Agenda and draft minutes

The minutes were confirmed and signed as a correct record.

Fundraising and events

The Chair thanked all those who attended his quiz night on Saturday 2 March and Councillor Pursehouse for running the quiz. The event had raised over £300 for the Chair’s charities.

The Chair thanked the Vice-Chair, who had attended several events in recent months on behalf of the Chair.

The Chair congratulated Councillor Sharp on the charity walk that he would be undertaking in May to raise money for mental health charities.

May elections

The Chair thanked those Councillors who were not seeking re-election (on 2^nd May) for their contribution to the work of the Council throughout their terms of office, and wished them well for the future. The Chair made reference to four areas of the work of the Council for which he was particularly proud. These were:

i)       The way the Council had responded to financial challenges.

ii)      The Council House Building Programme.

iii)     The Council’s refuse and recycling scheme.

iv)     Ensuring the Council’s leisure provider remained operational.

(i)            questions from residents and others working or studying in the District; and

(ii)           questions from Councillors.

Questions must be sent via email or in writing to Democratic Services by 5pm on 16 April 2024 and comply with all other aspects of Standing Order 30 of the Council’s Constitution.

A question had been submitted by Councillor Cooper. The question and response is attached at Appendix A.

R E S O L V E D – that the reports of the following meetings be received, and the recommendations therein be adopted:

            Planning Committee – 1 February 2024

            Audit & Scrutiny Committee – 6 February 2024

            Planning Committee – 29 February 2024

            Planning Committee – 7 March 2024

            Community Services Committee – 14 March 2024

            Housing Committee – 19 March 2024

            Planning Policy Committee – 21 March 2024

Minute 271 – Planning Inspector’s Report on the Examination of the Council’s Local Plan

Councillor Bloore, seconded by Councillor Prew, proposed the following amendment to recommendation B of Minute 271:

B.    all of the existing evidence base for ‘Our Local Plan 2033’ be withheld by the Council until such time that it can be reviewed and updated as part of the preparation of a new Local Plan; To avoid the potential for out-of-date evidence being put forward for material consideration in new planning applications, the evidence base should not be made publicly available on the Council’s website and afforded no weight in the decision making until such time as it is reviewed and updated; and

Councillor Sayer, supported by the requisite number of other Members as requested by Standing Order 13(4), requested that the amendment be the subject of a recorded vote. The results of the vote was as follows:

For

Councillors Black, Bloore, Groves, Prew, Pursehouse, Windsor (6)

Against

Councillors Bilton, Blackwell, Booth, Botten, Crane, Damesick, Evans, Chris Farr, Sue Farr, Gaffney, Gillman, Gray, Alun Jones, Langton, Lee, Moore, North, O’Driscoll, O’Riordan, Robinson, Sayer, Shiner, Smith, Colin White, Nicholas White, Wren (26)

Abstain

Councillors Allen, Chotai, Cooper, Hammond, Anna Jones, Patel, Sharp, Steeds (8)

            Strategy & Resources Committee – 26 March 2024

            Standards Committee – 9 April 2024