Agenda item

1)         From Councillor Ian Selby

This Council welcomes the initiatives by the Grantham Fairtrade Steering Group to encourage the development of Grantham in becoming a Fairtrade Town.

South Kesteven District Council as an important customer and opinion leader supports a strategy to facilitate the promotion and purchase of refreshments with the Fairtrade Mark as part of its commitment to sustainable development.

To support, as an active partner with the Grantham Fairtrade Steering Group and to be recognised by the residents and business community of South Kesteven, suppliers, employees and other local authorities, as a district that supports and promotes Fairtrade.

South Kesteven District Council endorses the campaign to increase sales of products with the Fairtrade Mark by achieving Fairtrade Town Status. This involves a commitment:

·         To offer Fairtrade refreshment options for internal meetings

·         To encourage the use of Fairtrade products by officers and elected members of South Kesteven District Council

·         To promote awareness of fair trade issues and the opportunities for supporting fair trade in the area through the Council’s website and residents’ magazines

·         To support the Grantham Fairtrade Steering Group by endorsing its intention to urge local retailers to provide Fairtrade options for residents

·         To participate, wherever practicable, in events and publicity during national Fairtrade Fortnight.

2)         From Councillor Charmaine Morgan

It is proposed that South Kesteven District Council creates a Voluntary Sector Fund specifically for the use of voluntary sector organisations, across the District, which are providing vital facilities to vulnerable residents.

The combination of high unemployment, cuts in welfare benefits and rising household costs is leading to an increase in the level of people in need of assistance from the Voluntary Sector to access the most basic life essentials

3)         From Councillor Charmaine Morgan

South Kesteven District Council's Core Strategy recognises that our natural and built heritage play a valuable role in promoting the past. 

Our heritage also a generator of economic growth, where heritage assets are protected and used appropriately,

This motion calls for a cross party workshop to examine what specific action should be taken to develop economic growth across South Kesteven District, based on tourism, recognising the value of both our natural and built heritage

4)         From Councillor Phil Dilks

Council notes that a Public Open Forum of up to 30-minutes is set aside at the start of each Council meeting for any resident of the District to question the administration, subject to written notification no later than 72-hours prior to the meeting.

The resident may reasonably expect to receive an answer at the meeting as well as a reply to a supplementary question. 

Questions from Councillors are also required to be submitted within a similar time-frame, but are then treated very differently to questions from residents.

In referring all questions from councillors to ‘the relevant Policy Development Group’ irrespective of who they are directed to, the councillor usually has to wait for an answer even longer than the legal maximum response time to questions lodged under the Freedom of Information Act.

In the spirit of improving openness, accountability, and efficiency, this Council resolves to task its Constitutional Committee to consider appropriate amendments to the Rules of Procedure to be voted on at the next Annual Meeting of the Council, thus ensuring that in seeking information, councillors are not more disadvantaged than the residents they are elected to represent.

5)         From Councillor Phil Dilks

This Council resolves that each SKDC Committee and Policy Development Group is invited to provide a short report on its work over the previous year to be presented to the Annual Meeting of the Council.

6)         From Councillor Rob Shorrock

            This motion calls on the council to do the following:

1. The council will, through its neighbourhood groups, consult widely with existing and would-be tenants and others on government proposals for secure tenancies, rents and housing benefit

2. Seek the views and experience of private sector tenants, and provide support and advice in the face of high rents and housing benefit cuts.

3. Provide a briefing for landlords on the impact of housing benefit changes and work with them to develop affordable pricing strategies

4. Not replace existing or future secure tenancies with fixed term tenancies for existing and future tenants

5. Ensure that proposed business plans for borrowing and investment in housing include a full equality and economic impact assessment on the impact of future rent policy and that full consultation is undertaken with tenants, neighbourhood groups and councillors.

6. Ensure that the Housing Business Plan is discussed and approved by a full meeting of council.

Decision:

This Council welcomes the initiatives by the Grantham Fairtrade Steering Group to encourage the development of Grantham in becoming a Fairtrade town.

South Kesteven District Council as an important customer and opinion leader supports a strategy to facilitate the promotion and purchase of refreshments with the Fairtrade Mark as part of its commitment to sustainable development.

To support, as an active partner with the Grantham Fairtrade Steering Group and to be recognised by the residents and business community of South Kesteven, suppliers, employees and other local authorities, as a district that supports and promotes Fairtrade.

South Kesteven District Council endorses the campaign to increase sales of products with the Fairtrade Mark by achieving Fairtrade Town Status. This involves a commitment:

·         To offer Fairtrade refreshment options alongside the current options for internal meetings

·         To recognise and encourage the voluntary use of Fairtrade products by officers and elected members of South Kesteven District Council

·         To promote awareness of Fairtrade issues and the opportunities for supporting Fairtrade in the area through the Council’s website and residents’ magazine

·         To support the Grantham Fairtrade Steering Group by endorsing its intention to urge local retailers to provide Fairtrade options for residents

·         To participate, wherever practicable, in events and publicity during national Fairtrade Fortnight

Councillor Selby proposed the motion:

“This Council welcomes the initiatives by the Grantham Fairtrade Steering Group to encourage the development of Grantham in becoming a Fairtrade town.

South Kesteven District Council as an important customer and opinion leader supports a strategy to facilitate the promotion and purchase of refreshments with the Fairtrade Mark as part of its commitment to sustainable development.

To support, as an active partner with the Grantham Fairtrade Steering Group and to be recognised by the residents and business community of South Kesteven, suppliers, employees and other local authorities, as a district that supports and promotes Fairtrade.

South Kesteven District Council endorses the campaign to increase sales of products with the Fairtrade Mark by achieving Fairtrade Town Status. This involves a commitment:

The motion was seconded.

In presenting his motion Councillor Selby thanked Reverend Scholes for his presentation and the steering group for its hard work. He felt that in Councillor Mrs Neal’s seconding of the motion, there was a clear demonstration of putting party politics to one side to take an opportunity to promote the whole Council and its work in a positive light. He did not consider that Grantham becoming a Fairtrade town would impact on local farmers, as many of the range of Fairtrade products like tea, coffee, bananas and mangos could not be produced locally.

In seconding the motion, the Leader stated that this was an opportunity for the Council to be seen as doing the right thing. She stated that without the support of Council, Grantham could not become a Fairtrade town.

Councillor Adams proposed an amendment to the motion:

“This Council acknowledges the initiatives by the Grantham Fairtrade Steering Group to encourage the development of Grantham in becoming a Fairtrade town.”

In proposing the amendment, Councillor Adams requested that the issue be referred to the Scrutiny Committee or relevant policy development group to further examine what the resolution would entail if approved. Concern was expressed that in adopting the motion, the Council could, by inference, be forcing other parts of the district into becoming Fairtrade towns and villages. This was seconded, and in doing so, the importance of examining the wording and its impact was emphasised. The impact on producers working with manufacturers in other countries (including Romania and the Czech Republic), was also highlighted.

Councillors speaking against the amendment highlighted that the original motion stated that a Fairtrade option should be available but not replace existing provision. The opportunities of promoting Grantham as a Fairtrade Town to residents, visitors and businesses, were also highlighted.

The amendment was put to the vote, where an equality of votes was achieved. The chairman used his casting vote to vote against the amendment, which was consequently lost.

A further amendment was proposed and seconded that the first two bullet points of the original motion be amended to read:

·         “To offer Fairtrade options alongside the current options for internal meetings

·         To recognise the voluntary use of Fairtrade products by officers and elected members of South Kesteven District Council”

Councillor Selby stated he was prepared to incorporate the amendment into his motion so the bullet points would read:

·         “To offer Fairtrade refreshment options alongside the current options for internal meetings

·         To recognise and encourage the voluntary use of Fairtrade products by officers and elected members of South Kesteven District Council”

This was acceptable to the proposer of the amendment.

On being put to the vote, the motion was carried.

In accordance with Council Procedure rule 9, as the meeting was nearing being in progress for three hours, it was proposed and seconded that the meeting be extended to 18:00. On being put to the vote, this was carried.

It was further proposed that the remaining notices of motion be deferred until the next proper meeting of the Council (the meeting after the annual general meeting). This was seconded and on being put to the vote the motion was carried.