Agenda item

i)             Councillor Beardsworth to propose and Councillor B Markham to second:

“This Council calls on the Administration to review the 2017/18 Council Tax increase levied on the Parished areas of Northampton”. 

ii)            Councillor B Markham to propose and Councillor Meredith to second:

“Given the clear public interest and concern expressed at the last council meeting regarding the inadequacy of the Northgate Bus Station and the congestion caused in the Drapery the Council is concerned that no Air Quality monitoring was undertaken in the vicinity of the Bus station during 2016.

To reassure the public that this Council is taking the traffic congestion and resultant air quality problems seriously we call on the Administration to bring a report to this Council twice a year detailing the trend in air quality readings and details of actions that are being taken to protect the public”.

iii)           Councillor Beardsworth to propose and Councillor B Markham to second:

“This Council notes that the Administration has included in the 2017 / 18 financial plan capital expenditure of £7 million to redevelop the Central Museum. This money will increase the council's borrowing at a time when interest rates are predicted to rise.

Council is extremely concerned that the administration has once again embarked on a major investment project without first having considered the business or financial case for such a large investment.

The Council therefore calls on the administration to bring a halt to this project until Scrutiny and all councillors have had an opportunity to consider a business plan”.

iv)           Councillor Stone to propose and Councillor Birch to second:

“That this council notes and supports the House of Commons Education Select Committee Report's conclusion that local councils should be allowed to sponsor academies.

This goes even further than the Local Government Association's recent call for councils to be permitted once again "to play a direct role in raising education standards and improving life chances" by setting up and running academy schools and, where necessary, taking on the running of failing academies.

Consequently, this council should:

• Press the Secretary of State for Education to amend the legal ruling which currently prevents local authorities sponsoring academy chains and setting up free schools
• Use its influence to remove unnecessary red tape that currently prevents high performing maintained schools from becoming academy sponsors
• Once this has been done, build this Borough Council’s capacity to take on these responsibilities”

v)            Councillor Smith to propose and Councillor McCutcheon to second:

“This Council believes it needs to open and as transparent to the public as much as possible.

This Council notes that Northamptonshire County Council does successful webcasting of its official meetings, including full Council and Cabinet.

This Council asks the Overview & Scrutiny Committee to consider whether introducing webcasting would be successful at the Borough Council. Paying particular attention to the need for being transparent to the public and costs. Once this has been done the Overview & Scrutiny Committee will report back with its views to Cabinet”.  

Mr Brian Hoare addressed Council on Motion i) and stated that he wanted fairness, transparency and legality in the increased levy on Parished areas of Northampton. He commented that the increase in Parish precepts had resulted in year on year increases in tax paid by residents and questioned the fairness of it since it affected a third of residents. He further questioned what consultation had been undertaken as he could find little evidence of any having been completed.

i)             Councillor Beardsworth proposed and Councillor B Markham seconded:

“This Council calls on the Administration to review the 2017/18 Council Tax increase levied on the Parished areas of Northampton”. 

Council debated the motion.

Upon a vote, the motion was lost.

Mr Martin Sawyer addressed Council on motion ii) and questioned why the Council had stopped monitoring Air Quality around the Bus Station in 2016 and stated that this was a legal responsibility under the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985. He further questioned why Air Quality monitoring had commenced again in 2017 despite half of the population living in an area that was damaging to health.

ii)            Councillor B Markham proposed and Councillor Meredith seconded:

“Given the clear public interest and concern expressed at the last council meeting regarding the inadequacy of the Northgate Bus Station and the congestion caused in the Drapery the Council is concerned that no Air Quality monitoring was undertaken in the vicinity of the Bus station during 2016.

To reassure the public that this Council is taking the traffic congestion and resultant air quality problems seriously we call on the Administration to bring a report to this Council twice a year detailing the trend in air quality readings and details of actions that are being taken to protect the public”.

Councillor Nunn proposed and Councillor Hallam seconded and amendment:

Amended motion read:

“Given the clear public interest expressed at the last council meeting regarding the Northgate Bus Station and the congestion caused in the Drapery this Council resolves to implement any recommendations from the current Scrutiny Review concerning Air Quality in this area of the Town Centre and receive any monitoring reports that Scrutiny considers should be reported.

To reassure the public that this Council is taking the traffic congestion seriouslythis Council notes that the Administration is working with partners to address the abuse by motorists of the Traffic Regulation Orders applying to The Drapery, and are pursuing other measures to enable improved vehicle flows.”

Council debated the amendment.

Upon a vote, the amendment was carried and became the substantive motion.

Council debated the substantive motion

Upon a vote he motion was carried.

iii)           Councillor Beardsworth proposed and Councillor B Markham seconded:

“This Council notes that the Administration has included in the 2017 / 18 financial plan capital expenditure of £7 million to redevelop the Central Museum. This money will increase the council's borrowing at a time when interest rates are predicted to rise.

Council is extremely concerned that the administration has once again embarked on a major investment project without first having considered the business or financial case for such a large investment.

The Council therefore calls on the administration to bring a halt to this project until Scrutiny and all councillors have had an opportunity to consider a business plan”.

Council debated the motion

Upon a vote, the motion was lost.

Ms Morcea Walker addressed Council on motion iv) and commented that she had been in education for over 40 years and that she supported the motion. She stated that there was a need to raise the standards of education and that if Councils were given the opportunity to intervene in failing schools by means of sponsoring academies.

Mr Alan Hackett addressed Council on motion iv) and explained that he was currently employed as a teacher and that the school academy structures were not always well understood and considered that multi-academy trust to be unaccountable to their communities. He further noted his concerns with regards to the ‘academisation’ of Universities and the impact that this could have on the terms and conditions affecting teaching professionals and emphasised the need for control of academies be taken back.

iv)           Councillor Stone proposed and Councillor Birch seconded:

“That this council notes and supports the House of Commons Education Select Committee Report's conclusion that local councils should be allowed to sponsor academies.

This goes even further than the Local Government Association's recent call for councils to be permitted once again "to play a direct role in raising education standards and improving life chances" by setting up and running academy schools and, where necessary, taking on the running of failing academies.

Consequently, this council should:

• Press the Secretary of State for Education to amend the legal ruling which currently prevents local authorities sponsoring academy chains and setting up free schools
• Use its influence to remove unnecessary red tape that currently prevents high performing maintained schools from becoming academy sponsors
• Once this has been done, build this Borough Council’s capacity to take on these responsibilities”

Council debated the motion

Upon a vote, the motion was lost.

v)            Councillor Smith as the proposer of Motion v) accepted the amended motion. Councillor McCutcheon seconded the acceptance of the amendment:

Amended motion read:

“This Council believes it needs to be as open and as transparent to the public as much as possible.

“This Council notes that Northamptonshire County Council does successful webcasting of its official meetings, including full Council and Cabinet.

This Council resolves to introduce the webcasting of official Borough Council meetings, including Council, Cabinet, Committee and Scrutiny meetings that are open to the public, at the earliest opportunity”.

Council debated the motion amended motion which had become the substantive motion.

Upon a vote, the motion was carried.