Agenda and minutes

To approve as a correct record and sign the minutes of the previous Council meeting.

It was proposed by the Chair and seconded by the Leader that the minutes of the meeting of 23 May 2023 be approved.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting of 23 May 2023 be approved and were signed as a correct record by the Chair.

Announcements only from the Chair of Council, Leader, Members of the Executive or the Managing Director.

In accordance with the constitution the Managing Director had been informed by the Liberal Democrat Group Leader Cllr Wrigley that Cllr Nuttall replaced Cllr D Cox on Planning Committee although he will remain a substitute and Cllr D Cox replaced Cllr Swain on Standards Committee, Cllr Sanders replaced Cllr Swain on Overview & Scrutiny Committee (1), Cllr Buscombe replaced Cllr C Parker on Overview & Scrutiny Committee (1) and Cllr Sanders replaced Cllr Swain on Overview & Scrutiny Committee (2).

The South Devon Alliance Group Leader Cllr Daws advised that Cllr J Taylor replaced Cllr Gearon on Overview and Scrutiny Committee (1) and Cllr Daws replaced Cllr J Taylor on Audit Scrutiny Committee.

The Chair advised of the civic events he had attended. He reminded Members the purpose of council meetings was to consider council business and when submitting questions they should have that in mind.

The Leader announced that last week at the South West Regional Flood and Coastal Committee the Environment Agency announced that they would not be removing the Geotubes and Dawlish Warren would remain defended. The Government had confirmed that the Future High Street Fund project had been given an extension of the date by which the government funds must be spent to September 2025.

Cllr Jeffries declared an interest in minute no.35 - Broadmeadow Sports Centre Refurbishment and Decarbonisation Project – as she had a business on the Broadmeadow Estate and would leave the room when the item was considered.

Cllr Jeffries left the meeting during consideration of this item.

Cllr Gearon left before the vote was taken on this item.

The Executive Member for Climate Change, Coastal Protection, Flooding & Trees proposed the recommendation with an amendment to recommendation (2) as follows:-

Delegate authority to the Head of Place and Commercial Services in accordance with this report, Council policy and approved budget to proceed to:

o   Building upon existing concept designs to create a detailed design and tender specification

o   Gaining statutory consents

And to bring a report back to Executive for approval prior to proceeding to tender.

This was seconded by the Leader.

Cllr Macgregor proposed an amendment to defer the proposal to allow for a properly costed plan to be brought forward to the next Council meeting, this was seconded by Cllr Bullivant.

Recorded vote under Procedure Rule 4.13.5

For : Cllrs Atkins, Bradford, Bullivant, Daws, Hall, Lake, MacGregor, Mullone, P Parker, Peart, Radford, Rogers, Ryan, Smith, J Taylor, Webster Total 16

Against: Cllrs Buscombe, H Cox, Dawson, Foden, Goodman-Bradbury, Hayes, Hook, Jackman, James, Keeling, Morgan, Nutley, Nuttall, Palethorpe, C Parker, Parrott, Rollason, Sanders, Steemson, Swain, G Taylor, Williams, Wrigley, D, Cox   Total 24

Abstain Cllrs Farrand-Rogers, Henderson, Clarance Total 3

Not Voted: Cllr Jeffries Total 1

Absent: Cllrs Gearon, Purser, Thorne   Total 3

The amendment was lost.

The amendment recommendation as proposed by the Executive Member for Climate Change, Coastal Protection, Flooding & Trees and seconded by the Leader was put to the vote.

Recorded vote under Procedure Rule 4.13.5

For :Cllrs Buscombe, H Cox, Dawson, Foden, Goodman-Bradbury, Hayes, Henderson, Hook, Jackman, James, Keeling, Morgan, Nutley, Nuttall, Palethorpe, C Parker, Parrott, Rollason, Sanders, Steemson, Swain, G Taylor, Williams, Wrigley, D, Cox   Total 25

Against: Cllrs Atkins, Bradford, Bullivant, Hall, Lake, Mullone, P Parker, Peart, Radford, Rogers, Ryan, Smith, J Taylor, Webster Total 14

Abstain Cllrs Daws, Farrand-Rogers, MacGregor, Clarance Total 4

Not Voted: Cllr Jeffries Total 1

Absent: Cllrs Gearon, Purser, Thorne   Total 3

This was carried and became the substantive motion.  It was then put to the vote and carried.

RESOLVED to:-

(1)            Approve the expenditure of £3,700,741 of funding contributions as set out in Table 1 contained within Section 4 of the report to support the delivery of the Broadmeadow Refurbishment and Decarbonisation project.

(2)            Delegate authority to the Head of Place and Commercial Services in accordance with this report, Council policy and approved budget to proceed to:

o   Building upon existing concept designs to create a detailed design and tender specification

o   Gaining statutory consents

And to bring a report back to Executive for approval prior to proceeding to tender.

Recorded vote under Procedure Rule 4.13.5

For :Cllrs Buscombe, H Cox, Dawson, Foden, Goodman-Bradbury, Hayes, Henderson, Hook, Jackman, James, Keeling, Morgan, Nutley, Nuttall, Palethorpe, C Parker, Parrott, Rollason, Sanders, Steemson, Swain, G Taylor, Williams, Wrigley, D, Cox   Total 25

Against: Cllrs Atkins, Bradford, Bullivant, Hall, Lake, Mullone, P Parker, Peart, Radford, Rogers, Ryan, Smith, J Taylor, Webster Total  ...  view the full minutes text for item 35.

The Monitoring Officer presented the report.

It was proposed by the Chair and seconded by the Deputy Chair that the recommendation be approved.

This was carried. 

RESOLVED that the words ‘any unpaid directorship’ be removed from the second paragraph of the Members Code of Conduct appendix so that it shall read as follows:

“Employment, office, trade, profession or vocation”: means any employment, office, trade, profession or vocation carried on for profit or gain.  

The Leader presented the report and proposed the appointments to the outside bodies as circulated (attached to the minutes). This was seconded by the Executive Member for Corporate Services.

The proposal was carried.

RESOLVED to approve the appointments to the Outside Bodies.

Members of the Council may ask questions of the Council subject to procedural rules.

Cllr Mullone left the meeting before consideration of this item.

Councillors questions and the responses are attached to the minutes.

Notice of Motion’s shall be referred to the appropriate Committee meeting. The mover of the motion can outline the proposal and then it will stand adjourned. The motion may be debated to assist debate later if agreed by two-thirds of Council Members.

Notice of Motion 1

The following motion on protection of Rail Ticket Offices has been presented by Deputy Leader & Executive Member for Corporate Services and supported by the Leader, Cllr Nutley, Cllr G Taylor, Cllr Hayes, Cllr Henderson, Cllr Dawson, Cllr Sanders, Cllr C Parker, Cllr Nuttall, Cllr Hook, Cllr Parrott, Cllr Palethorpe and Cllr Farrand-Rogers

CALL TO PROTECT RAIL TICKET OFFICES ACROSS DEVON

Council notes with concern the announcement by the Rail Delivery Group that train companies are pressing ahead with plans to close up to 1000 rail ticket offices across England over the next 3 years.

Council believes that ticket offices provide a vital service to residents in Teignbridge. Having a clearly sign-posted place in the station for people with ticket enquiries provides certainty and confidence for customers who may struggle to otherwise locate station staff.

Not all residents are able to use station ticket machines or have the means to book a ticket in advance. Complicated journeys involving connections are likely to require human assistance to ensure customers purchase the most appropriate and cheapest tickets, and do not incur penalties or pay more than necessary for their journey.

Council is concerned the closure of ticket offices will disproportionately affect elderly and disabled residents in Teignbridge – as well as those with poor literacy and IT skills.

Council notes the statistics from Age UK that 3 million elderly people in the UK do not have access to the internet, and statistics from the Royal National Institute for Blind People that only 3% of those with partial or full sight loss feel able to use ticket machines.

Council is also concerned about the possible implications for current station staff and the concerns that have been raised over possible staff redundancies – given that there will be no regulations for minimum staffing levels at stations and on platforms.

Council therefore resolves to:

• Instruct the Managing Director to write to Mark Harper MP Secretary of State for Transport, and the Chief Executive of the Rail Delivery Group, expressing Council’s opposition to the possible closure of staffed rail ticket offices – and in particular the offices across the Teignbridge District Council area

• Instruct the Managing Director to write to the rail operator(s) running local ticket offices in Teignbridge expressing the Council’s opposition to any plans to close the staffed ticket office in the district council area.
• Refer this issue to Scrutiny with the recommendation that representatives from the relevant rail operator(s) are invited to attend a Scrutiny Meeting at the earliest possible point to discuss future plans for ticket offices and staffing in Teignbridge.

Notice of Motion 2

The following motion on the Future High Street Fund Delegation has been presented by the Leader and supported by Cllr Keeling, Cllr  ...  view the full agenda text for item 39.

Cllr James left before consideration of this item.

Motion 1

The Deputy Leader & Executive Member for Corporate Services presented the Notice of Motion on protection of Rail Ticket Offices. He proposed the recommendation and that the wording ‘instruct the Managing Director’ be changed to ‘request the Leader and the Chair’, this was seconded by the Leader.

Two-Thirds of the Council agreed that the item be debated at this meeting.

During discussion, Members asked that copy of the letters be send to the local Members of Parliament. This was agreed by the proposer and seconder of the recommendation

Cllr Bullivant proposed that the motion be put, this was seconded by Cllr MacGregor.

RESOLVED that the Council:-

(1)            request the Leader and the Chair to write to Mark Harper MP Secretary of State for Transport, and the Chief Executive of the Rail Delivery Group, expressing Council’s opposition to the possible closure of staffed rail ticket offices – and in particular the offices across the Teignbridge District Council area (and copy in the Local Members of Parliament);

(2)            request the Leader and the Chair to write to the rail operator(s) running local ticket offices in Teignbridge expressing the Council’s opposition to any plans to close the staffed ticket office in the district council(and copy in the Local Members of Parliament); and

(3)            Refer this issue to Scrutiny with the recommendation that representatives from the relevant rail operator(s) are invited to attend a Scrutiny Meeting at the earliest possible point to discuss future plans for ticket offices and staffing in Teignbridge.

The vote was unanimous.

Motion 2

Cllr Goodman-Bradbury left before the vote on this item.

The Leader presented and proposed the motion on the Future High Street Fund Delegation, this was seconded by the Executive Member for Corporate Services. 

Two-Thirds of the Council agreed that the item be debated at this meeting.

The Head of Place and Commercial Services advised that the current delays had been predominantly because of the Councils decision to remove the Alexandra Cinema from the scheme. He outlined the concerns regarding what constitutes a ‘key decision’ and that costs were monitored with monthly reports to Executive. He advised that based on the Notice of Motion there would be the need for a significant number of reports that would add time to the project which could result in the need to seek a further adjustment to the timeline with Government. Any delay could also result in increased costs to due to inflation. 

RESOLVED that the council rescind all delegation of authority for the Future High Street Fund projects excluding Queen St and the Cycle route improvements. This delegated authority is to be replaced with staged delegations based on the project plans.  Milestones achieved or missed and permission to proceed to a next milestone to be overseen by the Executive Committee and reported back to full council.

(Milestones (or checkpoints) in a project are key decision points, such as interior design (outline or detailed), instructions or  ...  view the full minutes text for item 39.