Agenda and minutes

Council - Wednesday, 25th October, 2023 7.00 pm

Venue: Council Chamber, Civic Offices, New Road, Grays, Essex RM17 6SL

Contact: Jenny Shade, Senior Democratic Services Officer  Email: Direct.Democracy@thurrock.gov.uk

Media

Items
No. Item

68.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 112 KB

To approve as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting of the Extraordinary Council, held on 14 September 2023.

 

To approve as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting of the Council, held on 27 September 2023.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Minutes of Extraordinary Council held on the 14 September 2023 were approved as a correct record.

 

Minutes of Council held on the 27 September 2023 were approved as a correct record.

 

Councillor Raper questioned why the transcript of public and member questions were not now being included within the agenda. Councillor Worrall also agreed as the transcripts included all the supplementary questions. Mayor agreed this was an important point and the decision should be made to revert back to the inclusion of those transcripts. Officers would provide an update following the meeting.

69.

Items of Urgent Business

To receive additional items that the Mayor is of the opinion should be considered as a matter of urgency, in accordance with Section 100B (4) (b) of the Local Government Act 1972.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

There were no urgent items of business.

70.

Declaration of Interests

To receive any declaration of interests from Members.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

No declarations of interest were made.

71.

Announcements on behalf of the Mayor or the Leader of the Council

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Mayor had attended alongside Councillor Muldowney the opening of three children centres which had been most enjoyable events. The Chief Executive had also joined the Mayor on one of those visits.

 

The Leader made the following announcements:

 

·       Had visited, alongside the Mayor, DP World and Thames Enterprise Park to see the opportunities for economic growth and job creation at both of these sites.

·       Since the start of April,1422 fly tips had been cleared, 2200 potholes filled, the street cleaning team had cleared 1000 tonnes of litter from the streets of Thurrock.

·       The Leader referred to the petition that had been submitted but refused this evening in regard to the financial collapse of Thurrock Council as a previous petition had been presented at September Council. The Leader agreed for this petition to be presented by the lead petitioner at the Cabinet Meeting on the 8 November 2023.

 

72.

Questions from Members of the Public pdf icon PDF 45 KB

In accordance with Chapter 2, Part 2 (Rule 14) of the Council’s Constitution.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

There were no public questions.

73.

Petitions from Members of the Public and Councillors

In accordance with Chapter 2, Part 2(Rule 14) of the Council’s Constitution.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

There were no petitions presented.

74.

Petitions Update Report pdf icon PDF 65 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Members received a report on the status of those petitions handed in at Council meetings and Council office.

75.

Appointments to Committees and Outside Bodies, Statutory and Other Panels

The Council are asked to agree any changes to the appointments made to committees and outside bodies, statutory and other panels, as requested by Group Leaders.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Mayor asked whether there were any changes to be made to the appointments previously made by committees and outside bodies, statutory and other panels.

 

The Leader made the following change:

 

Removed Councillors Carter and Thandi as Planning Committee Substitutions.

 

Appointed Councillor Anderson as a Planning Committee Substitution.

 

Appointed Councillor Redsell to the Essex Pension Fund Advisory Board.

 

The Leader of the Labour group, Councillor J Kent, made the following changes:

 

Appointed Councillor Raper as Vice Chair of the Standards and Audit Committee.

 

Appointed Councillor C Kent as Standard & Audit Committee substitute.

 

Independent Councillors Allen, Massey and Sammons stated they had no changes to make.

76.

Employment Matter - Assistant Directors of Finance pdf icon PDF 154 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The report presented set out the outcome of consultation in respect of the changes to the senior management structure most notably the inclusion in the new structure of two Assistant Director posts to replace the one post that was originally in the structure. This report was approved at General Services Committee on 10 October 2023.

 

Councillor J Kent stated his support of the recommendation.

 

RESOLVED

 

Full Council noted the decision made by General Services Committee on 10 October 2023 for the addition of an Assistant Director post within the revised structure of the Finance Department.

77.

Improvement and Recovery Plan pdf icon PDF 170 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The report presented allowed Members to approve the enhanced Improvement and Recovery plan for the Council. As agreed at Full Council in September 2023, Members would receive quarterly updates on the progress the Council was making in delivering the plan.  

 

The following points were raised:

 

·       Member welcomed the plan and the approach towards creating it which had been more open and involved more consultation with Members compared to previous plan.

·       Member reiterated the audience of the plan was not aimed at the local community but for commissioners and government.

·       Member requested a 2-page simple language explainer so that everybody knew what was being sought to achieve.

·       Member thanked officers for the work undertaken on the report.

·       Member stated a means of tracking of progress was missing from the report, there needed to be way of recording the progress and any slippage. This would help residents understand what was being achieved.

·       Member stated that member/member relationships should not be ignored and again required a means of measurement.

·       Member agreed the report needed to be explained in a better way for all residents.

·       Member stated the timing of the extraordinary council meeting would not provide sufficient time for the Planning Transport and Regeneration Overview and Scrutiny Committee to scrutinise and comment on the local plan and for cabinet to have time to act on any recommendations made.

·       Member agreed the report had provided a focus on improvements and had identified outcomes which would allow progress to be tracked.

·       Member stated the report did not represent improvements from residents point of views.

·       Member also stated the process must lead to real and lasting change at the council.

 

RESOLVED

 

That Council approved the enhanced Improvement and Recovery Plan at appendix 1.

78.

Financial Strategy Update pdf icon PDF 251 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The report presented to Members focused on three areas: financial strategy, divestment of the previous investments and other financial management initiatives.

 

The following points were raised:

 

·       Member referred to the 40% of the revenue budget that would be spent servicing debt which was an unsustainable position; another five years of going to the government for exceptional support to set a budget; £75 million on service cuts and selling £150 million of land and property and selling of additional investments.

·       Member concluded as a result the future of Thurrock would look very different.

·       Member referred to the remaining investments, selling of £1 billion of 14 separate investments which 75% of that was two investments.

·       Member stated the council had to ensure that costs did not spiral further out of control.

·       Member referred to recommendation 2.1 (v) (a) and questioned the financial thresholds in the Council’s Contract Procedure Rules.

·       Member raised her concern on the disposal of capital assets.

·       Member questioned and raised her concern that the Investment Advisory Panel had not yet met.

·       Member referred to readjustments of budgets which would involve capital projects being refocused to include essential spend and questioned why this was in the report.

·       Member questioned how confident the portfolio holder was in regard to the planning savings of £18.2 million as the report could potentially have been misleading.

·       Member welcomed that Members were receiving a true extent of the financial problems of the council and needed to get to a place in order to take action to make improvements.

·       Member raised concern on who the assets and parcels of land would be sold to.

·       Member stated his concern how the £18.2mlillion to be saved from next year’s budget would have on the services used by the people of Thurrock.

·       Member also raised concern that there was no cross-party democratic oversight of the divestment process, continuation of delegated powers and members being informed after the fact.

·       Member requested pink papers presented at cabinet should also be sent to shadow portfolio holders.

·       Member requested an update on the audit accounts which remained outstanding.

·       Member raised her concern on the blame culture within the chamber.

·       Member referred to the selling of £150 million investments and had been surprised this would take five years.

·       Member praised the portfolio holder for the progress being made with the support from officers, Essex County Council as well as the progress made by the previous leader and chief executive of the council.

·       Member stated the focus had been on local authorities who had declared a section 114 action and that questions were being asked on what could be done to rectify those individual circumstances without questioning the wider suite of circumstances that caused the events. Referred to the structure of funding across local government, direct funding streams and local government reform and how to use the ingrained links that Thurrock had with government.

·       Member questioned why members were surprised to see HRA within the report as this had been considered as part of the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 78.

79.

Questions from Members pdf icon PDF 67 KB

In accordance with Chapter 2, Part 2 (Rule 14) of the Council’s Constitution.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Mayor informed the chamber that five questions to the Leader and three questions to cabinet members and committee chairs had been received:

 

Asked by

Asked to

Subject

Councillor Kerin

Leader

Upholding of a Stage 2 Complaint from Thurrock Nub News

Councillor J Kent

Leader

New operating model for the council

Councillor J Kent

Leader

Redundancies that would be needed to set a balanced budget for the next financial year

Councillor J Maney

Leader

ULEZ style charge

Councillor J Maney

Leader

Incident regarding the abandonment of a pet

Councillor J Kent

Councillor B Maney

Money spent on the abandoned Grays underpass scheme

Councillor J Kent

Councillor Coxshall

Per hour cost of Thurrock’s in house home care service

Councillor Redsell

Councillor Johnson

Plans for the redevelopment of Blackshots Tower

 

80.

Reports from Members representing the Council on Outside Bodies

Additional documents:

Minutes:

No reports were presented.

81.

Minutes of Committees

Name of Committee

Date

Corporate Parenting Committee

21 March 2023

Health and Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Committee

9 March 2023

Standards and Audit Committee

23 February 2023

Planning Committee

13 July 2023

General Services Committee

27 June 2023

General Services Committee

5 July 2023

Health and Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Committee

19 July 2023

Corporate Parenting Committee

18 July 2023

Standards and Audit Committee

19 July 2023

Cleaner Greener Safer Overview and Scrutiny Committee

13 June 2023

Children’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee

15 June 2023

Planning Committee

17 August 2023

Housing Overview and Scrutiny Committee

20 June 2023

Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee

11 July 2023

General Services Committee

24 August 2023

Lower Thames Crossing Task Force

17 July 2023

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The minutes of committees as set out in the agenda were received.

82.

Update on motions resolved at Council during the previous year pdf icon PDF 88 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Members received an information report updating the progress in respect of motions received at Council.

83.

Motion submitted by Councillor Redsell pdf icon PDF 47 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Motion, as printed in the agenda was proposed by Councillor Redsell and seconded by Councillor Polley.

 

The Motion read as follows:

 

Members resolve that a task and finish group or similar be established to look at options for tackling school parking across the borough. Further, that a report on such options should be produced at the conclusion of the group's review.

 

Members of the chambers agreed this was a long-standing issue across the borough and was making residents that lived in school catchment areas a misery. Members agreed that safety was paramount and required the presence of the enforcement officers. Members agreed the task and finish group had to look at more initiative ways to tackle this problem with a paper setting out options and have clear tangible outcomes. Members agreed there had to be a coordinated approach that would make a difference to all wards. To include input from members, schools, parents and include contributions from school children.

 

Councillor Redsell summed up by thanking members for their comments this evening and hoped everyone in the chamber saw the importance of the motion and would vote in favour. This was an important issue and for this to be achieved required input from all parties.

 

The Mayor called a vote on the motion, to which members voted unanimously in favour. The Mayor announced the motion carried.

 

84.

Motion submitted by Councillor Halden pdf icon PDF 56 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Motion, as printed in the agenda was proposed by Councillor Halden and seconded by Councillor Coxshall.

 

The Motion read as follows:

The chamber wishes to confer Freedom of the Borough on Reverend Canon Darren Barlow upon his retirement as rural dean.

Members of the chambers agreed the Freedom of the Borough was well deserved for Reverend Canon Darren Barlow for the service, the care and respect, the commitment, and the good advice he had offered to all within this chamber and to the community of Thurrock. That Reverend Canon Darren Barlow had been the cornerstone of civic life and it would be hard to imagine not having him present at council meetings. Members agreed this was very fitting and a testament to the work that he had undertaken. 

 

Councillor Halden summed up by wishing Reverend Canon Darren Barlow well in his new posting and hoped to have the full consensus of the chamber this evening.

 

The Mayor called a vote on the motion, to which members voted unanimously in favour. The Mayor announced the motion carried.

 

A further council meeting will be convened for a formal presentation to take place.

 

 

 

The full recording of this meeting can be viewed from the following link:

 

Council - Wednesday 25 October 2023, 7:00pm - Thurrock Council committee meeting webcasts (public-i.tv)