(a)

referred to the recent death of Alderman John Finnigan (known as Jack) on 16 January 2014 at the age of 90 years. Alderman Finnegan represented the Sutton Ward following his election to the Plymouth City Council in 1980 where he focussed on the former Public Services Committee and the Planning Committee.  He became Deputy Lord Mayor in 1984/85 and then Lord Mayor of Plymouth in 1990/91.  He was later made Alderman of the city in 1995.

The Council was advised of the funeral arrangements and that they would be informed of arrangements for a commemoration service in Plymouth when details were confirmed.  

The Council stood in silence for one minute as mark of respect. 

(b)

congratulated Tracy Green (Family Intervention Officer) and Betty and John Insley on their award of MBEs in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours List 2014 and thanked them on behalf of the Council for their achievements and services to the city.  Tracy Green was recognised for her services to children and young people and Betty and John Insley (foster carers) after caring for more than 200 children over 35 years;

(c)

thanked Michelle Newman for her years of continued service to the Council and the children of Plymouth, following her success as team leader of the year at the national ‘Social Worker of the Year 2013’ awards. 

The Lord Mayor presented the award which had been given for the excellent support she provided to her team, her ongoing dedication to the role and her steady-hand which helped to give a highly pressured team, a stable foundation on which to work;

(d)

congratulated the Sports Development Unit on their achievement as Community Partner of the Year in the South West from England Athletics, in recognition of the outstanding contribution made to athletics in the city.

The Lord Mayor presented the award to Louise Kelley (Sports Development Manager), Martin Lees (Community Sports Manager), Barry Mountstevens (Sports Development Coordinator) and Nyrene Wise, Paul Johnson and Charlotte Brew (Sport and Recreation Assistants);

(e)

congratulated the Plymouth Care Co-ordination Team who had been ‘highly commended’ in the NHS Innovation Challenge Prize for dementia in recognition of the team’s work on a pilot scheme to support people with dementia, to stay living in the community and to reduce hospital admissions.  The team had also been invited to speak at two major conferences and other authorities were showing interest in the initiative.

The Lord Mayor presented the award to Debbie Butcher and Anna Coles from Co-operative Commissioning and Adult Social Care and Steve Waite from the Plymouth Community Healthcare.

(f)

presented a framed signed picture of HMS Warspite to the Lord Mayor to be hung in the Council House to mark the 100^th anniversary of the launch of the battleship on26 November 2013;

(g)

announced that the historic city deal for the Plymouth and South West Peninsula had been signed as a result of partnership working between local authorities, business and public sectors in the region and government. He paid tribute to the officers particularly Patrick Hartop and Amanda Ratsey who had negotiated the deal which included £19.8m and eight hectares of land;     

(h)

advised councillors of the Late Kenneth Edward Tucker’s legacy to Plymouth City Council.  A silver cup had been purchased in the memory of his parents (the late former councillors Gladys May and William Tucker) to commemorate their service with the Council.  The award would be presented annually to the Children’s Services Social Worker of the Year (as Kenneth Tucker was a former social worker), the first one to be presented at a future Council meeting and thereafter at the Staff Awards;

(i)

congratulated Anthony Jinman (a Plymothian) on his achievement on reaching the South Pole;

(j)

welcomed Superintendent Chris Singer who had been seconded from the Police to join the Corporate Management Team, focussing on community engagement and strategic alignment between the Council and the Police;

(k)

referred to representations he had received about trees in Cornwall Street and advised the Council that he had asked the City Centre Company not to proceed with the suggested tree surgery and to deal with the problems of pavement cracking and CCTV in a different way.

(l)

the Council’s adoption scorecard and reported that a letter of congratulations had been received from Edward Timpson, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Children and Families for the year on year improvement in the adoption service;

(m)

the improvement in the GSCE results for Plymouth and congratulated young people and teachers on the achievement.