Agenda and minutes

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Items
No. Item

43.

Minutes

To agree the Minutes of the Extraordinary, and Ordinary meetings of the Council held on 24 September 2020.

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

RESOLVED that the Minutes of the Extraordinary and Ordinary meetings of Council held on 24 September 2020 be approved as a correct record.

44.

Apologies for absence

To receive any apologies for absence.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Knight and Whinney.

45.

Declarations of interest

To receive any declarations of interest.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

There were none.

46.

Urgent business

To consider any urgent business.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

There was no urgent business.

47.

Public questions

To consider any questions received from members of the public under Council Procedure Rule 13.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

There were no public questions.

48.

Questions by Members

To consider any questions received from Members of the Council under Council Procedure Rule 14.

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

 

Five questions on Notice were asked, and responses given, in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 2.15.

 

Question by

 

Answered by

 

Subject

Cllr Sinden

 

Executive Member for Planning Policy and Place Delivery, Cllr Biggs

 

Retrofitting of High-Rise Buildings

Cllr Essex

 

Executive Member for Corporate Policy, Councillor Lewanski (Written response)

 

Surrey County Council Energy Reduction Funding

Cllr Essex

Leader of the Council, Councillor Brunt

Surrey Fire and Rescue Service

Cllr Ritter

 

Executive Member for Investments and Companies, Cllr Archer

 

Proposed Crematorium

Cllr Kulka

 

Executive Member for Investment and Companies, Cllr Archer

 

Reigate Priory Building and Museum

 

 

Note: For more information on responses to Council questions, please see this page on the Council’s website: https://reigate-banstead.moderngov.co.uk/ecCatDisplay.aspx?sch=doc&cat=13264

49.

Recommendations

To receive and consider the recommendations from the meeting of the Executive held on 19 November 2020.

 

i)                 Service and Financial Planning 2021/2022

ii)               Treasury Management Half Year Report 2020/2021

iii)              Council Tax Base 2021/2022

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

Council received three recommendations from the meeting of the Executive held on 19 November 2020.

 

RESOLVED:

 

1.     To adopt a new council tax policy to apply a 300% council premium for properties that have been empty for more than 10 years with effect from 1 April 2021. (Executive Minute 45)

2.     That the Treasury Management Performance for the year to date, and the updated prudential indicators, be noted. (Executive Minute 46)

3.     The Council Tax Base for 2021/22 be approved. (Executive Minute 47)

50.

Statements

To receive any statement from the Leader of the Council, Members of the Executive, Chairmen of Committees or the Interim Head of Paid Service.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

There were no statements.

51.

Designation of Polling Places and Deputy Electoral Registration Officer

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

At the invitation of the Mayor, the Interim Head of Paid Service introduced the report. The Coronavirus pandemic presented specific challenges to the administration of elections, particularly to arrangements at polling stations and the suitability of polling places. Since October, the Electoral Services team had been conducting a COVID risk assessment of all 43 polling places within the Borough, in line with the Electoral Commission’s guidance.

 

Consideration had been given to whether one-way systems and social distancing measures could be accommodated, in consultation with the Council’s health and safety officers. Where a change was recommended, Officers had undertaken a full assessment of electoral, accessibility and public health matters in consultation with Borough and County Members.

 

The report also sought to respond to the advice of the Electoral Commission that Councils should appoint a deputy Electoral Registration Officer in case the Electoral Registration Officer was unable to act personally.

 

RESOLVED:

 

1.     That the premises and recommendations set out in Appendix 1 (as revised) be designated the polling places for the polling districts stated.

2.     That Joyce Hamilton, Head of Legal and Governance, be appointed as a Deputy Electoral Registration Officer.

52.

Posthumous Recognition of Former Councillors

To report on the proposed forms of posthumous recognition for former Councillors Spiers and Stead, as resolved by Council on 24 September 2020.

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Leader of the Council, Councillor Brunt, proposed the recommendations and in so doing expressed his thanks to those Members who had suggested suitable forms of recognition. Councillor Adamson, in seconding the proposal, spoke in memoriam of former Councillors Spiers and Stead. 

 

RESOLVED that subject to all and any statutory checks and notifications: 

 

1.     The walkway along Waterhouse Lane toward Kingswood Village Hall be so named ‘Spiers Walk’ in posthumous recognition of former Councillor Joan Spiers.

2.     The outdoor gym and refurbished playground in Nork Park be named in posthumous recognition of former Councillor Brian Stead.

53.

Council Procedure Rule 5.15

To note the decision of the Leader of the Council, made on 12 November 2020, in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 5.15.

 

Delegated Authority to Enforce Legal Provisions relating to Coronavirus.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

RESOLVED to note the decision of the Leader of the Council, made on 12 November 2020, in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 5.15.

54.

Retiring Councillor

The Council is informed that Councillor Hal Brown (Earlswood and Whitebushes Ward) resigned from the Council on 29 November 2020.

 

An election will be held at the local elections on 6 May 2021, and the outcome reported to the Annual Council Meeting on 27 May 2021.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Members noted that Councillor Hal Brown (Earlswood and Whitebushes Ward) had resigned from the Council on 29 November 2020.

 

55.

Leader's announcements

To receive any announcements by the Leader of the Council.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Leader of the Council, Councillor Brunt, made four announcements:

 

·       The Mayor-elect for 2021/22 would be Councillor Jill Bray, in recognition of her long-standing as a Member of the Council and previous term as Deputy Mayor.

·       Councillor Blacker would be appointed to the vacant seat on the Audit Committee, and Councillor Sachdeva would be appointed to the vacant seat on the Licensing and Regulatory Committee.

·       That the Council’s appreciation of the contribution of former Councillor Brown, and former Councillor Fenton (who had resigned earlier in the year), to the Earlswood and Whitebushes Ward, and the Borough Council, be conveyed to them in a letter from the Mayor. 

·       That the Fairtrade Steering Group be congratulated as Reigate had been awarded Fairtrade Community Status by the Fairtrade Foundation.

 

In accordance with the delegation introduced by Council in November 2016, the changes in Committee memberships would be discharged by Officers.

56.

Mayor's announcements

To receive any announcements from the Mayor.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

With much sadness, the Mayor announced the deaths of two former Councillors. Former Councillor Norman Harris served the residents of Nork Ward for 26 years from 1990 to 2016 and former Councillor John Jones had served the residents of Redhill East Ward from 2000 until 2008.  On behalf of the Council, the Mayor offered condolences to their families and friends.

 

Following a short period of reflection, the Mayor then:

 

·       Expressed her thanks to the people who either brought together or participated in the Borough’s observations of those dates dedicated to the remembrance of the Armed Forces. 

·       Explained that sadly, the annual Holocaust remembrance service would not take place in January 2021 due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and, instead, the Mayor’s Office would share content from the Holocaust Memorial Trust on the Council’s social media channels.

·       Announced a charity fundraising raffle, in aid of the Community Fund for Reigate and Banstead.

 

The Mayor concluded the meeting by offering her very best wishes for a Happy Christmas and a peaceful New Year to everyone.

 

 

 

Clerk’s note - Minute 44: Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Lynch and McKenna, subsequent to the meeting. Minute 52: The report at agenda item 10 had described former Councillor Spiers as a former Chair of the Kingswood Residents Association, in error.