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Council 17 October 2012 1 Council 17 October 2012 MEETING OF MIDDLESBROUGH COUNCIL At the Meeting of Middlesbrough Council, lawfully convened, and held in the Town Hall, Middlesbrough on 17 October 2012. PRESENT: Councillors Bloundele (Chair), R Mallon (The Mayor), Councillors Arundale, Biswas, Brady, Budd, Carr, Clark, Cole, Cox, Dryden, Harvey, Hawthorne, C Hobson, J Hobson, Hubbard, Hudson, Hussain, Kerr, P Khan, Loughborough, Lowes. Mawston, McPartland, McTigue, Mrs H Pearson, G Purvis, Rehman, Rooney, Rostron, Sanderson, Saunders, J Sharrocks, P Sharrocks, Taylor, J A Walker, N J Walker and Williams. OFFICERS: J Bennington, A Hoy, R G Long, G Rollings, M Robinson and M Storey APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE were submitted on behalf of Councillors Brunton, Coppinger, Davison, Hanif, Junier, S Khan, Morby, P Purvis and Thompson.. DECLARATIONS OF INTERESTS Name of Member Type of Interest Item/Nature of Interest Councillor Taylor Non-Pecuniary Agenda Item 7-Executive Member for Regeneration and Economic Development in so far as it related to Fabrick - Employed by Tees Valley Housing 12/41 MINUTES - COUNCIL 5 SEPTEMBER 2012 The minutes of the meeting of Middlesbrough Council held on 5 September 2012 were taken as read and approved as a correct record. 12/42 ANNOUNCEMENTS/COMMUNICATIONS COUNCILLOR LOUGHBOROUGH The Chair welcomed the newly elected Councillor for North Ormesby and Brambles Farm Ward, Councillor Loughborough to his first meeting of Middlesbrough Council. SIR STUART BELL The Chair referred with deep regret to the recent death of Sir Stuart Bell who had been a Member of Parliament for the Town for almost 30 years. Sir Stuart Bell was born in County Durham in 1938, the son of a miner and joined the Labour Party in 1964 and called to the Bar at Gray’s Inn in 1970. In terms of his political career he had first been elected to the City Council of Newcastle-upon-Tyne in 1980 and a Member of Parliament for Middlesbrough since 1983. During such time Sir Stuart Bell had been appointed as Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Deputy Leader of the Opposition, Spokesman for Northern Ireland, Spokesman for Trade and Industry and appointed as the Second Church Estates Commissioner from 1997 to 2010. In 2004 he had been knighted for services to Parliament and received the Legion d’Honneur in 2006 for his contribution to British-French relations. The Chair asked all present to observe a minute’s silence in his memory. The Mayor paid tribute to Sir Stuart Bell for whom he had the highest regard, an extremely personable, very articulate and very experienced politician. Reference was made to the significant work undertaken by Sir Stuart Bell for the Town including work with families during the Cleveland Child Abuse Crisis and involvement with the evolution of James Cook 1 Council 17 October 2012 University Hospital and also the moves to save the Middlesbrough Football Club in 1986. Members paid tribute to the parliamentary work of Sir Stuart Bell and his commitment to the Town. He had assisted many people of the Town and would be greatly missed. 12/43 PETITION - REQUEST FOR A CROSSING OVER BRASS CASTLE LANE The Chair, on behalf of the Council received a petition with over 105 signatures requesting a crossing over Brass Castle Lane to allow parents and children to cross safely near a busy junction with Dixon’s Bank. The lead petitioner addressed the Council and spoke of the urgent need to have a zebra crossing given the significant number of schoolchildren attending schools at Nunthorpe. The Executive Member for Streetscene Services and Transport acknowledged receipt of the petition which would be taken into account following the completion of an ongoing consultation exercise regarding the siting of a possible zebra crossing. NOTED 12/44 MAYOR'S STATEMENT AND REPORT The Chair confirmed that there was no written or specific statement from the Mayor at this meeting but a verbal report on proposals for the 2013/2014 Budget would be submitted to the Extraordinary meeting of the Council to be held on 22 October 2012. NOTED 12/45 DEPUTY MAYOR AND EXECUTIVE MEMBER REPORTS The Chair invited Members to raise items for general discussion arising from the Information Booklet of Executive Member reports (previously circulated) which detailed activities carried out within the respective Executive Member portfolios (Section 1), Executive decisions taken (Section 2) or to be taken where known, prior to and following the meeting (Sections 3 and 4). Members commented or posed questions in relation to the following matters and Executive Members responded where appropriate:- (a) Environmental Windfall for Tees Charity The Executive Member for Regeneration and Economic Development acknowledged Member’s supportive comments and congratulations for the hard work carried out involved with Middlesbrough Environment City securing £999,928 from the BIG Lottery, Communities Living Sustainably programme to encourage communities across Middlesbrough to adopt greener and healthier lifestyles. (b) Community Events The Executive Member for Regeneration and Economic Development acknowledged Member’s supportive comments and thanks for community engagement work and events held or to be organised. (c) University Ward Rat Service In response to a Members’ comments regarding the recently launched service to control rats in the University Ward the Executive Member for Community Protection confirmed that there were ongoing discussions with a number of agencies regarding how to deal with the problems 2 Council 17 October 2012 including those associated with the Beck. (d) Council Risks In response to Members’ concerns the Deputy Mayor and Executive Member for Resources gave an indication of ongoing discussions with Middlesbrough College regarding the current problems associated with poor local skills profile restricting employment opportunities. (e) Inspections The Executive Member for Children, Families and Learning acknowledged the supportive comments of Members regarding the joint working and hard work undertaken regarding School inspections and specific Thematic Inspections regarding the impact of children of parental mental health difficulties and substance mis-use problems. (f) Key Stage 4 Results In response to Members’ concerns the Executive Member for Children, Families and Learning confirmed that although the Key Stage 4 results may be subject to change as a result of appeals there had been sustained improvement over the past five years of pupils achieving 5 A*-C including English and Mathematics. (g) Overgrown Hedges on Pavements - Parking on Green Verges In response to a Members’ concerns regarding the hazards of branches or overgrown hedges that overhang footpaths and/or highway and illegally parked vehicles the Executive Member for Streetscene Services and Transport gave an indication of the options available to the Council to alleviate such problems and confirmed that a more detailed response would be given to the Member concerned. NOTED 12/46 MORTGAGE INTEREST RATE Council received and considered a report presented by the Deputy Mayor and Executive Member for Resources requesting Council approval to set the Local Average Interest Rate for the six-month period commencing 1 October 2012 to 31 March 2013. Moved, seconded and ORDERED as follows: 1. That the Local Average Interest Rate for the period 1 October 2012 to 31 March 2013 be set at 4.80%. 2. That the rate be used for all Housing Mortgages for the period stated in recommendation 1 above. 12/47 OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY BOARD Council received and considered a report submitted by the Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Board outlining the work of the Board and Scrutiny Panels. NOTED 12/48 MEMBERS' QUESTION TIME There were no questions. 12/49 RESTRUCTURE OF COUNCIL SERVICES 3 Council 17 October 2012 Council received and considered a report presented by the Deputy Mayor and Executive Member for Resources regarding a proposed revised structure for Council services to enable the Council to deliver the Mayor’s vision for Middlesbrough and ensure that the Council was fit for purpose, lives within its means and safeguarded vulnerable people. Taking into account the significantly reduced resources available to the Council and its statutory responsibilities a review was undertaken which proposed that the three existing service departments of Children, Families and Learning; Environment and Adult Social Care; and Regeneration be restructured to create two new departments as follows:- Wellbeing, Care and Learning Neighbourhoods and Communities. The report outlined the job descriptions of the Executive Director posts within the new structure and areas of responsibility of the new departments. In line with the statutory guidance on the roles and responsibilities of Directors of Children’s Services, a statement of assurance had been compiled to provide clarity and assurance about combining responsibilities for services for adults and children in the post of Executive Director of Wellbeing, Care and Learning. On a vote being taken it was Moved, seconded and ORDERED as follows: 1. That the revised service structure creating the Wellbeing, Care and Learning and the Neighbourhoods and Communities Departments be approved. 2. That Mike Robinson be appointed as Executive Director of Wellbeing, Care and Learning. 3. That Kevin Parkes be appointed as Executive Director of Neighbourhoods and Communities. 4. That Gill Rollings be confirmed as Chief Executive. 12/50 NOTICE OF URGENT MOTION There were no urgent motions. 12/51 UPDATE ON URGENT DECISIONS JULY TO OCTOBER
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