Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Endersby, D Garston and Norman MBE.

The Worshipful the Mayor presented the chain of office to this year's Youth Mayor, Ms Bertha Sibanda, and the Chain of Office to this year’s Deputy Youth Mayor, Ms Devang Thaker.

The Worshipful the Mayor thanked all Members who attended the Memorial Service for Gwen Horrigan MBE which took place on Sunday 24^th January 2016, who will be remembered with great fondness.

Members declared the following interests:

•              Councillor Arscott

Development Control Committee - 3rd February, 2016

Minute 627 - Application No. 15/01792/FUL - Non-Pecuniary -– Friends live in neighbouring properties (withdrew)

•              Councillor Assenheim

Council – 25^th February 2016

Minute 660 – Council Budget 2016/17 – Non-Pecuniary – Board Member South Essex Homes and relative lives in sheltered housing accommodation;

Cabinet Committee – 4^th January, 2016

Minute 514 – Members requests list - Non-Pecuniary - Members’ Request Reference No. 15/11 – Registered at Doctor’s Surgery in the road;

Cabinet - 5th January, 2016

Minute 522 - Notice of Motion - Local Connection Housing Allocation Policy - Non-Pecuniary - Board Member of South Essex Homes

Development Control Committee - 13th January, 2016

Minute 548 - Application No. 15/01877/FUL - Non-Pecuniary – Applicant is his registered GP;

Minute 548 - Application No. 15/ 01046/ADV – Lives near to the roundabout;

Place Scrutiny Committee - 25th January, 2016

Minute 586 - Member's Requests List - Non-Pecuniary - Members’ Request Ref No. 15/11 - The Doctor’s Surgery where he is registered is in the road.

People Scrutiny Committee – 26^th January 2016

Minute 606 - Establishment of a Local Authority Trading Company for Adult Social Care and site feasibility study for Delaware, Priory and Viking - Disclosable Non-Pecuniary - Board member South Essex Homes - attended pursuant to the dispensation agreed by the Standards Committee on 19th February 2015, under S.33 of the Localism Act 2011 to participate in the debate and vote

Policy and Resources Scrutiny Committee – 28^th January 2016

Minute 621 - Review of Sheltered Housing  - Disclosable Non-Pecuniary - Board member South Essex Homes - attended pursuant to the dispensation agreed by the Standards Committee on 19th February 2015, under S.33 of the Localism Act 2011 to participate in the debate and vote;

•              Councillor Ayling

Development Control Committee – 13^th January 2016        

Minute 548  - Application No. 15/01884/FUL – Non-Pecuniary - Lives in the vicinity of the application site;

Policy and Resources Scrutiny Committee – 28^th January 2016

Minute 617 - Notice of Motion - Southend Borough Patrol - Non-Pecuniary - son is a Special Constable;

·            Councillor Betson

Cabinet Committee - 4th January, 2016

Minute 514 - Member's Requests List - Non-Pecuniary interest - Members’ Request Reference No. 15/24 – Lives in the vicinity of Green Lane and Members’ Request Reference No. 15/39 – Husband owns property in Rutland Avenue;

Cabinet – 5^th January 2016

Minute 535 - Fostering Service Annual Report - Non-Pecuniary interest - Member of Fostering Panel

Minute 532 - Appropriation of Assets - Non-Pecuniary interest - Board Member of South Essex Homes and knows tenant of 75 Southchurch Avenue;

Cabinet – 19^th January 2016

Minute 559 - Draft Housing Revenue Account Budget 2016/17 and Rent Setting - Non-Pecuniary interest - South Essex Home Board Member

Place Scrutiny Committee - 25th January, 2016

Disqualifying Non-Pecuniary  - Interests in the referred/called-in items; attended pursuant to the dispensation agreed at  ...  view the full minutes text for item 656.

The relevant Executive Councillors responded to written questions received from Members of the Public.

The relevant Executive Councillors responded to written questions received from Councillors Assenheim, Ware-Lane, Buckley, Nevin and Davies.

Minutes attached

Resolved:-

That the Minutes of the Meeting held on 10^th December 2015 be confirmed as a correct record and signed.

Report of the Corporate Management Team attached.

The Council considered a report of the Corporate Director for Corporate Services which presented the Cabinet's revenue budget and Council Tax for 2016/17 financial year, together with Minutes 558 to 562 of Cabinet held 19th January 2016 and Minutes 645 to 649 of Cabinet held on 11th February 2016, and Scrutiny Minutes 580-582, 595-597 and 613-617.

The Council suspended the relevant parts of Council Procedure Rule 10 to permit the extended budget speeches of the Leader of the Council and of the Leaders of the Opposition Groups.

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 10.1(e) Councillors Lamb and Flewitt submitted 2 amendments to the Budget concerning:

Amendment 1:HRA Rental Income;

Amendment 2: No increase in parking charges and cremation fees & cemetery burial fees and no reduction in the expenditure savings for school improvement and teenage pregnancy;

Each amendment was then voted on by way of a named vote as required by law.  The voting was as follows:-

Amendment 1 – HRA Rental Income

For the amendment:

Cllrs Arscott, Buckley, Butler, Byford, Courtenay, Cox, Davidson, Evans, Flewitt, Folkard, J Garston, Habermel, Hadley, Holland, Jarvis, Lamb, McGlone, Phillips, Robertson, Salter, Walker, Waterworth (22)

Against the amendment:

Cllrs Assenheim, Aylen, Ayling, Betson, Borton, Callaghan, Crystall, Davies, Gilbert, Jones, Kenyon, Longley, McMahon, Moyies, Mulroney, Nevin, Robinson, Stafford, Terry, Van Looy, Velmurugan, Ward, Ware-Lane, Willis, Woodley (25)

Abstentions:

The Worshipful the Mayor, Cllr Moring (1)

Absent:

Cllrs Endersby, D Garston and Norman MBE (3)

The amendment (1) was not carried.

Amendment 2 - No increase in parking charges and cremation fees & cemetery burial fees and no reduction in the expenditure savings for school improvement and teenage pregnancy

For the amendment:

Cllrs Arscott, Aylen, Buckley, Butler, Byford, Courtenay, Cox, Davidson, Evans, Flewitt, Folkard, J Garston, Habermel, Hadley, Holland, Jarvis, Lamb, McGlone, Phillips, Robertson, Salter, Walker, Waterworth (23)

Against the amendment:

Cllrs Assenheim, Ayling, Betson, Borton, Callaghan, Crystall, Davies, Gilbert, Jones, Kenyon, Longley, McMahon, Moyies, Mulroney, Neving, Robinson, Stafford, Terry, Van Looy, Velmurugan, Ward, Ware-Lane, Willis, Woodley (24)

Abstentions:

The Worshipful the Mayor, Cllr Moring (1)

Absent:

Cllrs Endersby, D Garston and Norman MBE (3)

Amendment (2) was not carried.

The Council Budget 2016/17 proposals were then voted on by way of a named vote as required by law. The voting was as follows:-

For the budget proposals 2016/17:

Cllrs Assenheim, Aylen, Ayling, Betson, Borton, Callaghan, Crystall, Davies, Gilbert, Jones, Kenyon, Longley, McMahon, Moyies, Mulroney, Nevin, Robinson, Stafford, Terry, Van Looy, Velmurugan, Ward, Ware-Lane, Willis, Woodley (25)

Against the budget proposals 2016/17:

Cllrs Arscott, Buckley, Butler, Byford, Courtenay, Cox, Davidson, Evans, Flewitt, Folkard, J Garston, Habermel, Hadley, Holland, Jarvis, Lamb, McGlone, Phillips, Robertson, Salter, Walker, Waterworth (22)

Abstentions: The Worshipful the Mayor, Cllr Moring (1)

Absent: Cllrs Endersby, D  ...  view the full minutes text for item 660.

Minutes attached

Resolved:

That the minutes of this meeting be noted.

Minutes attached.

Resolved:

That the minutes of this meeting be noted.

Minutes attached.

Resolved:

That the minutes of this meeting be noted.

Minutes attached.

The Council noted that Minute 526 would be considered in conjunction with the report on changes to the electoral arrangements under agenda item 27.

Resolved:

That the minutes of this meeting be noted and the recommendations contained in Minutes 530, 531 and 538, be adopted.

Minutes attached

Resolved:

That the minutes of this meeting be noted.

Minutes attached.

Resolved:

That the minutes of this meeting be noted.

Minutes attached

Minutes 558 to 562 had been dealt with previously as part of the budget proposals.

Resolved:

That minutes 555, 556, 557 and 564 of this meeting be noted.

Minutes attached.

Resolved:

That the minutes of this meeting be noted.

Minutes attached.

Minutes 580 to 582 had been dealt with previously as part of the budget proposals.

Resolved:

That the minutes of this meeting be noted and the recommendations contained in Minutes 584 and 587, be adopted.

Minutes attached.

Minutes 595 to 597 had been dealt with previously as part of the budget proposals.

The Chief Executive advised that the item in Minute 606 (Establishment of a Local Authority Trading Company for Adult Social Care) was an Executive matter and the decision had taken effect.  Therefore Minute 606 was only eligible for debate.

Resolved:

1. That the minutes of this meeting, be noted.

2. That minute 606 (Establishment of a Local Authority Trading Company for Adult Social Care) be deferred to the next ordinary meeting of the Council at which the decision would only be eligible for debate. 

Minutes attached.

Minutes 613 to 617 have been dealt with previously as part of the budget proposals.

Resolved:

That the minutes, with the exception of Minute 619 (Notice of Motion – Southend Borough Patrol) which was referred back to Cabinet for further consideration, of this meeting be noted.

Minutes attached.

Resolved:

That the minutes of this meeting, be noted.

Minutes attached.

Resolved:

That the minutes of this meeting, be noted.

Minutes attached.

Minutes 645 to 649 had been dealt with previously as part of the budget proposals.

Resolved:

That minutes 643 and 644, be noted.

Minutes attached.

Resolved:

That the minutes of this meeting be noted.

Notice of Motion attached.

Resolved:

That in accordance with Standing Order 8.4 the following notice of motion be referred to the Cabinet:

“That this Council recognises the adverse effect on the residents of Southend of the recent implementation of C2C’s new timetable.

The Council commends C2C’s efforts over recent years to improve the service from ‘the misery line’ to one of the best in the country and sees the new timetable as a retrograde step.

Residents of Southend have to spend longer travelling and those to the west of the town struggle to get a seat in the mornings, with residents from across the town often having to stand in the evenings.

It is therefore requested that the Cabinet:

1.    Records the Council’s disappointment in the implementation of the new timetable;

2.    Joins forces with our two local MPs to the lobby C2C and the Department for Transport to either revert to the old timetable or reduce the number of trains that stop at London stations to reduce inbound and outbound journey times; and

3.    Requests the Town Clerk to write to the Managing Director of C2C and the Secretary of State for Transport indicating the Council’s disappointment and requesting that they revert to the old timetable.”

Proposed by Cllr Courtenay

Seconded by Cllr  Cox and supported by Cllrs Arscott, Flewitt, Folkard, D Garston, J Garston, Lamb and Phillips.

Report of the Leader of the Council attached.

The Council considered a report of the Leader of the Council which recommended the Pay Policy Statement 2016/17 in the context of the Council's overall Reward Strategy.

Resolved:

That the Pay Policy Statement, as recommended by the Performance Related Pay Panel, be approved.

Report of the Corporate Director for Corporate Services attached.

The Council considered a report of the Corporate Director for Corporate Services which recommended a minor change to the Constitution.

Resolved:

That a minor amendment be made to the Terms of Reference of the General Purposes Committee in Part 3 Schedule 2 of the Constitution as set out in Appendix 1 to the submitted report.

Report of the Chief Executive & Town Clerk attached: To be considered in conjunction with Minute 526 of Cabinet held 5^th January 2016.

The Council considered a report of the Chief Executive & Town Clerk which provided background information to enable the Council to make a decision on the notice of motion on proposed changes to the Council’s electoral arrangements.  The report was considered in conjunction with Minute 526 of the Cabinet held 5^th January 2016.

Resolved:

That the matter be deferred to the next ordinary meeting of the Council.

Draft calendar attached.

Resolved:

That, subject to final ratification in May 2016 and the changes detailed below, the draft Calendar of Meetings 2014/15 be approved:

·         The Cabinet meeting date on 21^st June 2016 be moved to 28^th June 2016;

·         The Cabinet Committee meeting date on 23^rd June 2016 be moved to 16^th June 2016.

During consideration Minute 539 (Flood Incident Report) of Cabinet held 5^th January 2016 the hour of 11 p.m. having been reached, the Council:

Resolved:

That the remaining business on the agenda be proceeded with.