Agenda and minutes

To receive any apologies for absence.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Nick Fogg, Nick Murry and Mollie Groom.

Apologies as a result of technical difficulties were also received on behalf of Councillor Andrew Davis, Tony Jackson and Ashley O’Neill. Councillors Davis and O’Neill were later able to join the meeing.

To receive any declarations of disclosable interests or dispensations granted by the Standards Committee.

There were no declarations.

To receive any announcements through the Chair.

a)    Recorded Voting - On the proposal of the Chairman, seconded by the Vice- Chairman, it was,

Resolved:

To suspend Paragraphs 22.6.2-22.6.4 of Part 4 of the Constitution in respect of recorded voting.

Note: It was agreed to hold a recorded vote in respect of any final vote for Minute 94 – Area Board Boundary Review.

b)    Member Briefing - It was noted that there would be a briefing for Members on the Local Plan Review at 1330 after the Council meeting.

The Council welcomes contributions from members of the public. During the

ongoing Covid-19 situation the Council is operating revised procedures and the public are able participate in meetings online after registering with the officer named on this agenda, and in accordance with the deadlines below.

As this is an extraordinary meeting convened to specifically consider items of business (Area Board Boundary Review and Counterparty limits) listed on this agenda. In accordance with the Constitution questions, statements and petitions can only be accepted in respect of these items of business.

Guidance on how to participate in this meeting online.

Statements

Members of the public who wish to submit a statement in relation to an item on this agenda should submit this electronically to the officer named on this agenda no later than 5pm on 19 November 2020.

Any statement must:

·       State whom the statement is from (including if representing another person or organisation);

·       state points clearly, and;

·       be readable aloud in approximately 3 minutes.

Questions

Those wishing to ask questions are required to give notice of any such

questions electronically to the officer named on the front of this agenda no later than 5pm on 17 November 2020 in order to be guaranteed of a written response. In order to receive a verbal response questions must be submitted no later than 5pm on 19 November 2020.

Please contact the officer named on the front of this agenda for further advice.

Questions may be asked without notice if the Chairman decides that the matter is urgent. Details of any questions received will be circulated to members prior to the meeting and made available at the meeting and on the Council’s website and will be taken as read at the meeting.

As an extraordinary meeting only questions and statements related to the business to be considered were able to be submitted.

No questions or statements were received.

No Notices of Motion have been received for this meeting.

No notices of motion were submitted for the meeting.

As this is an extraordinary meeting of Council, and in accordance with the Council’s Constitution, questions can only be accepted in relation to the items on this agenda.

Members were required to give notice of any such question in writing to the officer names on the first page of this agenda no later than 5pm nine clear working days before the meeting, 10 November 2020, in order to be guaranteed a written response.

Any question received after 5pm on 10 November 2020 and no later than 5pm four clear working days before the meeting, 17 November 2020, may only receive a verbal response at the meeting. Questions may be asked without notice if the Chairman determines the matter is urgent.

Details of any questions received will be circulated to Members prior to the meeting and made available at the meeting and on the Council’s website.

No questions from Members were submitted for the meeting.

A report from the Chief Executive.

Councillor Pauline Church, Cabinet Member for Finance, Procurement and Investment, introduced the report which recommended to approve the counterparty list provided by Link Asset Services for the council’s lending criteria. The proposal was seconded by Councillor Philip Whitehead.

It was highlighted that Link Asset Services took a sophisticated approach to rate worthiness of counterparties and suggested duration of investments for the Council. Additionally, the proposal removed an unnecessary layer of technical criteria for counterparty assessments.

The Chairman then invited contributions from Group Leaders.

Councillor Philip Whitehead, Leader of the Council, supported the proposal as a simpler system. 

Councillor Ian Thorn, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group, raised question on a response that was outstanding from the last meeting about S106 contributions.  Additional questions were asked about how the council re-shaped debt, and about liquidity and borrowing.

Councillor Ernie Clark, Leader of the Independent Group, was also interested in the questions raised and in respect of borrowing.

Councillor Ricky Rogers, Leader of the Labour Group, welcomed and supported the proposal.

The Chairman then opened the matter for debate, during which questions were asked about what ‘counterparties’ are in practice and whether ethical matters were considered when selecting counterparties.

At the conclusion of debate and in response to questions raised, Councillor Church indicated she would provide responses in writing on the matters of s106 contributions and on ethical considerations when selecting counterparties. It was explained that counterparties were other institutions, into which the council invested, for example banks. It was confirmed there was no additional risk with the new proposals, but that there was a wider range of information available.

It was also explained the council rescheduled debt, where appropriate, as part of treasury management, however balanced this with penalties from moving out of investments it had committed to.  A reference to a breach at Handelsbanken was explained as minor and immediately rectified.

Following a vote, it was,

Resolved:

To approve the revised lending criteria, in that the Council uses the counterparty list provided by Link Asset Services, without any adjustment.

Note:  As set out in Appendix A, paragraph 32 – 35.

A report from the Director of Legal and Governance is attached.

To consider the Final Recommendations of the Electoral Review Committee for the Area Board Boundary Review.

Councillor Richard Clewer, Chairman of the Electoral Review Committee, presented the report and Final Recommendations of the Committee on the Area Board Boundary Review. This would finalise the composition of Area Boards following the scheduled elections in May 2021, following the changes made by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England in the Electoral Review of Wiltshire Council, and the Community Governance Reviews undertaken by the Council.

Councillor Clewer moved approval of the recommendations of the Committee, subject to amending the proposed name of the Southern Area Board to Southern Wiltshire Area Board, which was the preference of the Board. The proposal was seconded by Councillor Gavin Grant, Vice-Chairman of the Electoral Review Committee.

Councillor Clewer thanked Members and Officers for contributing to and supporting the work of the Committee in consulting with Area Boards and reviewing the responses received from parishes and individuals during the public consultation. It was confirmed that under the council’s constitution each unitary Division could only be placed in one Area Board, and that the Committee had resolved that no parish should be split between Area Boards.

Councillor Clewer then explained the proposals for each Area Board as detailed fully in the Final Recommendations document. Areas highlighted included;

·       The composition of Amesbury and Southern Wiltshire Area Boards which was complicated by three Divisions which needed to be included together to avoid splitting a parish;

·       Recognition of the rural elements of the Chippenham Area Board;

·       The composition of Devizes and Melksham Area Board where it was concluded on balance the Devizes Rural West Division should be included with Devizes Area Board although some of the parishes involved preferred otherwise

·       That Marlborough Area Board was reduced to three Divisions and would include an overarching Eastern Wiltshire Area Committee along with Pewsey and Tidworth. Though some individual parishes now within the Pewsey Area Board were not in favour of the proposals, but the Committee considered that the composition of Divisions and need for quorate Area Boards meant the proposals were the only appropriate option; And,

·       Other minor changes to Area Boards to align to the incoming Electoral Divisions.

The Chairman then invited Group Leaders to comment.

Councillor Philip Whitehead, Leader of the Council, thanked all involved for their work beginning with the Electoral Review and culminating in the Area Board Boundary proposal. He noted the potential for difficulty when amending boundaries and lauded the Committee for its collaborative approach to the issues that had avoided major dispute.

Councillor Ian Thorn, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group, added his thanks to the Members and Officers, and considered it a further good example of cross party working without political considerations.

Councillor Ernie Clark, Leader of the Independent Group, welcomed the proposals and added his thanks.

Councillor Ricky Rogers, Leader of the Labour Group, thanked all those involved on what was a difficult task. He noted that the proposals would not please everyone as some of the new Divisions were not sensible, but the Committee had worked in a non-political way  ...  view the full minutes text for item 94.