Agenda and minutes

Venue: Civic Suite, North Warehouse, The Docks, Gloucester, GL1 2EP. View directions

Contact: Democratic and Electoral Services 

Items
No. Item

54.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 200 KB

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the Council Meeting held on 21 November 2019 and the Special Council Meeting held on 27 November 2019.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

55.

Declarations of Interest

To receive from Members, declarations of the existence of any disclosable pecuniary, or non-pecuniary, interests and the nature of those interests in relation to any agenda item. Please see Agenda Notes.

Minutes:

56.

Call Over

(a)       Call over (items 9-13) will be read out at the meeting and Members invited to reserve the items for discussion.

 

(b)       To approve the recommendations of those reports which have not been reserved for discussion.

Minutes:

57.

Public Question Time (15 Minutes)

The opportunity is given to members of the public to put questions to Cabinet Members or Committee Chairs provided that a question does not relate to:

 

·               Matters which are the subject of current or pending legal proceedings or

·               Matters relating to employees or former employees of the Council or comments in respect of individual Council Officers.

Minutes:

58.

Petitions and Deputations (15 Minutes)

A period not exceeding three minutes is allowed for the presentation of a petition or deputation provided that no such petition or deputation is in relation to:

 

·            Matters relating to individual Council Officers, or

·            Matters relating to current or pending legal proceedings

Minutes:

59.

Announcements

To receive announcements from:

 

a)         The Mayor

b)         Leader of the Council

c)         Members of the Cabinet

d)         Chairs of Committees

e)         Head of Paid Service

Minutes:

60.

Members' Question Time

a)         Leader and Cabinet Members’ Question Time (30 minutes)

 

        Any member of the Council may ask the Leader of the Council or any Cabinet Member any question without prior notice, upon:

       

·       Any matter relating to the Council’s administration

·       Any matter relating to any report of the Cabinet appearing on the Council’s summons

·       A matter coming within their portfolio of responsibilities

 

        Only one supplementary question is allowed per question.

 

c)     Questions to Chairs of Meetings (15 Minutes)

 

 

Minutes:

61.

Council Tax Support Scheme 2020-21 pdf icon PDF 123 KB

To consider the report of the Cabinet Member for Performance and Resources seeking approval to amend the Local Council Tax Support Scheme for 2020/21.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

62.

Constitutional Changes pdf icon PDF 96 KB

To consider the report of the Head of Paid Service proposing a number of changes to the Council’s Constitution to address issues or reflect reviews in relation to contract rules, the Councillor Code of Conduct, Employee Code of Conduct and Councillor/Officer protocol, petitions and procedures for dealing with the budget debate at Council.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

63.

Appointment of an Independent Member to the Audit and Governance Committee and Changes to the Terms of Reference of the Audit and Governance Committee pdf icon PDF 117 KB

To consider the report of the Head of Audit Risk Assurance seeking approval for the appointment of an Independent Member to the Audit and Governance Committee and to update the Committee’s Terms of Reference.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

64.

Political Balance on Committees - Review pdf icon PDF 100 KB

To consider the report of the Corporate Director and Monitoring Officer concerning changes to the size and membership of Committees to ensure statutory political balance following a change in the Conservative Group.

Minutes:

65.

Programme of Meetings, May 2020-April 2022 pdf icon PDF 104 KB

To consider the report of the Policy and Governance Manager seeking approval for a two-year programme of ordinary meetings of Council and other meetings for the period of May 2020 to April 2022.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

66.

Notices of Motion pdf icon PDF 84 KB

1.    PROPOSED BY COUNCILLOR HAIGH

 

“This Council has a responsibility to house young people leaving the care of the County Council who have a connection to Gloucester. The County Council supports care leavers until the age of 25 recognising that these young people often face extensive challenges for a variety of reasons and sometimes need extra support to assist them to transition to adulthood.

 

This Council recognises that we should also support them through their mistakes and provide guidance to help them make more positive choices in the future. Maintaining a stable home can be particularly difficult for care leavers and being deemed intentionally homeless can mean that they slip through the net of support.

 

This Council resolves to change our housing policy to ensure that no care leaver with a connection to Gloucester is classed as intentionally homeless and that they are always supported back into accommodation and to work with the County Council to help to maintain that tenancy.”

 

2.    PROPOSED BY COUNCILLOR STEPHENS

 

“Council notes that the government has issued the provisional local government finance settlement for 2020/21.

 

Council further notes that the headline change for Gloucester is an increase of 1.4% in Core Spending Power and that without a one-off increase in New Homes Bonus Gloucester City Council would have again seen a negative change.

 

The chart below illustrates how we compare to other authorities and England as a whole.

cid:image007.png@01D5B999.AB48FDC0

Council is disappointed to note that we are well below the shire district average of 3.4% and significantly below England as a whole at 6.3%.

 

Historically Gloucester has received a bad deal from the government in terms of funding. The Centre for Cities 2019 outlook report set out the impact of austerity in the past decade; total spending in Gloucester has reduced by 23.4%, meaning the City ranks 9th in terms of total change. Gloucester is also the worst hit district council in the country.

 

The government produced Indices of Deprivation 2019 show that Gloucester has some of the most impoverished wards in the country. As an example, areas in Matson, Robinswood and White City ranks in the worst 0.1% nationally for some issues.

 

The level of need in the City is clearly not reflected in the provisional local government finance settlement when compared to other similar authorities and Gloucester residents are severely disadvantaged by this.

 

Council resolves to:

 

1.    Make urgent representations to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government for a significant increase in funding for the City.

 

2.    Seek the intervention of the City MP to lobby for a significant increase and fairer funding in the settlement available to Gloucester City Council.”

 

3.    PROPOSED BY COUNCILLOR COOLE

 

“Council notes:

 

·       That 2020 marks 20 years since Overview and Scrutiny was introduced to most councils in England

·       That Gloucester remains at the forefront of innovation in Scrutiny, employing best practice that has been recognised both regionally and nationally through the LGIU and CFPS.

·       That Overview and Scrutiny is a vital part  ...  view the full agenda text for item 66.

Minutes:

67.

Written Questions to Cabinet Members pdf icon PDF 154 KB

Written questions and answers.  Only one supplementary question is allowed per question.

Minutes: