Agenda and minutes

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the Council meeting held on 20 October 2022.

It was proposed by Councillor Boughtflower and seconded by Councillor Mitchell that Councillor Ian Harvey be appointed as Chairman of the meeting.

It was proposed by Councillor Sexton and seconded by Councillor Beecher that Councillor Chris Bateson be appointed as Chairman of the meeting.

Resolved that Councillor Ian Harvey be appointed as Chairman of the meeting in the absence of the Mayor and the Deputy Mayor.

The minutes of the Council meeting held on 20 October 2022 were agreed as a correct record.

To receive any disclosures of interest from Councillors in accordance with the Council’s Code of Conduct for Members.

Councillor Sinead Mooney and Councillor Joanne Sexton declared they were Surrey County Councillors.

To receive any announcements from the Mayor.

The Chair, Councillor I Harvey made the following announcements on behalf of The Mayor:

“I apologise for not being with you all tonight but in my absence I have asked the acting Chair to read out my announcements.

The following are the events I have attended as Mayor since the October Council Meeting:

Spelthorne's Health & Wellbeing Seminar - very enjoyable and good to see Spelthorne Officers, NHS Staff, School Staff, Community Centre Staff and volunteers come together to discuss how joined up work could be effected in the Community of Spelthorne to help residents with their health and well-being.

Surrey Police Safe Drive Stay Alive event advising and educating youth 17-19 years old how to drive safely with scenarios that used Emergency Service Staff, NHS Staff and victims and their families of driving accidents.

Talk by Nick Pollard organised by the Stanwell Local Conversation on Lord Thomas Knyvett who apprehended Guy Fawkes in the crypt of the Houses of Commons foiling the Gunpowder Plot.  Lord Knyvett lived in Stanwell and was also the Lord of Staines.

Jane Eyre performed at the Riverside Arts Centre with the proceeds going to my two charities: The Stanwell Family Centre and the Spelthorne Mental Health Association.  It was a very good performance and one of the actors was a Spelthorne Borough Council colleague - Cllr. Tom Fidler.  Well done Tom.

Recorded a Christmas message for the Talking Newspaper that covers Spelthorne, Runnymede and Elmbridge for those with sight impediments.  It was a pleasure to do.

Armistice Day Flag Raising Ceremony at Knowle Green.

Laid a wreath and attended the Wreath Laying Ceremony at Stanwell War Memorial and attended Mass.

Attended Halliford School to discuss with the Headmaster holding a Spelthorne's Got Talent contest on their premises in the new year.  More about this in the New Year.

Peer Group Review - Group Leaders meeting with Peer Group Team.

Attended Spelthorne Business Awards at the Holiday Inn Shepperton. I was very proud to be part of this event and to see how successful and innovative the business in Spelthorne are, whatever their size.

Surrey Mayors Annual Dinner held for Mayors both present and past.  Very enjoyable but I did not manage to get John up to dance.

Started the Staines Rotary Santa Fun Run - not only run by families but also by their dogs who accepted their medals with wags of their tails.  Enjoyed a ride around Staines on Santa’s Train.

Ashford Youth Centre to meet some of those who attend the Centre and have discussions about their ideas for events, their wish to have more apprenticeships available.

Attended Philip Southcote School for secondary school age youth with Special Needs.  It was a pleasure to meet these young people and learn the qualifications they had achieved and to listen to their pride in themselves and attending college and their thanks to their teachers.

Mayors Business Reception at Berkeley Homes site in Staines.  Again, it was a pleasure to meet some of the entrepreneurs and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 139/22

To receive any announcements from the Leader.

The Leader made the following announcements:

“I would like to start by congratulating all the finalists and winners of this year’s Spelthorne Business Awards. The quality of this year’s entries showed the hard work and resilience of our local businesses which have gone from strength-to-strength despite extremely challenging trading conditions. Thank you also to the sponsors whose generosity and support enable us to host these awards each year. 

I am pleased to say that after five years of preparation, we have submitted our draft Local Plan for independent inspection. The Plan will guide key planning decisions for the Borough over the next 15 years in relation to housing, green spaces, community facilities and local infrastructure. Submitting the Plan for examination is a crucial step forward and an independent planning inspector will now be appointed to decide whether it can be adopted. A series of public hearings will also be held in 2023 where the inspector will listen to all the arguments for and against various aspects of the Plan.

Many will be aware that the Government announced on Tuesday this week that there will be changes to National Planning Policy, particularly around housing targets and local plans. A prospectus on a revised National Planning Policy Framework is due to be published this side of Christmas. As such, we are arranging a Local Plan Task Group meeting in the New Year to be briefed by officers and discuss the changes, to be followed by an Extraordinary Environment and Sustainability Committee meeting at the end of January to review our options and agree the way forward for the Local Plan before the examination commences.

Many residents are worried about the impact of the rising cost-of-living. I know that when you are struggling financially it can feel like a very lonely time but there are lots of organisations which can help, and it is always worth checking if you are receiving all the benefits and grants to which you may be entitled. A number of warm hubs have been introduced in the Borough and we are also opening our Community Centres on Saturdays to help residents who are concerned about heating their home. More information on the support available is on our website. 

Working with the North West Surrey Health and Care Alliance, we recently announced the creation of the Spelthorne Healthy Communities Partnership with the aim of improving health outcomes for local people. The partnership will look at the wider influences on health and wellbeing and identify new ways of delivering services. 

There are lots of Christmas events being held in the Borough in the run up to Christmas. These are friendly community-run events and a great way to get in the Christmas spirit with your family and friends. You can find more details on our website and in the Bulletin magazine.

Finally, on behalf of all the staff and councillors here at Spelthorne Borough Council, I would like to wish everyone a very happy Christmas and New year. I look forward  ...  view the full minutes text for item 140/22

To receive any announcements from the Chief Executive.

The Chief Executive made the following announcements:

“Three weeks ago, at our invitation, this authority was the focus of a comprehensive Local Government Association Corporate Peer Challenge Review.

A senior team of experienced officers and members spent three days here at Knowle Green, reviewing a range of information, documentation, and conducting more than 40 meetings involving over 125 people, including a range of council staff and members as well as external stakeholders and partners.

The team also visited a range of locations across the Borough, including a walking tour of Staines-upon-Thames, Fordbridge Community Centre, the White House and the West Wing as well as a variety of Borough housing development sites.

The scope of the peer challenge primarily focused on six themes:

• Local priorities and outcomes
• Organisation and place leadership
• Governance and culture
• Financial planning and management
• Capacity for improvement
• Sustainable delivery of affordable housing

At the conclusion of the Corporate Peer Challenge Review, the Council received formal feedback from the team who declared how impressed they were with key strategic and local projects and achievements that we have collectively accomplished, included our outstanding partnership effort in supporting our community - particularly our brilliant covid pandemic response. The findings also acknowledged the friendly and caring staff culture and the strength of cross service working.

Moreover, the review team explicitly recognised the complex and challenging political arena within which Officers operate, eloquently stated by the Lead Member as “there needs to be the recognition that the intense political dance is affecting your reputation, is costing you money and could ultimately affect the delivery of Council services for your residents and businesses.”

The full presentational pack has been circulated to all members and participants in the peer review, and it certainly raises some hard-hitting points and identifies recommendations that we will all need to consider and collectively address.

In due course, a comprehensive report, including its 12 recommendations, will be available so that we can identify our own action plans to support the findings. This will be published both internally and externally following discussion by Full Council in the New Year.

Mr Chairman, I am incredibly proud of Team Spelthorne, its commitment, its professionalism, and its dedication to serving our communities and our businesses. I would therefore like to place on record my heartfelt appreciation as the Head of Paid Services for what we have achieved.

As testament to this incredible work, as witnessed by everyone in this chamber tonight – Spelthorne has also secured more national recognition, this time from the Federation of Small Businesses with three awards for our unstinting work in supporting Borough businesses throughout the pandemic and now in the post-pandemic world of a cost-of-living crisis.

I would like to extend my fullest congratulations to the Economic Development team as I know how incredibly hard, they have worked in support of our businesses and in securing the All-England Award for Local Government.

Mr Chairman, we can all take immense pride in the knowledge that this authority’s work is  ...  view the full minutes text for item 141/22

The Leader, or his nominee, to answer any questions raised by members of the public in accordance with Standing Order 13.

The Mayor reported that, under Standing Order 14, two questions had been received from members of the public.

1. Question and statement of context from Peter Bower:

“At the Environment and Sustainability Committee meeting on 8 November, Cllr Beecher produced data that one might have expected to give the Council pause for thought. Seventeen Councils have delayed submission of their Local Plan and a further four have withdrawn their Local Plan from Investigation pending clarity on the government’s new policy relating to baseline data used to determine a borough’s housing target. Indeed, one Council has been told by the Planning Inspector to use 2018 data which will reduce it’s housing target by close to 20%. If Spelthorne used 2018 data the borough’s housing target would drop from 618 p.a. to 489 p.a. – a reduction of 1,935 over the Plan period. Eliminating use of all the Local Plan’s allocated green belt sites would consume 740 of this number, leaving 1,195 to reduce the allocations elsewhere in the borough, including in Staines which is currently required to absorb 55% of the borough’s entire housing target.

Question:

Given 21 Councils have delayed or withdrawn their Local Plans pending clarity on Government policy; that one Council was told by the Inspector to use 2018 data to lower their housing target; and that those responsible for Spelthorne’s Plan have made a powerful case in the Foreword to it against the current housing target of 618 p.a. (asserting that it “will damage our environment and ruin the character of our small and highly constrained borough”), why has the Council refused to follow other boroughs either in producing a Plan using 2018 data, or awaiting clarity on the government’s housing policy?”

Response from Councillor Beardsmore, Chair of the Environment and Sustainability Committee:

“I will start with the 2018 data. I went online to look this up and just by reading the very first link on the browser I knew the answer. Nevertheless I did follow up the link and it confirmed what was so obvious from just looking at the link.

The link referred to the plan as North Herts Local Plan 2011-2031. 2011!There is your answer right there.

I will explain.

We are working under a regime known as the Standard Methodology which was introduced in 2017. That methodology currently locks us in to the 2014 dataset. Councils whose plan was already in progress in 2017 were allowed to use a procedure known as transitional arrangements. As part of those transitional arrangements, N Herts were allowed to base their housing numbers on the 2018 dataset. Before you ask, almost the first thing I did when I got this job the first time was enquire whether we could use a more up-to-date data set than the 2014. The answer from the Ministry was a very blunt NO.

Currently the 2017 methodology is still firmly linked to the 2014 data.

This does sum up so much of the plan process, namely the endless repetition of simple  ...  view the full minutes text for item 142/22

To receive any petitions from members of the public.

There were none.

Report to follow.

This item was not discussed at this meeting of Council.

Report to follow.

This item was not discussed at this meeting of Council.

To consider the report and recommendations of the Independent Remuneration Panel on the Members Allowances Scheme for 2022-23.

Council considered a report from the Corporate Governance Support Officer that sought consideration of the recommendations of the Independent Remuneration Panel on the Members’ Allowances Scheme for 2022-23, as set out in the report.

Council requested that the Independent Panel reconsider members’ allowances for 2023/24 to ensure that they are relevant to the new Committee System model that the Council currently worked under.

Council resolved to approve the recommendations of the Independent Renumeration Panel.

To follow.

This item was withdrawn from the agenda and therefore was not discussed at the meeting.

To consider the appointment of representative trustees to Laleham Charities – Village Hall and Recreation Grounds following confirmation from the Charity of the below nominations:

Richard Stokes, Mavis Duncan, and Geoff Want for a four year period ending December 2026.

Council were advised that this item would be referred to the Administrative Committee as the Terms of Reference for this committee stated that “they are responsible for making appointments to Outside Bodies which are not reserved to Council” and would be discussed at the next meeting of this Committee.

To receive and agree the reports from the Committee Chairs outlining the business of the Committees held since the last Council meeting..

The Chairs of the Committees presented reports which outlined the matters their Committees had considered since the last Council meeting.

Questions for Councillor Beardsmore, Chairman of the Environment and Sustainability Committee:

Councillor R Barratt noted the number of responses received in respect of local green space in responses to the Local Plan and queried how efforts would be rebalanced to reflect what concerned local residents.

Councillor Beardsmore explained that this was down to the Inspector now that the Local Plan had been submitted, but he agreed the responses on Local Green Space were outstanding, and the Council needed to think of ideas of what could be done with green space, and then consult with residents who responded.

Councillor Leighton asked if anything arising from the Visioning Process had been submitted for consultation.

Councillor Beardsmore responded that it did not appear to have been submitted.

Council resolved to note the Chair’s reports.

The Leader, or his nominee, to answer questions from Councillors on matters affecting the Borough, in accordance with Standing Order 14.

The Mayor reported that five general questions had been received, in accordance with Standing Order 15, from Councillor Sexton, Councillor Nichols, Councillor S Dunn, Councillor Spoor, and Councillor Beecher.

Question from Councillor Sexton:

Why was the Spelthorne Council Position Paper provided to the LGA Peer Review team not discussed with members before it was issued?

Response from Councillor Boughtflower, Leader of the Council:

Thank you for your question, Councillor Sexton.  The Position Statement you refer was produced as part of the normal preparation process for a Local Government Association Corporate Peer Challenge (CPC).  The document contained baseline data and other factual information in accordance with an outline template provided by the LGA.  This was designed to provide the CPC Team with a wide range of background material they needed to understand more about our borough, the key challenges faced by both the Council and our communities, and the way we work constitutionally and operationally to deliver our key services and projects. 

As a factual document, the Position Statement did not require any decision or approval by Councillors.  The Monitoring Officerdetermined that it was appropriate for this to be signed off by the Chief Executive in consultation with the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Corporate Policy and Resources Committee, prior to submission.  We did, however, give a commitment that this information would be shared with all Councillors in advance of the CPC commencingand this was done on 7 November 2022.  As you will have noted, the completed document amounted to some 56 pages with 11 Appendices, and this took a significant amount of time to prepare.  Although we had planned to circulate this sooner, the time officers had to do this was curtailed by the date of the CPC being brought forward by a couple of weeks, something which you had requested. 

All Councillors were given the opportunity to meet with the CPC Team during the Peer Review process, and they could also email them directly, so if you or any other Councillor felt that anything was missing or factually incorrect there was sufficient opportunity to ensure that they were made aware of this. 

Councillor Sexton asked a supplementary question as follows:

I was assured that all members would have the option to be involved and look at the formatting and everything else that was required before it was sent to the LGA, that all members would be inclusive, yet we had to chase for this and we only got it a few days before?

Response from Councillor Boughtflower, Leader of the Council:

Thank you for your question. If I remember rightly, as soon as I found out it needed to go due to the deadlines of the Peer Review coming early, it was sent out to all members for feedback that day. As soon as the document was approaching the deadline, I did my part as best as I could, and I can’t answer much more than that.

Question from Councillor Nichols:

When will this  ...  view the full minutes text for item 150/22

To receive any motions from Councillors in accordance with Standing Order 16.

Motion 1

Proposed by Councillor Michele Gibson

Seconded by Councillor Stuart Whitmore

“Council notes the unilateral decision by Surrey County Council taking over highway verge cutting and on-street parking enforcement. These services are currently performed by Spelthorne to a high standard.

The Council believes these changes will not improve services and reduce local accountability.

The Council resolves the Leader writes to the Leader of SCC:

1.    Requesting that the decision is reversed as it is not in the best interests of residents.

2.    Seeks justification of the changes in terms of tangible benefits.

3.    Seeks a guarantee of no reduction in standards, if implemented.”

Motion 2

Proposed by Councillor Malcolm Beecher

Seconded by Councillor Jo Sexton

"Some 22 district councils, including our neighbours in Runnymede, have either agreed to delay submission or withdraw their Local Plan from examination pending clarification from the Government of its housing policy. Should the Government formally change or modify its housing policy, Spelthorne Borough Council commits to a re-evaluation of the housing numbers set out in the Local Plan by officers for a subsequent review by the Environment & Sustainability Committee.”

Motion 3

Proposed by Councillor Malcolm Beecher

Seconded by Councillor Michele Gibson

"Until such time as the Spelthorne Local Plan 2022-2037 and Staines Development Framework as approved for Regulation 19 consultation and submission to the Planning Inspectorate are formally adopted by this council that the policies within the Staines Development Framework be adopted temporarily for all council-owned assets within the catchment area of the development framework.”

In accordance with Standing Order 16 the Council received three written Notices of Motions.

The Chairman proposed that motion two be dealt with first as motions one and three dealt with confidential business. This was agreed.

Motion two:

Councillor Beardsmore made a statement proposing that the following motion be withdrawn:

“Some 22 district councils, including our neighbours in Runnymede, have either agreed to delay submission or withdraw their Local Plan from examination pending clarification from the Government of its housing policy. Should the Government formally change or modify its housing policy, Spelthorne Borough Council commits to a re-evaluation of the housing numbers set out in the Local Plan by officers for a subsequent review by the Environment & Sustainability Committee.”

Councillor Beecher agreed that his motion should be withdrawn in response to the commitment in the Leader’s announcements that the Environment and Sustainability Committee would meet to discuss the government’s announced changes to national planning policy.

Resolved that the motion be withdrawn.

Motion three:

Councillor Mooney proposed that the following motion be withdrawn as it was dependent on the outcome of discussions related to motion two:

“Until such time as the Spelthorne Local Plan 2022-2037 and Staines Development Framework as approved for Regulation 19 consultation and submission to the Planning Inspectorate are formally adopted by this council that the policies within the Staines Development Framework be adopted temporarily for all council-owned assets within the catchment area of the development framework.”

Councillor Beecher agreed that the motion should be withdrawn as the motion had not been reviewed by the Corporate Policy and Resources Committee as agreed at a previous Council meeting.

Resolved that the motion be withdrawn until it could be discussed by the Corporate Policy and Resources Committee.

It was proposed by Councillor Gething and seconded by Councillor Mitchell and resolved to exclude the press and public for discussion of motion three, in view of the likely disclosure of exempt information within the meaning of paragraph Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 as amended.

Motion one:

Councillor Gibson moved and Councillor Nichols seconded the following motion:

“Council notes the unilateral decision by Surrey County Council taking over highway verge cutting and on-street parking enforcement. These services are currently performed by Spelthorne to a high standard.

The Council believes these changes will not improve services and reduce local accountability.

The Council resolves the Leader writes to the Leader of Surrey County Council:

1.    Requesting that the decision is reversed as it is not in the best interests of residents.

2.    Seeks justification of the changes in terms of tangible benefits.

3.    Seeks a guarantee of no reduction in standards, if implemented.”

It was proposed by Councillor Leighton and seconded by Councillor Sider that the motion be amended to the following:

“Council notes the unilateral decision by Surrey County Council taking back highway verge cutting and on-street parking enforcement. These services are currently performed by Spelthorne to a high standard.

The Council believes these changes will not improve services  ...  view the full minutes text for item 151/22

Report to follow.

The motion related to this item was withdrawn from discussion.