| Item | Description | Resolution |
|---|---|---|
| PART 1 - PUBLIC | ||
| C 12/078 |
Declarations of interest. |
There were no declarations of interest made. |
| C 12/079 |
Minutes |
RESOLVED: That the Minutes of the proceedings of the meeting of the Council held on 10 July 2012 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Mayor. |
| C 12/080 |
Minutes |
RESOLVED: That the Minutes of the proceedings of the extraordinary meeting of the Council held on 22 October 2012 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Mayor. |
| C 12/081 |
Mayor's Announcements. |
The Mayor reported that since the last meeting of the Council he and the Deputy Mayor had attended a significant number of events both within and outside the Borough and he highlighted their range and diversity and the excellence of services provided by the organisations visited. He referred to a number of memorable events including seeing the facilities at the Training Wall at Carroty Wood and attending the presentation of a national award for Outstanding Leadership Academy status to the Treejumpers Outdoor Academy at the Hop Farm. The Mayor had also opened the new Tonbridge Mental Health Live it Well Centre. The Mayor reported on visits to the Bangladeshi Community's annual Eid Festival and the Nepalese Community's Dashain Festival. He indicated that he had been alerted to a number of problems experienced by Nepali residents which had been passed to local ward Members and appropriate officers briefed. The Mayor made reference to the Olympic Torch relay at Borough Green, the arrangement at short notice of the event on the Castle Lawn when Dame Kelly Holmes brought the torch to Tonbridge and the Remembrance Day Services at Tonbridge, West Malling and Aylesford. The Mayor was pleased to report that Tonbridge and Malling had won the annual cricket match against Maidstone Borough Council. He also referred to his garden party at Hadlow College and the local produce dinner at The Bull, Wrotham. He informed the Council that his Charities Fund currently stood at around £2,400. Members were advised of a number of forthcoming events including switching on the Christmas lights in Tonbridge on 25 November, the Tea and Cake sale at Kings Hill on 12 December, the Oast Theatre performance of Cider With Rosie on 22 January 2013, a Quiz at Hadlow on 23 February and a Pudding Evening at Ightham Mote on 19 April. The Mayor expressed his gratitude to the Deputy Mayor and the staff of the Mayor's office during a very busy time. |
| C 12/082 |
Questions from the public pursuant to Council Procedure Rule No 5.6. |
No questions were received from members of the public pursuant to Council Procedure Rule No 5.6. |
| C 12/083 |
Questions from Members pursuant to Council Procedure Rule No 5.5. |
No questions were received from Members pursuant to Council Procedure Rule No 5.5. |
| C 12/084 |
Leader's Announcements. |
The Leader indicated that he had a number of matters to report since the last meeting of the Council. He stated that the memory of welcoming the Olympic Torch relay through Borough Green would remain for years to come, having captured the excitement of residents and visitors. He thanked all the staff on duty that day and especially the Chief Leisure Officer and his team for their meticulous planning together with the advice and support of the local Members. Robbie Farnham-Rose, a resident of Borough Green, had also been awarded the Borough Council's Young Achiever Award for sporting potential as an Olympic star of the future. The Leader paid tribute to the professionalism, skill and dedication of the staff in responding to the London Organising Committee's decision to grant the Olympic Torch an unscheduled stop at Tonbridge Castle at the behest of Dame Kelly Holmes. The Leader commented that Larkfield Leisure Centre had again been independently rated as 'excellent' under the new Quest Scheme with a score that placed it in the top ten facilities nationally. He offered congratulations to the Leisure Contracts Manager and staff at Larkfield for this outstanding achievement. He also referred to the launch of the second Music @ Malling Festival and congratulated the organising committee for staging a successful weekend of music and culture. Future plans for the Festival would be considered at the next meeting of the Leisure and Arts Advisory Board. Reference was made to the busy summer of the Environmental Health and Legal Services teams involved in activity across the Borough. He commended the hard work of the Licensing and Appeals Committee and the efforts of the Licensing Manager in respect of the taxi trade. The Leader referred to 'Love Where You Live' events organised in East Malling by the Community Warden, Mandy Harris and the nomination of the group for the Telegraph's British Volunteer Awards. The Council was also advised that the Dog Warden service had received an award from the RSPCA. The Tonbridge Town Team was making progress in organising events and activities to support local retailers, the latest event being a competition for best dressed shop window. The Leader thanked the Town Team, especially Susan Adams for promoting the event to traders, and the editor of the Courier for agreeing to judge the competition. The Leader reported on recent consideration by the Community Safety Advisory Board of the Kent Community Alcohol Partnership pilot programme in Snodland which had attracted the interest of Baroness Newlove, the Government's champion for Active, Safer Communities who would be visiting the programme. Referring to the difficulties experienced by small businesses, the Leader indicated the support being given by the Borough Council through prompt payment of invoices. In this regard it was noted that Tonbridge and Malling had been judged by the Forum of Private Business as the best council in the country in making over 97% of payments within 10 days. The Leader mentioned the Audit Commission's report released that morning examining local authority financial resilience in the wake of the Government's deficit reduction programme and the impact of the economic downturn. He referred to the report to Cabinet on 19 November that the Council was well on the way to achieving the first of four target savings tranches of £635,000 by 1 April 2013. He indicated that a significant factor in its achievement was the decision not to award a pay increase in the current year and expressed appreciation for the understanding of the staff in this matter. The Leader concluded by indicating that the future for Government grant was currently unclear and would be announced nearer Christmas. The Council would therefore continue to approach the challenging times in a calm and thorough manner. |
| C 12/085 |
Gambling Act 2005 Draft Statement of Licensing Policy Item LA 12/083 referred from Licensing and Appeals Committee minutes of 18th September, 2012 |
RESOLVED: That the recommendations at Minute LA 12/083 be adopted. |
| C 12/086 |
Local Authority Mortgage Scheme Initiative Item CB 12/074 referred from Cabinet minutes of 10th October, 2012 |
RESOLVED: That the recommendations at Minute CB 12/074 be adopted. |
| C 12/087 |
Housing Strategy 2013-2016 Item CB 12/075 referred from Cabinet minutes of 10th October, 2012 |
RESOLVED: That the recommendations at Minute CB 12/075 be adopted. |
| C 12/088 |
Treasury Management Mid-Year Review 2012-13 Item CB 12/076 referred from Cabinet minutes of 10th October, 2012 |
RESOLVED: That the recommendations at Minute CB 12/076 be adopted. |
| C 12/089 |
Determination of the Council's Council Tax Reduction Scheme Item CB 12/092 referred from Cabinet minutes of 19th November, 2012 |
The Council was advised that the regulations regarding the operation of the scheme would be published and laid before Parliament the following week. It was therefore suggested that the recommendations in respect of changes in discounts be approved in principle at this stage. RESOLVED: That the recommendations at Minute CB 12/092 be adopted subject to the changes to discounts (second homes and six to three month empty property exemption) being adopted in principle pending clarification of the necessary regulations. |
| C 12/090 |
Changes to the Constitution |
Consideration was given to the report of the Monitoring Officer regarding amendments to the constitution to give effect to proposed delegations to the Chief Executive, Central Services Director and Corporate Services Manager in relation to the new provisions of the Community Right to Bid. RESOLVED: That the Monitoring Officer be authorised to amend Part 3 of the Constitution to give effect to the changes outlined at paragraph 1.1.2 of the report. |
| C 12/091 |
Appointments to Outside Bodies |
The report of the Central Services Director gave details of an invitation to nominate a replacement Community Governor at Woodlands Junior School, Tonbridge following the retirement of Dr Gordon Court. In addition the Trustees of Tonbridge United Charity wished to recommend Mrs Diane Huntingford as a successor to Ms Laura de Bono as one of the Council's nominative Trustees of the charity. The Council expressed appreciation of the many years service of Dr Court as a Governor of Woodlands Junior School. RESOLVED: That (1) Councillor D Trice be nominated to serve as a Community Governor of Woodlands Junior School, Tonbridge; and (2) Mrs Diane Huntingford be appointed as a nominative Trustee of the Tonbridge United Charity. |
| C 12/092 |
Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rule 15 |
The Chief Executive submitted a report on the circumstances in which the urgency provisions under the Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rule 15(i) had been invoked in respect of the response to a consultation on Localising Support for Council Tax. RESOLVED: That the report be received and noted. |
| C 12/093 |
Sealing of Documents |
RESOLVED: That authority be given for the Common Seal of the Council to be affixed to any instrument to give effect to a decision of the Council incorporated into these Minutes and proceedings. |
| PART 2 - PRIVATE | ||
| C 12/094 |
Provision of Fitness Equipment at Larkfield Leisure Centre and Angel Centre (Reason: LGA 1972 Sch 12A Para 3 - Financial or business affairs of any particular person) |
Item CB 12/090 referred from Cabinet minutes of 10th October, 2012 RESOLVED: That the recommendations at Minute CB 12/090 be adopted. |