Agenda item

To consider motions under Standing Order 12.

Meeting of Council, Wednesday 18 September 2019 6.00 pm (Item 42.)

Motion One

This Council:

1) Notes that the safeguarding of children and other vulnerable individuals within the community is of paramount importance to all who hold public office.

2) Is aware of recent criticisms of other surrounding authorities for a failure to exercise due diligence in carrying out their safeguarding functions in respect of children within their care.

3) Notes that, whilst Officers may primarily exercise the day to day functions of safeguarding on behalf of local authorities, that Elected Members equally have a responsibility to ensure that:

a) Those functions are indeed carried out diligently and effectively;

b) That vulnerable children and others potentially at risk in the community are protected by appropriate policies and procedures;

c) That Elected Members themselves set an appropriate leadership example in exercising their duties and responsibilities.

4) Recognises the importance of ensuring that everyone representing Gedling Borough Council, who may come into contact with such vulnerable children and other individuals in the course of their duties, are themselves above reproach.

5) Should seek to provide reassurance to our Gedling community by ensuring that all Elected Members are themselves made subject to a DBS check upon taking office.

6) Instructs the Monitoring Officer to consider and put in place a mechanism to ensure that appropriate DBS checks are carried out and recorded in a register against the name of all Elected Members.

Proposer: Councillor Adams

Seconder: Councillor Smith

Motion Two

This Council notes:

i) the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government’s August announcement to allocate a £1 billion Future High Streets fund to 100 high streets across England

ii) the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government’s decision on 6 September 2019 to invite 100 towns across England to benefit from the £3.6 billion new ‘Towns Fund’ and the announcement by Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government that each of those towns will receive up to £25 million

iii) the lack of transparent application process for the Government’s new ‘Towns Fund’, the absence of any published criteria for the Government’s decision to choose the 100 towns over others and the Conservative Government’s inclusion of eleven places in the new ‘Towns Fund’ that are in the top seventeen Conservative Party general election target constituencies in England

iv) the inclusion of the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government’s own town of Newark-on-Trent in the Government’s new ‘Towns Fund’ announced on 6 September 2019

This Council regrets:

i) the Government’s disappointing decision to reject Gedling Borough Council’s bid for a share of the £1 billion Future High Street Fund for Arnold town centre and choosing 100 other places instead

ii) the decision of the Conservative Government to turn its back on Gedling Borough by not including any of Gedling Borough’s towns as beneficiaries of the multi-million pound new ‘Towns Fund’ announced on 6 September 2019

This Council agrees:

i) that all members of the Council will be invited to sign the letter being sent by the Leader of the Council to the Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government demanding they:

a) reconsider their decision to exclude Gedling Borough’s towns from the 100 announced beneficiaries of the new ‘Towns Fund’ and calling on them to ensure towns in our borough receive a fair share of the funding available

b) immediately publish the criteria used for determining the 100 towns to benefit from the new ‘Towns Fund’ and which Government Minister made the decision to approve the list of the 100 towns announced on 6 September 2019

Proposer: Councillor Payne

Seconder: Councillor Clarke

Minutes:

Motion One

Upon a notice of motion received in the name of Councillor Adams, a proposition was moved by Councillor Adams, seconded by Councillor Sam Smith, in the following terms: