To approve and sign the minutes of the meeting held on 29 February 2016 as a correct record.

The minutes of the meeting held on 29 February 2016 were agreed.

Councillors will be asked to make declarations of interest in respect of items on this agenda. A flowchart providing guidance on interests is attached to assist councillors.

The following declarations of interest were made by councillors in accordance with the code of conduct in respect of items under consideration at the meeting -

The Monitoring Officer will submit a schedule of vacancies on committees, outside bodies etc and of changes notified to him.  

The Assistant Director and Head of Legal Services informed the Council that –

(a)        To receive announcements from the Lord Mayor, Chief Executive, Assistant Director for Finance or Head of Legal Services;

(b)        To receive announcements from the Leader, Cabinet Members or Committee Chairs.

To receive questions from and provide answers to the public in relation to matters which are about something the council is responsible for or something that directly affects people in the city, in accordance with Part B, paragraph 11 of the Constitution.

Questions, of no longer than 50 words, can be submitted to the Democratic Support Unit, Plymouth City Council, Ballard House, West Hoe Road, Plymouth, PL1 3BJ, or email to democraticsupport@plymouth.gov.uk. Any questions must be received at least five complete working days before the meeting.

There were no questions from members of the public.

Chair of the Co-operative Scrutiny Board, Councillor James

The City Council will be asked to note the recommendations agreed by the Co-operative Scrutiny Board on 2 March 2016.

Councillor James presented the recommendations of the Co-operatives Scrutiny Board’s report on the impact of the European Referendum on Plymouth.

The report was noted and Council agreed to direct the Assistant Director for Learning and Communities to encourage schools in Plymouth to hold debates on the EU referendum.

Chair of the Lord Mayor’s Selection Committee: Councillor Evans (Council Leader)

The City Council will be asked to approve the recommendation of the Lord Mayor’s Selection Committee, prior to the Annual Meeting, in accordance with Article 5.1.1 of the Council’s Constitution.

Councillor Evans (Leader) proposed and Councillor Mrs Beer seconded the recommendation of the Lord Mayor’s Selection Committee.

Agreed that the nomination of Councillor Murphy as Lord Mayor for 2016/17 is forwarded to the Council’s Annual General Meeting.

Councillor Murphy addressed the council following the vote.

(Councillor Vincent declared a disclosable pecuniary interest in the above item and left the meeting during this item)

Councillor Bowyer proposed and Councillor Nicholson seconded a motion on the Trident replacement programme.

During the debate Councillor Rennie proposed and Councillor Smith seconded a proposal to move straight to the vote.

Following a request from ten Councillors for a recorded vote the Council agreed to go straight to the vote.

For the motion (30) – Councillors Mrs Aspinall, Bowie, Mrs Bridgeman, Coker, Damarell, Dann, P Davey, S Davey, Evans, Fox, Hendy, Jarvis, Lowry, McDonald, Morris, Murphy, Penberthy, Rennie, Riley, Singh, Smith, Sparling, Stevens, Storer, Jon Taylor, Kate Taylor, Tuffin, Tuohy, Vincent and Wheeler.

Against the motion (25) – Councillors Ball, Mrs Beer, Bowyer, Mrs Bowyer, Churchill, Darcy, Deacon, Downie, Drean, Fletcher, Foster, Mrs Foster, Fry, James, Jordan, Kelly, Martin Leaves, Michael Leaves, Sam Leaves, Nicholson, Mrs Nicholson, Mrs Pengelly, Ricketts, Dr Salter and Wigens.

Abstentions (1) – Lord Mayor

Following a request from ten Councillors for a recorded vote on the motion, the motion was lost.

For the motion (25) – Councillors Ball, Mrs Beer, Bowyer, Mrs Bowyer, Churchill, Darcy, Deacon, Downie, Drean, Fletcher, Foster, Mrs Foster, Fry, James, Jordan, Kelly, Martin Leaves, Michael Leaves, Sam Leaves, Nicholson, Mrs Nicholson, Mrs Pengelly, Ricketts, Dr Salter and Wigens.

Against the motion (30) –Councillors Mrs Aspinall, Bowie, Mrs Bridgeman, Coker, Damarell, Dann, P Davey, S Davey, Evans, Fox, Hendy, Jarvis, Lowry, McDonald, Morris, Murphy, Penberthy, Rennie, Riley, Singh, Smith, Sparling, Stevens, Storer, Jon Taylor, Kate Taylor, Tuffin, Tuohy, Vincent and Wheeler.

Abstentions (1) – Lord Mayor

(Councillors Lowry and Nicholson declared a private interest in the above item)

Councillor Tuffin proposed and Councillor McDonald seconded a motion on the crown status of the Post Office.

Council agreed the motion as follows –

This Council notes with great concern that St Andrew Cross Crown Post Office is planned to be franchised into another Business.  This Council believes that a City Centre the size of Plymouth is fully deserving of a Post Office of Crown status, staffed by highly skilled and experienced post office employees.  Furthermore, this Council believes that this move would have a negative impact on the City Centre, and a detrimental effect on postal services being offered to the Plymouth public. 

Consequently, this Council wishes to express its opposition to the Post Office’s plan, and calls upon them to reverse their decision.

(Councillors Jordan, Martin Leaves and Sam Leaves declared private interests in the above item)

Councillor Jon Taylor proposed and Councillor Stevens seconded a motion on hospital parking charges.

During the debate Councillor Darcy proposed and Councillor Kelly seconded an amendment to the motion as follows –

As the National Health Service (NHS) was founded on the principle of access based on need and not an individual's ability to pay, Plymouth City Council notes with sadness that the Conservative Government has repeatedly failed to intervene to scrap hospital car parking charges. This failure has led to hospitals hiking up parking charges to plug gaps created by the Conservative Government's cuts to the NHS.  that successive Governments have repeatedly failed to intervene to scrap or halt the rise in hospital car parking charges.

Plymouth City Council believes this is little more than a stealth tax on the sick and their families causing financial hardship for many in Plymouth, especially those who have to visit hospital regularly for treatment or get to their workplace. There are direct consequences too for neighbourhoods close by such as Derriford, Thornhill Thornbury and Estover as staff avoid unaffordable parking charges by parking in surrounding areas causing problems for residents.

We therefore call on the Government to scrap hospital parking charges immediately for patients, carers and staff, so Plymothians can have access to free hospital parking which is already available elsewhere in the United Kingdom.

Further, we instruct the Scrutiny Management Board to look at this complex issue, as to whether the abolition of Derriford Hospital car parking charges for patients, carers, and staff is a viable option and to assess the impact on neighbouring residential areas.

The amendment was put to the vote and declared lost.

Councillor Evans proposed and Councillor Lowry seconded and Council agreed a proposal to move straight to the vote.

Council agreed the motion as follows -

As the National Health Service (NHS) was founded on the principle of access based on need and not an individual's ability to pay, Plymouth City Council notes with sadness that the Conservative Government has repeatedly failed to intervene to scrap hospital car parking charges. This failure has led to hospitals hiking up parking charges to plug gaps created by the Conservative Government's cuts to the NHS.

Plymouth City Council believes this is little more than a stealth tax on the sick and their families causing financial hardship for many in Plymouth, especially those who have to visit hospital regularly for treatment or get to their workplace. There are direct consequences too for neighbourhoods close by such as Derriford, Thornhill and Estover as staff avoid unaffordable parking charges by parking in surrounding areas causing problems for residents.

We therefore call on the Government to scrap hospital parking charges immediately for patients, carers and staff, so Plymothians can have access to free hospital parking which is already available elsewhere in the United Kingdom.

(Councillors Damarell and Riley declared a disclosable pecuniary interest in the above item and left the meeting during this item).

The Monitoring Officer and Head of Legal Services will submit a report about the Council and the Lord Mayor no longer nominating persons for appointment as Trustees to the Ernest Brock Home for the Aged charity.

Councillor Penberthy proposed and Councillor Evans seconded a recommendation on the Ernest Brock Home for the Aged Charity.

Agreed to approve the grant of consent to release the rights of the Council and the Lord Mayor to nominate persons for appointment as Trustees to the charity on the revised premise described.

(Councillors Churchill, Dann and Tuohy declared a private interest in the above item)

The Council Leader will submit a report on urgent key decisions taken since May 2015, for noting (paragraph 18.3 of the Access to Information Rules in the Constitution refer).

The Leader presented his report on urgent key decisions taken between May 2015 and March 2016.

The City Council will be asked to approve the draft Calendar of the Council and Committees for 2016/17 up to the next Annual General Meeting of the Council.

Councillor Smith proposed and Councillor Evans seconded the Annual Calendar of Council and Committee meetings 2016/17.

Agreed to adopt the calendar of meetings as set out in the agenda with the inclusion of Cabinet meeting on 28 June 2016.

Questions to the Leader, Cabinet Members and Committee Chairs covering aspects for their areas of responsibility or concern by councillors in accordance with Part B, paragraph 12 of the constitution.

Please note that questions and supplementary questions have been summarised.