Agenda and minutes

The Mayor’s Chaplain, Reverend Sally Bayliss, delivered the opening prayer.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Fox, Greensmith, Payne, Pepper and Poole.

The Mayor paid tribute to former Members, Dr. Raj Chandran, Mavis Gunstan and Magdeleine Roach, who had recently passed away and who would be missed. The Mayor invited tributes from Members, who remarked on the service and contributions to the community made both during their time in office and since. The Leader requested that a book of remembrance be arranged and the Mayor asked that Officers pass on news of Ms. Roach’s passing to our twin town of Rotenburg, who she had been heavily involved with.

The Mayor remarked on a recent visit to the Gedling Play Forum’s recent Halloween event. The event had been well attended and the children had enjoyed themselves. The Mayor encouraged Members to consider using their community grants funds to support the group.

The Mayor informed Members that she and the Deputy Mayor had attended a number of remembrance events across the Borough and a staff remembrance event in Arnot Hill Park.

The Mayor invited the Deputy Mayor to provide information to Council about a recent visit to the Holocaust Centre. The Deputy Mayor informed Members that she had recently visited the Holocaust Centre for their 21^st anniversary event, during which they opened a new wing at the centre. The Deputy Mayor had met 17 holocaust survivors who had been in attendance and had found the visit extremely moving. The Deputy Mayor encouraged those Members who were also school governors to urge schools to ensure that children are given the opportunity to go to the Centre as part of an educational visit.

Finally, the Mayor reminded Members that the Members Room at the Civic Centre is to be used by Members only.

RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the above meeting, having been circulated, be approved as a correct record.

Councillors Allen, Barnfather, Brooks, Clarke, Creamer, Elliott and Weisz declared interests in the allocation of CIL receipts from the Gedling Colliery development, as Members of Nottinghamshire County Council.

None received.

None received.

None received.

Report of the Planning Policy Manager

Council is recommended to:

1)    Commit up to a maximum of £4,488,120 as a contribution to the Gedling Access Road (“GAR”) to be financed by Community Infrastructure Levy (“CIL”) receipts predominantly from the Colliery development and that the final contribution to the GAR from CIL receipts be the equivalent value of the actual amount of CIL received from the Gedling Colliery development that is required to construct the GAR if less that £4,488,120.

2)    Approve the establishment of the budget for the contribution to the GAR subject to the CIL actually being received and profiled in accordance with the timescale of receipt.

Consideration was given to a Report of the Planning Policy Manager, which had been referred to Council by Cabinet.

RESOLVED to:

1)    Commit up to a maximum of £4,488,120 as a contribution to the Gedling Access Road (“GAR”) to be financed by Community Infrastructure Levy (“CIL”) receipts predominantly from the Colliery development and that the final contribution to the GAR from CIL receipts be the equivalent value of the actual amount of CIL received from the Gedling Colliery development that is required to construct the GAR if less that £4,488,120; and

2)    Approve the establishment of the budget for the contribution to the GAR subject to the CIL actually being received and profiled in accordance with the timescale of receipt.

Report of the Service Manager for Revenues and Benefits.

Consideration was given to a report of the Service Manager, Revenues and Benefits, seeking approval for the Council to continue to apply its current Council Tax Reduction Scheme (CTRS) without revision, for the financial year 2017/18.

RESOLVED that:

The Council continues to apply the current Council Tax Reduction Scheme (CTRS) for the financial year 2017/18 without revision.

Report of the Service Manager for Elections and Members’ Services.

Consideration was given to a report of the Service Manager, Elections and Members Services, seeking confirmation of officer appointments in relation to elections and referendums for inclusion in the Proper Officer provisions in the Constitution.

RESOLVED that:

1)    The updated officer appointments in relation to elections and referendums set out in Appendix 1to the report be approved;

2)    The Chief Executive be appointed to act as Proper Officer in relation to any other enactment relating to elections or referendums where specific arrangements have not been made; and

3)    The Director of Organisational Development and Democratic Services be authorised to make the necessary changes to the Proper Officer provisions in the Constitution to reflect the appointments.

Report of the Director of Organisational Development and Democratic Services.

Consideration was given to a report of the Director of Organisational Development and Democratic Services updaing Council on the outcome of a review of the standards regime carried out by Standards Committee and seeking approval for minor amendments to the Code of Conduct, remit of the Standards Committee and the remuneration paid to the Independent Person and reserve Independent Person

RESOLVED that:

1)    the Code of Conduct be amended so as to increase the level of gifts and hospitality which needs to be registered from £25 to £50;

2)    the amended remit of the Committee at Appendix 1 be approved to make it clear that the Borough Council is unable to grant dispensations in relation to Parish Councillors; and

3)    the increase to Members’ basic allowances agreed by Council in March 2016 be applied to the fixed fee retainer and additional fee for complaints dealt with following an investigation paid to the Independent Person and reserve Independent Person.

Report of the Director of Organisational Development and Democratic Services.

Consideration was given to a report of the Director of Organisational Development and Democratic Services notifying Council of a finding of maladministration by the Local Government Ombudsman.

RESOLVED to:

1)    Note the Local Government Ombudsman’s findings and endorse the steps already taken by Officers by way of offering a remedy; and

2)    Agree that no further action needs to be taken in relation to the matter set out in this report.

In accordance with Standing Order 11.1, a number of comments were made and responded to by the appropriate Cabinet Member or Committee Chair.

None received.

Gedling Borough Council calls upon the Government to make fair transitional state pension arrangements for all women born on or after 6th April 1951, who have unfairly borne the burden of the increase to the State Pension Age (SPA) with lack of appropriate notification.

Hundreds of thousands of women, including many in Gedling Borough, had significant pension changes imposed on them by the Pensions Acts of 1995 and 2011 with little or no personal notification of the changes.  Some women had only two years’ notice of a six year increase to their State Pension Age.

Many women born in the 1950s are living in hardship.  Retirement plans have been shattered with devastating consequences.  Many of these women are already out of the labour market, caring for elderly relatives, providing childcare for grandchildren, or suffer discrimination in the workplace so struggle to find employment.  Women born in this decade are suffering financially.  These women have worked hard, raised families and paid their tax and national insurance with the expectation that they would be financially secure when reaching 60.

It is not the pension age itself that is in dispute – it is widely accepted that women and men should retire at the same time.  The issue is that the rise in the women’s state pension age has been too rapid and has happened without sufficient notice being given to the women affected, leaving women with no time to make alternative arrangements.

Gedling Borough Council calls upon the Government to reconsider transitional arrangements for women born on or after 6th April 1951, so that women do not live in hardship due to pension changes they were not told about until it was too late to make alternative arrangements.

Proposed by Councillor Roxanne Ellis
Seconded by Councillor Barbara Miller

Upon a notice of motion received in the name of Councillor Roxanne Ellis, a proposition was moved by Councillor Roxanne Ellis and seconded by Councillor Miller in the following terms:-

“Gedling Borough Council calls upon the Government to make fair transitional state pension arrangements for all women born on or after 6th April 1951, who have unfairly borne the burden of the increase to the State Pension Age (SPA) with lack of appropriate notification.

Hundreds of thousands of women, including many in Gedling Borough, had significant pension changes imposed on them by the Pensions Acts of 1995 and 2011 with little or no personal notification of the changes.  Some women had only two years’ notice of a six year increase to their State Pension Age.

Many women born in the 1950s are living in hardship.  Retirement plans have been shattered with devastating consequences.  Many of these women are already out of the labour market, caring for elderly relatives, providing childcare for grandchildren, or suffer discrimination in the workplace so struggle to find employment.  Women born in this decade are suffering financially.  These women have worked hard, raised families and paid their tax and national insurance with the expectation that they would be financially secure when reaching 60.

It is not the pension age itself that is in dispute – it is widely accepted that women and men should retire at the same time.  The issue is that the rise in the women’s state pension age has been too rapid and has happened without sufficient notice being given to the women affected, leaving women with no time to make alternative arrangements.

Gedling Borough Council calls upon the Government to reconsider transitional arrangements for women born on or after 6th April 1951, so that women do not live in hardship due to pension changes they were not told about until it was too late to make alternative arrangements.”

At the request of the requisite number of Members, the motion was put to a named vote:

and it was

RESOLVED that:

Gedling Borough Council calls upon the Government to make fair transitional state pension arrangements for all women born on or after 6th April 1951, who have unfairly borne the burden of the increase to the State Pension Age (SPA) with lack of appropriate notification.