Agenda and minutes

The Mayor welcomed fellow councillors, officers and members of the public to the remote meeting of North Lincolnshire Council.

The Mayor paid tribute to the continuing mammoth effort by all local support and care workers, NHS workers, those in GP surgeries and all the volunteers helping people, especially those considered to be vulnerable, during the current COVID19 pandemic. He also thanked all those now supporting the roll-out of the national vaccination programme and in particular to the achievements of the local programme in North Lincolnshire recognised by the Prime Minister and Health Secretary in recent public statements.

The Mayor referred to the forthcoming Holocaust Memorial day and how he would be involved in the council’s remote/virtual ceremony this year. He informed members that he would be reading out paragraphs relating to the theme of ‘Light in the Darkness’ which he believed all would agree that it did not remember those lives lost in the holocaust and similar atrocities but  also to the current experiences of the pandemic.

Declarations of personal interests were indicated as follows –

Councillor M Ali

Taxi Licence Holder with schools transport contracts.

Crosby Community Association – Trustee/Chair

Member of the Central Community Centre

Councillor J Briggs

Member of the Humberside Fire Authority

Councillor N Sherwood

Member of the Humberside Fire Authority

Councillor R Waltham MBE

Member of the Humberside Fire Authority

Resolved – That the minutes of the Ordinary Meeting of the Council held 2 November 2021 having been circulated amongst the members, be taken as read and correctly recorded and be signed by the Mayor.

The Director: Governance and Partnerships submitted a report requesting the council to consider and approve the council tax base to be used for each part of the council’s area for formula grant and tax setting purposes.  The key points in the report were to note the council tax base for grant purposes as submitted to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), to set a tax base for setting Council Tax for the council, local parishes and major precepting authorities, and to note how the tax base has been adjusted to recognise the increased risk attributable to COVID19.

The Director in her report explained the above key points, analysed options, addressed financial implications and set out associated information in appendices 1, 2 and 3.

Resolved – (a) That the council tax base for grant purposes set out in Appendix 1 of the report be noted; (b) that the council tax base for the council, parishes and other precepting bodies in 2021/22 be set at 49,640.3 Band D equivalents as detailed in Appendix 2 and 3 of the report: (c) that the revised assurance processes set out in respect of single person discount be endorsed, and (d) that the current levels of council tax support scheme, discretionary relief and empty property surcharge be maintained.

The Director: Governance and Partnerships submitted a report seeking Council’s consideration and approval of updated Financial Regulations and Contract Procedure Rules of Part D of the Constitution

The report explained that mandatory procedures on how procurement should be conducted by the council were set out in Contract Procedure Rules (CPRs). The proposed changes highlighted in the report were required to ensure that they: continued to reflect the Council’s priorities, outcomes and Organisation Development (OD) Plan; service needs for modern, responsive and flexible processes that met professional standards; legislative requirements; e-systems changes and evolving government procurement policy guidance following EU transition. The proposed CPRs were attached as an appendix. Minor changes to Financial Regulations to reflect business application, alignment with CPRs and updated references were also highlighted in the report.

The proposed changes would ensure that the council continued to comply with public procurement policy and legislation.

Resolved - (a) That the proposed changes to the Council’s Constitution Procedure Rules: Financial Regulations and Contract Procedure Rules be approved and incorporated within the Constitution, and (b) that any consequential changes required to the Officer Scheme of Delegation be delegated to the Monitoring Officer to update accordingly.

The Director: Governance and Partnerships submitted a report updating Council on progress of the periodic electoral review of North Lincolnshire being undertaken by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE), and sought approval to the establishment of a cross-party elected member Electoral Review Working Group and associated Terms of Reference, to oversee the review and make recommendations to full Council thereon.

The Director in her report explained that in October of last year the LGBCE notified the Council of its intention to carry out a periodic electoral review of North Lincolnshire. The LGBCE was under a statutory duty to carry out an electoral review of every principal local authority ‘from time to time’.  The last electoral review of the Council was carried out in 2001. The purpose of an electoral review was to consider the total number of councillors elected to a council, the names, number and boundaries of the wards and the number of councillors to elect to each ward.

On the 2 November 2020 all members were invited to a briefing by LGBCE officers on the review process and timetable, which was attached at Appendix 1.  Essentially the review comprised of two main phases: firstly to determine the council size in terms of the number of councillors to be elected to the Council and secondly the warding arrangements in terms of numbers, names, boundaries and the number of councillors to be elected to each ward.  The first phase of the review requires the Council to submit its proposals on council size by 25 February 2021. Since this briefing and in line with the practice adopted for the 2001 review, a cross party, politically balanced elected member Electoral Review Working Group had been established to oversee the review and make recommendations to full Council for decision pursuant to the review process.  An officer working group has also been established to support the Electoral Review Working Group and substantial progress has already been made in collating the prescribed information required by the LGBCE.

The Electoral Review Working Group had established its Terms of Reference, as attached at Appendix 2, and as it would be making recommendations to full Council, it was appropriate that full Council received and endorsed these at its first opportunity to do so.   

Resolved – (a) That the contents of this report be noted, and (b) that the establishment of the Electoral Review Working Group and its Terms of Reference as attached at Appendix 2 of the report be approved. 

Planning Committee – (23 September, 21 October and 18 November 2020)

Licensing Committee – (3 December 2020)

Audit Committee – ( 23 November 2020)

Standards Committee – (11 November (x3) and 15 December 2020)

Health Scrutiny Panel – (8 and 14 December 2020)

Governance Scrutiny Panel – (26 November and 10 December 2020)

Places Scrutiny Panel – (28 October and 25 November 2020)

Children and Education Scrutiny Panel – (16 and 22 December 2020)

Health and Wellbeing Board – (16 November and 21 December 2020)

Resolved - That the minutes of the meetings of the Planning Committee held on 23 September, 21 October and 18 November 2020 be received with the exception of minute 2041.

With regard to the excepted portion (a) it was -

Moved by Councillor N Sherwood and seconded by Councillor J Evison -

That the minute be received.

Motion Carried

Resolved - That the minutes of the meetings of the Licensing Committee held on 3 December 2020 be received.

Resolved – That the minutes of the meeting of the Audit Committee held on 23 November 2020 be received.

Resolved – That the minutes of the meetings of the Standards Committee held on 11 November (x3) and 15 December be received.

Resolved – That the minutes of the meetings of the Health Scrutiny Panel held on 8 and 14 December 2020 be received.

Resolved – That the minutes of the meetings of the Governance Scrutiny Panel held on 26 November and 10 December 2020 be received.

Resolved – That the minutes of the meetings of the Places Scrutiny Panel held on 28 October and 25 November 2020 be received.

Resolved – That the minutes of the meetings of the Children and Education

Scrutiny Panel held on 16 and 22 December 2020 be received with the

exception of minute 39 –

With regard to the excepted portion (a) it was –

Moved by Councillor T Foster and seconded by Councillor L Yeadon-

That the minute be received.

Motion Carried

Resolved – That the minutes of the meetings of the Health and Wellbeing

Board held on 16 November and 21 December 2020 be received.

Councillor S Swift having given the required notice in accordance with the Council’s Procedure Rules asked the following question-

 “Given recent adverse publicity in both the local and national media relating  to the change in operational practices within Humberside Fire’s senior management structure, will there be any detrimental effect to service delivery and any financial costs on council taxpayers of North Lincolnshire and the wider Humberside area in attempting to address any potential newly adopted personnel policies?”

Councillor R Waltham MBE as a member of the Humberside Fire Authority responded as summarised – Councillor Waltham pointed out that he was absent at the relevant meeting of the Fire Authority this matter was considered.  He also stated that the Fire Authority was currently conducting an independent investigation into the matter, and therefore it would not be appropriate to comment at this time.  The relevant decision of the Fire Authority had been a cross-party decision and the Fire Authority would make public findings of the  investigation, which was appropriate, once concluded. Such decisions were a  matter for individual members of the Fire Authority and not for North  Lincolnshire Council to influence. He also explained he had met recently with  the new responsible officer for Scunthorpe Fire Station who had provided him  with an interesting summary of excellent work being carried out by the Fire  Service in the Scunthorpe area and throughout North Lincolnshire on fire  prevention, safeguarding and support during the Covid19 pandemic.

The Mayor then invited Councillor Swift to ask a supplementary question – In summary Councillor Swift accepted Councillor Waltham’s response in relation to the investigation. But, in relation to the policies adopted, would he agree that those policies were wrong and would they be looked at again, and did he think that the people of North Lincolnshire and Humberside should receive an apology for how those personnel policies have been implemented?

In response Councillor Waltham as a matter of record reiterated that he wasn’t present at the time the relevant decision was taken, and emphasised to Councillor Swift as a former member of the Fire Authority, that it was a matter for the Fire Authority and it’s cross-party members to make this policy decision. He could confirm that the Fire Authority reviewed regularly its policies and practices like any public body should, and he would feedback Councillor Swift’s comments to the Fire Authority.