Agenda and minutes

COUNCIL RESOLVED -     That the minutes of the special meeting and the last ordinary meeting of the Council held on 20 September be approved as correct records.

(announcements may be made by the Mayor, Leader of the Council or the Chief Executive)

(A)       National Hate Crime Awards

The Mayor announced that Steven Kelly, the Council’s Strategic Hate Crime Lead, had won an award at the National Hate Crime Awards.  He received the Crown Prosecution Service Special Award for Supporting Victims, Reporting Hate Crime.

The Mayor congratulated Steven on winning his award.

(B)       Changes to Appointments

The Mayor advised Council of the following proposed changes to appointments:

·                    Councillor P Maughan to be replaced on the Care, Health and Wellbeing OSC by Councillor K McClurey.

·                    Councillor P Maughan to be replaced on the Northumberland, Tyne and Wear and North Durham STP OSC by Councillor R Beadle and that Councillor J Wallace to fill the resultant substitute vacancy.

·                    Councillor K McClurey to be replaced on the Communities and Place OSC by Councillor P Maughan.

COUNCIL RESOLVED -     That the proposed changes to appointments set                                               out above be approved.

(to receive petitions submitted under Council Procedure Rule 10)

There were no petitions submitted.

(to consider any questions submitted under Council Procedure Rule 7)

There were no questions submitted by members of the public

Consideration was given to a proposed response to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman arising from a report published following his investigation of a complaint against the Council.

The basis of the complaint was that the Council had wrongly refused to provide free home to school transport for a child they foster for the Council who is the subject of a Full Care Order, has special needs and attends a special needs school.

The Ombudsman had found fault against the Council which had caused injustice and had made a number of recommendations to remedy this injustice.

COUNCIL RESOLVED -     That the Ombudsman’s recommendations as outlined in his report be accepted.

Consideration was given to a report seeking approval of the Gateshead Private Sector Housing Enforcement Policy.

COUNCIL RESOLVED -     (i)         That the Gateshead Private Sector Housing                                                      Enforcement Policy be approved.

                                               (ii)        That the use of the provisions of the Housing and Planning Act 2016 that seek to tackle the rogue landlords and property agents who knowingly rent out unsafe and substandard accommodation be approved.

                                               (iii)       That the Council’s constitution be amended to include a delegation to the Service Director, Development, Transport and Public Protection to implement the above provisions on behalf of the Council.

Consideration was given to a report seeking approval of a revised policy setting out how the law relating to Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) will be implemented in Gateshead.

COUNCIL RESOLVED -    (i)         That the revised HMO Policy that sets out how the Mandatory Licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation will be implemented in Gateshead be approved.

                                               (ii)        That the Council’s Constitution be amended to include a delegation to the Service Director, Development, Transport and Public Protection to have responsibility for implementing the provisions of The Licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation (Prescribed Description) (England) Order 2018, and the Licensing of Housing in Multiple Occupation (Mandatory Conditions of Licences) (England) Regulations 2018 in Gateshead.

                                               (iii)       That the reviewed HMO Licence Fee structure be approved.

Consideration has been given to a report seeking approval for the Council to sign-up to the Local Digital Declaration.

COUNCIL RESOLVED -     That the proposal to sign up to the Local Digital Declaration be endorsed.

Consideration has been given to a report seeking approval for a revised Retirement Policy and revised Local Government Pension Scheme Discretions Policy and a revised Redundancy Policy.

COUNCIL RESOLVED -    (i)         That the revised Retirement and Redundancy Policies, which includes the Council’s policy on pension discretions, be approved.

                                               (ii)        That the Strategic Director, Corporate Services and Governance, be authorised, following consultation with the Leader of the Council, to make any minor amendments to the policies that may be required following further consultation with Trade Unions.

Consideration has been given to a report seeking approval to a Gambling Statement of Principles for 2019 - 2022 in accordance with the Gambling Act 2005. 

COUNCIL RESOLVED -     That the Gambling Statement of Principles 2019-2022 be adopted and published in accordance with the requirements of the Gambling Act 2005.

Consideration has been given to the latest position on the 2018/19 Capital Programme and Prudential Indicators at the end of the second quarter to 30 September 2018 and the impact of CIPFA’s Prudential Code on the capital programme and the monitoring of performance against the Statutory Prudential Indicators.

COUNCIL RESOLVED -    (i)         That the variations to the 2018/19 Capital Programme, be approved.

                                               (ii)        That the financing of the revised programme be approved.

                                               (iii)       That it be confirmed that the capital expenditure and capital financing requirement indicators have been revised in line with the revised budget and that none of the approved Prudential Indicators set for 2018/19 have been breached.

Consideration has been given to a report seeking approval of the Capital Strategy for 2018/19 to 2023/24 to support the framework used to set and monitor the Capital Programme.

COUNCIL RESOLVED -     That the Capital Strategy be approved, to ensure that it fully complies with the requirements of good financial practice in capital accounting.

Consideration has been given to a report seeking of a Local Council Tax Support Scheme for the year 2019/20.

COUNCIL RESOLVED -    (i)         That the proposed Local Council Tax                                                                             Support Scheme be approved.

                                               (ii)        That powers be delegated to the Strategic Director, Corporate Resources to provide regulations to give effect to the scheme.

The Leader of the Council reported on a number of key issues currently affecting the Council.

(to consider the following notice of motions submitted in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 9.1)

·         Notice of Motion - Period Dignity

·         Notice of Motion – Brexit – a “People’s Vote”

Councillor Catherine Davison moved the following motion:

This Council:

Notes that women and girls find themselves in a position where they either cannot afford or access sanitary products.

Notes that low wages, zero-hour contracts, and reductions in State benefits are amongst the reasons that women are forced to make difficult decisions about whether to purchase sanitary products.

Is concerned that women and girls are resorting to using items such as socks and tissues in place of sanitary products, putting their health at significant risk.

Is further concerned that more than one in ten girls have had to improvise sanitary wear due to affordability issues and that women and girls are missing work or school each month because they cannot afford sanitary products.

Believes that women and girls should be able to experience their periods with dignity.

This Council resolves:

To call on the Government to carry out research into the impact that inadequate sanitary protection can have on women and girls so that it has a better understanding of the true impact of period poverty.

To call on the Government and CBI to carry out research into the impact that inadequate sanitary protection has on the economy including factors such as lost working days compared to the cost of business providing sanitary products at no charge to employees.

To further call on the Government to make sanitary products available for women and girls from low income households who are struggling to afford these essential items, including making sanitary products available in schools and colleges at no charge.

To work with schools and colleges to seek to provide sanitary products at no charge in toilet facilities until a time when the Government changes policy.

To conduct a feasibility study to assess the financial impact on the Council should it resolve in the future to provide sanitary products in its toilet facilities.

On the motion being put it was declared to be carried.

Councillor D Duggan moved the following motion:

The Council notes with concern the failure of the government to deliver any of the promises made by those supporting the exit of the UK from the EU during the referendum campaign in 2016.  As the current Brexit package proposed by the government delivers outcomes directly opposite to those promised in 2016, this Council calls on the government to hold a “People’s Vote” referendum so that the people of Gateshead and the UK have the final say between accepting the proposed Brexit deal and staying in the EU.

Councillor M Gannon moved the following amendment:

Delete “with concern” from the first sentence.

Delete “As the current Brexit package proposed by the government delivers outcomes directly opposed to those promised in 2016, this Council calls on the government to hold a “People’s Vote” referendum so that the people of Gateshead and the UK have the final say between accepting the proposed Brexit deal and staying in the EU”

And insert “We have no confidence in the Government’s ability to deliver a Brexit which promotes the British economy, protects jobs, and support citizens’ rights.  We therefore call for a General Election or to hold a public vote to enable the people of Gateshead and the UK to have the final say before accepting the proposed Brexit deal.”

On the amendment being put it was declared to be carried.

The amendment was put as the substantive motion and duly carried.

COUNCIL RESOLVED –

“The Council notes the failure of the government to deliver any of the promises made by those supporting the exit of the UK from the EU during the referendum campaign in 2016. 

We have no confidence in the Government’s ability to deliver a Brexit which promotes the British economy, protects jobs, and support citizens’ rights.  We therefore call for a General Election or to hold a public vote to enable the people of Gateshead and the UK to have the final say before accepting the proposed Brexit deal.”

(to deal with any questions submitted in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 8.1)

No questions were received from members of the public.