Agenda and decisions

The Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner for Thames Valley, Matthew Barber, and the Chief Constable of Thames Valley Police, John Campbell, will be invited to address Council.

Members will then have an opportunity to ask questions of the Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner, the Chief Constable and Superintendent Emma Garside.

The Chairman to report on any requests to submit petitions or to address the meeting.

Addresses may be presented by:

·       A Local Government elector for the area,

·       A person who is wholly or mainly resident in the area,

·       A Council Taxpayer or National Non-Domestic Ratepayer for the area

Addresses must be on an item on the Agenda before the meeting and not exceed 5 minutes. No person may address more than one meeting on any particular issue.

Requests to address the meeting (including the reason for the address) should be submitted to democracy@cherwell-dc.gov.uk The deadline for requests to address this meeting is noon on Friday 11 December 2020. The deadline for requests to present a petition has passed.

Full details of public participation at meetings is available in the Constitution.

To confirm as a correct record the Minutes of Council held on 19 October 2020.

a)       Minutes of Executive, Lead Member Decisions and Executive Decisions not included in the 28 day notice

The Leader of the Council to formally propose that the minutes of the meetings of the Executive and Lead Member Decisions as set out in the Minute Book (circulated separately) be received and to report that since the last meeting of Council held on 19 October 2020, no key decisions have been taken by the Executive which were not included in the 28 day notice.

b)       Minutes of Committees

The Leader of the Council to formally propose that the minutes of committees as set out in the Minute Book (circulated separately) be received.

a)       Written Questions

          1 written question has been submitted with advance notice in accordance with the Constitution. This is are attached to the agenda. 

A written response to the question will be published on the working day before the meeting.

The Member who submitted the written question may ask a supplementary question provided it is relevant to the reply and does not introduce any new matter. The Member to whom the question was addressed may reply to such supplementary question or undertake to reply in writing.

b)       Questions to the Leader of the Council

The Chairman to invite questions to the Leader of the Council (including any matters arising from the minutes).

Following a response to their question being provided Members will be entitled to a follow up or supplementary question.

** In line with the virtual meeting procedure rules, any Member wishing to ask a question of the Leader (including on the minutes of Executive)  must notify democracy@cherwell-dc.gov.uk by noon on the day of the meeting. It is not required for the topic to be notified. No questions without notice will be permitted **

c)       Questions to Committee Chairmen on the Minutes

The Chairman to invite questions to Chairmen of Committees on any matter arising from the minutes of their committee (if any).

** In line with the virtual meeting procedure rules, any Member wishing to ask a question of a Chairman of a Committee on any matter arising from the minutes of their committee must notify democracy@cherwell-dc.gov.uk by noon on the day of the meeting. It is not required for the topic to be notified. No questions without notice will be permitted **

To debate the following motions which have been submitted with advance notice, in accordance with the Constitution (to be debated in the order submitted).

Please note that the deadline to submit motions has passed. The deadline for Members to submit amendments to motions is noon on Thursday 10 December 2020. No amendments will be permitted after this deadline.

Any amendments submitted will be published as a supplement to the agenda on the afternoon of Friday 11 December 2020. Amendments for motions will be dealt with in the order submitted. 

On being put to the vote, each of the three motions were lost and subsequently fell

Report of Director of Finance

Purpose of report

To seek approval for a Council Tax Reduction Scheme for the year 2021-2022 on the recommendation of Budget Planning Committee and Executive.

To provide members with an update on Council Tax discounts and to seek approval for the Council Tax discounts for 2021-2022.

Recommendations

The meeting is recommended:

1.1          To approve a Council Tax Reduction Scheme (CTRS) for the year 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022 as set out in the report and to implement the scheme with effect from 1 April 2021.

1.2          To grant delegated authority to the Section 151 Officer to make amendments to the Council Tax Regulations up to and including 31 January 2021 for pensioners in line with uprating announced by MHCLG and to amend the Working Age Regulations in line with the new income banded scheme and the uprating announced by MHCLG. 

1.3          To review the proposed level of Council Tax discounts and premiums for 2021-2022 and to approve the following:

·       Retain the discount for second homes at zero.

·       Retain the discount for empty homes (unoccupied and substantially unfurnished) at 25% for 6 months and thereafter at zero.

·       Retain the discount for empty homes undergoing major repair at 25% for 12 months and thereafter at zero.

·       Retain the empty homes premium of an additional 100% for properties that have remained empty for more than 2 years. 

Resolved

(1)           That a Council Tax Reduction Scheme (CTRS) for the year 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022 (as set out in the annex to the Minutes as set out in the Minute Book) be approved and it be agreed the scheme be implemented with effect from 1 April 2021.

(2)           That delegated authority be granted to the Section 151 Officer to make amendments to the Council Tax Regulations up to and including 31 January 2021 for pensioners in line with uprating announced by MHCLG and to amend the Working Age Regulations in line with the new income banded scheme and the uprating announced by MHCLG. 

(3)           That, having given due consideration, the following level of Council Tax discounts and premiums for 2021-2022 be approved:

·       Retain the discount for second homes at zero.

·       Retain the discount for empty homes (unoccupied and substantially unfurnished) at 25% for 6 months and thereafter at zero.

·       Retain the discount for empty homes undergoing major repair at 25% for 12 months and thereafter at zero.

·       Retain the empty homes premium of an additional 100% for properties that have remained empty for more than 2 years. 

Report of Corporate Director – Commercial Development, Assets and Investment & (Interim) Monitoring Officer

Purpose of report

This report presents to Council the recommendations of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee for changes to the Constitution and for procedures for its annual review.  

Recommendations

The meeting is recommended to agree the following proposals from the Overview and Scrutiny Committee: 

Rules of debate:

1.1          to make no changes to the current process as regards the order of speakers in a debate but to clarify that the seconder can speak at any point if they have reserved their right and that this does not mean they must be the penultimate speaker;

1.2          to make no change to the existing rule that once the proposer of a motion or amendments begins summing up, no further speakers will be heard

Length of speeches (including all committees):

1.3          to reduce the length of speeches for proposers to and proposers of amendments to five minutes (from current 10 minute)

1.4          to reduce the length of speeches for seconder, and seconder of amendments and all other speakers to three minutes (from current 5 minutes);

Deadlines for submitting amendments to motions:

1.5          to make no changes to the existing deadlines (5pm, two working days before the meeting)

1.6          to maintain the current word limit for amended motions as 250 words

Process for dealing with motions with budgetary implications:

1.7          to encourage members to submit motions early and discuss with officers to enable a review in the light of budgetary implications, with the introduction of a threshold of “£10,000 or more” to inform what “significant” means in terms of the current budget or capital expenditure

1.8          to allow amendments to motions deferred for budgetary reasons to be amended when resubmitted to Council

Motions without notice/procedural motions:

1.9          to make no changes to the current arrangement that a procedural motion, once proposed and seconded, requires only a simple majority to succeed

Recorded vote:

1.10       to make no changes to the current arrangement that a request for a recorded vote needs only a proposer and seconder to succeed

Public addresses (not Planning Committee):

1.11       to make no changes to current arrangements for

i)               public speakers to register by noon on the working day before the meeting

ii)              five minutes per public speaker

iii)            no time limit on the number of public speakers or the time allowed for the public address item

Order of business/finish time for Full Council:

1.12       to change the order of business for Full Council so that motions are taken after questions and reports (noting that the Constitution allows the Chairman to amend the order of business in any case in any given instance)

1.13       to introduce a finish time of 11 pm for Full Council meetings with the provisos that the meeting would not stop mid-way through an item; the Chairman of the Council has discretion to continue the meeting to conclude business, if, in the opinion of the Chairman, this would be appropriate; and that any motions not  ...  view the full agenda text for item 12.

Resolved

Rules of debate:

(1)           That no changes to the current process as regards the order of speakers in a debate be made but the Constitution to clarify that the seconder can speak at any point if they have reserved their right and that this does not mean they must be the penultimate speaker.

(2)           That no change be made to the existing rule that once the proposer of a motion or amendments begins summing up, no further speakers will be heard.

Length of speeches (including all committees):

(3)           That the length of speeches for proposers and proposers of amendments be reduced to five minutes (from current 10 minute).

(4)           That the length of speeches for seconders, seconders of amendments and all other speakers be reduced to three minutes (from current 5 minutes).

Deadlines for submitting amendments to motions:

(5)           That no changes be made to the existing deadlines (5pm, two working days before the meeting).

(6)           That the current word limit for amended motions as 250 words be maintained.

Process for dealing with motions with budgetary implications:

(7)           That Members be encouraged to submit motions early and discuss with officers to enable a review in the light of budgetary implications, and that a threshold of “£10,000 or more” be introduced to inform what “significant” means in terms of the current budget or capital expenditure

(8)           That amendments to motions deferred for budgetary reasons to be permitted when resubmitted to Council

Motions without notice/procedural motions:

(9)           That no changes be made to the current arrangement that a procedural motion, once proposed and seconded, requires only a simple majority to succeed

Recorded vote:

(10)        That no changes be made to the current arrangement that a request for a recorded vote needs only a proposer and seconder to succeed

Public addresses (not Planning Committee):

(11)        That no changes be made to current arrangements for

i)               public speakers to register by noon on the working day before the meeting

ii)              five minutes per public speaker

iii)            no time limit on the number of public speakers or the time allowed for the public address item

Order of business/finish time for Full Council:

(12)        That the order of business for Full Council be changed so that motions are taken after questions and reports (noting that the Constitution allows the Chairman to amend the order of business in any case in any given instance)

(13)        That a finish time of 11pm be introduced for Full Council meetings with the provisos that the meeting will not stop mid-way through an item; the Chairman of the Council has discretion to continue the meeting to conclude business, if, in the opinion of the Chairman, this would be appropriate; and that any motions not considered would be carried forward to be considered at the next scheduled Full Council meeting. 

Planning Committee:

(14)        That remote tools (drones) be allowed in facilitating site visits but it be clear that this does not replace the option for physical site visits and any such  ...  view the full decision text for item 12.