MINUTES OF THE MEETING
OF THE COUNCIL 5
April 2001
(6.00
– 7.50pm)
PRESENT: The Mayor (Councillor Knowles),
Deputy Mayor (Councillor Lakin), Councillors Bagnall, Benstead, Blencowe,
Bradnack, Callaghan, Cowell, Currie, Dixon, Douglas, Dryden, Durrant,
Ellis-Miller, Gilchrist, Griffiths, Harrison, Hipkin, Howarth, Howell, James,
Johnston, Levison, Liddle, Mbaya, Nimmo-Smith, Overhill, Reed, C Rosenstiel, J
Rosenstiel, M Schofield, T Schofield, Slatter, Smart, Smith, Stebbings, Stuart,
Talbot, Taylor, Ward, White, and Woodford
FOR THE
INFORMATION OF THE COUNCIL
01/12
MINUTES
The minutes of the meeting of the
Council held on 15 February 2001 were confirmed as a correct record and signed
by the Mayor.
01/13 MAYOR=S ANNOUNCEMENTS
·
Apologies
There were no
apologies for absence.
·
Cambridge’s
Octocentenary
Celebrations to mark the 800th anniversary
of Cambridge’s first Charter were continuing. The first of the Guildhall Open
Days had been an outstanding success with 170 visitors coming in to see the
insignia and charters and to have a short walking tour of the immediate city
centre. This response had far exceeded
expectations. The Mayor thanked the
staff involved and those councillors who had supported the event. The next Open Day would be held on Saturday
16 June.
The annual Reach Fair would take place on Bank Holiday
Monday, 7 May 2001, and the village would be celebrating the 800th
anniversary of the Charter.
·
50th
Anniversary of City Status
On 24 March 2001, Cambridge had celebrated the 50th
anniversary of receiving city status. Church bells had been rung throughout the
city and there had been some good publicity in the Cambridge Evening News.
·
Charter
Marks
Earlier that day, the Mayor had attended a reception for members of staff from Sports Development and Reception and Telephones, to celebrate their achievement in being awarded a Charter Mark. The award reflected great credit on the services concerned and the Council, and congratulations were due to all the employees involved.
·
Thank You
This was Councillor Knowles’ last complete Council Meeting as Mayor, and she thanked members for their support over the past year.
·
Declarations of Interest
Councillor
Smith declared a pecuniary interest in City Board adoption minute number
01/A/22, “Revenue and Capital Budgets – Carry Forwards and Significant
Variances”, recommendation 3(iv), as he was a shareholder in Cambridge United
Football Club. He withdrew from the
Chamber during the discussion on this recommendation.
Councillor
Talbot declared a Code of Conduct (non-financial) interest in City Board
adoption minute number 01/A/22, “Revenue and Capital Budgets – Carry Forwards
and Significant Variances”, recommendation 3(iv), as he held a season-ticket
for Cambridge United Football Club. He
withdrew from the Chamber during the discussion on this recommendation.
01/14 PUBLIC QUESTION TIME
No members of
the public wished to address the Council.
01/15 MINUTES PRESENTED BY COMMITTEES FOR
ADOPTION
The Council considered the recommendations of the City Board meeting held on 26 March 2001.
01/A/22 Revenue and Capital Budgets – Carry Forwards and
Significant Variances
Councillor
Blencowe proposed and Councillor Reed seconded the following amendment:
“3(iv) amend to read:
‘…that City Board be requested to consider additional
funding for the scheme up to a maximum of £50,000 to match…’
Add:
‘To recommend to the club in view of the public’s financial contribution that a place be given to a fans’ representative on the board’.”
On being put to the vote, the amendment was lost by 17 votes to 22.
Resolved to
Revenue Budgets:
1) (by 25 votes to 0) Approve the carry forward of an estimated total of £729,130 budgets, detailed in Appendix A to these minutes, from 2000/01 into 2001/02, including two new requests identified for Property and Administration Sub-Committee and Community Development and Leisure Committee since these met.
2) (by 25 votes to 0) Approve the use of contingency to cover the cost of urgent flood protection work required recently, currently estimated at £40,694.
Capital
Budgets:
3) Approve the following, with rephasing where appropriate, for inclusion into the Capital Plan:
i. (by 25 votes to 0) Add to the Capital Plan: CCTV equipment replacement, estimated at £75,000 in 2001/02, funded £55,000 from existing Repair and Renewal and £20,000 carry forward revenue underspend from 2000/01 as referred from Property and Administration Sub-Committee.
ii. (by 25 votes to 0) Amend the Capital Plan: to advance the purchase of one vehicle, estimated at £100,000 to 2000/01, to be funded from existing Repair and Renewal provision, to replace a damaged vehicle ahead of scheduled as approved by Chair and Spokespersons of Environment Committee and Chair of City Board under emergency powers (item currently in the Capital Plan in 2001/02, reference SC093).
iii. (by 25 votes to 0) Add to the Capital Plan: to include the earmarked fund for sports development.
iv. (by 38 votes to 0) Add to the Capital Plan: a grant of £25,000 and additional funding for the scheme up to a maximum of £25,000 to match an identified amount of funding raised from the fan-based organisations agreed to Cambridge United Football Club, towards the re-development of the Abbey Stadium.
v. (by 25 votes to 0) Approve the use of any balance of the £1.7m use of reserves approved for the Housing Capital Programme in 2000/01 to fund Housing General Fund capital activities in the 2001/02 programme.
01/A/23 Adoption of
Revised Treasury Management Policy
Resolved (with
no votes against) that the
revised version of the Council’s Treasury Management Policy Statement, attached
as Appendix B to these minutes, supersede all other and be adopted by the
Council.
01/16
ORAL QUESTIONS
There
were no oral questions.
01/17 NOTICE OF MOTION: HOUSING CAPITAL FUNDING
Councillor Nimmo-Smith proposed and Councillor Griffiths seconded the
following notice of motion:
“The Council notes the shortage of funding in Cambridge for renovation
grants and new affordable and social housing schemes following the introduction
of the Government's Major Repairs Allowance, and instructs officers to write to
the city's MPs and to the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and
the Regions to draw their attention to the serious consequences that may result
unless there is early access to additional capital resources.”
Under Standing Order 7 it was agreed to deal with the motion at the
meeting.
Councillor Bagnall proposed and Councillor Talbot seconded the following
amendment:
“delete all after Major Repairs Allowance and replace with:
‘and requests officers to seek the support of the city’s MPs in backing a bid to the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions for resources for new affordable housing for the city under the starter homes initiative’.”
On being put to the vote the amendment was lost by 16 votes to 22.
Resolved (by 25 votes to 0) that the Council notes the shortage of funding in Cambridge for renovation grants
and new affordable and social housing schemes following the introduction of the
Government's Major Repairs Allowance, and instructs officers to write to the
city's MPs and to the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the
Regions to draw their attention to the serious consequences that may result
unless there is early access to additional capital resources.
Action by: Director of Community Services
01/18 RECEPTION OF MINUTES
The minutes of
committees were presented for the information of the Council.
01/19 NOTIFICATION OF SEALING
The Council concluded its business at 7.50pm.
MAYOR