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You are hereby summoned to attend a meeting of the
maidstone borough council
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Date: Wednesday 7 December 2022 Time: 6.30 p.m. Venue: Town Hall, High Street, Maidstone Membership:
Councillors Bartlett, Mrs Blackmore, Brice, Brindle, Bryant, Burton, Cannon, Clark, Cleator, Coates, Conyard, Cooke, Cooper, Cox, English, Eves, Forecast, Fort, Garten, Mrs Gooch, Mrs Grigg, Harper, Harwood, Hastie, Hinder, Holmes, Jeffery, Joy, Khadka, Kimmance, Knatchbull, McKenna, Mortimer (Mayor), Munford, Naghi, Newton, Parfitt-Reid, Perry, Mrs Ring, Mrs Robertson, Rose, Round, Russell, J Sams, T Sams, Spooner, Springett, Trzebinski, R Webb, S Webb, de Wiggondene-Sheppard, Wilby, D Wilkinson, T Wilkinson and Young
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AGENDA |
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1. Prayers |
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2. Apologies for Absence |
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3. Dispensations (if any) |
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4. Disclosures by Members and Officers |
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5. Disclosures of Lobbying |
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6. To consider whether any items should be taken in private because of the possible disclosure of exempt information. |
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7. Minutes of the meeting of the Borough Council held on 28 September 2022 |
1 - 10 |
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8. Mayor's Announcements |
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9. Presentation to Full Council from the Maidstone Royal Naval Association |
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10. Petitions |
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11. Question and Answer Session for Local Residents |
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12. Questions from Members of the Council to: |
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(a) The Leader of the Council (b) Lead Members (c) The Chairmen of Decision-Making Committees
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13. Current Issues - Report of the Leader of the Council, Response of the Group Leaders and Questions from Council Members |
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14. Report of the Executive held on 23 November 2022 - Council Tax Reduction Scheme 2023/24 |
11 - 107 |
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15. Report of the Democracy and General Purposes Committee held on 21 November 2022 - Appointment of Returning Officer and Electoral Registration Officer |
108 - 110 |
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16. Notice of Motion - Freedom of the Borough - Royal British Legion Branches |
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Notice has been given of the following motion to be moved by Councillor Mrs Gooch, seconded by Councillor Munford:
Under Section 249 of the Local Government Act 1972, Borough Councils may admit to be Honorary Freemen of the Borough 'persons of distinction and persons who have, in the opinion of the Council, rendered eminent services to the Borough'.
The Royal British Legion has been supporting ex-serving personnel all year round, every day of the week since 1921. It has seen many changes over the years and now focuses on two equally important areas:
· As the custodian of Remembrance, ensuring that the memories of those who have fought and sacrificed in the British Armed Forces live on through the generations · Through its welfare work to help the British Armed Forces, veterans and their families to live on to a more hopeful future
At the heart of how the Royal British Legion operates are the volunteers who run the local branches. The number and spread of local branches have changed and continue to change over time, so it is appropriate to bestow the honour collectively to all the Royal British Legion branches throughout the Borough, their members, past and present.
The Award of the Freedom of the Borough would be in recognition of all the Royal British Legion’s work to the residents of this Borough; it would also acknowledge branches reaching their Centenary in line with the National Royal British Legion which celebrated its 100th Anniversary throughout 2021.
I therefore move the following motion:
1. Maidstone Borough Council agrees in principle pursuant to Section 249 of the Local Government Act 1972 to award all Royal British Legion branches throughout the Borough the Freedom of the Borough in recognition of the eminent services rendered to the Borough by them and everything they have done and continue to do for our Armed Forces, veterans and families past and present; the award of the Freedom of the Borough also acknowledges branches reaching their Centenary in line with the National Royal British Legion which celebrated its 100th Anniversary throughout 2021.
2. An extraordinary meeting of the Council be convened to resolve the same accordingly.
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17. Notice of Motion - Rights of Nature |
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Notice has been given of the following motion to be moved by Councillor Jeffery, seconded by Councillor J Sams:
This Council recognises that nature has rights and that by having regard to such rights, decisions made by the Council can help create regenerative rather than extractivist economies while also making human and other living communities safer, stronger and more resilient.
This Council declares that:
1. Nature is a unique, indivisible, self-regulating community, system and habitat of interrelated and interdependent beings that sustains, contains and reproduces, and these beings, of which humans are but one species, have rights. The rights of each being are limited by the rights of other beings and any conflict between their rights must be resolved in a way that maintains the integrity, balance and health of nature. 2. Nature and all beings of which she is composed have the right to life and to exist, to be respected, to regenerate their bio-capacity, to maintain their identity and integrity as distinct, self-regulating and interrelated beings, to a place and to play their role in nature, to wellbeing and to live free from torture or cruel treatment. 3. Every human being is responsible for respecting and living in harmony with nature. Human beings and all public and private institutions must ensure that the pursuit of human wellbeing contributes to the wellbeing of nature, now and in the future and respect, protect, conserve and where necessary, restore the integrity, of the vital ecological cycles, processes and balances of Nature.
This Council asks the:
1. Democracy and General Purposes Committee to work with officers and others to bring forward changes to the Council’s Constitution that enshrine these rights alongside human rights already mentioned in the document, and the 2. Executive to commission a report to come to Council on embedding ‘Rights of Nature’ as a keystone concept into Council’s operational practices, planning processes and ensuring that nature is considered in decision making.
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18. Report of the Leader of the Council - Urgent Decisions Taken by the Executive Between 20 September 2022 - 29 November 2022 |
111 - 112 |
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Information for the Public |
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In order to ask a question at this meeting, please call 01622 602899 or email committee@maidstone.gov.uk by 5 p.m. one clear working day before the meeting (i.e. by 5 p.m. on Monday 5 December 2022). You will need to provide the full text in writing.
In order to make a statement in relation to an item on the agenda, please call 01622 602899 or email committee@maidstone.gov.uk by 5 p.m. one clear working day before the meeting (i.e. by 5 p.m. on Monday 5 December 2022). You will need to tell us which agenda item you wish to speak on.
If you require this information in an alternative format please contact us, call 01622 602899 or email committee@maidstone.gov.uk.
To find out more about the work of the Council, please visit www.maidstone.gov.uk.
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