Agenda and minutes

Venue: Council Chamber, Shire Hall. View directions

Contact: Deb Moseley  Democratic Services Team Leader

Media

Items
No. Item

1.

General

Additional documents:

Minutes:

In the absence of Councillor Pete Gilbert, Councillor John Horner, Vice-Chair of Council, took the Chair for this meeting.

1(1)

Apologies for Absence

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Apologies were received from Councillors Richard Baxter-Payne, Barbara Brown, Jackie D’Arcy, Yousef Dahmash, Pete Gilbert, Andy Jenns, Sarah Millar and Penny-Anne O’Donnell.

1(2)

Members’ Disclosures of Pecuniary and Non-pecuniary Interests

Additional documents:

Minutes:

None.

1(3)

Minutes of the previous meeting pdf icon PDF 384 KB

Minutes of the meeting of Council held on 28 September 2021.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The minutes of the meeting of Council held on 28 September 2021 were agreed as an accurate record for signing by the Chair.

1(4)

Chair's announcements

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Councillor John Horner, chairing this meeting, made the following announcements:

 

1)       Care Leaver National Bench Marking Competition

 

At the Care Leaver National Bench Marking Forum Warwickshire were once again key leaders of the forum.  Umar Teerab and Liss Phillips who work as Family Support Workers in our Corporate Parenting Service organise and facilitate the national forum with a small group of care leavers.

 

I am delighted to report that this year Liss Phillips won the Best Speech and the Champion of Champions competition.  She delivered a heart-warming speech and her peers recognised her as champion of champions.  Coming first in both of these is a real achievement.

 

Huge congratulations to Liss.

 

Members joined to congratulate Liss Philips.

 

 

2)       Death of Former Chief Fire Officer, Kieran Amos

 

It is my very sad duty to report that our former Chief Fire Officer, Kieran Amos died on 23 November after a short illness.

 

Kieran was CFO for Warwickshire for just over two years before his retirement in July this year.  His career in the fire sector spanned nearly 30 years in a range of roles serving the communities of Surrey, West Sussex, and Warwickshire and he had also worked at a national level on the Joint Emergency Services Interoperability Programme and within the National Resilience Team.

 

Those of us who knew him are very fortunate to have worked alongside such a special person.  Physically imposing, he had a larger-than-life personality to match.  Kieran was a humble and funny individual but most of all he was genuine, compassionate and kind.  These qualities shone through in all that he did including the huge role he played in the response to the pandemic and his work with equality, diversity and inclusion.

 

He has certainly left a legacy that will be built upon as we continue the work he did to make Warwickshire safer for all.

 

Our condolences go to Kieran’s family and all those who knew him within the Fire and Rescue Service.

 

Ben Brook, the current Chief Fire Officer, was invited to make a statement and he shared the tribute that had been read at Mr Amos’ funeral the previous day.  The tribute acknowledged Mr Amos’ ‘gentle giant’ character, the difference he had made during his 32 years in the fire service, his passion for making a difference and the positive impact he had on many lives.  Mr Amos had possessed a wonderful ability to connect with people which had enabled him to achieve a great deal in Warwickshire.  Mr Brook concluded that Mr Amos was a person who would be sadly missed by Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service, Warwickshire County Council and the Fire Service nationally.

 

Members made the following comments in memory of Kieran Amos

 

Councillor Andy Crump noted that Mr Amos had very recently retired and had only been aged 50 at the time of his death.  He noted the big impression that Mr Amos had made in terms of his leadership, innovation and his contribution to the Pandemic response.  His thoughts  ...  view the full minutes text for item 1(4)

1(5)

Petitions

To receive any petitions submitted in accordance with the Council’s Petitions Scheme.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

None.

1(6)

Public Speaking

To note any requests to speak on any item on the agenda in accordance with the Council’s Public Speaking Scheme (see note at end of the agenda).

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

None.

2.

Application for Dispensation pdf icon PDF 90 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Noting the presence of Councillor Howard Roberts at the meeting, the Chair advised that this item was not required.

3.

External Auditors' Annual Audit Report 2020/21 pdf icon PDF 197 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Councillor Peter Butlin (Deputy Leader of the Council) moved the motion and introduced this report, noting that the new Code of Audit Practice required the production of an Auditor’s Annual Report to be considered by the Full Council instead of an Annual Audit Letter for consideration by the Audit and Standards Committee. 

 

Mr Ciaran McLaughlin and Mr Jim McLarnon were in attendance as representatives of Grant Thornton to present their report.  Mr McLaughlin had been responsible for the delivery of the final accounts audit and the value for money work.  He noted that the report on the Council’s arrangements was positive and he particularly highlighted elements of the report relating to the Council’s strong financial sustainability, governance arrangements and the Council’s role in improving economy, efficiency and effectiveness in the use of resources.  Mr McLachlan pointed to the key recommendations in the report which noted the outcome of the joint CQC and Ofsted report published in September 2021, which made it incumbent upon the Auditor to find a significant weakness in that area.  However, given the transformation in Children’s Services, there was confidence that the issues would be addressed. He noted that there were no further significant issues.  The auditors were also satisfied that there was appropriate governance and management of the Warwickshire Pension Fund.  The Covid arrangements that had been in place throughout the year and had also been considered and no significant weakness had been found.  Mr McLachlan concluded his report by noting that it was expected to be able to sign an unqualified opinion on the financial statements and thanked officers and staff for their support in providing information to the auditors.

 

Councillor Singh Birdi seconded the Motion, thanking the auditors for their presentation and reiterating thanks to Council staff. 

 

Vote

 

A vote was held. The recommendation was unanimously agreed.

 

Resolved:

 

That Council:

(1)      Notes the Annual Audit Report of the External Auditors, attached at Appendix A to the report; and

(2)      Supports the development of an action plan in response to the Annual Audit Report, for consideration and approval by Cabinet.

4.

2020-21 Annual Governance Statement pdf icon PDF 191 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Councillor Peter Butlin (Deputy Leader of the Council) moved the motion and introduced this report, which presented the 2020/21 Annual Governance Statement (AGS) for consideration by the Council.  The motion was seconded by Councillor Parminder Singh Birdi. 

 

Vote:

 

A vote was held. The recommendation was agreed unanimously.

 

Resolved:

 

That Council approves the 2020/21 Annual Governance Statement.

5.

Warwickshire County Council Statement of Accounts 2020/21 pdf icon PDF 263 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Councillor Peter Butlin (Deputy Leader – Finance and Property) moved the recommendation and was seconded by Councillor Adrian Warwick.  He observed that the report clearly demonstrated the Council’s financial position and how it was intended to meet the Council’s financial commitments.   

 

Vote:

 

A vote was held. The recommendation was agreed unanimously.

 

Resolved:

 

That Council approves the Warwickshire County Council Statement of Accounts for 2020/21.

6.

Warwickshire Pension Fund Accounts 2020/21 pdf icon PDF 30 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Councillor John Horner moved the recommendation. In introducing the report Councillor Horner emphasised that the fund was well-managed and expressed his thanks to Council staff for their support and advice to the Pension Fund Investment Sub-Committee.  

 

Councillor Peter Butlin seconded the motion.

 

Councillor Bill Gifford noted his pleasure at seeing the pension fund in surplus and felt that this could be aligned to Members’ awareness of climate change and, as a result, how climate change had been considered in the investment strategy.  He noted that the surplus was a good result and, consequently, there may be a slight reduction in the amount the County Council and employers had to pay in.

 

Vote:

 

A vote was held. The recommendation was agreed unanimously.

 

Resolved:

 

That Council approves the 2020/21 Pension Fund Statement of Accounts, and authorises the Strategic Director for Resources to make any amendments to the final version of the accounts as are required to take account of any observations from the external auditors.

7.

Appointment of External Auditors pdf icon PDF 235 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Councillor Peter Butlin (Deputy Leader of the Council) moved the motion which was seconded by Councillor Parminder Singh Birdi.

 

Councillor Bill Gifford considered that the recommendation was appropriate and he strongly supported its approval. 

 

Vote:

 

A vote was held. The recommendation was unanimously agreed.

 

Resolved:

 

That Council approves Warwickshire County Council opting-in to the sector-led body procurement, conducted by Public Sector Audit Appointments Limited, for the appointment of the Authority’s external auditors from April 2023.

8.

Constitution Review pdf icon PDF 135 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Councillor Kam Kaur (Portfolio Holder for Customer and Transformation) introduced this report and moved the recommendations.  The aim of the review had been to simplify the presentation of the Constitution without changing the balance between Member and Officer decision making.  The language of the document had been updated and full details were comprehensively set out in the report.

 

Councillor Isobel Seccombe seconded the motion, noting the importance of the Constitution to the Council’s governance processes and that it was important to ensure the correct balance of decision making between Members and Officers.

 

Councillor Jonathan Chilvers noted that most of the changes were sensible but noted two areas of concern to him.  The first was the additional emergency powers for the Chief Executive in times of crisis since he noted that an effective decision making solution had been operated throughout the pandemic via the Leader and he considered that the powers should be vested in the Leader in the first instance who could then delegate them if necessary.  Secondly, he had concerns around the uplifts for the levels of delegated decision making, considering that the figure was not reflective of inflationary rises.  He understood the need for quick decision making but he considered that the urgent portfolio holder decision making process was a more appropriate mechanism than giving additional delegated powers to officers.

 

Councillor Butlin noted that it was appropriate that the decision making processes be considered in light of the experience of the Council throughout the Pandemic.  He noted from this experience that it was reasonable to scrutinise the speed of decision making and consider any lessons learnt over the previous 18 months.  It was still not possible for individuals to act unilaterally as part of the proposed change and consultation was still required.  The Council’s ability to act swiftly was important to support vulnerable people and potentially save lives and he was therefore supportive of the proposals being of the view that there were sufficient safeguards built in the process.  Councillor Adrian Warwick echoed this view. 

 

Councillor Kaur responded that the Council was very good at transparency and noted that all through the Pandemic there had been engagement with councillors and officers and this was something to be proud of.  She emphasised the Deputy Leader’s comments that it was important to adjust processes to keep pace with the changing landscape.

 

Vote:

 

A vote was held. The recommendation was agreed by a majority.

 

Resolved:

 

That Council approves the amendments to the Constitution, Contract Standing Orders and Financial Regulations as set out at Appendices 2a, 2b and 3 to the report.

9.

Appointment of Independent Member to Audit and Standards Committee pdf icon PDF 166 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Councillor Kam Kaur (Portfolio Holder for Customer and Transformation) introduced and moved this report and recommendation. Councillor Isobel Seccombe seconded the motion and reserved her right to speak.

 

There were no questions on the matter.

 

Vote:

 

A vote was held. The motion was agreed unanimously.

 

Resolved:

 

That Council approves the appointment of Mr Robert Edwards Zara as an Independent Member of the Audit and Standards Committee.

10.

Appointment of Representatives to the Local Pension Board and Fire and Rescue Local Pension Board of the Firefighter’s Pension Scheme pdf icon PDF 282 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Councillor Jill Simpson-Vince introduced and moved this report and recommendation. Councillor Christopher Kettle seconded the motion and reserved his right to speak.

 

There were no questions on the matter.

 

Vote:

 

A vote was held. The motion was agreed unanimously.

 

Resolved:

 

That Council:

(1)      Approves the appointment of Mr Jeffrey Carruthers, Director of Finance at Warwickshire Police, as a scheme member representative on the Local Pension Board.

(2)      Approves the appointment of Councillor John Horner to the Fire and Rescue Local Pension Board of the Firefighter’s Pension Scheme.

11.

Notices of Motion

To consider the following motions submitted by members in accordance with Standing Order 5:

 

(1)      Liberal Democrat Motion

 

This Council has responsibility for flood resilience and has been successful in leveraging funding from the Environment Agency to deliver flood prevention schemes, it also partners with the River Severn Partnership and the River Trent Partnership which is a group of local authorities working together to gain extra funding from government for flood prevention works.

 

This Council also recognises the amount of planned growth in housing across the County.  Weather patterns are changing, and we now see increasingly heavy rain falls which are creating drainage issues especially on highways in urban areas.

 

The County Council acting as the highway authority, uses its climate change adaptation policy as a framework of action where it needs to adapt to these more frequent changes in weather.

 

This Council therefore

 

1.        Requests that the Portfolio Holder for Environment, Climate & Culture arranges for a review to be conducted to ensure that effective drainage policies are fully considered.

 

and

 

2.        Invites Seven Trent Water to explain its adaptation policies in relation to drainage matters and to explore closer working relationships with elected members in the Divisions they represent.

 

Proposer: Councillor Jerry Roodhouse

 

Seconder: Councillor Bill Gifford

 

(2)      Conservative Motion

 

This Council has made the commitment within the Council Plan 2020-2025 - 'We will partner with our communities to plant a tree for every Warwickshire resident'.  In order to meet this commitment, this Council supports the:

 

1.              Production of a Tree/Woodland Strategy for Warwickshire (with an offer to the District and Borough Councils to co-produce the Strategy) with the key priorities of connecting green corridors, increasing biodiversity and increasing tree coverage

2.              Production of a costed action plan for consideration with target dates for the provision of the tree cover within the county to meet this commitment

3.              Identification of land that could be used for tree planting, including land owned by the County Council, such as country parks, particularly to support the Queens Green Canopy

4.              Acceleration of the development of a costed business case of options, to include the option of establishing a tree nursery within the county, to secure a reliable tree supply for the future

5.              Investigation of the opportunities for community orchards to help improve the supply of fresh, local produce and boost the health of residents;

6.              Proposal to work with the voluntary sector to deliver tree planting plans, including via Borough, District and Parish Councils;

7.              Involvement of schools, colleges and universities and their pupils and students in carrying out tree planting and woodland maintenance;

8.              Identification and documentation of sources of funding available to the Council and voluntary organisations to pay for tree planting;

9.              Reporting of progress on the commitment on a regular basis to the cross party Climate Change Working Party.

 

Proposer: Councillor Tim Sinclair

 

Seconder: Councillor Adrian Warwick

 

(3)      Labour Motion (1)

 

This Council notes that two of our blue light services serve the county of Warwickshire,  ...  view the full agenda text for item 11.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

1.        Flood Alleviation and Drainage

 

The Liberal Democrat Group proposed the following motion as set out on the agenda:

 

“This Council has responsibility for flood resilience and has been successful in leveraging funding from the Environment Agency to deliver flood prevention schemes, it also partners with the River Severn Partnership and the River Trent Partnership which is a group of local authorities working together to gain extra funding from government for flood prevention works.

 

This Council also recognises the amount of planned growth in housing across the County.  Weather patterns are changing, and we now see increasingly heavy rain falls which are creating drainage issues especially on highways in urban areas.

 

The County Council acting as the highway authority, uses its climate change adaptation policy as a framework of action where it needs to adapt to these more frequent changes in weather.

 

This Council therefore

 

  1. Requests that the Portfolio Holder for Environment, Climate & Culture arranges for a review to be conducted to ensure that effective drainage policies are fully considered.

 

and

 

  1. Invites Seven Trent Water to explain its adaptation policies in relation to drainage matters and to explore closer working relationships with elected members in the Divisions they represent.”

 

Councillor Jerry Roodhouse moved the motion, seconded by Councillor Bill Gifford.

 

Amendment

 

Councillor Heather Timms proposed a friendly amendment. This was seconded by Councillor Isobel Seccombe who reserved her right to speak. The amendment stated:

 

This Council?has responsibility for flood? resilience and has been successful in leveraging funding from the Environment Agency?to deliver flood prevention schemes. The Council has strong relationships with partner organisations including the Environment Agency, Districts and Boroughs and Severn Trent. The council has joined , it also partners with the River Severn Partnership and the River Trent Partnership which are is a groups of local authorities working together to gain extraattract additional funding from government for flood prevention works.

 

This Council also recognises the amount of? planned growth in housing across the County.??Weather patterns are changing, and we now see increasingly heavy rain falls which?are?creating drainage issues especially on highways in urban areas.?

 

The County Council acting as the highway authority, uses its climate change adaptation policy as a framework of action where it needs to adapt to these more frequent changes in weather.???

 

This Council therefore

 

1.     Would support a proposal being brought forward for a flood alleviation and flood adaptation summit with key partners Requests that the Portfolio Holder?for?Environment, Climate & Culture arranges?for?a review?to be conducted?to ensure that?effective?planning and drainage?policies?are fully considered. 

 

           and

 

2.     Requests that the Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee considers undertaking a review of this Council’s flood alleviation and drainage policies and Iinvites Seven Trent?Water, the Environment Agency and other partners to provide evidence for this review, in order to develop?to explain its adaptation policies?in relation to drainage matters?and to explore closer working relationships between  ...  view the full minutes text for item 11.

12.

Member Question Time (Standing Order 7)

A period of up to 40 minutes is allocated for questions to the Leader, Cabinet    Portfolio Holders and Chairs of Overview and Scrutiny Committees.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

(1)            Question to Councillor Heather Timms from Councillor Jerry Roodhouse

 

Could the Portfolio Holder report back on the survey of schools that has taken place regarding Eco School status as agreed by Council on 15 December 2020?

 

Answer from Councillor Timms

 

We are still committed to the Council resolution, however, the focus within schools has been on operating safely during the Covid crisis and catching up on learning as we are all very aware.  We are preparing an internal funding bid via the project management system for resources to work with schools on climate change issues and a survey is being prepared to take place early next year to inform this work.

 

We also have our Green Shoots projects and nine of those are in schools and offer green shoots projects to help the children learn about climate change.  We also have a number of schools that are still engaged with the national Eco Schools project.  Through our Waste Education Team we have also engaged with 12 schools and nearly 3,000 pupils and their families on the schools waste reduction project, so far this academic year and we have more planned for next year.

 

We also send out a waste reduction newsletter to all schools and on to families - that will go out next week to help reduce the expense of waste and reduce carbon emissions.

 

The Education Secretary also announced in his speech at the COP26 event a vision around children being taught about the importance of conserving and protecting our planet.  They are talking about a world-leading climate change education through a model science curriculum to be in place by 2023.  That will include a new virtual National Education Pack to track progress against other schools across the country and are also discussing a Climate Leaders award which will work in a similar way to the Duke of Edinburgh award scheme.

 

(2)            Question to Councillor Margaret Bell from Councillor Jerry Roodhouse

 

The market in Warwickshire has been described as fragile, how fragile does the portfolio holder consider the market to be in Warwickshire and what is the present state regarding care staff across the area and what is the greatest risk at this point in time?

 

Answer from Councillor Bell

 

The care market is fragile on a national level and certainly that is reflected in Warwickshire specifically relating to the care workforce.  Overall, locally the present state of care staff is variable across the market.  The areas that are most at risk are those working in supported living, specialised supported housing and some care homes for individuals with learning difficulties and disabilities, and the domiciliary care service – ie those carers that go into people’s homes to help.

 

There is targeted activity under way to help mitigate some of these workforce risks.  Some examples of that are

 

  • There is an ongoing virtual mutual aid call every week so that the people in the market can share good practice, ask questions, solve problems collaboratively
  • There is also  ...  view the full minutes text for item 12.

13.

Any Other Items of Urgent Business

To consider any other items that the Chair considers are urgent.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

There were no urgent items.