Agenda and minutes

The Mayor’s Chaplain was unavailable.

Apologies for absence were received on behalf of Councillors Mrs C Evans, G Hodson and K Lockie. 

If a member requires advice on Declarations of Interest, he/she is advised to contact the Legal and Democratic Services Manager in advance of the meeting.  (For the assistance of members a checklist for use in considering their position on any particular item is included at the end of this agenda sheet.)

The following declarations were received:

1.            Councillor Coughlan declared a pecuniary interest in relation to Agenda Item 17 Leisure Contract Options as a Consequence of Covid19' in respect of his appointment to West Lancashire Community Leisure.

2.         Councillors Delaney, Devine, Owen, Nixon, West and J Wilkie (Tenant of a Council flat/house) Aldridge and Coughlan (Tenant of a Council garage) declared disclosable pecuniary interests in relation to item 11 ‘Housing Account - Revenue and Capital Outturn’ for the reasons indicated but were entitled to speak and vote by virtue of an exemption (nothing in these reports relates particularly to their respective interests arising from the tenancy or lease).

3.         Councillors Aldridge, Blane, Mee, Sutton and Wright declared non-pecuniary interests in relation to item 11 ‘Housing Account - Revenue and Capital Outturn’ as they have a connected person who is a tenant of rented Council accommodation. Insofar as that interest becomes a pecuniary interest (as it could affect the financial position of their relative and a member of the public with knowledge of the relevant facts would reasonably regard this as so significant that it is likely to prejudice their judgement of the public interest) they declared that interest but considered that they were entitled to speak and vote by virtue of an exemption as nothing in these reports relates particularly to the relevant tenancy or lease.

4.         Councillors Blane, Blundell, Curry, Mrs Marshall and Rigby declared a non-pecuniary interest in relation to agenda item 15(a) Housing Evictions - Motion ' as landlords, as did Councillor Furey as an employee of a housing association, Councillor Mrs Baybutt as a benefactor from a Property Management company and Councillor Davis, whose wife rents out agricultural land.

To receive as a correct record, the minutes of the previous meeting held on Wednesday 22 July 2020.

RESOLVED:             The minutes of the meeting of Council held on 22 July 2020 were received as a correct record and signed by the Mayor.

The Mayor wished Father Mike Thompson all the best in his new appointment in the Isle of Man and congratulated Stella Connell of the Birchwood Centre and Margaret Huyton at Evermoor Hub for being awarded an OBE.

He advised that given the current Covid-19 pandemic, that he wouldn't be undertaking any visits or holding any charity events and expressed his heartfelt thoughts and prayers to all those that had been affected by the virus.

There were no items under this heading.

To receive the minutes of the following meetings, to confirm, if appropriate, such of the minutes as require confirmation and to pass such resolutions as the Council may deem necessary:

Consideration was given to the minutes of the undermentioned meetings of the Committees shown, as contained on pages 359 to 380 of the Book of Reports.

RESOLVED   That the minutes of the undermentioned meetings and any recommendations contained in them, be approved:

(a)    Planning Committee held on Thursday, 9 July 2020

(b)    Planning Committee held on Thursday, 16 July 2020

(c)     Audit & Governance Committee held on Tuesday, 28 July 2020

(d)    Planning Committee held on Thursday, 30 July 2020

(e)    Planning Committee held on Thursday, 10 September 2020

(f)      Standards Committee held on Tuesday, 15 September 2020

To consider the report of the Corporate Director Transformation and Resources.

Consideration was given to the report of the Corporate Director of Transformation and Resources, as contained on pages 381 to 416 of the Book of Reports, which provided an update on the results of the draft Council Plan consultation and sought approval of the amendments to the draft Council Plan.

RESOLVED:     That the document attached at Appendix A to the report be approved and adopted as the “Council Plan 2020/21 – 2022/23".

(Note: Councillor Furey left the meeting during consideration of this item.)

To consider the report of the Corporate Director of Transformation and Resources.         

Consideration was given to the report of the Corporate Director of Transformation and Resources, as contained on pages 417 to 438 of the Book of Reports, which sought approval of the new Organisational Development Strategy for the Council called the "People Strategy for the period 2020 to 2023".

A revised Appendix 1 had been circulated, as contained on pages 485 to 496 of the Book of Reports.

RESOLVED:     A.      That the People Strategy 2020- 2023 and Strategy on a Page, as attached at the revised Appendix 1 and 2 of the report, be approved.

               B.      That the Corporate Director for Transformation and Resources be given delegated authority to conduct an annual review and to update the People Strategy 2020 – 2023, as required, taking into account the views of the Corporate Consultative Group.

To consider the report of the Corporate Director of Transformation & Resources.

Consideration was given to the report of the Corporate Director of Transformation and Resources, as contained on pages 439 to 440 and 497 - 510 of the Book of Reports, which presented the Overview and Scrutiny Annual Report 2019/20 and considered how Overview and Scrutiny is working at West Lancashire.

RESOLVED:     That the Overview and Scrutiny Annual Report 2019/20, attached as an appendix to the report, be noted and the Overview and Scrutiny Committees be commended on their work.

To consider the report of the Corporate Director of Place & Community.

Consideration was given to the report of the Corporate Director of Place and Community, as contained on pages 441 to 448 of the Book of Reports, which provided a summary of the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) revenue and capital outturn positions for the 2019/20 financial year.

RESOLVED:      A.     That the financial outturn position of the 2019/20 HRA and Capital Investment Programme be noted and that the budget allocations, set out in paragraphs 4.3 and 5.3 of the report, be approved.

B.      That the expenditure highlighted in paragraph 5.4 of the report, be noted.

C.      That the switching of funding from HRA borrowing to HRA revenue contributions, as detailed in paragraph 5.6 of the report, be noted.

To consider the report of the Head of Finance, Procurement and Commercial Property.

Consideration was given to the report of the Head of Finance, Procurement and Commercial Property, as contained on pages 449 to 458 of the Book of Reports, which provided a summary of the capital outturn position on the General Revenue Account (GRA) for the 2019/20 financial year

RESOLVED:    A.     That the Capital outturn position be noted and the proposed Capital allocation, set out in Appendix 1 to the report, be approved.

B.    That the Capital Slippage and significant variances, detailed in Appendix 2 to the report, be noted and approved.

(Note: Councillor Furey returned to the meeting during consideration of this item.)

To consider the joint report of the Corporate Director of Transformation & Resources and the Corporate Director of Place & Community.

Consideration was given to the joint report of the Corporate Director of Transformation & Resources and the Corporate Director of Place & Community, as contained on pages 459 to 474 of the Book of Reports, which following the request made at Council on 22 July 2020, provided an update on the progress made reviewing the Kickstart Programme launched by the Government and sought the release of pump prime monies associated with the support resources needed to establishment the scheme, including an update on plans for Apprenticeships within the Council and the work being undertaken with local businesses.

RESOLVED:     A.      That the progress made in relation to the planning for the potential establishment of a Kickstart Programme within the Borough, the current work with local businesses in the Borough to encourage the take up of Apprenticeships and the update on Apprenticeships within the Council workforce, be noted.

B.      That the release of a pump prime funding, as indicated in the report Financial and Resources Implications at paragraph 7, be approved, to enable the Council to submit an application to the Department for Work and Pensions, to become a Kickstart Programme intermediary provider and to enable the effective operation of the project, if the application is approved.

C.      That the Corporate Director Place and Community, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Leisure, Health and Wellbeing and Human Resources, be given delegated authority to implement and operate the Kickstart Programme within the overall budget indicated.

To consider the report of the Head of Finance, Procurement and Commercial Property.

Consideration was given to the report of the Head of Finance, Procurement and Commercial Property, as contained on pages 475 to 484 of the Book of Reports, which detailed the Treasury Management operations in the year to date and reported on the Prudential Indicators for 2020/21, where available.

RESOLVED:     That the Prudential Indicators and Treasury Management activity in the year to date be noted.

To consider the following Motions included on the agenda at the request of the Members indicated:

The following Motions were considered at the request of the Members indicated:

“The COVID-19 crisis has hit many in our communities disproportionately hard. The ban on eviction was due to end on 23rd August but was extended by four weeks.

Those most at risk of eviction are people who have lost their jobs and income and now face the threat of losing their rented homes due to rent arrears.

Citizens advice estimate that 4 million people have fallen behind with rent, council tax or telecoms payments.

The housing charity Shelter advise that 322,000 private renters have fallen into areas since the public health crisis began with 174,000 already having been threatened with eviction by landlords or letting agents.

The District Councils’ Network warns that in total almost half a million - who spend over half their income on rent - could now be at risk of eviction. This includes 108,000 lone parents with children living with them and 100,000 young people aged between 16-24.

This council calls on the government to act, without delay, and extend the ban on eviction until Spring 2021 whilst simultaneously working on a scheme that would enable those with rent arrears to stay in their homes beyond that date."

The following Motion was moved and seconded:

““The COVID-19 crisis has hit many in our communities disproportionately hard. The ban on eviction was due to end on 23rd August but was extended by four weeks. Those most at risk of eviction are people who have lost their jobs and income and now face the threat of losing their rented homes due to rent arrears. Citizen's advice estimate that 4 million people have fallen behind with rent, council tax or telecoms payments.

The housing charity Shelter advise that 322,000 private renters have fallen into areas since the public health crisis began with 174,000 already having been threatened with eviction by landlords or letting agents. The District Councils’ Network warns that in total almost half a million - who spend over half their income on rent - could now be at risk of eviction. This includes 108,000 lone parents with children living with them and 100,000 young people aged between 16-24.

This council calls on the government to act, without delay, and extend the ban on eviction until Spring 2021 whilst simultaneously working on a scheme that would enable those with rent arrears to stay in their homes beyond that date."

At the request of a Member, voting on the Motion was recorded as follows:

FOR:                        Councillors: Aldridge, Cooper, Coughlan, Cummins, Delaney, Dereli, Devine, Dowling, D Evans, S Evans, Finch, Furey, Gagen, Gregson, Johnson, Mills, Mitchell, Monaghan, Moran, Nixon, O'Neill, Owen, Pritchard, Pryce-Roberts, West, J Wilkie, K Wilkie, Wright and Yates. (TWENTY NINE)

AGAINST:     (NONE)

ABSTENSIONS:   Councillors: Ashcroft, Mrs Baybutt, Mrs Blake, Blane, Blundell, Currie, Davis, Gordon, Mrs Marshall, Mee, O'Toole, Owens, Pope, Rigby, Stephenson, Sutton, Thompson, D Westley, Mrs Westley, Whittington and Witter (TWENTY ONE)

RESOLVED:     That this Council calls on the government to act, without delay, and extend the ban on eviction until Spring 2021 whilst simultaneously working on a scheme that would enable those with rent arrears to stay in their homes beyond that date.

It is recommended that members of the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following item(s) of business in accordance with Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 (Financial/Business) of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Act and as, in all the circumstances of the case the public interest in maintaining the exemption under Schedule 12A outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

RESOLVED:    That under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following item of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of that Act and as, in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption under Schedule 12A outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

To consider the report of the Corporate Director of Place and Community.

Consideration was given to the report of the Corporate Director of Place and Community, as contained on pages 511 - 524 and 527 of the Book of Reports, which provided an update on the current Leisure Contract with West Lancashire Community Leisure Trust (WLCLT) and Serco and sought approval of the recommendations detailed in paragraph 3.

A Motion circulated prior to the meeting was moved and seconded.

A vote was taken, the Motion was CARRIED.

RESOLVED:     That the decision of Cabinet, set out in the Appendix to the report, be noted and the financial and resource implications as set out at paragraph 10 be approved, subject to further consideration by Cabinet prior to implementation of the recommendation set out at paragraph 7.6 of the report (Option A).