Venue: Blackbourne Community Centre, Elmswell IP30 9UH
Contact: Committee Services
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DECLARATION OF INTERESTS BY COUNCILLORS Minutes: 18.1 Councillor Caston declared a disclosable pecuniary interest in respect of Item 13a, Motion on Notice and declared that he would leave the room for this item. |
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MC/23/6 TO CONFIRM THE MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON 22 MAY 2023 PDF 111 KB Additional documents: Minutes: It was RESOLVED:-
That the Minutes of the meeting held on 22 May 2023 be confirmed and signed as a true record.
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MC/23/7 CHAIRMAN'S ANNOUNCEMENTS PDF 55 KB Minutes: 20.1 The Chair referred Councillors to paper MC/23/7 for noting.
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LEADER'S ANNOUNCEMENTS PDF 63 KB Minutes: 21.1 Councillor Mellen, Leader of the Council made the following announcements:-
We are now over two months into this new council term – and I hope that all new members are now settling into their role as councillors. The initial induction and training is largely done, and committees and working groups have started to meet and conduct the council’s work. For the new administration it has been a busy start:
Work is continuing to establish our key strategic priorities. The council’s Corporate Plan refresh starts soon; our Residents’ Survey – so important to help us understand the views and needs of our communities – launches this week; and our State of the District report will also soon be published. These will all influence and shape what we do to improve our district over the next four years.
However, as a new administration, we have already tasked officers with a series of initial actions that we want to see happen quickly. I am happy to introduce these to council today and outline the progress that has already being made.
Firstly, we want to make an immediate improvement to the local environment by cleaning up litter and improving the appearance of the district. This will involve our own staff in extra clearance work, and we also want to encourage parish and town councils and residents to get involved too. We are creating a fund for additional cleaning work across the district, to help encourage community action and enhance pride in where we live. We want this to reach every town and every village, as well as main roads like the A14 and A140. The campaign will be called Pride in Your Place, and will be launched next month, members will receive further details in due course.
Secondly, we want our council to feel closer to its communities. We already taken some council meetings, such as this one, out of Ipswich and back in the district that we represent - I am delighted that we can be here in Elmswell this evening. The cabinet meeting last week was at the John Peel Centre in Stowmarket. Other meetings will take place in the district where this is appropriate. We also want to improve residents’ access to the council: a new improved website is coming, and whilst there has already been a reduction in call waiting times when our residents call us, we want to improve this further.
We see an immediate need to ramp up work on making more homes energy efficient. Keeping people warm for less is vital during the cost-of-living crisis and also helps reduce our carbon footprint. We already have £2 million set aside for this purpose, agreed at the budget meeting earlier this year. We are designing a scheme to fund or subsidise home insulation measures for those in greatest need, discussions have already started with others working in this space and we aim to launch this in time to make an impact this winter.
Next, we want to ... view the full minutes text for item 21. |
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TO RECEIVE NOTIFICATION OF PETITIONS IN ACCORDANCE WITH COUNCIL PROCEDURE RULES In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 11, The Chief Executive will report the receipt of any petitions. There can be no debate or comment upon these matters at the Council meeting. Minutes: 22.1 None received. |
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QUESTIONS BY THE PUBLIC IN ACCORDANCE WITH COUNCIL PROCEDURE RULES The Chairman of the Council to answer any questions by the public of which notice has been given no later than midday three clear working days before the day of the meeting in accordance with Council Procedure Rule No. 12.
Minutes: 23.1 None received. |
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QUESTIONS BY COUNCILLORS IN ACCORDANCE WITH COUNCIL PROCEDURE RULES PDF 49 KB The Chairman of the Council, Chairs of Committees and Sub-Committees and Portfolio Holders to answer any questions on any matters in relation to which the Council has powers or duties or which affect the District of which due notice has been given in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 13. Minutes: Question 1
Councillor Whitehead to Councillor Mellen, Leader of the Council
At Full Council in September 2021, Councillor Mellen asked the then Leader of the Council a question as follows: - “We are going to have to start asking our residents to start making difficult choices in the years ahead about how they live, how they travel, what they eat, and how they heat their homes. Is this administration ready to provide the leadership on this issue that Mid Suffolk needs?” Nearly two years on, and with Councillor Mellen now the Leader of this council, can I ask him, for the benefit of both myself and the residents in my ward, to set out in detail against each of the four matters he raised – “live”, “travel”, “eat” and “heat” – what are difficult choices he will be requiring of Mid Suffolk residents in the years ahead?
Response from Councillor Mellen
I am grateful to Councillor Whitehead for his question and I will attempt to answer it with the detail he has requested – though I think to unpack these issues comprehensively would require a lot more time than the chairman would allow. Let me start by saying that I don’t in any way resile from the point I was trying to make back in September 2021. I do believe that we will all face difficult choices in the years ahead, but these choices are not forced on residents by me, or by this administration, they come about because of the scale of the challenge that climate change is bringing, and the very urgent need for resilience building and adaptation. Now I’m not sure exactly what Councillor Whitehead’s believes about climate change, I think he did vote in favour of declaring a climate emergency back in July 2019 though it was not a recorded vote so I can’t be sure. But let’s just say for the benefit of anyone who is doubtful that there are some very loud warning bells ringing just now: Let me just quote a couple of key voices: The director general of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, speaking at the COP27 summit in Egypt last autumn, said that, “We are on a highway to climate hell with our foot still on the accelerator.” The International Panel on Climate Change in its most recent report published earlier this year said that, “There is a rapidly closing window of opportunity to secure a liveable and sustainable future for all”. Anyone watching the TV news this week will have seen the reality of a changing climate in various locations around the world as temperature records have once again been broken. Arizona is now on its 19th straight day of temperatures over 43 degrees Celsius. There are record-breaking wildfires in Canada, Greece, the Canary Islands and California. In Italy the government has advised tourists in the capital to stay out of the scorching daytime sun. The warning from the World Meteorological Organisation is that these extremes are ... view the full minutes text for item 24. |
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MC/23/8 OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY COMMITTEE ANNUAL REPORT 2022/23 AND WORK PLAN 2023/24 PDF 161 KB Chair of Overview and Scrutiny Committee Additional documents:
Minutes: 25.1 The Chair invited Councillor Caston, Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee to introduce the report.
25.2 Councillor Caston introduced the report and invited Mr Keith Welham, former Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee to provide an overview of the Annual Report.
25.3 Councillor Eburne questioned whether the General Fund and Housing Revenue Account reviews would continue the approach of looking at the assumptions ahead of looking at the budgets as this had worked well the previous year. Councillor Caston responded that it was intended to follow the same format as the previous year.
25.4 Councillor Eburne further questioned whether the annual review of Citizens Advice and Cost of Living Crisis That the Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee supports the 30% uplift to Local Citizens Advice and the work being conducted as a result and recommends that this support continues for a further 2 years, and what the progress was on the steering group. Councillor Caston responded that he would speak to officers to get an update on the steering group.
25.5 Councillor Matthissen asked if Councillor Caston could publicise more widely the Councillor call to action as many issues arise with multiple different agencies, some of which are outside of the Council. Councillor Caston responded that work was ongoing to help promote the role of scrutiny and what can be scrutinised on social media and working out how greater public participation can be achieved.
25.6 The Overview and Scrutiny Annual Report 2022/2023 and Work Plan 2023/24 was noted.
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MC/23/9 GREENHOUSE GAS REPORT 2021-22 PDF 93 KB Cabinet Member for Environment Additional documents: Minutes: 26.1 The Chair invited Councillor Winch to introduce the report.
26.2 Councillor Winch gave an overview of the report and proposed the recommendations. Councillor Austin Davies seconded this motion.
26.3 Councillor Caston questioned the use of oil burners and what the conversion rate between litre of oil used and Carbon emissions produced. The Director Economic Growth and Climate Change stated that a response would be provided outside of the meeting.
26.4 Councillor Mansel queried the transition to Carbon Neutral graph and whether the graph should not be a straight line and would be more of a staggered decline. The Director – Economic Growth and Climate Change responded that whilst there was a Carbon Reduction Management Plan, the actions within the plan had not been prioritised and that the Task and Finish Group would look at these actions to achieve the targets.
26.5 Councillor Whitehead referred to page 56 of the report and questioned the intensity measurements and whether the measurement of CO2e per resident is accurate as 56.6% of emissions came from leisure centres or sheltered housing which was not used by the majority of residents. The Director – Economic Growth and Climate Change responded that this would be revisited ahead of the final report.
26.6 Councillor Whitehead further questioned the EPC rating of E for Endeavour House and whether this effects the renewal of the lease as after April 2027 rentals cannot be under an EPC rating of C. Councillor Winch responded that when the 2030 deadline was reached this would have to come under review, and that pressure would need to be put on the landlord in order to reduce this rating.
26.7 Councillor Eburne questioned whether the proposed Task and Finish Group could look at things outside of the reporting framework and if they could not how things outside of the report could be addressed. The Director – Economic Growth and Climate Change responded that there was flexibility within the guidelines to bring more into the scope and within the Carbon Reduction Management Plan there was work ongoing to capture a wider community and business focus.
26.8 Councillor Caston stated that the 2.2 tonnes per carbon per resident was not a good measure as the Carbon was generated by the Council and not it’s residents. He also stated that the Council needed to be aware of the use of external contractors and their inability to provide the emissions they used. Additionally, he stated that the use of offsetting needed to be reduced and the focus should be on the reduction of the use of Carbon.
26.9 Councillor Eburne stated that the report was out of date, and it would be interesting to see what the current report was and how current work would impact it. Whilst the focus of the report was narrow, all Councillors had the ability to show leadership and influence across the district to encourage carbon reduction.
26.10 Councillor Austin Davis agreed that the use of offsetting should be reduced. He added that the ... view the full minutes text for item 26.
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MC/23/10 REVIEW OF THE DELIVERY OF THE 2023 DISTRICT, TOWN & PARISH ELECTIONS PDF 91 KB The Returning Officer Additional documents:
Minutes: 27.1 The Chair invited the Chief Executive to introduce report MC/23/10.
27.2 Councillor Mellen proposed the recommendations as set out in the report, Councillor Caston seconded the motion.
27.3 Councillor Mellen thanked the Chief Executive for his quick and detailed look at the issues when they arose.
27.4 Councillor Caston praised the work of officers at the polling station and count as the process was done well and efficiently.
27.5 Councillor Patchett questioned whether the bills to parishes had been sent out and whether a reduction was given to those who had a disrupted electoral system, and how it would be dealt with if a bigger reduction was requested. The Chief Executive responded that it is relayed to parishes ahead of the election what the cost is going to be, and there were savings due to the district and parish elections being run simultaneously. The majority of parishes were unaffected and there was the option for parishes that were impact to make representation of their concerns.
27.6 Councillor Bradbury queried how many residents did not make it into the polling stations due to voter ID and how many left when they discovered they did not have ID. The Chief Executive responded that these figures would be provided outside of the meeting, and that a comparison could be done of turnout between the previous election in 2019.
27.7 Councillor Eburne asked for clarification on if there was a project plan in place, and when the practice election would take place. The Chief Executive responded that there had been more project support in place at a corporate level than there had been at previous elections, and that a standard template for election planning was used. Additionally, the test election would be a test of the digital software.
27.8 Councillor Eburne further questioned when the preparations for the Police Crime Commissioner and Suffolk County Council elections would begin. The Chief Executive responded that the action plan would cover three key areas: the shared learning from this election especially in areas such as the nominations process, the changes in legislation that came in alongside voter ID, and preparing for the next round of elections and that process started now but it would not formally until Police Area Returning Officer was appointed.
27.9 Councillor Penny questioned why the nomination process was not run online as people had to travel to hand in their papers, and digital forms may reduce the risk of error. The Chief Executive responded that whilst the system was outdated, it is a legal requirement to do the process on paper and nomination papers had to be handed in in person. Nominations could be received at points within the District to minimise travel for parishes.
27.10 Councillor Mansel queried whether the deadline for postal votes was within the Council’s power or whether that was down to the electoral commission. The Chief Executive responded that the deadline for postal vote processing was part of the legislation, however the Council did have the decision ... view the full minutes text for item 27.
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COUNCILLOR APPOINTMENTS To agree the following appointments:
DIRECTOR - FREEPORT EAST LTD Rachel Eburne
EAST SUFFOLK WATER MANAGEMENT BOARD David Bradbury
IPSWICH STRATEGIC AREA PLANNING BOARD John Matthissen (Sub)
SUFFOLK FLOOD RISK MANAGEMENT SCRUTINY SUB COMMITTEE Dave Penny (Sub)
SUFFOLK POLICE AND CRIME PANEL James Patchett (Sub)
SUFFOLK WASTE PARTNERSHIP Tim Weller (replacing Teresa Davis)
WESTERN SUFFOLK COMMUNITY SAFETY PARTNERSHIP (WSCSP) Lucy Elkin (Sub)
JOINT GYPSY & TRAVELLER STEERING GROUP Anders Linder Nicky Willshere
SUFFOLK JOINT STANDARDS BOARD Adrienne Marriott
Minutes: 28.1 The appointments as set out in the agenda were proposed by Councillor Mellen. Councillor Mansel seconded the recommendation.
By 27 votes for and 1 against.
It was RESOLVED: -
That the following appointments be made:
DIRECTOR - FREEPORT EAST LTD Rachel Eburne
EAST SUFFOLK WATER MANAGEMENT BOARD David Bradbury
IPSWICH STRATEGIC AREA PLANNING BOARD John Matthissen (Sub)
SUFFOLK FLOOD RISK MANAGEMENT SCRUTINY SUB COMMITTEE Dave Penny (Sub)
SUFFOLK POLICE AND CRIME PANEL James Patchett (Sub)
SUFFOLK WASTE PARTNERSHIP Tim Weller (replacing Teresa Davis)
WESTERN SUFFOLK COMMUNITY SAFETY PARTNERSHIP (WSCSP) Lucy Elkin (Sub)
JOINT GYPSY & TRAVELLER STEERING GROUP Anders Linder Nicky Willshere
SUFFOLK JOINT STANDARDS BOARD Adrienne Marriott
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MOTIONS ON NOTICE |
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TO CONSIDER THE MOTION ON NOTICE RECEIVED FROM COUNCILLOR MELLEN For the avoidance of doubt, Mid Suffolk District Council considers its role of protecting and promoting the interests of the district’s communities, businesses and environment to be of utmost importance and we recognise the contribution Mid Suffolk makes to the unique character and quality of Suffolk and the wider eastern region.
The Council acknowledges the national importance of strategic energy infrastructure for the transition to net zero. We have previously stated a preference for a coordinated, offshore approach to the delivery of transmission reinforcement, import and export objectives including consolidation of offshore connections and onshore infrastructure together with appropriate management of construction activities to effectively minimise and mitigate harm to Suffolk’s communities and environment.
While the Council will be making a formal response to the non-statutory consultation on the Norwich to Tilbury overhead line project (formerly East Anglia Green) in due course, through this motion we re-state publicly, on behalf of our communities, our objection to the proposed pylon line, and our strong preference for an integrated offshore approach.
We therefore agree that the Chair of the Council will write to the relevant government minister to communicate these objections.
Proposer: Cllr Andrew Mellen Seconder: Cllr Andrew Stringer Minutes: 30.1 Councillor Caston left the meeting at 19:18pm.
30.2 Councillor Mellen PROPOSED the motion which asked the Chairman of the Council to write to the relevant government minister in order to formally object to the Norwich to Tilbury overhead line project.
30.3 Councillor Stringer SECONDED the motion.
30.4 Members debated the motion, discussing issues including: that the government needed to address the issue with electricity distribution more widely and not just the Norwich to Tilbury project, that the council should bring the districts landscapes and their history into the consultation with national grid to show their value and so they do not get destroyed, if there was anything that could be done to encourage neighbouring districts to write similar letters to the relevant government minister, that negotiations could take place to run powerlines underground, that a solution is required to not just push back the proposal but implement change in how the network is coordinated with the offshore grid.
30.5 The Chair added that he was happy to write the letter and Members were welcome to send it to their parish councils, it would also be sent to the relevant minister, any local members of the house of lords and the leader of the Essex Suffolk Norfolk Pylons Group.
By a unanimous vote.
It was RESOLVED: -
For the avoidance of doubt, Mid Suffolk District Council considers its role of protecting and promoting the interests of the district’s communities, businesses and environment to be of utmost importance and we recognise the contribution Mid Suffolk makes to the unique character and quality of Suffolk and the wider eastern region.
The Council acknowledges the national importance of strategic energy infrastructure for the transition to net zero. We have previously stated a preference for a coordinated, offshore approach to the delivery of transmission reinforcement, import and export objectives including consolidation of offshore connections and onshore infrastructure together with appropriate management of construction activities to effectively minimise and mitigate harm to Suffolk’s communities and environment.
While the Council will be making a formal response to the non-statutory consultation on the Norwich to Tilbury overhead line project (formerly East Anglia Green) in due course, through this motion we re-state publicly, on behalf of our communities, our objection to the proposed pylon line, and our strong preference for an integrated offshore approach.
We therefore agree that the Chair of the Council will write to the relevant government minister to communicate these objections.
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