Agenda, decisions and minutes

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Contact: Mark Devin, Democratic Services Officer  Telephone 01392 265477 or email  mark.devin@exeter.gov.uk

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Items
No. Item

45.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 316 KB

To approve and sign the minutes of the meeting held on 6 April 2021.

 

Minutes:

The minutes of the meeting held on 6 April 2021, were taken as read, approved and signed by the Chair as a correct record.

 

46.

Declarations of Interest

Councillors are reminded of the need to declare any disclosable pecuniary interests that relate to business on the agenda and which have not already been included in the register of interests, before any discussion takes place on the item. Unless the interest is sensitive, you must also disclose the nature of the interest. In accordance with the Council's Code of Conduct, you must then leave the room and must not participate in any further discussion of the item.  Councillors requiring clarification should seek the advice of the Monitoring Officer prior to the day of the meeting.

 

Minutes:

No declarations of disclosable pecuniary interests were made.

 

47.

Questions from the Public Under Standing Order No. 19

To receive questions relating to items on the Agenda from members of the public and responses thereto.

 

Details of questions should be notified to the Corporate Manager Democratic and Civic Support by 10.00am at least three working days prior to the meeting. For this meeting any questions must be submitted by 10.00am on Wednesday 26 May 2021.

 

Further information about speaking at a committee can be found here: Speaking at a Committee

 

Minutes:

No questions from members of the public were received.

 

48.

Revised Local Development Scheme pdf icon PDF 187 KB

Decision:

Agreed:

 

RESOLVED that the Local Development Scheme be approved as the basis for preparing local planning policy and in particular, the new Local Plan.

 

Reason for Decision: As set out in the report.

 

 

Minutes:

The Executive received the report on the revised Local Development Scheme which provided a scope and timetable for the preparation of the new Local Plan and the approach for the preparation of other planning policy documents. Members noted that the existing Local Development Scheme was out of date following the end of the Greater Exeter Strategic Plan (GESP) process and that a full Local Plan was now required as part of the statutory local planning policy. The principal milestones for preparing the new Local Plan were:-

 

·        Issues consultation:                                  September 2021

·        Draft plan consultation:                             September 2022

·        Publication:                                               February 2023

·        Submission to Planning Inspectorate:      June 2023

·        Examination hearings:                              October 2023

·        Adoption:                                                   June 2024

 

The Deputy Chief Executive advised that, the new Local Plan was still in its early stages of work and a target adoption date of 2024 was considered appropriate, due to the uncertainties around the future content and structure of Local Plans as identified in the 2020 Planning White Paper proposals.  A consultation document and draft Statement of Community Involvement would be reported to the Executive on 6 July 2021 and would set out how communities and stakeholders would be involved in the development of the Plan.

 

Councillor D. Moore, as an opposition leader, enquired on the following areas:-

 

·        would there be a dedicated webpage, detailing a timetable and updates as the process developed, to ensure that the public could understand the process?;

·        would the Council’s Development Company, ‘Exeter City Living’ be included in the Local Plan process in the same way as other developers? Could the Portfolio Holder clarify the status of the Liveable Exeter programme in relation to the development of the Local Plan and the Council’s role in leading the programme would be managed separately from the its role as the planning authority; and

·        what support had been given to the officer planning team who had prepared the report to develop the Local Plan to assess the carbon impact of the timetable and plan?

 

The Leader advised that a response would be provided separately.

 

In response to a question from a Member, the Deputy Chief Executive advised that 2024 was considered a realistic target date for completion of the work, given the current planning framework. There were key areas to be decided on by Government as a result of their consultation on the Planning White Paper. Once this was enacted through legislation, officers would be able to determine any impact on the timescales for developing the Local Plan and will advise Members accordingly.

 

RESOLVED that the Local Development Scheme be approved as the basis for preparing local planning policy and in particular, the new Local Plan.

 

 

49.

Members' Allowances and Expenses Paid 2020/21 pdf icon PDF 319 KB

To consider the report of the Corporate Manager Democratic & Civic Support.

 

Additional documents:

Decision:

Agreed:

 

RESOLVED that Executive Committee note the allowances paid and the expenses claimed by Members in 2020/21 and the correction that the remuneration for the Chair of the newly formed Harbour Board will be £1567.

 

Reason for Decision: As set out in the report.

 

 

Minutes:

The Executive received the report on allowances paid to elected Members in 2020/21, which, the Council had a statutory obligation to publish each financial year.

 

Particular reference was made to:-

 

·        there being a lower level of cost for travel and external training expenses, during 2020/21, because of the COVID Pandemic;

·        the Chair of the newly formed Harbour Board was also a Portfolio Holder, and would not, therefore, attract an additional Special Responsibility Allowance;

·        the payment for the newly formed Council Housing and Development Advisory Board, would be drawn separately from the Housing Revenue Account; and

·        an administrative error had been made in in the report presented to the Executive and Council in December 2020 for the Chair of the Harbour Board. The allowance should have been shown as £1,567.

RESOLVED that Executive Committee note the allowances paid and the expenses claimed by Members in 2020/21 and the correction that the remuneration for the Chair of the newly formed Harbour Board will be £1,567.

 

 

50.

Appointment to Outside Bodies 2021 pdf icon PDF 225 KB

To consider the report of the Corporate Manager Democratic & Civic Support.

 

Additional documents:

Decision:

Agreed:

 

RESOLVED that the nominees contained in Appendix A of the report presented to the meeting, be confirmed with immediate effect.

 

RECOMMENDED that Council grant delegated powers to the Corporate Manager Democratic and Civic Support, in consultation with the Group Leaders, to appoint, when necessary, representatives to outside bodies during the course of the Municipal Year.

 

Reason for Decision: As set out in the report.

 

 

Minutes:

The Executive received the report on appointing Members to serve on outside bodies, to ensure Council representation in order to maintain effective partnerships with external organisations. The Appendix included with the report, highlighted the proposed appointments and, if approved, the register of all outside body appointments, published on the Council website would be updated.

 

Particular reference was made to:-

 

·        All the appointments contained in the report presented, to be confirmed with immediate effect;

·        the Corporate Manager Democratic and Civic Support, in consultation with the Group Leaders, be granted delegated power to appoint representatives throughout the year, where a vacancy arises; and

·        Members having regard to their appointments and to declare all registerable interests under the new Code of Conduct for Members, which came into effect on 18 May 2021.

 

The Chair highlighted that representation would be sought for the new Transport Working Group, which would integrate the various transport groups into a single forum.

 

RESOLVED that the nominees contained in Appendix A of the report presented to the meeting, be confirmed with immediate effect.

 

RECOMMENDED that Council grant delegated powers to the Corporate Manager Democratic and Civic Support, in consultation with the Group Leaders, to appoint, when necessary, representatives to outside bodies during the course of the Municipal Year.

 

 

51.

Honorary Aldermen pdf icon PDF 247 KB

To consider the report of the Corporate Manager Democratic & Civic Support.

 

Decision:

Agreed:

 

RECOMMENDED that in accordance with Section 249 of the Local Government Act 1972, the Right Worshipful the Lord Mayor be requested to convene an Extraordinary meeting of the Council, on the rising of the Ordinary meeting of the Council on 20 July 2021, to consider granting the position of Honorary Alderman of the City to Mrs Olwen Foggin, Mrs Rachel Lyons and Mrs Lesley Robson.

 

Reason for Decision: As set out in the report.

 

 

Minutes:

The Executive received the proposal to offer the position of Honorary Alderman of the City to Mesdames Foggin, Lyons and Robson, in recognition of their outstanding service to the Council and that each nominee had held the position of Lord Mayor whilst serving on the Council.

 

Members noted that the term of office for Mrs Foggin and Mrs Lyons, amounted to 13 and 17 years respectively, which met the criteria for the length of service, and both had held the position of Lord Mayor of the City. 

 

Particular reference was made to Mrs Robson, who had a combined length of service amounting to 11 years and 8 months, which was under the minimum period required for consideration for the position of Honorary Alderman. The Council was asked to make an exception, under the extenuating circumstances where Mrs Robson's term of office was affected by the Government's decision in 2010, to revoke the decision on the Council’s unitary status, which cancelled elections held in May of that year. Mrs Robson was not elected until 9th September 2010 but had held the positions of both Deputy Lord Mayor, and Lord Mayor of the City, during her term of office.

 

Members noted that a similar exception had previously been made when the Council approved a similar application for Honorary Alderman for Mrs Margaret Baldwin.

 

RECOMMENDED that in accordance with Section 249 of the Local Government Act 1972, the Right Worshipful the Lord Mayor be requested to convene an Extraordinary meeting of the Council, on the rising of the Ordinary meeting of the Council on 20 July 2021, to consider granting the position of Honorary Alderman of the City to Mrs Olwen Foggin, Mrs Rachel Lyons and Mrs Lesley Robson.