray’s appointment to the Pensions Committee as the District Councils’ representative.

18.4          Accordingly, it was  

                 RESOLVED           That Councillor Gray’s appointment to the Pensions Committee                                     as the District Councils’ representative be NOTED.

19.

Adjournment

Minutes:

19.1          The meeting was adjourned for a five-minute break at 8:40pm. The meeting reconvened at 8:45pm with the same Membership present.

20.

Notices of Motion

20a

Support for Tech Talent Charter

Councillor Munro will propose, and Councillor Paul Smith will second:

 

The Council is asked to note that just 17% of Tech/ICT workers in the UK are female, only 1 in 10 females are taking A level computer studies and yet there is a looming digital skills gap where the UK needs one million more Tech workers by 2020.

 

The Tech Talent charter (https://wwwtechtalentcharter.co.uk) was founded by a number of organisations across the recruitment, tech and social enterprise fields and was supported in the Government’s policy paper on the UK Digital Strategy in March 2017 (https://www.gov.uk.government /publications/uk-digital-strategy). The Tech Talent Charter is a non-profit organisation leading a movement to address inequality in the UK Tech sector and drive inclusion and diversity in a practical and measurable way. There is no charge to join the Tech Talent charter and over 300 organisations have signed up as signatories.

 

The Tech talent charter encourages and supports signatories to tackle this lack of diversity and inclusion by undertaking to:

 

·        Support attraction, recruitment and retention practices that are designed to increase the diversity of their workforce.

·        Define their own timetable of change and implement the strategy that is right for their organisation.

·        Measure the diversity profile of their UK employees and to share this data for (anonymous) collective publication.

 

Signatories of the tech talent charter pledge to:

 

1.    Have a senior-level, named representative with responsibility for charter commitments.

2.    Adopt inclusive recruitment processes, working toward a goal that, wherever possible, women are included on the shortlist for interviews and diverse talent is actively encouraged to apply for roles.

3.    Ensure that they have employment policies and practices that support the development and retention of an inclusive and diverse workforce.

4.    Work collectively with other signatories to develop, share and implement protocols and best practice for the practical implementation of the aims of the charter.

5.    Contribute their employment diversity data into a common central anonymised database, for sharing amongst signatories bi-annually and for publishing publicly in an annual report.

 

In light of the Council’s investment in and commitment to the Cyber Park, the Council is asked to  lead by example and strive to ensure that both its own IT services and industries within the Borough are diverse and all under-represented groups are fairly included.

 

Cheltenham Borough Council, our cyber park partner, has already signed up to this charter.

 

Accordingly, the Council is asked to:

 

1)       Ask the Council’s Human Resources Section to look at the Tech talent charter, identify what the Council could do better, the benefits to the Council in signing up to the Charter and how the Council can influence other shared service providers that the Council works with (including, but not limited to, UBICO, One Legal, Publica, South West Audit Partnership).

2)        Receive a report back to a future meeting of the Council in 2020/21 with the findings and recommendations from the Human Resources Section.

Minutes:

20.1          The Worshipful the Mayor referred to the Notice of Motion set out on the Agenda and indicated that, in accordance with the Rules of Procedure, it was necessary for the Council firstly to decide whether it wished to debate and determine the Motion at this evening’s meeting, or whether it wished to refer the Motion, without debate, to a Committee for consideration with authority either to make a decision on the matter or to bring a recommendation back to Council.

20.2          Upon being put to the vote it was

RESOLVED           That the Motion be referred to the Overview and Scrutiny                                         Committee for consideration.

20b

Making a Change to Improve the Borough as a Lasting Consequence of the COVID-19 Emergency

Councillor Munro will propose, and Councillor Jordan will second:

 

The COVID-19 emergency has been a difficult time for our country and our residents in Tewkesbury Borough. The Council has risen to the challenge and the officers are thanked for their hard work and determination to make services work as well as possible for local residents.

 

While life has been difficult, it is suggested that we use the opportunity to make a change to improve our Borough as a lasting consequence of the emergency. This does not have to be expensive but creative and beneficial to residents to make a change that matters for the future. Some years ago this Borough instigated a daffodil planting scheme and this could be built on to commemorate those in our Borough who died and other ideas could include increased tree planting, increased wildflower planting across our Borough or installing electric charging points in Borough owned car parks.

 

These are only examples and it suggested that the Council’s Recovery Plan includes costed proposals for a tribute and memorial to mark the COVID-19 emergency for Members to approve.

 

The Council is asked to:

 

1)     Issue a statement of intent to make one significant change post emergency for the benefit of its local residents.

2)     Include in its Recovery Plan, proposals for Members to support as a memorial to the COVID-19 emergency.

Minutes:

20.3          The Worshipful the Mayor referred to the Notice of Motion set out on the Agenda and indicated that, in accordance with the Rules of Procedure, it was necessary for the Council firstly to decide whether it wished to debate and determine the Motion at this evening’s meeting, or whether it wished to refer the Motion, without debate, to a Committee for consideration with authority either to make a decision on the matter or to bring a recommendation back to Council.

20.4          A recorded vote was requested and, upon receiving the appropriate level of support, voting was recorded as follows: 

For

Against

Abstain

Absent

R A Bird

 

 

P E Smith

G F Blackwell

 

 

C Softley

G J Bocking

 

 

S A T Stevens

C L J Carter

 

 

 

C M Cody

K J Cromwell

 

M Dean

 

 

 

R D East

 

 

 

J H Evetts

 

 

 

L A Gerrard

 

P A Godwin

 

 

 

M A Gore

 

 

 

D W Gray

 

 

 

D J Harwood

 

 

A Hollaway

 

 

 

M L Jordan

 

 

E J MacTiernan

 

 

J R Mason

 

 

 

H C McLain

 

 

 

P D McLain

 

 

 

H S Munro

 

 

 

J W Murphy

 

 

 

P W Ockelton

 

 

A S Reece

 

 

 

C Reid

 

 

 

J K Smith

 

 

 

R J G Smith

 

 

V D Smith

 

 

 

R J Stanley

 

 

 

P D Surman

 

 

 

M G Sztymiak

 

 

 

S Thomson

 

 

R J E Vines

 

 

 

M J Williams

 

 

 

P N Workman

 

 

20.5          With 35 votes in favour it was unanimously agreed that the Motion would be discussed at this evening’s Council meeting.

20.6          The Motion, as set out on the Agenda, was proposed and seconded. The proposer of the Motion felt that the world was currently living through the greatest health and economic crisis of a lifetime. As of 25 July, there had been 255 COVID-19 cases in Tewkesbury Borough and 580 deaths in the county and, nationally, over 45,000 people had lost their lives. Every citizen had been affected whether by lockdown, restricted travel, furlough, loss of jobs, self-isolation etc. Many had made resolutions on how to change their lives in the future and numerous great volunteer groups had been set up. She thanked volunteers and Officers for their hard work during this turbulent time and felt it was right to take the opportunity to make a change to improve the borough so that something positive could come from the pandemic and to commemorate the people who had lost their lives as well as celebrating the people who had done great things. The proposal was not for an expensive or elaborate scheme - ideas included planting wildflower seeds, providing certificates to businesses to show how they had been champions in their area or writing letters of thanks to those individuals involved - but it was felt appropriate to include something in the Council’s recovery plan to mark the pandemic. In seconding the Motion, a Member indicated that he had been struck by how everyone in the communities had come together in a way that was rarely seen in any other situation. The community spirit had been amazing and she felt it was  ...  view the full minutes text for item 20b