Agenda and minutes

Councillor Moore declared a non-pecuniary interest in respect of Item 11 Upper Saxondale Community Governance Review.

Councillor Combellack declared an interest in Item 12 Hickling Parish Neighbourhood Plan.

To receive as a correct record the minutes of the Meeting of the Council held on 2 December 2021.

The minutes of the meeting held on Thursday, 2 December 2021 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Mayor.

The Mayor advised that given that the previous Council meeting had been at the beginning of December, she would now like to take the opportunity to thank those Councillors who had been able to join her at her Christmas fundraiser and the Christmas Carol Service at Holme Pierrepont church.  The Mayor stated that over the last few weeks, she had become increasingly busy as Covid restrictions were lifted.  Since the last meeting, she had met with the Recycling2go crews, planted an oak sapling, opened the new Lidl in West Bridgford and been to a ceilidh, a rugby match, and the Nottinghamshire Cricket Club Annual General Meeting.  The Mayor referred to the wonderful evening with the Brownies she had hosted earlier in the week, at which she and a number of other Councillors had answered many interesting questions. The Mayor concluded her announcements by referring to the recent terrible events in the Ukraine and stated that she was sure that all Councillors would join her in sending the Council’s very best wishes for a swift resolution of this situation.

The Leader echoed the thoughts of the Mayor in relation to the Ukraine and brought Councillor’s attention to the Ukrainian flag flying outside the Borough offices in solidarity.  The Leader also informed Council about the Borough’s Covid memorial, which would be unveiled on 25 March 2022 and would be a tribute to those that have been affected by the Covid pandemic. The Leader was pleased to announce the sale of the Abbey Road housing development, where 70 new environmentally friendly homes would be built on the site of the old depot and updated Council on the important progress being made in relation to the Freeport.  Finally, the Leader paid special tribute to Laura Webb, Democratic Services Officer, who would be leaving the Borough Council to work in the same role at the County Council.  Council was reminded that Laura would be taking with her five years of experience, which would be very welcome as the County transitioned into the Cabinet model of governance.  The Leader thanked Laura for her hard work and support over the years and stated that she would be missed by Councillors and officers alike. 

The Chief Executive reminded Council that at their last meeting in December they approved the consultation response to the ward boundary changes proposed by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England. This week, the Commission had reopened its consultation to consult further on alternative boundaries for wards in Eastern parts of the Borough.  Councillors had been sent the report via email and it was featured in this week’s Councillors’ Connections. The Chief Executive encouraged Councillors to respond to the consultation either directly before 29 March or to the Service Manager – Corporate Service, who would ensure comments were pulled together and submitted by the deadline.

To answer questions submitted by Citizens on the Council or its services.

No citizens’ questions were received for this meeting.

The report of the Director – Finance and Corporate Services is attached.

The Mayor advised that she had been asked as Chairman of this meeting to consider extending the time period for proposing the 2022/23 Budget and Financial Strategy to 15 minutes.  The Mayor stated that she had also been asked to consider reducing the time for all other speeches on reports and motions from10 minutes to five minutes for the mover of the report/motion, and three minutes for the responder.

The Mayor confirmed that she was happy to approve and support the request.

The Leader and Portfolio Holder for Strategic and Borough Wide Leadership, Councillor Robinson presented the report of the Director – Finance and Corporate Services outlining the Council’s Financial Strategy and Budget for 2022/23.

The Leader stated that he felt both very fortunate and privileged to be commending this budget to Council, after speaking with many other leaders from councils that were facing cuts, closures, redundancies, and debt.  The budget before Council tonight was ambitious, fair, balanced, prudent, and predicated on those principles.

In respect of ambition, the Leader advised that there were very few other councils that were delivering over £28m in capital investment, including projects such as the crematorium, the Bingham Hub and leisure centre, together with plans for the new community centre at Sharphill.  Council was reminded of the importance of the green agenda, which had seen the Climate Change budget topped up to £1m and a new reserve of £1m for the vehicle replacement budget.  The Development Corporation, which was a key vehicle to deliver jobs and investment in tangent with the Freeport would see continued investment.  The new office space at Bingham was being developed, to encourage much needed employment.  Reference was made to the Asset Investment Strategy, which had delivered over £2m of revenue to the Borough and to the previous redevelopment of Cotgrave town centre, which continued to deliver fantastic community facilities and employment.  It was noted that the Asset Investment Strategy had been so successful that it now delivered over a 5% return to the Council and represented 25% of its revenue.

In respect of fairness, the Leader stated that he was proud that the Council continued to focus on the disadvantaged and those on low incomes, with projects including the Reach Project, which had touched so many people’s lives.  For the first time, over £1m had been set aside for a new traveller’s site, which it was hoped would reduce incursions on to land, fulfil the Council’s legal obligations and provide a fit for purpose site.  Council noted that there would be a freeze on car parking fees and green bin charges.  £438k would be put towards combating homelessness, £320k towards housing benefits and over £5.5m for affordable housing provision, and the Leader stated that he was very proud of Rushcliffe’s excellent record in respect of building affordable housing.  Over £770k green energy grants had been delivered in East Leake, which had made such a wonderful difference to people’s lives, as did the £300k for Hound Road Lodge, which  ...  view the full minutes text for item 55.

The report of the Director – Finance and Corporate Services is attached.

The Portfolio Holder for Finance and Customer Access, Councillor Moore presented the report of the Director – Finance and Corporate Services outlining the Council’s position on Council Tax for the year 2022/23.

Councillor Moore confirmed that there was a statutory duty to approve the Council Tax for 2022/23, and this resolution reflected the consolidation of all the precepts for Nottinghamshire County Council, Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner, Nottinghamshire Fire Authority, parish and town councils and Rushcliffe Borough Council.  Council noted that with the exception of the precept for the Fire Authority, Rushcliffe’s Council Tax remained the lowest in Nottinghamshire, with the details highlighted in the various tables in the Appendix to the report.

The Leader seconded the recommendation and reserved the right to speak.

Councillor Gowland advised that a week ago the Council Tax rise had been discussed at Nottinghamshire County Council, and since then a great deal had happened internationally, with the dreadful events in the Ukraine, and that would have an impact here, with increased energy and food prices.  Councillor Gowland considered that previous plans should be rethought, there were mechanisms in place to try and alleviate hardship, including a £150 rebate, and given the great disparity in the country, it was unfair to add a further burden to those struggling the most.  In respect of the rise to the West Bridgford Special Expenses, Councillor Gowland stated that she was particularly upset, and considered that although the rise may have been less in previous years; however, it was now that mattered.  Councillor Gowland suggested that local MPs and the Secretary of State should be contacted to look at funding issues, that the Council should delay some of it capital investments, take funds from the reserve, and increase car parking and green bin charges, as those did not help everybody.      

Councillor Jones agreed with the comments of the Labour Group and advised that the Liberal Democrat Party would be voting against the recommendation.

Councillor R Mallender advised that he would listen to the debate with interest before deciding on how to vote.

Councillor Thomas advised that the Independent Group would be supporting the recommendation, but not because the Council Tax would be the cheapest in the county.

Councillor Purdue Horan stated that he wished to align himself with some of the comments made by Councillor Moore in respect of the excellent work undertaken by officers and advised that this year in particular, in an attempt to try and mitigate the costs faced by households, the government had introduced a one off £150 discount, which he understood to be extremely difficult for officers to administer.  Councillor Purdue-Horan stated that the extra effort being taken by officers to administer this discount was both noted and appreciated.

The Leader stated that Councillor Purdue-Horan was absolutely right regarding the huge amount of work involved in the administration of this rebate, particularly for officers who were already extremely busy; however it was important to remember that this funding had been made available to help  ...  view the full minutes text for item 56.

The report of the Chief Executive is attached.

The Leader and Portfolio Holder for Strategic and Borough Wide Leadership, Councillor Robinson presented the report of the Chief Executive give an update on the Levelling Up White Paper including how it could affect district councils with suggested timescales and next steps.

The Leader explained that Rushcliffe Borough Council was a member of the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Economic Prosperity Committee (EPC), alongside all the local authorities in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.  Council noted that the contents of the Levelling Up White Paper and the potential for a county deal, or combined authority for the area were discussed at those meetings. The Leader hoped that the work undertaken would enable local authorities to work collaboratively on various strands of work including the environment, economy, skills, land, and housing, supporting young people and transport. It was anticipated that a business case would then be presented to government for a “County Deal” for Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.

The Leader stated that in order for the East Midlands to have the biggest opportunity for investment in the area, the highest level of devolved powers would have to be implemented which included having a directly elected Mayor across a functioning economic area.  The Leader advised that he was pleased to note that Nottingham and Nottinghamshire were mentioned in the Levelling Up White Paper as a pathfinder for the first round of county deals to be agreed. However, there were several areas for consideration to be debated and agreed, including the geography of a deal and the scope of what it would cover. The Leader provided the Council with the example of the N2 local authorities joining with the D2 authorities on a joint bid – covering the same geography as the Local Enterprise Partnership (D2N2) which would cover the population of 2.2 million.

Council was informed that the power to request and negotiate any of the county deal options set lay with the upper tier authorities and that district councils did not have the power of veto. However, the leaders of Nottinghamshire County and Nottingham City Councils had expressed their desire to carry on full engagement with district councils, which could bring their influence and expertise to the table.

Councillor Robinson asked the Council to support the recommendations outlined in the report, as it was important for negotiations to move forward quickly. It was explained that the first areas to agree a county deal would be asked to put forward proposals later this year with agreement by the end of the year, and that in the case of a new Mayoral Combined Authority, elections could be as soon as May 2023.

In conclusion, Councillor Robinson noted the lack of investment in the East Midlands and stated that by agreeing to the recommendations in the report, the potential opportunities contained within the Levelling Up White Paper could be continued to be explored.

Councillor Edyvean seconded the recommendations in the report and reserved the right to speak.

Councillor Gaunt supported the levelling up white paper and the devolving of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 57.

The report of the Chief Executive is attached.

The Portfolio Holder for Business and Growth, Councillor Edyvean presented the report of the Chief Executive, updating Council on the Upper Saxondale Community Governance Review.

Councillor Edyvean reminded Council that a petition had been received from the residents of Upper Saxondale at the December meeting of Council, which had subsequently been validated and accepted.  This report set out the next steps to undertake a Community Governance Review of Upper Saxondale, to address the petition request that the area become parished in its own right and elect its own parish council in May 2023.  Councillor Edyvean asked Council to support the establishment of a Member Task and Finish Group to oversee the Community Governance Review and report back to Council in September.

Councillor Brennan seconded the recommendations and reserved the right to speak.

Councillors J Walker, Jones, R Mallender and Thomas all expressed their intention to support the recommendations and Councillor Upton, who represented the ward where Upper Saxondale currently sat, also expressed his support after describing to Council how Upper Saxondale was a distinct and separate area of his ward.

Councillors Brennan and Edyvean both thanked Councillors for their support.

Before moving to the vote, the Monitoring Officer asked Councillors Barney and Purdue-Horan to abstain from voting as they had missed a substantial amount of debate on this item.

It was RESOLVED that:

a)       the process involved for the delivery of a Community Governance Review and the proposed timetable be noted;

b)       the Terms of Reference for the Community Governance Review (Appendix Two) be approved;

c)  a cross party Task and Finish Group to consider the Council’s position in response to the consultation to be undertaken as part of the Review be established; and

d)  the Task and Finish Group Terms of Reference (Appendix Three) be approved.

The report of the Director – Development and Economic Growth is attached.

The Portfolio Holder for Business and Growth, Councillor Edyvean presented the report of the Director – Development and Economic Growth, which recommended that Council adopted the Plan.

Councillor Edyvean reminded Council that it had approved a number of reports of this nature in recent years and this marked the point at which the community of Hickling was able to decide about whether it supported the Neighbourhood Plan for the area.  Following the referendum, which was being held today, the Council was asked to adopt (make) the Plan if the community support reached over 50%.  As the residents of Hickling had put a lot of time and effort into creating their Neighbourhood Plan, Councillor Edyvean urged Councillors to vote in favour of the recommendations.

Councillor Brennan seconded the recommendations and reserved the right to speak.

Councillors J Walker, Jones, R Mallender and Thomas all expressed support for the recommendations and congratulated the residents of Hickling in taking an active role in the future of their community.

Councillors Brennan and Edyvean also congratulated the community and had nothing further to add to the debate.

It was RESOLVED that, subject to a majority vote in the referendum:

a)     the Hickling Parish Neighbourhood Plan be ‘made’ (adopted); and

b)  authority be delegated to the Director – Development and Economic Growth to issue a statement setting out this decision as soon as possible following the referendum.

To receive Notices of Motion submitted under Standing Order No.12

a)               This Council recognises the contribution that solar power can make in moving Rushcliffe towards net zero carbon by means of solar power generation in/on new buildings, and also that it is possible to position, design, build and operate solar farms to produce valuable renewable energy in a way that benefits the community, biodiversity, wildlife, and recreational enjoyment of the countryside. However, Council also recognises the potential negative impacts of solar farms, for example in terms of loss of agricultural land, management methods that reduce biodiversity, restriction of movement of wildlife, loss of habitat variety, reduced recreational access to the countryside, negative impact on the landscape and openness of the countryside, and impact on the amenity of neighbouring residents.

Council will: 

1.       Before the next Local Plan, issue planning guidance to:

·maximise opportunities for solar power generation and energy efficiency in new buildings, in line with current Local Plan and National policies; and

·supplement Policy 16 of Local Plan Part 2 in terms of the location and design of solar farms to help ensure negative impacts are minimised. 

2.       In the next Local Plan:

·strengthen policies to achieve improved solar power generation and energy efficiency in new buildings; and

·advance the positive benefits of solar farms for the community, whilst protecting against the negative impacts. 

3.       Call on the government to strengthen national planning policies relating to solar power generation and energy efficiency in new buildings so that this does not rely on local policies. 

Councillor C Thomas

b)               Council recognises that use of chemical pesticides (including herbicides and insecticides) has the potential to harm the health of our residents and have negative impacts on the environment and biodiversity.  Council resolves to:

1.   Build on existing actions to reduce the use of pesticides in its own operations, replacing with less harmful alternatives over a three year period, except for a small list of permitted exceptions to be determined.

2.   Work with partner organisations, including Nottinghamshire County Council, to influence their own use of the pesticides in public areas within Rushcliffe.

3.   Conduct a public awareness campaign and otherwise use its influence to encourage the public and businesses in Rushcliffe to similarly eliminate the use of pesticides on their own land.

4.   Include appropriate advisory notes in planning consents for residential developments which include public open spaces to incorporate construction management plans and ongoing management agreements for public open space which are similarly pesticide-free.

Councillor L Way

a.     The following Notice of Motion was proposed by Councillor Thomas and seconded by Councillor R Mallender.

“This Council recognises the contribution that solar power can make in moving Rushcliffe towards net zero carbon by means of solar power generation in/on new buildings, and also that it is possible to position, design, build and operate solar farms to produce valuable renewable energy in a way that benefits the community, biodiversity, wildlife, and recreational enjoyment of the countryside. However, Council also recognises the potential negative impacts of solar farms, for example in terms of loss of agricultural land, management methods that reduce biodiversity, restriction of movement of wildlife, loss of habitat variety, reduced recreational access to the countryside, negative impact on the landscape and openness of the countryside, and impact on the amenity of neighbouring residents. Council will:

1.     Before the next Local Plan, issue planning guidance to:

· maximise opportunities for solar power generation and energy efficiency in new buildings, in line with current Local Plan and National policies; and

· supplement Policy 16 of Local Plan Part 2 in terms of the location and design of solar farms to help ensure negative impacts are minimised.

2. In the next Local Plan:

· strengthen policies to achieve improved solar power generation and energy efficiency in new buildings; and

· advance the positive benefits of solar farms for the community, whilst protecting against the negative impacts.

3. Call on the government to strengthen national planning policies relating to solar power generation and energy efficiency in new buildings so that this does not rely on local policies.”

Councillor Thomas informed Council, in moving the motion, that in line with the Local Plan, the Council was providing development sites for new housing and employment for the Nottingham area.  Council noted the vision of each new housing estate having the potential to become a mini power station by design, with solar power generation in mind.  Newer technologies would also provide ways for other building materials to generate electricity.  Councillor Thomas stated that the required infrastructure to link to the grid and provide battery storage could efficiently be added during the build, whilst at the same time, building design could maximise energy efficiency to reduce the energy each new home consumes.  Unfortunately, none of this was happening because it was not a planning requirement, and the objective of developers was, understandably, to maximise the profit for their stakeholders not improve energy efficiency or electricity generation for longer term benefit. Councillor Thomas went on to highlight that in the meantime Rushcliffe’s green fields were being identified as locations for huge solar farms, to generate profit for a different group of developers.  There was no question that this country needed to develop renewable energy sources, but it was also possible to build solar farms that sat well in the landscape without disrupting residents and the environment.  Regrettably, if badly designed, these could also be obtrusive, ugly, disruptive, and damaging to wildlife, habitats, and biodiversity.

Councillor Thomas stated that resolving this issue  ...  view the full minutes text for item 60.

To answer questions submitted by Councillors under Standing Order No. 11(2)

a)     Question from Councillor Gowland to Councillor Brennan

“Given the operational issues with the sauna and steam room at Rushcliffe Arena will the Council be looking to provide such facilities in the future as part of its wider Leisure Strategy offer?”

In response, Councillor Brennan informed Council that it was the Council’s ambition to always provide leisure facilities that met the Council’s strategic vision of providing high quality, financially sustainable leisure facilities to support Rushcliffe residents to enjoy active and healthy lives. Taking on board the operational and cost issues associated with the sauna and steam facilities which opened here at the Arena in West Bridgford in 2016, including vandalism, abuse of the facility and additional insurance costs, it was decided, in conjunction with the Council’s leisure operator, not to include such facilities in the specification for the new Arena and to focus on providing core facilities which better met the Council’s vision. This position would also be reflected in the mid-term review of the Leisure Facilities Strategy which was due this year.  

Supplementary question

Councillor Gowland asked how much it had cost to install the sauna and steam room at Rushcliffe Arena.

Councillor Brennan did not have that information to hand but will ensure that it is sent on to Councillor Gowland.