Council and Democracy

Agenda and minutes

Venue: Auditorium, The Winding Wheel, 13 Holywell Street, Chesterfield S41 7SA

Contact: Amanda Clayton  01246 345273

Items
No. Item

45.

To approve as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 13th October, 2021 pdf icon PDF 335 KB

Minutes:

46.

Mayor's Communications

Minutes:

47.

Apologies for Absence

Minutes:

48.

Declarations of Members' and Officers' Interests relating to items on the Agenda.

Minutes:

49.

Public Questions to the Council

To receive questions from members of the public in accordance with Standing Order No. 12.

 

Question submitted by Karl Deakin on behalf of Plastic Free Chesterfield:

 

It is now a year since the Council passed a motion seeking to remove single use plastic from council operations by 2023. This commitment fits hand in glove with the Council’s Climate Change Action Plan. Plastics begin their existence as fossil fuels. Greenhouse gases are then emitted when the fossil fuels are extracted and when they are refined and made into plastic. If plastic use were a country, it would be the fifth largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world (accounting for 3.8% of all emissions).


Plastic Free Chesterfield has continued to receive reports that single use plastic cups are widely being used at venues such as the Pomegranate and Queens Park Leisure Centre café.


With this in mind (a) what specific plans does the Council have to support the reduction of single use plastic across the Borough in 2022 and (b) will the Council now ensure that once any existing stock of single use plastic is used, only reusable cups are used in Council operations?

 

Question submitted by Paul Christopher Stone:

 

Facing such turbulent times as we do, in today's world. Where is that red line for Councillors and the Council when implementing Government policies?

 

When do you say, this has gone too far, this is damaging Chesterfield and the People of Chesterfield?

 

Minutes:

50.

Petitions to Council

To receive petitions submitted under Standing Order No. 13

Minutes:

51.

Questions to the Leader

To receive questions submitted to the Leader under Standing Order No.14

Minutes:

52.

Changes to Committee Appointments 2021/22 pdf icon PDF 45 KB

Minutes:

53.

Local Government Act 1972 - Exclusion of the Public

To move “That under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 the public be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act".

 

Part 2 (Non-Public Information)

Minutes:

54.

Stephenson Memorial Hall - Stage 2

Minutes:

55.

Local Government Act 1972 - Re-admission of the Public

Minutes:

56.

Minutes of Committee Meetings pdf icon PDF 41 KB

To receive for information the Minutes of the following meetings:-

 

·      Appeals and Regulatory Committee

·      Employment and General Committee

·      Licensing Committee

·      Planning Committee

·      Standards and Audit Committee

 

 

Minutes:

57.

To receive the Minutes of the meetings of the Cabinet of 2 November, 2021 and 23 November, 2021 pdf icon PDF 279 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

58.

To receive and adopt the Minutes of the meeting of the Overview and Performance Scrutiny Forum of 9 September, 2021 pdf icon PDF 281 KB

Minutes:

59.

To receive and adopt the Minutes of the meeting of the Enterprise and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee of 14 October, 2021 pdf icon PDF 271 KB

Minutes:

60.

Questions under Standing Order No. 19

To receive questions from Councillors in accordance with Standing Order No.19.

 

Question submitted by Councillor Fordham:

 

“To ask where a family or resident in the Borough experiences a serious fire, resulting in loss of home what supporting measures are in place for the Borough as our planned emergency response? Given the fire that occurred in Brockwell two years ago, when the Fire Brigade did not notify the Council of the incident, what changes have been made to local partnerships to ensure we provide the necessary support.”

 

Question submitted by Councillor Fordham:

 

 “To ask how many people who are single occupancy tenants with the Borough have died in Council owned accommodation over the last four years and what support measures have been put in place to support the family and neighbours? And whether these measures are in need of review and might be made more supportive and understanding of the trauma of such situations for those affected?”

 

Question submitted by Councillor Kelly:

 

“On 30th July 2019 Chesterfield Borough Council wrote to Cllr J Perkins, the then Chair of the Derbyshire Pension Fund to advise that the following motion was passed by the full Council meeting of Chesterfield Borough Council on 15 July, 2020:

 

“Having declared a Climate Emergency Chesterfield Borough Council commits with the Derbyshire Pensioners Group, Transition Chesterfield, Friends of The Earth and Divest Derbyshire in calling for the Derbyshire Pension Fund to disinvest its remaining funds in fossil fuels and to invest in renewables.

 

In addition, we are calling for Derbyshire Pension Fund to strengthen engagement regarding future investment principles with all stakeholders including pension fund members and employers.”

 

Cllr Perkins replied informing the Council that it was the Pension Fund’s intention to develop a climate change policy. I note that this has now been adopted and published on the Derbyshire Pensions Fund website.

 

Have we (Chesterfield Borough Council) had an update from Derbyshire Pension Fund on the progress they are making with implementing the policy? I am sure that our employees who are members of the fund will be keen to know.”

 

Minutes:

61.

Notice of Motion Under Standing Order No.21

To consider the motion submitted by Councillor Snowdon in accordance with Standing Order No. 21:

 

Power for People Motion - Support for the Local Electricity Bill

That Chesterfield Borough Council

(i) Acknowledges the vital efforts that are being made to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote renewable energy;  

(ii) Further recognises

  • that very large financial setup and running costs involved in selling locally generated renewable electricity to local customers, result in it being impossible for local renewable electricity generators to do so,
  • that making these financial costs proportionate to the scale of a renewable electricity supplier's operation would create significant opportunities for local companies, community groups and councils to be providers of locally generated renewable electricity directly to local people, businesses and organisations, if they wished, and
  • that revenues received by such local companies, community groups or councils that chose to become local renewable electricity providers could be used to help improve the local economy, local services and facilities and to reduce local greenhouse gas emissions;

(iii) Notes that the Parliamentary Environmental Audit Committee, as a result of its 2021 Technological Innovations and Climate Change inquiry, recommended that a Right to Local Supply for local energy suppliers be established to address this;

(iv) Accordingly resolves to support the Local Electricity Bill, currently supported by a cross-party group of 264 MPs and which, if made law, would establish a Right to Local Supply which would promote local renewable electricity supply by making the setup and running costs of selling renewable electricity to local customers proportionate to the size of the supply company; and

(v) Further resolves to 

  • inform the local media of this decision,
  • write to local MPs, asking them to support the Bill, and
  • write to the organisers of the campaign for the Bill, Power for People, (at Camden Collective, 5-7 Buck Street, London NW1 8NJ or info@powerforpeople.org.uk) expressing its support.

 

 

Minutes: