To approve and sign the minutes of the meeting held on 17 September 2018 as a correct record.

Agreed the minutes of the meeting held on the 17 September 2018.

Members will be asked to declare interests in respect of items on the agenda.

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 Acting Monitoring Officer will report on vacancies on committees, outside bodies etc and of changes notified to us for Council to note.

Council noted the following changes to appoints to committee and outside bodies –

(a)        To receive announcements from the Lord Mayor, Chief Executive, Assistant Director for Finance or Acting Monitoring Officer;

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

a)    Lord Mayor

·         Annual Superintendents Award

·         Silver Defence Employer Recognition Scheme Award

The Leader, Cabinet Members or Chairs of Committees

b)    The Leader

·         Barden Corporation

·         GMB Making it Campaign

·         Thales UK Maritime Autonomy Centre

·         Marine and Coastguard Agency occupation at Oceans Gate

·         Union Street Footbridge

c)    Councillor Sue Dann (Cabinet Member for Environment and Street Scene)

·         European Grant Funding Awarded toward becoming a Carbon Neutral City

·         Warms Home Fund successful funding bid (subject to contract)

·         Central Park Vandalism / Anti-Social Behaviour

d)    Councillor Sue McDonald (Cabinet Member for Children and Young People)

·      Trevi House Pause Plymouth Project

e)    Councillor Ian Tuffin (Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care)

·         Assurances that only 34 clients from across the Social and Healthcare systems will be affected by the withdrawal of allied healthcare from domiciliary care contracts

·         The Red Bag Scheme

·         Launch of Culinary Care Teams Training

f)     Councillor Bill Stevens (Chair of Planning)

·           Changes to the Neighbourhood Planning System

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 three questions from members of the public –

The Lord Mayor moved that to vary the order of the agenda to deal with the Motion on Notice for reducing accidents involved immoveable objects on our roads.  The Deputy Lord Mayor seconded the motion.  Following vote the motion was carried.

Councillor Mark Coker (Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning and Infrastructure) proposed a motion on reducing acceidents involving immovable objects on our roads. Councillor Sue Dann (Cabinet Member for Environment and Street Scene) seconded the motion.

Following a debate, Council agreed that –

1.    Plymouth City Council to voluntarily consider in all future developments the repositioning of all immovable objects such as trees, road signs and lampposts away from the road curtilage;

2.      The Chief Executive and Leader to write to the Secretary of State of the Department of Transport stating the need for a national policy on immovable objects on roads to be adopted on all roads that have a speed limit of 40mph or higher,  on all major strategic routes e.g. motorways and ‘A’ roads.

The City Council will be asked to approve the Medium Term Financial Strategy.

Councillor Mark Lowry (Cabinet Member for Finance) introduced the Medium Term Financial, seconded by Councillor Tudor Evans OBE, for approval.

Following a short debate Council agreed the Medium Term Financial Strategy.

The City Council are asked to approve the recommendations within the report, following consideration at Cabinet on the 13 November 2018.

Councillor Mark Lowry (Cabinet Member for Finance) introduced the Capital and Revenue Monitoring Report 2018/19 – Quarter 2 and recommendations for approval.  Councillor Tudor Evans (Leader) seconded the report.   Councillor Lowry highlighted that there was a slight amendment to recommendation 2 which should read £581.3m.

Following a debate Council agreed to –

1.    note the current revenue monitoring position and associated action plans

2.    approve that the Capital Budget 2018-2023 is revised to £581.3m as shown at Table 6 on page 15 of the supplement pack.

That the City Council will be asked to adopt the Gambling Act Statement of Licensing Policy contained in Appendix A with effect from 31 January 2019.

Councillor Haydon (Cabinet member for Customer Focus and Community Safety) introduced a report on the Gambling Act 2005 - Statement of Licensing Policy, Councillor Eddie Rennie (Chair of Licensing Committee) seconded the report.

Following a short debate, Council agreed to adopt the Gambling Act Statement of Licensing Policy contained in Appendix A with effect from 31 January 2019.

The City Council will be asked to adopt the Licensing Statement of Policy with effect from 31 March 2019, following consideration at Cabinet on the 13 November 2018.

Councillor Haydon (Cabinet member for Customer Focus and Community Safety) introduced a report on the Licensing Act 2003 - Statement of Licensing Policy, Councillor Eddie Rennie (Chair of Licensing Committee) seconded the report.

Following a short debate, Council agreed to-

1.        adopt the draft Licensing Statement of Policy contained in Appendix A with effect from 31 March 2019;

2.        retain the Special Policy on Cumulative Impact following Cumulative Impact Assessments for each of the following areas:

·       Union Street (including Derry’s Cross)

·       Barbican

·       North Hill

·       Mutley Plain

·       Stoke

Councillor Kate Taylor (Chair of Audit and Governance Committee) moved recommendations from the Committee, Councillor Peter Smith (Deputy Leader) seconded the report.

Councillor Patrick Nicholson moved to refer the item back to the Committee.  The motion was seconded by Councillor Ian Bowyer (Leader of the opposition), following a debate and vote the motion was lost.

Following a debate on the substantive motion the recommendations were put to the vote and were carried.  Council agreed to authorises the Audit and Governance Committee to approve changes to the Constitution, set out in Appendix One to the report; subject to Council retaining responsibility for the core documents in the Constitution.

The City Council will be asked to approve the recommendations in the report.

The Lord Mayor moved to suspend the usual procedural rules of debate to allow the Chief Executive to present her report to Council. The Deputy Lord Mayor Seconded the motion.  Following the Chief Executive’s presentation to Council rules of debate were reinstated.

Councillor Tudor Evans OBE (Leader) introduced the recommendations in the report, seconded by Councillor Peter Smith (Deputy Leader).  Following a short debate Council agreed –

1.    to approve the proposals for changes outlined in the paper;

2.    to note the outline timetable implementing the changes;

3.    to authorise the Chief Officer Appointments Panel to undertake further consultation with the Strategic Director of Customer and Corporate Services, Assistant Chief Executive, and the Service Director for Finance and agree any changes to role profiles and grading.   

4.    to note the information about areas of responsibility and Statutory Officers.

The City Council will be asked to note the dates of Full Council meetings in 2019 / 2020.

Councillor Peter Smith (Deputy Leader) introduced a report on City Council meeting dates for 2019/20.

Council agreed to note the dates of Council meetings for 2019/20.

Councillor Gareth Derrick proposed a motion regarding Policing for Plymouth.  Councillor Sally Haydon (Cabinet Member for Customer Focus and Community Safety) seconded the motion.

Following a debate Council agreed to -

1.      Protest in the strongest possible terms to the Chief Constable at the reduction by 25% in PCSO numbers allocated to Plymouth as advised in a letter to this Authority signed by the Plymouth Police Commander, dated 2nd November 2018.

2.      In a letter to the Home Secretary signed by the Leader of the Council, call for;An uplift in funding for Devon and Cornwall to fully address the crisis in its Policing. The December provisional funding settlement for Devon and Cornwall Police to be at least adequate to ensure an immediate stabilisation of Police Force numbers at current strength (Officers, PCSOs and staff), and to note other actions being taken (described below).

3.      Take immediate steps to conduct direct engagement with the Police and Crime Commissioner and Chief Constable as appropriate to ensure that policing in Plymouth is resourced fairly, and to assess and plan the improvements necessary to address the requirements endorsed unanimously by full Council on 17 September 2018, namely;

a.     Investment back into Neighbourhood Policing, specifically the provision of more PCSOs and Neighbourhood Beat Officers.

b.    Improvements to 999 call responses.

c.     Commitment to improve the condition and use of the Police estate in Plymouth in line with the ambitions of a modern Police Force.

d.    A spend profile for Plymouth that reflects the complexity of needs and demands of policing a major urban centre.

e.     Retention of the city’s Basic Command Unit.

4.   Ensure that the requirements for enhanced Policing for Plymouth as developed under the action at 3 above are factored into any submissions by the Police and Crime Commissioner to the Home Secretary as part of the comprehensive review of the Police funding formula.   

5.   Write to the Chair of the Police and Crime Panel, calling for an emergency meeting no later than December 2018, for the Panel to address these significant concerns. 

Councillor Darren Winter, proposed a motion regarding Commitment to the accelerated reduction in single-use plastic by 2020. Councillor Mrs Pengelly seconded the motion.

Following a debate Council agreed that–

1.      All events on Plymouth City Council land will complete an Environmental Assessment prior to the event to show how single-use plastic will be eliminated, replaced by alternatives or, at least, reduced to an absolute minimum and how the maximum level of recycling of other plastics will be achieved.

2.      All Council buildings will go single-use plastic free by September 2019

3.      Building on existing commitments, the Surfers Against Sewage [SAS] community campaigns,  Plymouth City Council, working with the Plastic Task Force members, will develop and introduce a city-wide voluntary code of conduct to ban single-use plastics such as plastic straws, stirrers, cutlery and single-use coffee cups  that will come in to place by the end of 2019.

Councillor Jon Taylor (Cabinet member for Education, Skills and Transformation) proposed a motion regarding Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) funding cuts. Councillor Pam Buchan seconded the motion.

Following a debate Council agreed to write to the Secretary of State for Education, in letter signed by the Leader of the Council, and call for -

·         An increase in High Needs Block funding to local authorities, which will allow Plymouth City Council and local schools to provide appropriate support to children and young people with the most complex needs from 0 – 25

·         An immediate increase in funding for schools which will allow them to deliver additional support for SEND children

Councillor Ian Tuffin (Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care), proposed a motion regarding Public Health Funding.  Councillor Mrs Aspinall (Chair Health and Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Panel) seconded the motion.

Following a debate, Council agreed to –

1.    Ask the Portfolio Holder, on behalf of the Council, to write to Steve Brine Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Public Health and Primary Care asking him to recognise the importance of the services that the L.A. Public Health Grant provides, and apply a similar uplift to the P.H. grant to that received by the N.H.S. rather than a reduction of 3.9% in real terms per year.

2.    Ask the Portfolio Holder, on behalf of the Council, to write to Steve Brine Parliamentary under Secretary of State for Public Health and Primary Care asking him to implement the A.C.R.A. funding formula to redistribute the Public Health Grant based on the needs of the population.

3.    Ask the Director of Public Health to brief Plymouth’s Members of Parliament to support increases to the Public Health budget. 

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.