- 93 - NUNEATON AND BEDWORTH BOROUGH COUNCIL 26th April, 2017 A meeting of the Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council was held at the Town Hall, Nuneaton, on Wednesday, 26th April, 2017. Present The Mayor (Councillor J. Sheppard) Councillors D. Aldington, J.B. Beaumont, C. Bennett, I.C. Bonner, K.L. Brindley, R.G. Copland, P.M. Elliott, J. Glass, C. Golby, S. Gran, J. Gutteridge, D. Harvey, J. Haynes, J.A. Jackson, K.A. Kondakor, A.A. Lloyd, I.K. Lloyd, B.J. Longden, S.J. Margrave C.S. Phillips, N.J.P. Phillips, G.D. Pomfrett, M. Pomfrett, J.A. Tandy, R. Tromans, C.M. Watkins and K.D. Wilson Apologies for absence were received from Councillors G. Daffern, S. Doughty, D. Gissane, W.J. Hancox, and T.E. Sheppard Prayers were taken by the Rev Ken Newborough CL58 Minutes The minutes of the Ordinary meeting of the Council held on the 15th February, 2017 were confirmed and signed by the Mayor. Councillor K.A. Kondakor requested it be recorded in the minutes that he voted against the Council minutes being confirmed. The minutes of the Extraordinary Council meeting held on 15th February, 2017 were confirmed and signed by the Mayor. CL59 Interests The Declarations of Interest for this meeting are as set out in the Schedule attached to these minutes. CL60 Announcements The Mayor made the following announcements: Congratulations to Matt Wallbank – our Procurement Trainee – has been named Apprentice of the Year in the Business and Professions category for North Warwickshire, Hinckley and South Leicestershire. - 94 - As part of the Council’s continued commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant it has successfully applied for a national award. In March 2017 the Ministry of Defence awarded Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council the Bronze Award as part of the ‘Defence Employer Recognition Scheme’. The Defence Employer Recognition Scheme encourages employers to support defence and inspire others to do the same. Race Night will take place on the 5th May raising money for the Mayor’s Appeal at Saunders Hall, Working Men’s Club, Bedworth The Mayor then presented to the Council, on behalf of herself and the Consort, a Civic Gift of “Silver Hands”. This is a reflection of the Mayor’s Charity for 2016 - 2017 of the Mental Health Drop in Centre and the Veterans’ Contact Point both of which are real “helping hands” and very much “hands on” Congratulations to Kelly and Dave Baxter on their recent marriage. The Managing Director had the following announcement: “As Members are aware an accusation has been made at a number of public meetings that the Council has significantly changed an external consultants report about the Air Quality Assessment of the Borough. As a result of these accusations of ‘manipulation’ I instructed an Internal Audit to fully investigate those claims. This investigation was exhaustive and wholly independent of myself. From this investigation it was concluded that: Changes made to the Air Quality Assessment Report – changes have been made and some of these are changes that have been proposed by Officers from NBBC. The ‘track change’ facility with Microsoft Word was used to highlight some of these proposed changes and this is why the draft report looks as if it has been changed by officers; other changes have been proposed by email giving the reasoning behind the change. However, the consultants have confirmed that they would not make any changes to their report if they were not happy to make them; they have their professional reputation to consider so they would need to be fully convinced that any changes were fully appropriate. The final report was issued by them in pdf format so Officers would not have been able to make further changes. Monitoring of air quality in Old Hinckley Road – air quality is still being monitored in Old Hinckley Road at sites NB20, NB21 and NB22 using diffusion tubes situated on the façade of the buildings in accordance with Defra guidelines, as it is the impact on the health and wellbeing of the residents that is the important factor. Anomalies between the two reports – there are some anomalies in the monitoring data reported in the two reports. However, the only one that impacts on the Air Quality Assessment Report for the Borough Plan is the 2015 discrepancy and the consultant has already acknowledged that this makes a very minor difference to the model verification figure, so his conclusion in the report remains the same. - 95 – In light of the above, there is no evidence to suggest that any other reports produced by the consultants have been manipulated.” CL61 Public Participation (a) Kyle Evans asked the following question: It was reported last month by the Nuneaton News that the number of market traders across the Borough has reached a three year low. It is the role of this Council to champion the Town Centres of this Borough, and not assist with its decline. One of the most practical and common sense ways of creating investment and growth in Bedworth it too put our market back outside on the pedestrian streets, in the heart of our community. Will the Cabinet Member responsible finally admit that the prospect of putting Bedworth market back outside would indeed create growth and investment for our dying Town Centre? And secondly would the Cabinet Member consider a one month trial of putting the Market back outside in order to assess whether or not, actually putting the Market back outside would indeed regenerate our neglected Town Centre? Councillor D. Harvey, Leader of the Council, responded as follows: Madam Mayor, Firstly I must point out that Mr Evans statement is neither ‘common sense’ nor is it factual. Bedworth market has been on its present site for around 50years, as the present market hall did in fact replace fixed lines of market stalls with metal covers, where people inevitably got wet on rainy days. It was only moved into the pedestrian area in All Saints Square temporarily whilst the new building was being erected. There were no locks up available in pedestrian area as there are now. Bedworth town centre is not ‘dying’ as Mr Evans claims, and this is an insult to the many successful shops in the town and to new traders who have recently opened businesses there. If the market was closed and moved into All Saints Square, it would lead to massive rent increase for traders as stalls would have to be set up and dismantled as they are now in Nuneaton. All the lock ups (and this section is fully let) would have to close. Bedworth market traders currently pay one of the lowest rents in Great Britain. Mr Evans’ suggestions would cause many people to lose their business completely and others to go elsewhere. I am not prepared to consider his nonsensical idea for four weeks, four days or four minutes. It is a real threat to the livelihood of our market traders in Bedworth. - 96 - I can tell you, however, that we shall shortly be commencing some refurbishment works in the market and seeking to revitalise the market completely in the coming months. (b) Mr Richard Smith asked the following question: Can the leader explain how the £720,000 investment in Bulkington sports facilities, promised in a labour pledge letter and included in the IDP, squares with a budget that called for a cut in services to the pavilion on the recreation ground, and can he confirm if this is an election bribe to the residents of Bulkington, to accept the proposed over development on Green Belt of 700 houses contained in the Borough Plan, that the residents of Bulkington neither need nor want. Councillor D. Harvey, Leader of the Council, responded as follows: Madam Mayor, Could I first explain to Mr Smith that as Leader of the Council I am not usually called upon to answer questions about party political letters written by someone other than myself. However, I can tell him that we are currently able to reduce revenue cost of running Bulkington pavilion by working with the users, thereby avoiding more savage cut backs as could have happened following the Conservative Government’s slashing of our support grant by around 60 per cent. As far as possible capital improvements to the pavilion are concerned, these would indeed be possible due to development monies due to the council as a result of housing growth. £720,000 is the figure identified as being possible if all identified sites are developed. (c) Michele Kondakor asked the following question: All the evidence indicates that regular exercise at any age is linked to better health outcomes, both physically and mentally. With this in mind, and the fact that Nuneaton and Bedworth scores very poorly on the health indicators produced by Public Health Warwickshire, why is there so little emphasis on mass participation events for sports and activities in this borough? Why, for example, are we the only Borough in Warwickshire not holding a weekly Park Run? What efforts are being made to reintroduce the Play Rangers or something similar, which had over 10,000 attendances by children over the summer (April-September) of 2015-16, before it was disbanded? Councillor I. Lloyd, Cabinet Member for Arts and Leisure, responded as follows: Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council delivers, provides facilities and supports partners in a wide range of sport and leisure in the borough. For example Swimming, Football, Cricket, Athletics, Archery, Indoor and Outdoor Bowls, Tennis, Health and Fitness, Gyms both indoor and outdoor - 97 - green gym facilities, Boxing, Cycling, BMX, Hockey, Walking, Physical activity classes, Dancing, Gymnastics, Foot golf, Disc golf, outdoor MUGA’s Roller blading ,Skate Boarding, Table Tennis, Badminton, Tri Club, Squash, Rugby, Volleyball, Outdoor Parks, Recreation facilities and Allotments, are to name a few.