Minutes for Full Council meeting, Apr 25 2012, 5.30PM official page

Apologies received from Councillors D Phillips, L Smart and M Connolly.

Members of the Council are reminded of their personal responsibility to declare any personal and prejudicial interest in respect of matters contained in this agenda in accordance with the provisions of the Local Government Act 2000, the Council’s Constitution and the Members Code of Conduct.

No declarations of interest were received. 

No petitions were received. 

The minutes of the meeting held on Tuesday, 20^th March 2012 of the Licensing Committee were submitted and approved. 

The minutes of the meeting  held on Monday, 26^th March 2012 of Scrutiny:  Schools and Technical Services and Regeneration were submitted and approved. 

The minutes of the meeting held on Tuesday, 27^th March 2012 of Scrutiny:  Social Services and Social Regeneration were submitted and approved. 

The minutes of the meeting held on Wednesday, 28^th March 2012 of Cabinet were submitted and approved. 

The minutes of the meeting held on Wednesday, 28^th March 2012 of Full Council were submitted and approved. 

The minutes of the meeting held on Monday, 2^nd April 2012 of Scrutiny:  Customer and Business Services were submitted and approved. 

The minutes of the meeting held on Tuesday, 3^rd April 2012 of the Licensing Committee were submitted and approved. 

The minutes of the meeting held on Tuesday, 3^rd April 2012 of Scrutiny:  Chief Executive (inc. Crime and Disorder) were submitted and approved. 

The minutes of the meeting held on Wednesday, 4^th April 2012 of the Planning and Regulatory Committee were submitted and approved. 

The minutes of the meeting held on Thursday, 5^th April 2012 of the Objections and Appeals Committee were submitted and approved. 

The minutes of the meeting held on Wednesday, 11^th April 2012 of the Licensing Committee were submitted and approved.  

The minutes of the meeting held on Wednesday, 11^th April 2012 of Cabinet were submitted and approved.

The minutes of the meeting held on Tuesday, 17^th April 2012 of the Rights of Way Committee were submitted and approved. 

To receive a Notice of Question from Councillor N Greer.

Question by Councillor N Greer

Every School in the Borough will carry over a surplus or deficit for the year 2011.   What are the figures for every School?

Response  by Councillor Richard Thomas

The Statement of Accounts for the year ending 31^st of March is available on the Merthyr Tydfil website.  Page 71, Section 38, Local Management of Schools Balances, lists the individual school’s surplus or deficit for that year.  Two schools had deficit budgets and the overall surplus was £1.2m.

The balances were also reported in an Information Report of the 20^th July, 2011, School Closure of Accounts, 2010-11.

Councillor N Greer asked a supplementary question, namely:

Are the reserves included in the figures?

Councillor Richard Thomas advised that he had already answered this in his initial response. 

To receive a Notice of Question from Councillor N Greer. 

Question by Councillor N Greer

Will the Chief Executive produce for the earliest Full Council the mechanisms to withdraw all Councillors from School Boards in this Authority and ensure a full debate is given time in the Chamber?

Response by Councillor Richard Thomas

I confess that I was very surprised by this question. It  suggests that ALL elected members should automatically be prevented from serving on school governing bodies (I assume that is what Councillor Greer means by his use of the term Boards). Given that Councillors, as elected representatives, are seen as leaders within the community it would appear to be a strange decision for any Council not to allow elected members to perform that same role of leadership in the governance of our schools.

Gareth Chapman advised that it  was not appropriate for him to provide the mechanism for Councillor’s removal from School Boards.   

To receive a Notice of Question from Councillor N Greer. 

Question by Councillor N Greer

Where does the Welsh Government place the educational placing of Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council against all other Local Authorities in Wales.    To assist understanding, can a bar chart and graph assist the answer?

Response by Councillor Richard Thomas

The Welsh Government does not rank all local authorities within a single league table. Indeed the Minister has publicly stated on a number of occasions that it is not his policy to use raw data to produce league tables and therefore I am not aware of the existence of any such league tables.

Councillor N Greer asked a supplementary question, namely:

Does the Council accept that we have no ranking for education in Merthyr Tydfil

Councillor Richard Thomas responded yes, as it is Welsh Government’s decision not to rank all Local Authorities.

To consider a report from Councillor Brendan Toomey, Chairman Chief Executive’s Scrutiny Committee

RESOLVED that

The forms (shown as Appendix II and Appendix III), or variations thereof as agreed with the processing department(s), are used for the Biffa Profit Sharing Scheme applications.

Training awareness on the implications of the legislation is offered to Councillors as it is essential that they are aware of the requirements of the equalities legislation.

A feedback process is implemented whereby the collated information is fed back to Councillors on a six monthly basis, providing them with information on which to base their consideration for future decisions on Biffa awards. 

Councillor N Greer voted against this decision. 

To consider a report from the Chief Executive.  

RESOLVED that

The delegations set out in 1.1, 1.2 and 2.1 be adopted. 

To consider a report from the Chief Executive. 

RESOLVED that

The number of Councillors on the Planning and Regulatory Committee is increased from ten to eleven to allow for one Councillor from each Electoral Division unless agreed otherwise by Council.  This will be effective from the Council’s Annual General Meeting on 16^th May 2012.  

The quorum of a Planning and Regulatory Committee meeting will be four Councillor members of the Committee.

No Councillor appointed to the Planning and Regulatory Committee can sit at a Planning and Regulatory Committee meeting without having undertaken training in planning procedures as specified by the Council. 

Councillors K O’Connor, R Griffin and N Greer voted against this decision. 

To consider a report from the Chief Executive. 

RESOLVED that

Council approve the adoption of the statutory and extra statutory holidays as outlined in Appendix 1 of the report. 

To consider a report from the Chief Executive. 

RESOLVED that

The Council’s use of its powers under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 be noted.

To consider a report from the Chief Executive. 

RESOLVED that

The People Strategy be approved. 

To consider a report from the Chief Executive. 

RESOLVED that

Council notes the petition received. 

To consider a report from the Director of Customer Services.  

RESOLVED that

The Museum Forward Plan and Collections Policy are adopted.  

To consider a report from the Director of Community Services.  

RESOLVED that

The Merthyr Tydfil Family Focused Children and Young People’s Transition Plan 2011/12 be extended for the period 2012/13.

No urgent business or correspondence was discussed. 

Councillor P Brown thanked members and officers for their support during his year as Mayor.

On behalf of the Labour Group, Councillor B Toomey thanked Councillor P Brown for his fairness in his role as Mayor.