Agenda and minutes

To confirm and sign the minutes of 12 May 2022.

The minutes of the meeting of 12 May 2022 were confirmed and signed as a correct record, subject to the amendment of Minute C12/22 to reflect that Councillors Booth and Sutton made comments about there being no need, in their view, for this item to go into private session.

For information only.

Councillor Miscandlon drew members’ attention to the civic activities undertaken by himself in the weeks preceding Full Council.

Councillor Miscandlon informed members that the Leader has exercised his delegated authority to appoint Councillor Count to Cabinet replacing Councillor Lynn and, therefore, taking over his portfolio holder responsibilities as well as representing the Council as the outside body representative for the Safer Fenland/Community Partnership and Police and Crime Panel, with these in-year changes having been made under the Acting Monitoring Officer’s delegated authority.

Councillor Miscandlon announced that former Fenland District Councillor, Joan Diggle, had passed away.  She had served as a Fenland District Councillor from 1990 until 2003.  Members observed a minute’s silence in her memory.

Councillor Miscandlon advised members that he will be hosting the McMillan Coffee Morning at Fenland Hall on 29 September 2022 and hoped to see as many members attend in support of this extremely worthwhile cause and asked for donations of raffle prizes.

Councillor Miscandlon thanked all Town and Parish Councils and other organisations who made such a tremendous effort in contributing to the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations ensuring that it was a memorable event for all concerned.

The Chief Executive announced that the Council has once again been reaccredited for Customer Service Excellence (CSE).  He stated that CSE is a national standard that recognises public bodies that provide customer focused high-quality services and Fenland is one of the few councils that have consistently achieved this rigorous standard for all its services.  The Chief Executive advised the following an assessment in June the CSE Assessor was highly complimentary stating that the Council provided a comprehensive evidence-based submission which demonstrated a commitment to delivering excellent services in every area of the Council and that Fenland are truly committed to putting their customers at the heart of everything.  He stated that the Assessor noted several key strengths which related to:

·       the Council’s comprehensive consultation strategy which stresses the importance of consultation and how consultation is linked with Corporate Business Plan objectives

·       the Council’s corporate values which drive a focus on the customer

·       the Council’s framework of core and management competencies which support service improvement

·       the use of staff insight into delivering excellent services is at a high level through people taking ownership and being able to implement ideas

·       a commitment to creating new access channels to services and enhancing the Council’s digital offer whilst maintaining traditional channels for those residents that need them.

The Chief Executive asked Councillor Steve Tierney, Portfolio Holder for Transformation, Communication and Environment, to receive the CSE Reaccreditation Certificate from the Chairman.

Councillor Tierney made the point that the reaccreditation has nothing to do with him, it is often that councillors have to accept these awards due to the excellent work of staff and he does not want to take the credit away from the fantastic staff.

Councillor Miscandlon advised that no questions had been submitted under Procedure Rule 8.6 and as Councillor Cornwell was not present at the meeting and had not nominated anyone to ask questions on his behalf there would be no questions under Procedure Rule 8.4.

Members asked questions of Portfolio Holders in accordance with Procedure Rules 8.1 and 8.2 as follows:

·       Councillor Wicks asked Councillor Hoy how many military personnel are on the housing waiting list for the area?  Councillor Hoy responded that she would provide the number following the meeting.

·       Councillor Wicks asked Councillor Hoy that, given the Council is trying to reduce the number of long-term empty properties, what action is being taken to encourage housing associations to bring their unoccupied properties back into use? Councillor Hoy responded that sometimes housing associations and social landlords are treated more leniently as the Council relies on them when it needs to place people and it is difficult getting exact numbers as there are so many different types of social housing providers, but it needs to be looked into, which is perhaps something that the Overview and Scrutiny Panel can do also.

·       Councillor Sutton thanked the Leader for the Council for providing funding to the Fenland Road Safety Campaign for the forgotten corners bend which is now complete and asked if he would be prepared to support something similar in the future? Councillor Boden responded that he has great sympathy for the forgotten corners issue which affects a large number of individuals and there has been too many accidents, he recognises that there are others, such as Boots Bridge, but could give no firm assurances on support to others but where there is a need he would be sympathetic.  Councillor Sutton also thanked Councillors Connor and Mrs Davis who have been working together to deliver this scheme along with County Councillor Gowing.

·       Councillor Sutton asked Councillor Boden to give an update on the finances for Fenland Future Ltd as he seems to remember that there was already £50,000 spent in officer time and a projected £100,000 this year and how long it is going to be before members see some bricks and mortar in the ground? Councillor Boden responded that many of the questions asked by Councillor Sutton were answered in the open papers of the Investment Board, which met today, and he would encourage all councillors to look at these as they are quite important so far as the overall finances of the Council are concerned.  He stated that there does continue to be officer time which is utilised for Fenland Future Ltd and there will be many other areas, which are listed in a paper in today’s meeting, where recharges will take place and authorisation was given today for these recharges to take place over the next few weeks, with back charges for those costs associated with HR, ICT and all other areas where expenditure has been incurred, which is important for transparency and financially as effectively it is converting what will eventually be a capital receipt and appreciation into revenue. Councillor Boden referred to when bricks and mortar would be in the ground and stated that there are still fundamental decisions to be made about the means by which the two  ...  view the full minutes text for item C17/22

Motion submitted by Councillor Hoy with regards to Central Government consultation on two measures in the private rented sector.

Councillor Hoy presented her motion regarding Government consultation on two measures in relation to the private rented sector.

Members made comments as follows:

·       Councillor Tierney expressed the opinion that landlords are an easy target for people as like other types of professions it is easy to look at them and say big rich landlord preying on the poor tenant and whilst there are some landlords like that the vast majority are not like that, most smaller landlords are those looking to supplement their income in difficult times to boost their pension, make a little extra money and most want to provide a nice home for people to live in. He acknowledged that there are obviously bad landlords but a policy must not be made for the worst cases and the best cases forgotten as there are consequences to that and Councillor Hoy pointed out a number of those consequences, with one that he feels she missed was that if you are a landlord and you know you are going to be stuck with someone forever that you cannot make leave whatever happens unless they do set actions then you would be very worried about taking a tenant in and you are going to want the best references, the best background, which is fine for those people who have these. Councillor Tierney questioned what about the people who need a chance and the people who have for one reason or another have made a mistake in the past and have moved on or have fallen on hard times and it looks bad on their references, they will be unable to rent a house because it will be too frightening to let them in so basically locking people out of housing forever which will place a huge burden on the public sector, there would not be the space or the place for them to live, which he feels it is a terrible idea. He expressed surprise that a Conservative Government has pushed on this, property rights are fundamental to him as a Conservative but just as a human being wanting people to be able to find an affordable place to live without having to roll through a thousand levels of bureaucracy created by making it so difficult to be a landlord is not a country he wants to live in and he hopes that members will support this motion today.

·       Councillor Patrick agreed with Councillor Tierney that people should be given a chance but what he would actually like to see is that put into operation because all too often people fall by the wayside and he knows from personal experience do not get that chance as when they go to get on the housing list there is no opportunity for them as they are barred due to what has happened for six years. He feels that ways of dealing with this need to be looked at and may be this is something that the Council should be looking at in the  ...  view the full minutes text for item C18/22

Motion submitted by Councillor Boden with regards to Air Quality Monitoring in Whittlesey.

Councillor Boden presented his motion regarding air quality monitoring in Whittlesey.

Members made comments as follows:

·       Councillor Mrs Laws asked members to support this motion as Councillor Boden is not exaggerating, Whittlesey members phones have been “red-hot” and there are residents who cannot open their windows, cannot open their doors and are fearful of the children playing in the garden by what is quite a throat gripping smell. She stated that members are concerned about the A605 HGVs, Saxon Pit and Forterra. Councillor Mrs Laws praised the Environmental Team but made the point that it is also in the hands of the Environment Agency and she feel this motion is imperative for the people and residents of Whittlesey.

·       Councillor Booth stated that he supports the aims of what is trying to be achieved with this motion but asked, as part of due diligence, if there is a ballpark figure of the capital revenue costs and would the Leader be willing to amend point b regarding online reporting and monitoring to say the whole of the District not just Whittlesey. He said from a quick online search there are around 25 locations in a report from 2020, with Broad Street March being an area where concerns had been raised previously so if it going to be undertaken in Whittlesey why is it not undertaken across the whole district.

·       Councillor Mrs French agreed with Councillor Booth, with March being on maximum and that is one of the reasons that a March Area Transport Strategy is going to be undertaken with the High Street improvements, with it not just being the traffic flow but to get the emissions out of Broad Street as the people that work and shop in Broad Street do not realise how bad it is.

·       Councillor Tierney made the point that when your residents are coming to you and repeatedly telling you something you have to listen and if so many different people are telling you the same thing there must be something to it. He stated that the information is not always right and you need to check the data so that you are transparent so in this case you are going to show residents that their fears are unfounded or you will find something so action can be taken to address it.

·       Councillor Patrick referred to the incinerator which is being proposed in Wisbech and he feels that Whittlesey will have other problems as he believes that the fly ash from that incinerator will be taken and transported to Whittlesey so, in his view, the whole district should be checked as there will be readings and if the incinerator is built the Council can see what pattern is developing and what sort of pollution there is.

·       Councillor Sutton stated that he has no overall problem with this motion, although he is not sure why it needed to come before Council. He feels there are lots of questions, is the fear greater than the reality and as Councillor  ...  view the full minutes text for item C19/22

Motion submitted by Councillor Tierney with regards to the Council’s Climate Change and Carbon Reduction Policy.

Councillor Tierney presented his motion on the Council’s Climate Change and Carbon Reduction Policy.

Members made comments as follows:

·       Councillor Booth stated that he finds the preamble text to the resolutions fairly sceptical and does not agree with the way some of it is worded as it is, in his view, a cynical way of presenting the facts, however, looking at the resolutions he has always said the Council should be pragmatic in its approach and item b does actually commit to being legally compliant, with the legal requirement being to be net zero by 2050 so he does not disagree with this but he does disagree with the way that it is been framed in the preamble. He feels that what Fenland needs to do is to push the Government to get better investment and it is a disappointment that when the Council was looking at the garden town in Wisbech that it all came to a halt due to the threat of flooding and the Government was not willing to invest in our area and there is a proposal for a tidal barrier to be installed but nothing has happened for around 3 years in relation to this and these are the type of measures that should be pushed for to protect residents as it is known that Fenland is a particularly area of concern due to sea levels. Councillor Booth agreed that the Council should be meeting its 2050 net zero target in a proactive way as Councillor Tierney has tried to outline.

·       Councillor Patrick stated that he is struggling with this motion, on a good summer’s day for example with a bit of wind this country is already self-sufficient in the electric power that it produces. He stated that he has solar panels and if the Council is going to do this he asked why cannot when people build houses the Council require developers to put solar panels on the roofs, which will contribute towards electricity and take Fenland towards net zero and he feels these are the things the Council should be looking at and not ignoring what is happening to this world with severe climate changes. Councillor Patrick made the point that this country does not have snow anymore, there is warming and sea levels are rising so action is required quickly as there will be a catastrophe and it can be undertaken at a local level by encouraging people to invest in a means of producing free energy.

·       Councillor Sutton referred to Councillor Cornwell asking at two consecutive meetings about a climate change policy and if this is it and the quality of it he feels it is very poor as it does not say anything. He questioned how the twin-hatted members of the County Council can support it when they approved a couple of years ago what was felt to be a very good climate change policy and many councils up and down the country of all political persuasions have adopted a  ...  view the full minutes text for item C20/22

To Report to Full Council the commitment and effectiveness of the Audit and Risk Management Committee’s work from April 2021 to March 2022.

Councillor Miss French, Chairman of the Audit and Risk Management Committee, presented the Audit and Risk Management Committee Annual Report for 2021/22.

Councillor Miss French thanked the members of the committee for their participation and enthusiasm and officers for their hard work in servicing the needs of the committee.

Proposed by Councillor Miss French, seconded by Councillor Wicks and AGREED to acknowledge the work of the Audit and Risk Management Committee and its compliance with CIPFA’s annual checklist for 2021/22.

(Councillor Tanfield left the meeting at 6.02pm following this item)

To consider the overall financial and operational performance of the Council’s treasury management activity for 2021/22.

Councillor Boden as Leader and Portfolio Holder for Finance presented the Treasury Management Annual Report for 2021/22.

Proposed by Councillor Boden, seconded by Councillor Mrs Laws and AGREED that the Treasury Management Annual Report 2021/22 be noted.

(Councillor Patrick left the meeting at 6.09pm following this item)

To provide Council with an update on progress related to the 24 High Street Project and for Council to consider increasing funding within the capital programme to fund the project and to instruct officers to enter into a construction contract for 24 High Street Wisbech

Schedules 1 to 3 comprise exempt information - to exclude the public (including the press) from a meeting of a committee it is necessary for the following proposition to be moved and adopted: "that the public be excluded from the meeting for Items which involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in the paragraphs 3 and 5 of Part I of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended) as indicated.

In the absence of Councillor Seaton, Councillor Boden presented the report on 24 High Street Wisbech and the award of contract and approval of associated finance and officer delegations.

Councillor Sutton indicated that he wished to comment on the exempt schedules and, therefore, this item was considered in confidential session.

Proposed by Councillor Boden, seconded by Councillor Hoy and AGREED that

·       the current position in relation to the Council’s redevelopment plans for 24 High Street, Wisbech be noted;

·       the anticipated total value of redeveloping 24 High Street capped in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Crown Commercial Services Government Construction Framework RM6088 be noted;

·       the options available for funding the redevelopment of 24 High Street based on the value anticipated by the preferred bidder and as set out in Schedule 3 be approved with authority delegated to the Chief Finance Officer, in consultation with the Leader, to identify and utilise the most appropriate combination of funding having regard to the Council’s wider budgetary duties and obligations;

·       subject to the above, the negotiation and entry into a contract with the preferred bidder be approved in accordance with the requirements of the Code of Procurement and the legal advice and due diligence requirements as set out in Schedule 1 seeking at all times to ensure that the Council maintains its best value obligations.

(Members resolved to exclude the public from the meeting for this item of business on the grounds that it involved the disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraphs 3 and 5 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972)