Agenda and minutes

Agenda and minutes

COUNCIL - Tuesday, 8 July 2008 6.30 p.m.

Venue: Council Chamber, Priory House, Monks Walk, Chicksands, Shefford

Contact: John Phillipson  01462 611034

Items
No. Item

PRAYERS

Prayers were taken by the Reverend Richard Andrews, Team Rector and Principal Minister at Priory Church of St Peter, Dunstable.

11.

MINUTES

The Chairman to invite the Council to approve the signing of the Minutes of the Inaugural Meeting of the Shadow Council held on 10 April 2008 (Minute Nos. SC/08/01 to SC/08/10).

Minutes:

RESOLVED

 

that the Minutes of the Inaugural Meeting of the Shadow Council held on 10 April 2008 be confirmed and signed as a correct record.

12.

MEMBERS' INTERESTS

To receive from Members declarations and the nature thereof in relation to: -

 

 

(a)    

Personal Interests in any Agenda item

 

 

(b)    

Personal and Prejudicial Interests in any Agenda item

Minutes:

(a)

Personal Interests:-

 

 

None.

 

(b)

Personal and Prejudicial Interests:-

 

 

None.

13.

CHAIRMAN'S ANNOUNCEMENTS AND COMMUNICATIONS

The Chairman to make any announcements or communications.

Minutes:

The Chairman congratulated the Vice-Chairman on his award of an OBE in the recent Queen’s Birthday Honours List.  The Chairman reflected that such award was in recognition of the services of Cllr Duggan to the Bedfordshire Fire & Rescue Service and to local government in Bedfordshire.  The Vice-Chairman responded by expressing appreciation for all the messages of congratulation he had received which he would be responding to.

14.

COMPOSITION OF THE COUNCIL

The Chairman to invite the Council to note:-

 

1.

(a)

That Les Thompson has been elected to fill the vacancy for a District Councillor in the Flitwick East Ward of the District; and

 

 

(b)

That, following the Flitwick East Ward By-election, the composition of the Council remains unchanged and that accordingly no adjustments are required to the current allocation of seats upon various Committees.

 

2.

That, whilst at the last Council meeting reference was made to the possible increase in size of the Independent Group, the size of that Group has in fact not changed and that the composition of the Council therefore remains as follows:-

 

 

Conservative

Independent

Labour

Liberal Democrat

No Party

 

89

4

5

25

1

Minutes:

The Council noted as follows:-

 

1.

(a)

that Les Thompson had been elected to fill the vacancy for a District Councillor in the Flitwick East Ward of the District of Mid Bedfordshire;

 

 

(b)

that, following the Flitwick East Ward By-election, the composition of the Council remained unchanged and that accordingly no adjustments were required to the current allocations of seats upon various Committees.

 

2.

that, whilst at the previous Shadow Council meeting reference had been made to the possible increase in size of the Independent Group, the size of the Group had in fact not changed and the composition of the Council therefore remained as follows:-

 

 

Conservative

Independent

Labour

Liberal Democrat

No

Party

 

 

89

4

5

25

1

                       

15.

REPORT OF THE INDEPENDENT REMUNERATION PANEL pdf icon PDF 185 KB

To consider the recommendations of the Independent Remuneration Panel with regard to the proposed Scheme of Member’s Allowances for the Central Bedfordshire Shadow Council for the year commencing 1 April 2008.

 

(Report of the Independent Remuneration Panel attached - pages 6.1 to 6.10)

Minutes:

The Council was invited to consider the recommendations of the Independent Remuneration Panel with regard to the proposed Scheme of Members’ Allowances for the Central Bedfordshire Shadow Council for the year commencing 1 April 2008.  To assist with the conduct of this item of business, Members were provided with a summary of the Scheme of Members’ Allowances for 2008/09 for the authorities forming Central Bedfordshire Council.

 

Following the presentation of the report of the Independent Remuneration Panel by the Portfolio Holder for Corporate Resources, it was moved and seconded:-

 

“that the Shadow Council adopts a Scheme of Members’ Allowances for the year commencing 1 April 2008, in accordance with the recommendations made by the Independent Remuneration Panel, as set out in paragraph 13 in Appendix “A” to their report, subject to:-

 

(a)

The rates specified for Travelling and Subsistence Allowances, within Schedule 3 to the Scheme (which are fixed at the same level as the rates prescribed by the National Joint Council for Local Government staff), being amended during the year ending 31 March 2009 in line with any change recommended by the National Joint Council, for the payment of local government staff;

 

(b)

Payment of all Allowances within the approved Scheme being backdated to 1 April 2008.”

 

As an amendment to the Motion, it was moved and duly seconded:-

 

“that the rate stated in Schedule 4 of the Members’ Allowances Scheme in respect of Dependents’ Carers’ Allowance where care is required for children or is of a non-specialist nature for dependent relatives be amended to read “£7.20 per hour”.

 

Upon being put to the vote, the amendment was lost.

 

As a further amendment to the Motion, it was moved and duly seconded:-

 

“that the rate payable in respect of Dependents’ Carers’ Allowance where care is required for children and is of a non-specialist nature for dependent relatives be set at the rate fixed by the Government as the national minimum wage, currently £5.52 per hour, and amended subsequently in line with any change made to that rate.”

 

Upon being put to the vote, the amendment was carried.

 

As a further amendment to the Motion, it was moved and duly seconded:-

 

“that the top rate of car mileage allowance, i.e. 58.7p for a car or motorcycle exceeding 1199cc, as indicated in Schedule 3 of the report of the Independent Remuneration Panel, be deleted.”

 

Upon being put to the vote, the amendment was lost.

 

RESOLVED

 

that the Shadow Council adopts a Scheme of Members’ Allowances for the year commencing 1 April 2008, in accordance with the recommendations made by the Independent Remuneration Panel, as set out in paragraph 13 and Appendix “A” to their report, subject to:-

 

(a)

the rates specified for Travelling and Subsistence Allowances, within Schedule 3 to the Scheme (which are fixed at the same level as the rates prescribed by the National Joint Council for local government staff), being amended during the year ending 31 March 2009 in line with any change recommended by the National Joint  ...  view the full minutes text for item 15.