Agenda and minutes
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Contact: Anne Gowing 020 8541 9938
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APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
The Chairman to report apologies for absence. Additional documents: Minutes: Apologies for absence were received from Mr Carasco, Mr Ellwood, Mr Gardner, Mr Hussain, Mrs Lallement, Mrs Lay, Mr Mallett, Mrs Marks and Mr Page. |
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To confirm the minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 11 February 2014.
(Note: the Minutes, including the appendices, will be laid on the table half an hour before the start of the meeting).
Additional documents: Minutes: The minutes of the meeting of the County Council held on 11 February 2014, as amended, were submitted, confirmed and signed.
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CHAIRMAN'S ANNOUNCEMENTS
The Chairman to report. Additional documents: Minutes: The Chairman made the following announcements:
(i) Related Party Disclosures – Members were reminded to complete their forms and return them to Finance by the end of March.
(ii) Guildford Cathedral’s appeal for £7m to repair the roof of the cathedral’s nave.
(iii) Royal Visits: HM the Queen and HRH Duke of Edinburgh had visited Surrey twice recently – Reed’s School, Cobham and the Royal Holloway College, Egham.
(iv) He had undertaken a number of visits to flooded areas of the county and was impressed by the fantastic community spirit of the residents.
(v) He drew Members attention to the Surrey Primary Schools competition to design a new Coat of Arms for Surrey and their display in the Grand Hall.
(vi) The recent flag raising ceremony for the new Commonwealth flag.
(vii) That the Institute of Excellence had awarded the Surrey Fire and Rescue Service project of the year for its work with the Adult Social Care Service in relation to fire safety and vulnerable adults.
(viii) He announced the passing of Danny Kee, former County Council for Merstham and Reigate Hill between 1985 – 2009. Mr Kee had also been Vice-Chairman of the County Council between 1996/97 and again between 2003/05.
Members stood in silent tribute.
(ix) The lunchtime speaker was Commander Susan Lochner JP DL RN. |
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DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
To receive any declarations of disclosable pecuniary interests from Members in respect of any item to be considered at the meeting.
NOTES:
· Each Member must declare any interest that is disclosable under the Relevant Authorities (Disclosable Pecuniary Interests) Regulations 2012, unless it is already listed for that Member in the Council’s Register of Disclosable Pecuniary Interests. · As well as an interest of the Member, this includes any interest, of which the Member is aware, that relates to the Member’s spouse or civil partner (or any person with whom the Member is living as a spouse or civil partner). · If the interest has not yet been disclosed in that Register, the Member must, as well as disclosing it at the meeting, notify the Monitoring Officer of it within 28 days. · If a Member has a disclosable interest, the Member must not vote or speak on the agenda item in which it arises, or do anything to influence other Members in regard to that item.
Additional documents: Minutes: Mr Forster declared a pecuniary interest in the Original Motion standing in the name of Stephen Cooksey (item 8i) because he was a Research Case Work Organiser for Catherine Bearder MEP and said that he would take no part in the discussion or vote on this item. |
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LEADER'S STATEMENT
The Leader to make a statement.
There will be an opportunity for Members to ask questions.
Additional documents: Minutes: The Leader made a statement. A copy of his statement is attached as Appendix A.
Members were invited to make comments, ask questions and made the following points:
· Reiteration of thanks to all staff who had helped with the flooding crisis · That the three months Council Tax relief for residents who had suffered internal flooding to their homes was welcomed · The setting up of the task group was needed · Fund defences should be improved · The importance of communicating to residents · A request to re-consider Surrey Fire and Rescue’s requirements for Spelthorne · A request to comment on utility companies and their accountability to their customers
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MEMBERS' QUESTION TIME
The Leader of the Council or the appropriate Member of the Cabinet or the Chairman of a Committee to answer any questions on any matter relating to the powers and duties of the County Council, or which affects the county.
(Note: Notice of questions in respect of the above item on the agenda must be given in writing, preferably by e-mail, to Anne Gowing in Democratic Services by 12 noon on Wednesday 12 March 2014).
Additional documents: Minutes: Notice of 10 questions had been received. The questions and replies are attached as Appendix B.
A number of supplementary questions were asked and a summary of the main points is set out below:
(Q1) Mr Bennison asked the Leader of the Council to comment on the Surrey Apprentice who had been forward for ‘Apprentice of the Year’. The Leader said that the apprentice was hoping to win the award.
(Q2) Mr Robert Evans asked the Cabinet Member for Business Services for details of the third party who was holding the outstanding amount due to the Council and if and when it may be received. Mr Harrison said that some of the losses were attributable to the Police Authority and confirmed that the Audit and Governance Committee took a cautious approach to investment. The Cabinet Member confirmed that, whilst the balance is expected to be received, it is subject to capital controls and currently there is no indication when they will be lifted. Mr Selleck queried whether any Icelandic Banks had a triple ‘A’ rating in 2005/06 and asked the Cabinet Member for Business Services to review both the overall structure for investing and also interbank lending with other Local Authorities. The Cabinet Member said that valuable lessons had already been learnt from the collapse of the Icelandic economy.
(Q4) Mr Cooksey requested that both the data set on gully assets and the survey on all visible highway drainage assets, when completed, be made available to all Members. This request was agreed by the Cabinet Member for Transport, Highways and Environment.
(Q5) Mrs White thanked the Cabinet Member for Transport, Highways and Environment for the apology and asked for reassurance that procedures with the contractors have been reviewed and the appropriate notifications would be made in future. The Cabinet Member referred to the written response and drew attention to the last two paragraphs which said that this bus stop improvement scheme was being delivered as part of the Local Sustainable Transport Fund (LSTF) programme, which had been approved by Guildford Local Committee.
(Q8) Mr Orrick referred to the last paragraph of the Cabinet Member for Children and Families’ written response and asked if she would be available to meet again with some of the key players, to ensure that there was maximum consultation in relation to future short breaks provision. Mr Hodge asked the Cabinet Member, who agreed, that it was unhelpful when Members raised questions in the middle of the consultation process. The Cabinet Member said that the period of public consultation would end on 24 April 2014 and until it finishes, she was unable to comment because she will not want to influence the outcome. However, she confirmed that parents would be involved in the analysis of the comments.
(Q9) Mr Robert Evans said that residents were concerned about some of the pothole repairs and asked the Cabinet Member for Transport, Highways and Environment for the number of cases where quality was an issue because he considered that ... view the full minutes text for item 17/14 |
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STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS
Any Member may make a statement at the meeting on a local issue of current or future concern.
(Note: Notice of statements must be given in writing, preferably by e-mail, to Anne Gowing in Democratic Services by 12 noon on Monday 17 March 2014).
Additional documents: Minutes: There were no local Member statements. |
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ORIGINAL MOTIONS
Item 8(i)
Mr Stephen Cooksey (Dorking South and the Holmwoods) to move under Standing Order 11 as follows: ‘This council wishes to place on formal record its thanks to all staff and its contractors, who working tirelessly in partnership with other councils, agencies and the emergency services to respond to the recent and current flooding to do as much as possible to protect residents’ homes and businesses. While recognising this weather has been exceptional by past standards, the County now has a statutory duty to investigate flooding and the need to understand better the impacts of the recent events. The Council must now plan for similar occurrences and learn from any omissions or failures which may have contributed to the scale of the flooding-related problems in Surrey. Particular attention should be paid to how the resilience of the county’s infrastructure against recurrence of such events can be strengthened, especially on gully maintenance, and whether any improvements can be made in cross authority and cross agency working. Council notes: 1. That Government has a Severe Weather Recovery scheme and that the European Union has a Solidarity Fund to which the UK has contributed and is designed to provide emergency aid after such natural disasters. In addition European Union Regional Development Funds can be used towards flood prevention infrastructure in the future. 2. The date of the most recent published wetspots list, where past flooding incidents have been reported, on the County Council website is February 2012 even though an update was promised to members to be completed by February 2013. 3. That the statutory Flooding Asset Register which includes key assets (structures and features such as a wall, ditch or bridge) that are known to cause or allow the major flooding of properties, critical infrastructure or block major roads when the asset is not functioning to an adequate level was last updated in December 2011 and only contains 65 items for the whole county. Council calls for: i. The Flooding Asset Register and the wetspots list to both be completed and updated urgently, and at most within six months. ii. A review of the maintenance of highway drainage assets such as gullies, soakaways, ditches, channels, drains, grills and outlets. In particular, a review of the adequacy of the policy of gully cleaning at least once per year and put together a ditching programme in rural areas. iii. A programme of tree planting on higher ground, in particular to replace trees that have been lost, to help trap and slow down the movement of water. iv. The County Council to work with boroughs and districts to develop planning policies not to build on flood plains. v. Flood damaged roads and bridges to be repaired. vi. The Leader to apply for any additional funding the County Council requires from the Severe Weather Recovery scheme, the European Union Solidarity Fund and the Regional Development Fund.’ Item 8(ii)
Mr Peter Martin (Godalming South, Milford and Witley) to move under Standing Order 11 as follows:
‘This ... view the full agenda text for item 19/14 Additional documents: Minutes: ITEM 8(i)
Under Standing Order 12.3, the Council decided it wished to hear further before agreeing whether or not to debate this motion.
Mr Cooksey made a short statement giving reasons why the motion should not be referred. He considered that his motion had been submitted three weeks ago and was similar to the motion proposed by Mr Martin. His motion had identified areas for improvement and made suggestions, whilst Mr Martin’s motion just reflected the comments made in the Leader’s statement made earlier in the meeting.
The Leader of the Council made a short statement saying that whilst he welcomed Mr Cooksey’s comments in relation to staff and partners, he proposed to refer this motion to Cabinet because some of the work proposed was already underway and some of the suggestions would need to be considered by the proposed Environment and Transport Select Committee’s task group, who would then report back to their select committee before submitting their recommendations to Cabinet.
20 Members voted for debating the motion today but 47 Members voted against debating it today.
Therefore, it was:
RESOLVED:
That this motion be referred to the Cabinet, for determination. Under Standing Order 12.6, the Cabinet must report back to County Council at the earliest possible meeting.
ITEM 8(ii)
Under Standing Order 12.3, the Council agreed to debate this motion.
Under Standing Order 12.1, Mr Peter Martin moved the motion which was:
‘This Council:
1. Notes and recognises the seriousness of the recent severe weather and flooding in the County and the impact it is having on residents’ homes and businesses, with many thousands damaged, in some instances severely, as well as much of the County’s infrastructure, for which the estimated repair bill currently stands at over £10m
2. Expresses sympathy and concern for the residents, businesses and livelihoods affected
3. Commends the County’s Fire & Rescue Service, Surrey Police, our District and Borough Council colleagues, HM Armed Forces, SCC staff, and the large number of individuals and community and voluntary organisations on their response to this major incident.
4. Acknowledges and welcomes the Government’s commitment to support local authorities in helping those residents and businesses affected by providing Council Tax relief
5. Recognises that Surrey’s economy, at £32.7 billion GVA, is substantial and creates a very significant net contribution to the Exchequer
This Council therefore resolves:
a) To continue working alongside our partners to help Surrey’s residents and businesses with advice and assistance and to ensure any future incidents are met with a rapid, comprehensive multi-agency approach.
b) To assess the viability of longer term engineering and environmental solutions for Surrey in conjunction with utility companies, the Environment Agency, other Local Authorities and appropriate Government departments.
c) To call on Government to help protect, and demonstrate the government's commitment to, this key part of the UK economy by fully funding the Environment Agency's Lower Thames Flood Alleviation Scheme.’
Mr Martin made the following points:
· Reference to the Leader’s statement in relation to the recent flooding. He also informed ... view the full minutes text for item 19/14 |
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REPORT OF THE CABINET
To receive the report of the meeting of the Cabinet held on 25 February 2014 and to agree two recommendations in respect of:
(i) Admission Arrangements for September 2015 for Surrey’s Community and Voluntary Controlled Schools and Co-ordinated Schemes
(ii) Formation of Woking Joint Committee
Additional documents: Minutes: The Leader presented the report of the Cabinet meeting held on 25 February 2014.
(1) Statements / Updates from Cabinet Members
There were none.
(2) Recommendations on Policy Framework Documents
A Admission Arrangements for September 2015 for Surrey’s Community and Voluntary Controlled Schools and Co-ordinated schemes
The Cabinet Member for Schools and Learning was invited to present the report and thanked the School Admission / Transport team for the excellent job that they do in compiling this information.
[Please note that, following Esher CofE High School becoming an Academy on 1 March 2014, recommendation 7 has been withdrawn.]
RESOLVED:
That the following Admissions Arrangements for September 2015 for Surrey’s Community and Voluntary Controlled Schools and Co-ordinated Schemes be approved:
(1) A feeder link be introduced for Auriol Junior School for children attending The Mead Infant School for September 2015, as follows:
a) Looked after and previously looked after children b) Exceptional social/medical need c) Children attending The Mead Infant School d) Siblings not admitted under (c) above
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Any other children (2) That tiered sibling criteria be introduced for Reigate Priory for September 2015, as follows:
a) Looked after and previously looked after children b) Exceptional social/medical need c) Siblings for whom the school is the nearest to their home address d) Non-siblings for whom the school is the nearest to their home address e) Other siblings for whom the school is not the nearest to their home address f) Any other children
(3) That a feeder link be introduced for St Ann’s Heath Junior School for children attending Meadowcroft Infant School for September 2015, in addition to the existing feeder link with Trumps Green Infant School, as follows:
a) Looked after and previously looked after children b) Exceptional social/medical need c) Siblings d) Children attending Trumps Green Infant School or Meadowcroft Infant School e) Children for whom St Ann’s Heath Junior School is the nearest school with a Junior PAN f) Any other children
(4) That a reciprocal sibling link be introduced between Meadowcroft Infant School and St Ann’s Heath Junior School for September 2015 so that these schools would be described as being on a shared or adjoining site for applying sibling criteria.
(5) That a reciprocal sibling link be introduced between Thames Ditton Infant and Thames Ditton Junior schools for September 2015 so that the schools would be described as being on a shared or adjoining site for applying sibling criteria.
(6) That criteria for admission to nursery for two year olds who are eligible for the free extended provision be introduced for September 2015, as follows: a) Looked after and previously looked after children b) Exceptional social/medical need c) Children who will have a sibling attending the nursery or the main school at the time of admission d) Any other children
(7) That, subject to Hinchley Wood School also agreeing changes to admission arrangements as they have proposed, the catchment area for Esher CofE High School be extended for September 2015 to include the whole of ... view the full minutes text for item 20/14 |
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Surrey Pay Policy Statement 2014 - 2015
To approve a pay policy statement for publication on the Council’s external website. Additional documents: Minutes: The Leader of the Council introduced the report by stating that, in line with the Localism Act, the County Council was required to approve a Pay Policy Statement for publication on the Council’s website.
RESOLVED:
That the Pay Policy Statement, Annex A to the submitted report, to be published on Surrey County Council’s external website with effect from 1 April 2014.
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Amendments to Financial Regulations
To seek the Council’s approval to the proposed changes to the Financial Regulations Additional documents: Minutes: This report, together with the tabled amendments (Appendix C) was introduced by the Leader of the Council. He agreed to provide a response outside the meeting to the Chairman of Environment and Transport Select Committee on whether paragraph 3.9 also applied to grants.
RESOLVED:
That the Financial Regulations in Annex 1 of the submitted report, together with the tabled amendments, be approved, for inclusion into the Constitution of the Council. |
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Minutes of the Meeting of the Cabinet
Any matters within the minutes of the Cabinet’s meetings, and not otherwise brought to the Council’s attention in the Cabinet’s report, may be the subject of questions and statements by Members upon notice being given to the Democratic Services Lead Manager by 12 noon on Monday 17 March 2014.
Additional documents: Minutes: No notification had been received from Members wishing to raise a question or make a statement on any of the matters in the minutes, by the deadline.
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