Agenda item

Notices of Motion

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

 

“This Council believes that to maintain a connection between communities in Northampton and a remoter Unitary Council that the new body needs to embrace Neighbourhood working supported by delegated budgets.

 

The Council calls on NBC representatives on the Shadow Authority to promote the concept of Neighbourhood working to enable residents and local stakeholders to influence improvements in their local area.”

 

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

 

“This Council recognises the danger of Northampton losing its strong voice in a newly formed West Northamptonshire Unitary Council.

 

The Council also recognises that it should strive for equity for all communities in any new arrangements that flow from the Community Governance review considering parishing arrangements within the existing borough boundary.

 

The Council will aim to ensure that the new arrangements provide a strong voice for Northampton and ensure that no community is excluded from some form of first level of Local Government representation.”

 

iii)           Councillor Birch to propose and Councillor Joyce to second:

 

“In preparation for the transition to Unitary we call upon NBC to produce a Sports Strategy for the people of Northampton that draws on the Sports Strategy for West Northamptonshire of 2009.

 

The purpose of this strategy, as well as reviewing current facilities, would be to identify gaps, reflect current user preferences and requirements.

 

Only by doing this can we protect the assets in Northampton for the people of the town.

 

iv)           Councillor B Markham to propose and Councillor Larratt to second:

 

“In September 2018 this Council expressed its concern about the number of housing developments that were failing to deliver open spaces and other amenities to adoption standards and transfer them to the relevant local authority but instead were establishing management companies to manage and maintain them with no democratic oversight or accountability.

 

In order to protect residents from uncontrolled charges and poor levels of service this Council would like to see all open spaces and other amenities provided by developers built to the standard required by local authorities for adoption, and calls upon Planning Officers to do all that they can to achieve this in their negotiations with developers.

 

This Council wishes to make it clear that it will aim for open space land on new residential developments to be transferred into the Council’s ownership.

 

Furthermore, this Council also calls on other local authorities, i.e. Northamptonshire County Council, when offering their land for sale for potential residential development to make it a condition of sale that the relevant local authority retains ownership of the open space within the proposed development.

 

Additionally, this Council will fully research the problems and issues that residents, Residents Associations, and Parish Councils have with management companies in Northampton and resolves to write to the Secretary of State expressing them as well as the views of the Council.  Furthermore, this Council will work with the Local Government Association to lobby the Government for legislation to address the issue of Management Companies with a view to protecting residents from unreasonable maintenance charges, giving them the right to challenge such charges, as well as providing communities, including Town and Parish Councils, the opportunity to take on the role and responsibilities of the management companies.”

Minutes:

      i.        Councillor Beardsworth proposed and Councillor B Markham seconded:

 

“This Council believes that to maintain a connection between communities in Northampton and a remoter Unitary Council that the new body needs to embrace Neighbourhood working supported by delegated budgets.

 

The Council calls on NBC representatives on the Shadow Authority to promote the concept of Neighbourhood working to enable residents and local stakeholders to influence improvements in their local area.”

 

An alteration to the amendment was submitted by Councillor Stone to delete the word ‘influence’ in the second paragraph replace with ‘work with service providers and drive’.  Councillor Beardsworth accepted that amendment.  The Mayor asked Council if they accepted the alteration to the motion.  Council accepted.

 

Members debated the altered motion.

 

Upon a vote the motion was carried.

 

    ii.        Councillor Beardsworth proposed and Councillor B Markham seconded:

 

“This Council recognises the danger of Northampton losing its strong voice in a newly formed West Northamptonshire Unitary Council.

 

The Council also recognises that it should strive for equity for all communities in any new arrangements that flow from the Community Governance review considering parishing arrangements within the existing borough boundary.

 

The Council will aim to ensure that the new arrangements provide a strong voice for Northampton and ensure that no community is excluded from some form of first level of Local Government representation.”

 

Members debated the motion.

 

Upon a vote the motion was lost.

 

   iii.        Councillor Birch proposed and Councillor Joyce seconded:

 

“In preparation for the transition to Unitary we call upon NBC to produce a Sports Strategy for the people of Northampton that draws on the Sports Strategy for West Northamptonshire of 2009.

 

The purpose of this strategy, as well as reviewing current facilities, would be to identify gaps, reflect current user preferences and requirements.

 

Only by doing this can we protect the assets in Northampton for the people of the town.”

 

Members debated the motion.

 

Upon a vote the motion was carried.

 

   iv.        Councillor B Markham proposed and Councillor Larratt seconded:

 

“In September 2018 this Council expressed its concern about the number of housing developments that were failing to deliver open spaces and other amenities to adoption standards and transfer them to the relevant local authority but instead were establishing management companies to manage and maintain them with no democratic oversight or accountability.

 

In order to protect residents from uncontrolled charges and poor levels of service this Council would like to see all open spaces and other amenities provided by developers built to the standard required by local authorities for adoption, and calls upon Planning Officers to do all that they can to achieve this in their negotiations with developers.

 

This Council wishes to make it clear that it will aim for open space land on new residential developments to be transferred into the Council’s ownership.

 

Furthermore, this Council also calls on other local authorities, i.e. Northamptonshire County Council, when offering their land for sale for potential residential development to make it a condition of sale that the relevant local authority retains ownership of the open space within the proposed development.

 

Additionally, this Council will fully research the problems and issues that residents, Residents Associations, and Parish Councils have with management companies in Northampton and resolves to write to the Secretary of State expressing them as well as the views of the Council.  Furthermore, this Council will work with the Local Government Association to lobby the Government for legislation to address the issue of Management Companies with a view to protecting residents from unreasonable maintenance charges, giving them the right to challenge such charges, as well as providing communities, including Town and Parish Councils, the opportunity to take on the role and responsibilities of the management companies.”

 

An alteration to the amendment was submitted by Councillor B Markham to change the word ‘local authorities in the fourth paragraph along with removed the words ‘i.e. Northamptonshire County Council’ to ‘public bodies’.  The Mayor asked Council if they accepted the alteration to the motion.  Council accepted.

 

Members debated the altered motion.

 

Upon a vote the motion was carried.