Full Council - 25 February 2014

To: ALL MEMBERS OF THE THREE RIVERS DISTRICT COUNCIL

You are hereby summoned to attend an ordinary meeting of the Council to be held in the Penn Chamber, Three Rivers House, Rickmansworth, on Tuesday 25 February 2014 at 7.30pm for the purpose of transacting the under-mentioned business:-

A G E N D A

1.   APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

2.   MINUTES

To confirm as a correct record the Minutes of the Council meeting held on 10 December 2013 (pages A1 to A17) and of the Extraordinary meeting of the Council held on 27 January 2014 (pages B1 to B2).

13 12 10 CL mins (doc)

4.  LEADER’S REPORT

5.  STRATEGIC SERVICE AND FINANCIAL PLANNING 2014-2017

To receive the recommendations from the Administration on Strategic, Service and Financial Planning.  (Members are requested to bring to the meeting the papers circulated for the Executive Committee meeting on 27 January 2014).  (Members are referred to the procedural rule for budget setting which is attached at page C1).

14 02 25 CL i - (05) strategic service and fin planning-app (doc)

14 02 25 CL i - (05) strategic service and fin planning (libdem recs) (doc)

14 02 25 CL i - (05) strategic service and fin planning (conservative recs) (doc)

This report allows the Council to set the District element of the Council Tax for 2014/2015.  (Figures to be tabled at the meeting) (pages D1 – D6).

14 02 25 CL i - (06) council tax - district element report (doc)

7.  SETTING THE COUNCIL TAX

This report allows the Council to set the Council Tax for 2014/2015.  (Figures to be tabled at the meeting). (pages E1 – E4).

14 02 25 CL i - (07) council tax - setting the council tax report (doc)

8.  QUESTIONS FROM THE PUBLIC UNDER PROCEDURE RULE 16

(None received).

9.   PETITIONS UNDER PROCEDURE RULE 19

 (None received).

10. DISCUSSION TOPIC UNDER PROCEDURE RULE 17

(None received).

11.  MOTIONS UNDER PROCEDURE RULE 11

(1)  Councillor Ann Shaw OBE, seconded by Councillor Phil Brading, to move under Notice duly given as follows:

Flooding

Three Rivers District Council (TRDC) expresses sympathy with those local residents whose homes and property have recently been flooded.

The Council will be considering carefully the lessons learnt from recent experience and planning what can be done to reduce the impact of such weather conditions in future, including the prevention and alleviation of flooding. In order to achieve greater clarity about where the responsibility for action lies, and better communications between the bodies concerned, the Council will undertake a review of the ‘emergency plan’ including the level of service to be provided.

The Council thanks TRDC staff, the emergency services and other agencies for the prompt action taken to assist local residents during the recent unprecedented rainfall. Significant resources were deployed to cope with the flooding in a number of locations. The Council resolves to give whatever support it can reasonably and practically provide to the residents and communities of Three Rivers in the protection of both public and private property.

(2)  Councillor David Sansom, seconded by Councillor Tony Barton, to move under Notice duly given as follows:

This Council notes the stage two report on the William Penn Leisure Centre Refurbishment project produced by the District Auditors Grant Thornton and its commitment to the implementation of its recommendations.

Grant Thornton identified the key factor underpinning all the issues encountered on this project as the absence of a clear formal project management approach.  Also the lack of suitable training for members charged with the political oversight of the project were also highlighted as contributory factors in the projects difficulties.

This Council therefore specifically commits to ensuring that senior staff responsible for managing future major projects are full time and suitably qualified to at least PRINCE 2 at practitioner level or equivalent. That members are provided with suitable training to ensure they are equipped to scrutinise and oversee the project and that the recommended project management documentation is provided and maintained to enable members to monitor progress and performance.

PRINCE2 Definition

PRINCE2 (an acronym for Projects IN Controlled Environments) is a de facto process-based method for effective project management. Used extensively by the UK Government, PRINCE2 is also widely recognised and used in the private sector, both in the UK and internationally. The PRINCE2 method is in the public domain, and offers non-proprietorial best practice guidance on project management.

See more at: http://www.prince2.com/what-is-prince2#sthash.4w0DiaLs.dpuf

Project Management Documentation

Project initiation document
Risk register and issues log
Project plan
Project communications plan
Project sponsor
Project team
Project board.

(3)  Councillor Ana Bakshi to move under Notice duly given as follows:

Three Rivers District Council should review opportunities for young adults in the 16-24 year old age bracket within the District. This should be done by assessing whether there is anything else that could pro-actively be done to engage and support young adults within the District, especially by way of connecting them with opportunities that could enhance their employment or self-employment prospects, particularly given the current youth unemployment climate nationally.

Figures contained within the Number of Young People, 2011 Census in Three Rivers suggest that there are approximately 8,513 young adults (16-24) within our District.

In order to help address the pressing issue of youth unemployment this Council should:

1.   Review what it is doing/presently supporting for youth employment/self-employment;

2.   Review what else it could potentially be doing, by researching what neighbouring Councils are doing, what nationally the Government is offering, what national youth employment/self-employment organisations are offering;

3.   Based on above, assess whether there is are any further initiatives the Council could lead on to promote employment and self-employment (by way of encouraging entrepreneurship) for our young adults, even if it is a case of simply publicising opportunities more pro-actively.

That this Council seeks to:

1.   Encourage young adults, who are still students to build careers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) areas, specifically as there is growing employment demand within these sectors.

2.  Create partnerships with Universities and their widening participation teams which encourage skills and knowledge development amongst young adults

12.  RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

To consider the recommendations of the Executive Committee at its meeting held on 27 January 2014:

• Minute EX81/13 - Hertfordshire Child and Family Poverty Strategy 2014-17 Consultation
• Minute EX85/13 – Council Calendar 2014/15
• Minute EX86/13 – Consideration of Recommendations from the Constitution Working Party - Future Governance Arrangements

Council are asked to approve the proposed changes to Parts 1 (Summary and Explanation), 2 (Articles in the Constitution), 3 (Responsibility for Functions) and 4 (Rules of Procedure) of the Council Constitution as reported to the Executive Committee on 27 January 2014 for recommendation to Council, subject to discussion and agreement at Council on Article 6 (Policy and Resources Committee) and 7 (Service Committees); agreement on the Lead Member/Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Service Committees areas of responsibility and amendments to the Council Procedure Rules.

14 01 25 CL i - (12) constitution - revision January 2014 part 1 (doc)

14 01 25 CL i - (12) financial procedure rules (doc)

Minute EX88/13 – Contracts Procedure Rules (CPR)

13.  REPORTS AND QUESTIONS TO THE LEADER, CABINET AND CHAIRMEN OF THE POLICY AND SCRUTINY, AUDIT, PLANNING, LICENSING, SHARED SERVICES AND REGULATORY SERVICES COMMITTEES

LEADER OF THE COUNCIL

Councillor Ty Harris to ask the Leader of the Council:

1.  "Will the Council reimburse residents costs for protecting their homes from flooding, and will the Council be able to recover these costs?"

2.  "Following the Council voting against the motion to amend the policy for compulsory additional redundancy payments on 10 December 2013, can the Leader explain how much the highest paid senior manager would receive if they were entitled to the full compulsory maximum of 66 weeks pay?"

3.  "Does the Leader believe her literature in the 2007 Liberal Democrat Best Practice Guide Number 3 still represents her best practice and that of the administration and Council today?"

Councillor David Sansom to ask the Leader of the Council:

Will Three Rivers continue with the policy of charging residents for sandbags?

Do you think Council offices are more important than people’s homes?

How many homes have to be flooded for Three Rivers District Council to consider it an emergency?

Councillor Paula Hiscocks to ask the Leader of the Council:

Will TRDC work with the Environment Agency to raise the river bank in Scotsbridge Fields to improve the protection of homes and buildings in Park Road and Fortune Common from flooding?

SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENT

Reports from the Cabinet Member for Environment (Cllr Martin Trevett), Cabinet Member for Sustainability (Cllr Sara Bedford) and the Chairman of the Sustainable Environment Policy and Scrutiny Committee (Cllr Alison Scarth) and questions.

LEISURE AND COMMUNITY SAFETY

Reports from the Cabinet Member for Leisure and Community (Cllr Keith Williams), Cabinet Member for Community Safety (Cllr Roger Seabourne) and the Chairman of the Leisure and Community Safety Policy and Scrutiny Committee (Cllr Steve Drury) and questions.

PUBLIC SERVICES AND HEALTH

Reports from the Cabinet Member for Public Services and Health (Cllr Phil Brading) and the Chairman of the Public Services and Health Policy and Scrutiny Committee (Cllr Stephen Giles-Medhurst) and questions.

RESOURCES

Reports from the Cabinet Member for Resources (Cllr Matthew Bedford) and the Chairman of the Resources Policy and Scrutiny Committee (Cllr Sarah Nelmes) and questions.

SHARED SERVICES

Report from and questions to the Vice-Chairman of the Joint Shared Services Committee (Cllr Brian White).

AUDIT COMMITTEE

Report from and questions to the Chairman of the Audit Committee (Cllr Sarah Nelmes).

PLANNING COMMITTEE

Report from and questions to the Chairman of the Planning Committee (Cllr Chris Whately-Smith).

LICENSING

Report from and questions to the Chairman of the Licensing Committee (Cllr Pam Hames).

REGULATORY SERVICES

Report from and questions to the Chairman of the Regulatory Services Committee (Cllr Pam Hames).

14.  REPORTS OF MEETINGS

With the exception of the Executive, Regulatory, Licensing, and Audit Committees’ recommendations to Council, the following reports are submitted for information only:-

Extraordinary Executive Committee - 21 January 2014 (doc)

Executive Committee - 27 January 2014 (doc)

Joint Shared Services Committee (Three Rivers) - 13 January 2014 (doc)

Leisure and Community Safety Policy and Scrutiny Committee - 15 January 2014 (doc)

Planning Committee - 12 December 2013 (doc)

Planning Committee - 23 January 2014 (doc)

Public Services and Health Policy and Scrutiny Committee - 16 January 2014 (doc)

Extraordinary Regulatory Services Committee - 14 January 2014 (doc)

Extraordinary Regulatory Services Committee - 6 February 2014 (doc)

Resources Policy and Scrutiny Committee - 9 January 2014 (doc)

Sustainable Environmental Policy and Scrutiny Committee - 14 January 2014 (doc)

 Chief Executive
17 February 2014

Three Rivers House
Northway
Rickmansworth
Herts WD3 1RL

NOTE AS TO PRAYERS: Rabbi Aaron Goldstein from the Northwood and Pinner Liberal Synagogue will read prayers at 7.25pm.  Members who are not already in their places are requested to refrain from entering the Chamber during the reading of prayers.  Sufficient time will be allowed for Members to do so after the close of prayers in order that the business of the meeting may begin at 7.30pm.