Agenda and minutes

Apologies having been received from the Mayor, Councillor Sudbury, the Deputy Mayor, Councillor Fisher took the chair.

Apologies had been received from Councillors Coleman, Collins, Harvey, Hobley, Holliday, Parsons, Ryder and Wheeler.

The following Members were assumed to have declared declared a personal interest in Agenda Item 9 (Community Governance Review) as they had declared a personal interest at the last Council meeting when this item had been on the agenda.

-       Councillors Payne and Stennett as Parish Councillors for Prestbury

-       Councillor Nelson as a Parish Councillor for Leckhampton with Warden Hill

-       Councillors Mason and Whyborn as Parish Councillors for Up Hatherley

-       Councillor H McCloskey as a Parish Councillor for Charlton Kings.

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 11 December 2017

Councillor Jordan proposed the following amendments to the minutes of 11 December 2018 which had been circulated to all Members to clarify some points he had raised at the meeting:

1.    Public Q5 – Add ‘ The Leader replied’ at the start of final paragraph

2.    Public Q10 – final paragraph should refer to Knight Frank report rather than Frank Knight.

3.    Agenda item 9 JCS para2 – should refer to the plan being prepared over ‘nine’ years and not ‘six’ as stated in the minutes. 

4.    Agenda Item 15 Community Governance

-       Delete the third bullet under 'the leader outlines' section and replace by “There was overall support that the boundary of Leckhampton with Warden Hill Parish Council be altered to include the additional area. The complication with this was that there were 4 different areas advertised and 1 one had voted narrowly against joining but this would leave it isolated so the proposal was to include it. After the review had finished a request came forward to include an extra field and a consultation process would be held on that area with a review on 23 January.

Add an additional bullet point

-       For Up Hatherley Parish Council one area voted clearly in favour while the other was against. The first area included part of the current Park Ward and the working group had proposed not to include this small area in the parish as it would complicate the election process and would need a separate parish councillor. Subsequent analysis has shown that 78% of those who voted in this area were favour of changing the boundary which also had the support of the Parish Council. The Leader was expecting an amendment to now include the area which he was happy to support.

-       Page 43 para 3 amend to “the Leader confirmed that they had been notified about the process and the likely Council Tax but information about polling stations had only been available subsequently.”

RESOLVED that the minutes of the last meeting held on 11 December 2017 as amended be agreed and signed as an accurate record.

The Deputy Mayor expressed his sadness at the death of Honorary Alderman Gil Wakeley who had passed away last week and he invited members to join him in a minute’s silence. Gil had been a councillor from 1979 – 1992 and Mayor in the 1987/88 Municipal Year and an Honorary Alderman since 1992.  

The Leader advised that the council had received a very interesting proposal regarding future use of the quadrangle and all Members were invited to attend the drop in session tomorrow lunchtime at 1 pm to learn more about the plans and there would be a public session from 3 pm.

The Leader advised that following on from the A&E motion at the last Council meeting he had received two responses to his letters which he had circulated and he had now received a further letter from Alex Chalk MP which he would circulate to all Members.

None received.

Report of the Leader

The Leader of the Council, Councillor Jordan, introduced the report which had been circulated with the agenda. He reminded Members that on 11 December 2017, Council had agreed the principle of altering the boundaries of four parish council areas namely Charlton Kings, Leckhampton, Up Hatherley and Prestbury. Council had also agreed the consequential parish warding, polling districts and representation and resolved that that additional consultation should be progressed as follows:

·         That householders residing in the properties originally written to are informed of the outcome of the consultation and the intentions of Council;

·         That additional consultation is undertaken regarding the request to further extend the boundary of Leckhampton with Warden Hill Parish Council to part of Leckhampton Hill.

The report summarised the results of the consultation and brought back the necessary Reorganisation Orders to Council for approval. It was noted that in paragraph 5.1 the third entry in the table should read “precept for newly parished areas’ and not ‘precept for new parish council’ as stated in the report.

The Leader referred to the four objections that have been received. One objection had been received from a resident who had been included in error as they were not within the proposed parish area and they had been sent an apology.  Details of the remaining three objections had been circulated to Members in the chamber. 

One general objection had been regarding the short timescales and whilst agreeing that the timescale for this latest consultation had been short the Leader advised that this had not been the first consultation and the timescale was necessary for Council Tax setting.

The second objection with reference to Up Hatherley had expressed a cynical view about the process and did not agree with the views of their Parish Council. The Leader advised that this was a matter for the resident to take up with the Parish Council and as the objector did not request a response he had nothing more to add.

The third objection with reference to Leckhampton objected to the timing of the consultation over the Christmas period and that the current results indicated only a small number of votes in favour from the small proportion of households who had responded. The Leader acknowledged the timescales had been short but there had been no objections to including the extra area.  

The Leader thanked everyone involved in this long and complex process and asked for Members to support the recommendations.

Councillor Harman as Leader of the Conservative group indicated full support from his group for the recommendations.

RESOLVED (unanimously)

That the following Reorganisation Orders be agreed:

·         The Cheltenham Borough Council (Reorganisation of Community Governance) (Charlton Kings Parish) Order 2018 (appendix 2);

·         The Cheltenham Borough Council (Reorganisation of Community Governance) (Leckhampton with Warden Hill Parish) Order 2018 (appendix 3);

·         The Cheltenham Borough Council (Reorganisation of Community Governance) (Up Hatherley Parish) Order 2018 (appendix 4);

·         The Cheltenham Borough Council (Reorganisation of Community Governance) (Prestbury Parish) Order 2018 (appendix 5).

These must be received no later than 12 noon on Wednesday 17 January and must directly relate to the business of the Extraordinary meeting.

None received.

These must be received no later than 12 noon on Wednesday 17 January and must directly relate to the business of the Extraordinary meeting.

None received.

There was no urgent business. 

The committee is recommended to approve the following resolution:-

“That in accordance with Section 100A(4) Local Government Act 1972 the public be excluded from the meeting for the remaining agenda items as it is likely that, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted or the nature of the proceedings, if members of the public are present there will be disclosed to them exempt information as defined in paragraph 3, Part (1) Schedule (12A) Local Government Act 1972, namely:

Paragraph 3; Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular

person (including the authority holding that information)

RESOLVED

“That in accordance with Section 100A(4) Local Government Act 1972 the public be excluded from the meeting for the remaining agenda items as it is likely that, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted or the nature of the proceedings, if members of the public are present there will be disclosed to them exempt information as defined in paragraph 3, Part (1) Schedule (12A) Local Government Act 1972, namely:

Paragraph 3; Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular

person (including the authority holding that information)

To approve the exempt minutes of the meeting held on 11 December 2017

Resolved that the exempt minutes of the last meeting held on 11 December 2017 be agreed and signed as an accurate record.