Agenda item

Please note that Councillors are required to give notice of any such questions in writing to the officer named on the first page of this agenda (acting on behalf of the Corporate Director) not later than 5pm on Tuesday 10 October 2017. Questions may be asked without notice if the Chairman decides that the matter is urgent. 

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

The Chairman reported receipt of eight questions for this meeting from Councillors Jon Hubbard, Ian Thorn, Nick Fogg, and Alan Hill. details of which were circulated in Agenda Supplement No. 1.

Questioners were permitted to each ask one relevant supplementary question

per question submitted and where they did so, the relevant Cabinet member

responded as summarised below:

1.    Councillor Jon Hubbard to Councillor Baroness Scott (Ref 17-53)

There was no supplementary question.

2.    Councillor Ian Thorn to Councillor Toby Sturgis (Ref 17-54)

There was no supplementary question.

3.    Councillor Nick Fogg to Councillor Bridget Wayman (Ref 17-49)

In response to a supplementary question, Councillor Wayman stated that: there had been a response to the consultation, that there was no preferred option identified in the consultation, and that she did no personally support further devolution of collection to a lower tier of government.

4.    Councillor Alan Hill to Councillor Philip Whitehead (Ref 17-59)

Councillor Whitehead gave a detailed verbal response, included in the appendix to these minutes, regarding the current progress and the likely implications regarding the roll-out of the Universal Credit scheme.

5.    Councillor Ian Thorn to Councillor Toby Sturgis (Ref 17-55)

In response to a supplementary question, Councillor Sturgis stated that a business plan would be required to assess the viability of any options.

6.    Councillor Jon Hubbard to Councillor Bridget Wayman (Ref 17-58)

Councillor Wayman gave a verbal response, appended to these minutes, to the effect that charities should only be collecting goods that can be reused and should not be collecting goods that require disposal.

In response to a supplementary question, Councillor Wayman stated that she would consult with officers as to the whether this approach contradicts other regulations that state that charities should not be charged for disposal of waste that would otherwise be treated as domestic waste.

7.    Councillor Ian Thorn to Councillor Toby Sturgis (Ref 17-59)

In addition to the written response circulated, Councillor Sturgis clarified that whilst Core Policy 49 was concerned with the protection of rural facilities, a similar approach could be taken to apply to facilities in other settings.

In response to a supplementary question, Councillor Sturgis stated that he did not agree that the council should identify where this policy applied for the disposal of assets.

In response to a supplementary question, Councillor Wayman stated that she would consult with officers as to the whether this approach contradicts other regulations that state that charities should not be charged for disposal of waste that would otherwise be treated as domestic waste.

8.    Councillor Jon Hubbard to Councillor Bridget Wayman (Ref 17-60)

Councillor Wayman gave a verbal response, appended to these minutes, to the effect that officers and the council’s contractors had met with the representative of the local community safety partnership to agree work on the CCTV system. Following this agreement, further request for work were received, but as there was no further funding available, it was not felt necessary for further meetings to take place.

Councillor Wayman stated that she would respond at a later date as to whether this approach had missed an opportunity for the Town Council to consider additional funding.

In response to a supplementary question, Councillor Wayman stated that she would consult with officers as to the whether this approach contradicts other regulations that state that charities should not be charged for disposal of waste that would otherwise be treated as domestic waste.