Agenda and minutes

Venue: Town Hall, High Street, Maidstone

Contact: Debbie Snook  01622 602030

Items
No. Item

81.

Prayers

Minutes:

Prayers were said by the Reverend Canon Ian Parrish.

 

Note:  Councillor Harwood left the meeting after the prayers and returned during consideration of the Minutes of the extraordinary meeting of the Borough Council held on 26 September 2018.

 

82.

Apologies for Absence

Minutes:

It was noted that apologies for absence had been received from Councillors Boughton, Fissenden, Garland, Greer, Newton, J Sams, T Sams and de Wiggondene-Sheppard.

 

83.

Dispensations

Minutes:

There were no applications for dispensations.

 

84.

Disclosures by Members and Officers

Minutes:

There were no disclosures by Members or Officers.

 

85.

Disclosures of Lobbying

Minutes:

There were no disclosures of lobbying.

 

86.

Exempt Items

Minutes:

RESOLVED:  That the items on the agenda be taken in public as proposed.

 

87.

Minutes of the extraordinary meeting of the Borough Council held on 26 September 2018 pdf icon PDF 45 KB

Minutes:

RESOLVED:  That the Minutes of the extraordinary meeting of the Borough Council held on 26 September 2018 be approved as a correct record and signed.

 

88.

Minutes of the meeting of the Borough Council held on 26 September 2018 pdf icon PDF 66 KB

Minutes:

RESOLVED:  That the Minutes of the meeting of the Borough Council held on 26 September 2018 be approved as a correct record and signed.

 

89.

Mayor's Announcements

Minutes:

The Mayor updated Members on recent and forthcoming engagements and thanked them for their support.

 

Note:  Councillor Mrs Blackmore entered the meeting during the Mayor’s announcements, and indicated that she had no disclosures to make of interest or lobbying.

 

90.

Petitions

Minutes:

There were no petitions.

 

91.

Question and Answer Session for Members of the Public

Minutes:

There were no questions from members of the public.

 

92.

Questions from Members of the Council to the Chairmen of Committees

Minutes:

There were no questions from Members of the Council.

 

93.

Current Issues - Report of the Leader of the Council, Response of the Group Leaders and Questions from Council Members

Minutes:

Councillor Cox, the Leader of the Council, submitted his report on current issues.

 

After the Leader of the Council had submitted his report, Councillor Perry, the Leader of the Conservative Group, Councillor Mrs Gooch, the Leader of the Independent Group, Councillor McKay, the Leader of the Labour Group, and Councillor Powell, the Leader of the Independent Maidstone Group, responded to the issues raised.

 

Councillor Harper then asked a question of the Leader of the Council on an issue raised in his speech.

 

94.

Report of the Policy and Resources Committee held on 19 September 2018 - Council Tax Reduction Scheme 2019-2020 pdf icon PDF 72 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

It was moved by Councillor Cox, seconded by Councillor Perry, that the recommendation of the Policy and Resources Committee relating to the Council Tax Reduction Scheme 2019-2020 be approved.

 

RESOLVED:  That the 2019-2020 Council Tax Reduction Scheme, attached as Appendix 1 to the report of the Policy and Resources Committee, be approved.

 

Note:  Councillor English left the meeting during consideration of this item, but returned during consideration of the report of the Policy and Resources Committee relating to the new Strategic Plan Vision, Priorities and Outcomes 2019-2045.

 

95.

Report of the Democracy Committee held on 14 November 2018 - Outside Bodies pdf icon PDF 57 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

It was moved by Councillor Mrs Wilson, seconded by Councillor Mrs Gooch, that the recommendation of the Democracy Committee relating to the Scheme of Outside Bodies be approved.

 

RESOLVED:  That the amended Scheme of Outside Bodies, attached as Appendix 1 to the report of the Democracy Committee, be approved.

 

96.

Report of the Policy and Resources Committee held on 28 November 2018 - New Strategic Plan Vision, Priorities and Outcomes 2019-2045 pdf icon PDF 87 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

It was moved by Councillor Cox, seconded by Councillor Perry, that the recommendation of the Policy and Resources Committee relating to the new Strategic Plan Vision, Priorities and Outcomes 2019-2045 be approved.

 

RESOLVED:  That the new Strategic Plan Vision, Priorities and Outcomes 2019-2045, set out in Appendix A to the report of the Policy and Resources Committee, be approved.

 

97.

Report of the Policy and Resources Committee held on 28 November 2018 - Medium Term Financial Strategy 2019/20 - 2023/24 pdf icon PDF 65 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

It was moved by Councillor Cox, seconded by Councillor Mrs Gooch, that the recommendation of the Policy and Resources Committee relating to the Medium Term Financial Strategy 2019/20 – 2023/24 be approved.

 

RESOLVED:  That the Medium Term Financial Strategy 2019/20 – 2023/24, set out in Appendix A to the report of the Policy and Resources Committee, be approved.

 

98.

Oral Report of the Strategic Planning, Sustainability and Transportation Committee held on 4 December 2018

Minutes:

It was noted that there was no report from the Strategic Planning, Sustainability and Transportation Committee on this occasion.

 

99.

Oral Report of the Communities, Housing and Environment Committee held on 11 December 2018 - Statement of Licensing Principles for Gambling Act 2005 2019-2022 pdf icon PDF 79 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Councillor Mortimer, the Chairman of the Communities, Housing and Environment Committee, advised the Council that the Committee, at its meeting held the previous day, considered an updated version of the Gambling Act 2005 Statement of Licensing Principles.  It was a statutory requirement for the Council to have a current Statement of Licensing Principles in place.  The Statement had been amended in response to comments received during a consultation exercise and had been endorsed by the Communities, Housing and Environment Committee and the Licensing Committee.

 

It was then moved by Councillor Mortimer, seconded by Councillor Powell, that the amended Gambling Act 2005 Statement of Licensing Principles 2019-2022, attached as Appendix 1 to agenda item 19, be adopted by the Council.

 

RESOLVED:  That the amended Gambling Act 2005 Statement of Licensing Principles 2019-2022, attached as Appendix 1 to agenda item 19, be adopted.

 

100.

Audit, Governance and Standards Committee - Parish Council Representation pdf icon PDF 54 KB

Minutes:

The Head of Policy, Communications and Governance advised the Council that, since the publication of the agenda, Councillor Abigail Hogg of Tovil Parish Council had withdrawn her nomination to serve as a non-voting Parish Council representative on the Audit, Governance and Standards Committee and the Hearing Panel, as required.

 

It was moved by Councillor McLoughlin, seconded by Councillor Round, that Councillor Peter Titchener be appointed to serve as a non-voting Parish Council representative on the Audit, Governance and Standards Committee and the Hearing Panel, as required, for a three year term of office with immediate effect and that, in future, if more than one candidate is nominated by Parish Councils a selection process will be followed and the resulting candidate selected will be recommended to Council for appointment.

 

RESOLVED:  That Councillor Peter Titchener be appointed to serve as a non-voting Parish Council representative on the Audit, Governance and Standards Committee and the Hearing Panel, as required, for a three year term of office with immediate effect and that, in future, if more than one candidate is nominated by Parish Councils a selection process will be followed and the resulting candidate selected will be recommended to Council for appointment.

 

101.

Duration of Meeting

Minutes:

6.30 p.m. to 7.20 p.m.