Agenda, decisions and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Neil Bloomfield, Martin Carnell, Malcolm Cavill, Louise Clarke, Kaysar Hussain, Tiffany Osborne and Gina Seaton.

To approve and sign the minutes of the previous meeting held on Thursday, 16^th September 2021.

The minutes of the previous meeting held on Thursday 16^th September 2021 and also the Council meeting of 19^th November 2020 were approved as a correct record of the meeting and signed by the Chairman.

In accordance with the Council's current Code of Conduct (as amended 26 February 2015), which includes all the provisions relating to Disclosable Pecuniary Interests (DPI), personal and prejudicial interests, Members are asked to declare any DPI and also any personal interests (and whether or not such personal interests are also "prejudicial") in relation to any matter on the Agenda for this meeting.

Members are reminded that they need to declare the fact that they are also a member of a County, Town or Parish Council as a Personal Interest.  Where you are also a member of Somerset County Council and/or a Town or Parish Council within South Somerset you must declare a prejudicial interest in any business on the agenda where there is a financial benefit or gain or advantage to Somerset County Council and/or a Town or Parish Council which would be at the cost or to the financial disadvantage of South Somerset District Council. 

There were no declarations of interest made by Members.

Councillor Jason Baker noted the recent flooding across the district in the previous 24 hours and he said that it was the third time in 3 months that some residents had their homes flooded.  He said he had been assured by Somerset County Council that a report was forthcoming and action would be taken to rectify the drainage issues but he encouraged his fellow Councillors who were also County Councillors to pursue the issue on behalf of the residents affected.

(Subsequent to the meeting, the SCC flood risk manager has been invited to attend Scrutiny Committee to discuss flooding concerns in the district).

The Chairman remembered Geoff Clarke, a former District Councillor who had recently passed away.  He had served from 1999 until 2011 representing Crewkerne Ward and he had also been a former Mayor of Crewkerne

The Chairman also thanked all Members for conducting themselves with dignity and respect and he noted that the late Jo Cox MP had once said that there was more that unites us than divides us.  He spoke of the tragic death the previous week of Sir David Amess MP whilst carrying out his constituency duties in Leigh on Sea.  He asked Members to join him for a minute of silence in memory of Sir David Amess MP.

Members stood for a minute of silence.

He noted that information had been circulated to all Members on personal safety and he asked that Members consider it in undertaking their duties.

The list of Chairmans Engagements were NOTED.

(Voting: unanimous in favour)

The Portfolio Holder for Finance and Legal Services asked Members to confirm the appointment of Karen Watling to the position of Chief Finance Officer until March 2023.  He noted that she had been the Interim Section 151 Officer for 6 months and there would be a cost saving in making the position fixed term rather than a contract.   He also noted that with 18 months remaining before the new Unitary Council, it would be difficult to recruit a quality officer to the post. He noted that the future financial practices were being aligned to the local government reform agenda which was a significant exercise and he commended the appointment of Karen Watling as Chief Finance Officer to Council and the subsequent financial implications.

The recommendations were seconded by the Leader of Council and Members unanimously confirmed the appointment Karen Watling as Chief Finance Officer (S151 Officer) with effect from 1^st November 2021 to 31^st March 2023.

(Voting: unanimous in favour)

(Voting:  unanimous in favour)

The Portfolio Holder for Finance and Legal Services advised that the proposal was to update the Council’s existing procurement framework in the light of changing legislation.  The Government had made a number of changes as part of their Levelling Up agenda and Industrial Strategy and as the UK had left the European Union.  Therefore substantial changes were required to the SSDC procurement strategy to align them with this legislation.  Amendments were also required to the Council’s Constitution which would be reported to the next appropriate meeting of Council.

Councillor Dean Ruddle clarified that he had no business association with the company D N Ruddle Civil Engineering Ltd which was listed as a supplier to the Council in the procurement spend analysis.

The recommendations were proposed and seconded and unanimously agreed by Council.

(Voting: unanimous in favour)

There was no debate and Council were content to note the dispensation granted to Councillor Malcolm Cavill by the Chief Executive under section 85 of the Local Government Act 1972.

The Leader of Council introduced the report and invited questions.

She noted the report which established a Joint Committee in Somerset for the implementation of local government reorganisation would comprise of 5 representatives from the County Council and the Leaders from each of the 4 District Councils.  Substitutions would be allowed and their first meeting would be held on 5^th November and they hoped to have the draft Structural Changes Order to discuss. 

In response to questions, the Leader of Council confirmed:-

·         The Public Space Protection Orders report should sit within the Community Safety Portfolio.

·         The compilation of the Joint Committee in Somerset for the implementation of local government reorganisation had been set out by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (previously the MHCLG) and it was their intent that the County Council would have one more representative than the District Councils.  It was hoped that one of the District Council Leaders would be the Vice-Chairman of the Committee.  They would all work in co-operation for the benefit of the residents of Somerset.

The Council NOTED the report.

The Vice-Chairman of the Audit Committee regretted that he had not been present at the meeting but would circulate a written report if required.

The report was NOTED.

The Chairman of the Scrutiny Committee introduced the report and he thanked those Members and officers who attended to assist the Committee.  He noted that they had held a workshop to discuss Community Infrastructure Levy which had been very interesting.  The Scrutiny Committee had fed comments and questions through the joint scrutiny panel to the Somerset Waste Partnership during the summer and had received robust responses.  He also asked if the Scrutiny Committee could assist the Somerset Rivers Authority in the recent flooding incidents within the district.  He concluded by reminding Council that there was space in the Scrutiny work programme and by thanking the Scrutiny Specialist for her dedication to her work.

The Chairman said he would be attending a meeting of the Somerset Rivers Authority joint scrutiny panel shortly and he would mention the flooding incidences across the district.

The report was NOTED.

(Voting: 32 in favour, 0 against, 1 abstention)

The Portfolio Holder for Environment introduced her Motion and reminded Council that it had declared a climate and ecological emergency in 2019 and was working towards carbon net zero by 2030.  This would be delivered through the Environment Strategy and aimed to embed it into the creation of the new unitary council.  She said the Motion supported the Climate and Emergency Private Members Bill, and proposed joining the UK100 and Countryside Climate Network to join with other organisations and local government leaders to demonstrate the Council’s commitment to tackle climate change.  She listed the key aims of the bill to take existing legislation further and noted that the Government were not on track to meet their 2050 emissions target.  The UK100 and the Countryside Climate Network were lobbying for more resource from central government to enable local authorities to take ambitious climate action.  Being part of the network would enable the sharing of knowledge, enable collective lobbying of the government to benefit local communities and ensure SSDC were part of the group shaping national policy to tackle environmental problems.  She concluded that agreeing the motion would demonstrate to communities that SSDC would work with others to do all it could to mitigate against climate change.  She commended the motion to Council which was seconded by Councillor Oliver Patrick.

During discussion the following points were made:-

·         Climate change was being fought and some battles were won and some not.  Fighting in alliances meant you could do more and deliver more.  

·         MP’s must be encouraged to support the Climate and Emergency Private Members Bill.

·         Concern at people who had recently caused disruption to roads around London to highlight the Insulate Britain campaign and it would be prudent to add some condemnation of this action within the motion.

·         There will be challenges for rural communities particularly in coping with the charging of electric vehicles and also the insulation of older listed buildings.  Some areas of agriculture were ahead in ecology and tackling climate change issues.

·         Heat source pumps were not the only option for the future of heating homes.  Electric space heaters were much more efficient than gas for Co2 emissions and were no longer very expensive.

·         Area East Committee had recently purchased two infra-red cameras to use in rural areas to take pictures of properties to help identify areas of heat loss. This should help householders to insulate their properties where it was needed.

·         Propose that the motion be added to say that SSDC do not support any illegal actions which harm the ideals of the motion (proposal not seconded). 

·         The suggestion to criticise protestors in the motion would only serve to dilute its intention.

·         Rural communities were dependent upon cars as bus services in Somerset were very poor.  We should lobby for more bus routes to take cars off the roads.

Councillor Oliver Patrick, in seconding the Motion, said children would study what people were doing now to protect the environment and the Council must act now or there may be  ...  view the full minutes text for item 73.

There were no questions submitted under Procedure Rule 10.

There were no questions raised by Members under Procedure Rule 10.

Members noted that the next meeting of Full Council was a reserve date of 18 November and it would only be called if there was business to progress.

The following Full Council meeting would be held on Thursday 16 December at 6.30pm – venue to be confirmed.