Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Bevan, Miss Channell, Chivers, Cooke, Kaberry-Brown, Morgan, Russell, Shorrock and Thompson.

Members are asked to disclose any interests in matters for consideration at the meeting.

No interests were disclosed.

            (Enclosure)

The minutes of the meeting held on 18 April 2013 were proposed, seconded and agreed as a correct record subject to the following amendments:

·         Page 1: following the comments on the death of Baroness Thatcher insert “Councillors Thompson and Woolley left the Chamber in protest during the speech made on behalf of the Labour Group.”

·         Page 3, comment: “He stated that the Council was for the people of South Kesteven not party politics.”

Councillor Bryant requested that his vote in favour of the minutes be recorded. A number of Members spoke to explain they had either abstained or not voted as they were not present at the meeting held on 18 April 2013.

(Enclosure)

The Council noted the Chairman’s engagements. The Chairman commented on how much he had enjoyed the mini-Olympics.

The Chairman was congratulated on the reduced use of the chauffeur and the savings this made on behalf of the Council.

LIVES will deliver a presentation on the importance of defibrillators.

The Chairman welcomed Stephen Hyde (Marketing and Fundraising Manager) and David Hickman (Clinical Training Officer) from the Lincolnshire Integrated Voluntary Emergency Services (LIVES). Mr Hyde gave a brief history of LIVES and spoke about the importance of rapid intervention following a cardiac arrest.

Members were informed that following a cardiac a rest, a patient’s chance of survival decreased by approximately 10% every minute. LIVES representatives stated that CPR and rescue breathing gave patients time, improving their chances of survival but the only thing that would save them was timely defibrillation. On-site defibrillators would lead to a faster response time than waiting for the arrival of emergency services.

LIVES was encouraging increased availability of public access defibrillators. Examples of where defibrillation equipment was available included shopping centres, railway stations and in villages, often in disused telephone boxes.

A demonstration was given to show how defibrillation equipment worked, following which Councillors were invited to ask questions.

Questions covered the following areas:

·         The most appropriate position for the successful treatment of a patient.

·         How defibrillators measured a patient’s heart rhythm, how they would not shock a patient unless it was necessary and the risk of accidental shock to the defibrillator’s operator.

·         The costs of defibrillation units.

·         The placement of the pads and which parts of the equipment were single use.

·         The process the machine uses to self-check whether it is functioning correctly and advising the user of any problems.

·         Ways to prevent vandalism and misuse.

·         Education projects to teach children about emergency life-saving techniques and defibrillation.

It was particularly emphasised that when a patient was in cardiac arrest, the potential damage was greater if a patient was not defibrillated. The analogy was also made that fire extinguishers were required by law but the risk of dying as a result of a cardiac arrest was greater than the risk of dying in a fire. The work carried out by the Scrutiny Committee was referred to.

Mr Hickman and Mr Hyde were thanked for their presentation and the way in which they responded to all of Councillors’ questions.

Report number LDS101 by the Electoral Review Working Group.                             (Report: Enclosure)

(Draft submission: Enclosure)

Decision:

1.    The Council approves the draft submission on proposed Warding arrangements which is attached to report number LDS101 at Appendix A, for submission to the Local Government Boundary Commission for England.

2.    The Council delegates authority to the Electoral Review Working Group to make any alterations to the submission resulting from the meeting.

In proposing the recommendations as set out in report number LDS101, on the Electoral Review of South Kesteven – Warding Patterns submission, the Governance and Communication Portfolio Holder thanked those who were involved in the preparation of the draft submission. He stated that the process had started a year previously, with the appointment of the working group, which also prepared the Council size submission (approved by Council on 13 December 2012). Any typographical errors and those amendments identified in the separate paper put before Members identified would be noted and picked up for correction through the second recommendation. The proposition was seconded.

An amendment was proposed to approve the draft submission subject to the following revision:

“That the submission be amended to ensure the Ward names for Stamford stay the same as they are now.”

In moving the amendment reference was made to the significance and history of the churches in Stamford and the strong association local people had with the churches. This was seconded. In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 16.4 a request was made for a recorded vote; this was supported by more than ten Councillors.

Councillors who spoke in favour of the amendment stressed the strong local connection with the churches, local heritage, the changeability of school names, the impact of proposed names for district council Wards on Stamford Town Council and local strength of feeling.

Those speaking against the amendment referred to the second part of the recommendation which gave delegated authority to the working group to make any amendments to the document arising from the Council meeting, the rationale that retaining the old names for Wards with different boundaries could be confusing to the local electorate and the opportunities which were made available to Councillors for commenting on the draft proposals.

In response to a question, officers confirmed no written submission had been received from Stamford Town Council.

On the completion of debate, a recorded vote was taken.

The amendment was defeated.

The  ...  view the full minutes text for item 22.

Report number HOF242 by the Portfolio Holder for Strategic Resources – Well Run Council.

(Enclosure)

Decision:

1.    Council approves the continuation and extension of the Local Authority Mortgage Scheme (LAMS) and commits a further amount of £1M to the existing partnership with Lloyds TSB Bank Plc.

2.    Council approves the inclusion of the additional lender Teachers Building Society having taken into consideration the information provided in report number HOF242

3.    Council approves the recommendation to increase the maximum loan size per application to £147,250

4.    Council delegates to the Strategic Director (Corporate Services) and the Portfolio Holder (Strategic Resources – Well Run Council) the authority to include other lenders into the scheme up to a maximum of £0.5M per lender

5.    Council delegates to the Strategic Director (Corporate Services) the authority to execute the legal documentation, obtain and authorise the required legal indemnities to take part in the scheme and approve the criteria, terms and conditions of each individual lender.

The recommendations in report number HOF242 were proposed and seconded. The proposed changes would broaden the availability of the scheme to people across the whole district and provide opportunities to work with more lenders as they signed-up to the scheme.

The proposition was put to the vote and carried.

Report number LDS096 by the Portfolio Holder for Governance and Communication.    

(Enclosure)

Decision:

The Council appoints the Venerable Tim Barker as the Independent Person required in accordance with s28(7) of the Localism Act 2011 for the period from 12 July 2013 to the 11 July 2015.

It was proposed and seconded that the Venerable Tim Barker be appointed as the Independent Person, which the Council was required to appoint under the Localism Act. A profile of the nominee was circulated as an appendix to report number LDS096. The proposition was put to the vote and carried.

Report by the Chairman of the Constitution Committee.

(To follow)

Decision:

The Council approves the recommendations made by the Constitution Committee at its meeting on 8 July 2013 as follows:

1.1  At page 40 of the Constitution, the meaning of policy framework is amended as set out below:

4.1            Meanings

                  Policy Framework

The policy framework means the plans and strategies required to be adopted by the Council

·         The Corporate Plan

·         The Medium Term Financial Strategy

·         The Local Plan documents currently consisting of the Core Strategy and Development Plan Documents

·         The Sustainable Communities Strategy

·         The Pay Policy

·         The Gambling Statement of Licensing Principles

The recommendations in report number LDS102 were proposed and seconded. In making the proposition the Chairman of the Constitution gave a broad summary of the items discussed at the Committee’s meeting on 8 July 2013 and informed Members that the change before Council concerned the Policy Framework. The Policy Framework was the documents around which the Council developed its policies and needed approving by Council together with those documents specified within legislation.

The proposal was put to the vote and carried unanimously.

The meeting was closed at 15:38.