Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were presented on behalf of County Councillors Tim Ashton, Richard Newman-Thompson, Sandra Perkins, Paul Rigby and David Stansfield.

Announcements

Deaths

The Chairman reported the sad death of former County Treasurer, Mr Bill Jolliffe, who passed away after a short illness on 16 February 2015, aged 89.  He had been the County Treasurer for nearly ten years from the mid-1970s.

The council stood in silent tribute and condolences were offered to his family.

Awards

The Chairman was proud to announce the following awards:

i.  The Historic Bridge & Infrastructure Awards  - Crook O'Lune East Viaduct in Lancaster

The County Council had been awarded a commendation from The Historic Bridge and Infrastructure Awards for its work, with others, to restore the Crook O'Lune East Viaduct in Lancaster. The county council designed and project- managed the scheme.

Kim Whalley, Senior Engineer (Highways) attended Full Council to represent the team.

ii.  2015 Recruiter Awards for Excellence – Best School Leaver Recruitment Strategy National Winners

The County Council's Employment and Support Team in the Skills, Learning and Development Service had won in the category 'Best School Leaver Recruitment Strategy' at the 2015 'Recruiter Awards for Excellence'.

The following officers attended to represent the team with their manager, Anne-Marie Morgan:

• Mike Barnes – Future Horizons
• Bee Bowman – Apprenticeships
• Bina Limbachia – Professional Apprenticeships and Trainees
• Nicola Clayton - WorkStart
• Scott Panaro - Ex Service Personnel Mentor

iii.  LGIU Councillor Achievement Award 

County Councillor Darren Clifford, Armed Forces and Veterans' Champion, had received an LGIU Councillor Achievement Award for the support he gives to the armed forces and veterans' community.

iv.  Chief Investmentt Officer Magazine's European Innovation Award for Public Sector Fund

Lancashire County Pension Fund had been awarded the 'European Innovation Award for Public Sector Fund (below 15 billion Euro)'.

The following officers attended to represent the team:

·  George Graham, Director of Lancashire County Pension Fund

·  Mike Jensen, Chief Investment Officer

·  Keith Angood, Assistant Analyst

The Chair asked that the Council's congratulations for the above awards be placed on record.

The Full Council was notified that Members had been invited to make declarations of Pecuniary and Non-Pecuniary interests in matters on the agenda in accordance with the County Council’s Code of Conduct for Members:

No declarations were made.

(County Councillor Kevin Ellard, the retiring Chair of the County Council presided for this item)

It was moved by County Councillor Bill Winlow and seconded by County Councillor Dorothy Lord that County Councillor Margaret Brindle be elected Chairman of the County Council.

There being no other nominations, it was:

Resolved:  That County Councillor Margaret Brindle be elected Chairman of the County Council until the Annual Meeting of the Full Council in 2016.

County Councillor Brindle then took the Chair and made her Declaration of Acceptance of Office.

The Chairman paid tribute on behalf of Members to the valuable service tendered by the retiring Chairman, County Councillor Kevin Ellard.

It was moved by County Councillor Jennifer Mein and seconded by County Councillor Darren Clifford that County Councillor Janice Hanson be appointed Vice-Chairman of the County Council.

There being no other nominations, it was:

Resolved:  That County Councillor Janice Hanson be appointed Vice-Chairman of the County Council until the Annual Meeting of the Full Council in 2016.

County Councillor Hanson then took her place and made her Declaration of Acceptance of Office.

Resolved: That the Minutes of the meetings of the County Council held on the 12 February and 26 February 2015 be confirmed and signed by the Chair.

At the meeting of the Full Council on 18 December 2014, the initial recommendations of the Political Governance Working Group had been presented. At that meeting, it had been agreed that a small number of outstanding issues should continue to be explored by the Working Group, with a further report to this meeting.

In moving the report County Councillor David Borrow drew attention in particular to the recommended changes to the Call In rules as set out in the report now presented.

Resolved: That:

1.  i.   The Commons and Town Greens Sub Group and Standing Joint

Health Scrutiny Committee be disestablished.

ii.  The Overview and Scrutiny Call In rules be amended to include the following:

"Where a decision was subject to consideration by the Executive Scrutiny Committee, and where

  i.  no amendments had been proposed by the Executive Scrutiny Committee, and

  ii.  the decision made was as set out to the Executive Scrutiny Committee

Then the Call In request must come from 5 county councillors representing more than one single political group."

iii.  The Call In rules be amended to allow a submission to be made electronically via email.

2.  The Political Governance Working Group be requested to conduct a review of Locality working and Full Council procedures and report on the outcome to a future meeting of Full Council.

3.  The Director of Governance, Finance and Public Services be authorised to approve any consequential amendments to the Constitution arising from the decisions at 1 above.

The Full Council was asked to:

i.  Determine the constitution and membership of Committees for 2015/16, as set out at a) in the report now presented; and.

ii.  Consider the appointment of the Chairs and Deputy Chairs of Committees for 2015/16, as set out at b) in the report now presented.

The Leader moved the report and proposed the names of Chairs and Deputies to be appointed, as set out below, which were seconded by County Councillor David Borrow. In moving the report the Leader pointed out that the Commons and Town Greens Sub-Committee and Pension Administration Sub-Committee had now been disestablished.

Resolved: That:

  i.  The appointment of Members to Committees for 2015/16 in the proportional balances set out in the report now presented be approved, on the basis of nominations being made by the respective Political Groups in writing to the County Secretary and Solicitor;

  ii.  The appointments of Chairs and Deputy Chairs of Committees for 2015/16, as now reported and set out below, be approved.

The Full Council was asked to approve the appointment of representatives to

serve on the Local Government Association (LGA) General Assembly for 2015/16 and to attend the Annual General Meeting of the General Assembly on 30 June 2015.  The Full Council was also asked to appoint a representative to serve on the LGA Special Interest Group on Coastal Issues for 2015/16 and up to four representatives to serve on the County Councils' Network in 2015/16.

Resolved:  That,

i.  County Councillors Jennifer Mein, David Borrow, John Fillis and Albert Atkinson be appointed to serve as the County Council’s representatives on the Local Government Association (LGA) General Assembly for 2015/16;

ii.  The representatives approved at (i) above (or nominated substitutes) together with County Councillor Bill Winlow from the Liberal Democrat Group, acting in an observer capacity, be authorised to attend the 2015 Annual Meeting of the LGA General Assembly to be held in Harrogate on 30 June, and that County Councillor Mein carry the County Council’s 12 corporate votes;

iii.  County Councillor Janice Hanson be appointed to serve of the Special Interest Group on Coastal Issues for 2015/16; and

iv.  County Councillors Jennifer Mein, David Borrow, Azhar Ali and Albert Atkinson be appointed to the County Councils' Network.

The Full Council was asked to approve the appointment of 19 Members to serve on the Lancashire Combined Fire Authority until the Annual Meeting of the Full Council in 2016 on the basis of 9 Labour Members; 8 Conservative Members; 1 Liberal Democrat Member and 1 Independent Member.

Resolved:  That the following Members be appointed to serve on the Lancashire Combined Fire Authority (CFA) until the Annual Meeting of the Full Council in 2016.

The Full Council was asked to approve the appointment of one member to serve on the Police and Crime Panel for Lancashire until the Annual Meeting of the Full Council in 2016.

Resolved: That the Lancashire County Council representative on the Police and Crime Panel would be County Councillor Jennifer Mein until the Annual Meeting of the County Council in 2016.

The report explained that the Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE) had commenced an electoral review of the County Council's electoral arrangements and that the first stage of the review was for the County Council to make a submission to the Commission on future Council size by 22 May.2015.

In moving the report, the Deputy Leader reported that the Political Governance Working Group had met to consider council size and recommended that the future size of the Council should remain at 84

Resolved: That,

1. The Political Governance Working Group's recommendation, that a future Council size of 84 be adopted as part of the current electoral review of the County Council, be approved.

2. The formal submission on Council size to the LGBCE, as set out in Appendix A to the report now presented, be approved.

The Leader of the Council moved Part B of the report of the Cabinet from its meetings on 5 March and 2 April 2015.

Resolved: That Part B of the report of the Cabinet from its meetings on the 5 March and 2 April 2015 be noted.

Resolved:  That the report of Urgent Key Decisions taken by the Deputy Leader of the County Council, the Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Schools, the Cabinet Member for Adult and Community Services and the Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing during the preceding three months, as now presented, be noted.

County Councillor Bill Winlow presented the reports of the Overview and Scrutiny Committees as follows:

• Scrutiny Committee – 13 February, 13 March and 17 April 2015
• Health Scrutiny Committee - 4 March and 14 April 2015
• Education Scrutiny Committee - 24 March 2015

Resolved: That the reports of the Overview and Scrutiny Committees,

as now presented, be noted.

County Councillor Clare Pritchard presented the report of the Audit and Governance Committee from its meeting on the 30 March 2015.

Resolved: That the report of the Audit and Governance Committee, as now presented, be noted.

County Councillor Terry Burns presented the report of the Pension Fund Committee from its meeting on the 27 March 2015.

Resolved: That the report of the Pension Fund Committee, as now presented, be noted.

The Leader presented the report which set out decisions of the Chief Executive taken under the Council's Urgent Business Procedure on behalf of the Urgency Committee.

Resolved: That the report of decisions taken on behalf of the Urgency Committee, as now presented, be noted.

County Councillor Frank De Molfetta presented the report of the Lancashire Combined Fire Authority from its meeting on the 27 April 2015.

Resolved: That the report of the Lancashire Combined Fire Authority, as now presented, be received.

Notices of Motion submitted under Procedural Standing Order 14.2.1(a).

1. It was moved by County Councillor Bill Winlow and seconded by County Councillor David O'Toole that:

Alt Crossens Catchment Pumping Stations, West Lancashire

The County Council notes the Environment Agency's response to the Scrutiny Committee's recommendations requesting that the proposals to switch off the secondary pumping stations in the Alt Crossens catchment be withdrawn. In light of the Environment Agency's intention to press ahead with the proposals to switch off the pumping stations, the Chief Executive is requested to write to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) setting out the County Council's opposition to the proposals and requesting that DEFRA revises the remit of the Environment Agency in respect of flood risk management priorities to include the protection of agricultural land where it contributes significantly to the economy of the area.

We also wish to express to DEFRA our concerns about the role of United Utilities in relation to the management of surface water. United Utilities collects a charge from residents to remove their surface water, but no longer admits to any responsibility for this service. Furthermore, it appears that it cannot under present legislation make a contribution to an Internal Drainage Board (IDB) should one be newly set up in the Alt-Crossens area.

This limited responsibility also affects their role in the planning process at District level. Many of the proposed new developments within the Crossens catchment are reliant on the network of pumps to convey the treated effluent to the Crossens pumping station and we feel that United Utilities’ remit should reflect the importance of maintaining the pumping system as an integral part of the water management system serving the Crossens catchment of West Lancashire.

On being put to the vote the motion was carried and it was:

Resolved: That,

Alt Crossens Catchment Pumping Stations, West Lancashire

The County Council notes the Environment Agency's response to the Scrutiny Committee's recommendations requesting that the proposals to switch off the secondary pumping stations in the Alt Crossens catchment be withdrawn. In light of the Environment Agency's intention to press ahead with the proposals to switch off the pumping stations, the Chief Executive is requested to write to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) setting out the County Council's opposition to the proposals and requesting that DEFRA revises the remit of the Environment Agency in respect of flood risk management priorities to include the protection of agricultural land where it contributes significantly to the economy of the area. 

We also wish to express to DEFRA our concerns about the role of United Utilities in relation to the management of surface water. United Utilities collects a charge from residents to remove their surface water, but no longer  ...  view the full minutes text for item 15.