Agenda item

(A) Councillor Yates to move and Councillor Perkins to second the following motion:-

“This Council wishes to recognise the exceptional efforts of individuals who live or work in, or are otherwise connected with Northampton.  It therefore requests Cabinet to bring forward proposals, based on the policy adopted by this Council on 8 November 2004, but never implemented, for a scheme of Citizen Awards.

Further, this Council believes that there should be no award exclusively for councillors or ex-councillors.  This Council therefore resolves to end the Practise of granting the title of Honorary Alderman forthwith and instructs Monitoring Officer to make the necessary changes to the council’s constitution to this effect.”

(B) Councillor Collins to move and Councillor Davies  to second the following motion:-         

“This Council supports South Northamptonshire District Council in their determination to retain the Formula 1 Grand Prix at Silverstone.  We recognise that the county as a whole derives great benefit from the motor sport industries that have been drawn to the area by the presence of the Silverstone circuit, as well as the ancillary businesses which have grown up to support these high-tech enterprises.”

(C ) Councillor Paul Varnsverry to move and Councillor Glynane to second the following motion:-

“This Council recognises that large-scale fires in industrial buildings risk the lives of the public and emergency service personnel as well as causing serious damage to the environment and the local economy.

This Council supports the efforts of the Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service to encourage wider installation of automatic sprinkler systems in industrial buildings, where appropriate within the Borough.

This Council asks the West Northants Joint Strategic Planning Committee to consider including a requirement for sprinkler systems in appropriate new buildings within the Local Development Framework process.”

(A)   Councillor Yates moved and Councillor Perkins seconded the Notice of Motion as printed under Item 9 of the Agenda:

                  “This Council wishes to recognise the exceptional efforts of individuals who live or work in or are otherwise connected with Northampton.  It therefore requests Cabinet to bring forward proposals, based on the policy adopted by this Council on 8 November 2004, but never implemented, for a scheme of citizens’ awards.

                  Further, this Council believes that there should be no award exclusively for Councillors or ex-Councillors.  This Council therefore resolves to end the practice of granting the title of Honorary Alderman forthwith and instructs the Monitoring Officer to make the necessary changes to the Council’s Constitution to this effect.”

         The motion was duly debated, voted upon and carried.

         Councillor Woods proposed and Councillor Matthews seconded that, in accordance with Council Procedural Rule 1.4, the length of the Council meeting be extended to 22:20 hours.

         The motion was carried.

(B)   Councillor Taylor declared a personal interest in the motion as a field nurse at the British Grand Prix.

         Councillor Collins moved and Councillor Davies seconded the notice of motion as printed under Item 9 of the Agenda:

                  “This Council supports South Northamptonshire District Council in their determination to retain the Formula 1 Grand Prix at Silverstone.  We recognise that the County as a whole derives great benefit from the motor sport industries that have been brought to the area by the presence of the Silverstone circuit, as well as the ancillary businesses which have grown up to support these hi-tech enterprises.”

         The motion was duly debated, voted upon and carried unanimously.

(C)   Councillor Beardsworth declared a personal interest in the motion as a member of the County Council’s Public Protection Committee. 

         Councillor P D Varnsverry moved and Councillor Glynane seconded the notice of motion as printed under Item 9 of the Agenda:

                  “This Council recognises that large scale fires in industrial buildings risk the lives of the public and emergency service personnel, as well as causing serious damage to the environment and local economy.

                  This Council supports the efforts of the Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service to encourage wider installation of automatic sprinkler systems in industrial buildings, where appropriate, within the Borough.

                  This Council asks the West Northants Joint Strategic Planning Committee to consider including a requirement for sprinkler systems in appropriate new buildings within the Local Development Framework Process.”

         L Hudson, on behalf of Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service, commented that commercial buildings needed to be safe for people working in them and to the Firemen who might have to deal with incidents in them.  He noted that eight fire fighters had died nationally during 2007 in incidents concerning commercial buildings.  He stated that commercial buildings were inherently dangerous environments and that sprinkler systems were quite sophisticated and effective and were automatically targeted to where an alarm was triggered.  Of sixteen commercial building fires within the county in 2007, five had been in Northampton.

         The motion was duly debated, voted upon and carried unanimously.