Agenda item

A 45-minute period in which members may ask questions of the Leader, Cabinet Members, the Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen of the Overview and Scrutiny Committees and opposition group leaders excluding the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Planning Committee, Licensing and Alcohol, Entertainment and Late Night Refreshment Licensing Committees and Governance and Audit Committee.

Question 1 – Councillor Charmaine Morgan to the Cabinet Member for Environment and Waste (this role was a jobshare, and the question was answered by Councillor Rhys Baker)

Councillor Charmaine Morgan asked the Cabinet Member how householders would be expected to accommodate planned new recycling bins for paper and card if they had limited, or no additional space at their property.

The Cabinet Member acknowledged that there were issues for some residents in accommodating new bins, with a particular issue for houses of multiple occupancy (HMOs). A team was in place to deal with the concerns of residents. Alongside this, the Council could learn from those Districts in Lincolnshire who had already distributed additional bins as to what their issues had been. It was stressed that whilst the Cabinet Member was in support of the policy of separating paper and card recycling, overall the initiative was led by Lincolnshire County Council.

Every household in the District would receive a letter, outlining guidance on waste disposal, with the aim of raising recycling rates, and reducing the contamination of recyclate.

Question 2 – Councillor Max Sawyer to the Deputy Leader of the Council

Councillor Max Sawyer asked the Deputy Leader of the Council for the procedure that was followed in allowing the Council to pay for the previous Leader of the Council to attend a Future Leader’s course held in the USA.

The Deputy Leader had discovered prior to the May 2023 election, via the publicly available register of expenditure an entry for £5,500 attributed to member training. Around the same time, a freedom of information request was received by the Council on this subject.

The previous Leader advised the Chief Executive that he wished to attend some leadership training, which partly took place in the UK, and partly in the USA. He was advised that he should seek support from Cabinet members due to the cost, and it was reported that this support had been secured, along with a bursary to support the cost of the training. The course was passed for payment.

The previous Cabinet had been approached by the now Deputy Leader and asked why they had approved payment for the course; it became clear that those members were not aware they had approved payment, and in some cases made it clear that it was not their role to approve payment.

The Monitoring Officer investigated this freedom of information request and confirmed that Cabinet approval was not required for this training request. The Monitoring Officer reported that one of the difficulties with the complaint was that there was no record of the discussions that had taken place for this training request, as it occurred during a meeting of informal Cabinet, under ‘any other business’. There was no formal agenda or minutes in existence for this meeting.

The Deputy Leader highlighted that there were lessons to be learned from this episode, namely that all Councillors should be aware of the proper procedure for approving expenditure.

Question 3 - Councillor Robert Leadenham to the Leader of the Council

Councillor Robert Leadenham asked the Leader of the Council for clarity on his YouTube video highlighting the subject of litter on the verges of the A1 road.

The Leader, in response, stated that in making his video on the subject of littering he had made no judgment on whether there was an issue or not, he was highlighting what he had seen himself whilst looking at a nine mile stretch of the road.

Officers of the Council collected and emptied bins on this road every day, and on the Leader’s visit, every layby was immaculately clean. However, it was possible there was an issue with littering on the A1 within South Kesteven, and the Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee would consider the issue in due course.

Question 4 - Councillor Paul Wood to the Chairman of the Housing Overview and Scrutiny Committee

Councillor Paul Wood asked the Chairman of the Housing Overview and Scrutiny Committee whether the time it took to put unoccupied properties, or ‘voids’ back into use was unacceptable.

The Chairman of the Housing Overview and Scrutiny Committee outlined that as agreed at the above Committee, a workshop was in the process of being organised for all members of the Council and the Acting Director of Housing to look into this issue and give their views on how to tackle wait times.

Question 5 - Councillor Rosemary Trollope-Bellew to the Leader of the Council

Councillor Rosemary Trollope-Bellew asked the Leader whether he supported Lincolnshire County Council’s stance of demolishing the Deepings Leisure Centre if a buyer could not be found, and whether financial assistance from South Kesteven District Council would be forthcoming.

The Leader made clear that he had not stated that South Kesteven District Council would not give financial assistance to the Deepings Leisure Centre in the future, and that consideration would be given to any requests for such support as required.

Question 6 - Councillor Mark Whittington to the Cabinet Member for Corporate Governance and Licensing

Councillor Mark Whittington was concerned around the progress of the internal auditors for this year, and asked whether the Cabinet Member could engage with internal auditors in order to progress key audits.

The Cabinet Member stated that the Governance and Audit Committee set their own programme; however, he had discussed the issues with internal audit with the Leader. The Cabinet Member would keep abreast of these issues and speak to the Governance and Audit Chairman regarding progress.

Question 7 - Councillor Ian Selby to the Leader of the Council

Councillor Ian Selby asked the Leader whether he was able to attend the ‘grand weigh-in’ for the Grantham Childrens’ Fund, taking place at Harrowby United FC.

The Leader would make every effort to attend.

Question 8 - Councillor Zoe Lane to Cabinet Member for Environment and Waste (this role was a jobshare, and the question was answered by Councillor Patsy Ellis)

Councillor Zoe Lane asked the Cabinet Member whether the public had been consulted regarding the roll out of purple lidded bins for the collection of paper and card, and what their reaction had been to the news.

The Cabinet Member informed members that the rollout of the bins had been inherited from the previous administration, and that she would investigate what consultation with the public had taken place. The Cabinet Member reiterated that the scheme was being administered by Lincolnshire County Council and that there was no cost to South Kesteven District Council.