Agendas, Meetings and Minutes - Agenda and minutes

Agenda and minutes

Venue: County Hall, Worcester

Contact: Simon Lewis  Committee Officer

Media

Items
No. Item

Available papers

The members had before them:

 

a)    The Agenda papers (previously circulated);

 

b)    12 questions submitted to the Head of Legal and Democratic (previously circulated); and

 

c)    The Minutes of the meeting held on 13 July 2017 (previously circulated).

Additional documents:

1916.

Apologies and Declaration of Interests (Agenda item 1)

To receive apologies and invite any councillor to declare any interest in any of the items on the agenda.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received from Mr R M Bennett, Mr C Hotham Mr L C R Mallett, Mrs J A Potter and Ms C M Stalker.

 

Mr P Grove declared a DPI in Agenda item 6 and item 9 – Notice of Motion 2 (Sale of car registration number plate) as Police and Crime Ambassador.

 

Mrs T Onslow declared a DPI in Agenda item 6 and item 9 – Notice of Motion 2 (Sale of car registration number plate) as Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner.

 

Mr J H Smith declared an interest in Agenda item 5 as his wife was the nominee for Vice-Chairman of HOSC and he would not participate in that item of business.

 

Mrs L Hodgson declared an interest in Agenda item 10 as a member of Malvern Hills Trust.

 

Mr R C Adams, Mrs P Agar, Mr A Amos, Mr T Baker-Price, Mr B Clayton, Mrs E Eyre, Mr A Fry, Mr A Hardman, Mr I Hardiman, Mr M Hart, Mr P Middlebrough, Mrs F M Oborski, Mr K A Pollock, Prof J Raine, Mr C B Taylor, Mr P Tuthill, and Mr R Udall, declared an interest in Agenda item 6 as members of the Fire and Rescue Authority.

1917.

Public Participation (Agenda item 2)

To allow a member of the public to present a petition, or ask a question relating to the functions of the Council, or to make a comment on any matter on the agenda.

 

Members of the public wishing to take part should notify the Head of Legal and Democratic Services in writing or by e-mail indicating both the nature and content of their proposed participation no later than 9.00am on the working day before the meeting (in this case Wednesday, 13 September 2017). Further details are available on the Council’s website. Enquiries can also be made through the telephone number/e-mail address listed below.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Mrs E B Tucker presented a petition on behalf of Station/Wyre Road Roundabout Pressure Group to get the plans for the junction to be amended from a planned 4 way traffic light control to a roundabout.

 

The Chairman thanked Mrs Tucker for the petition and said she would receive a written reply from the relevant Cabinet Member.

1918.

Minutes (Agenda item 3)

To approve as a correct record and authorise the signing of the Minutes of the meeting held on 13 July 2017 (previously circulated electronically).

Additional documents:

Minutes:

RESOLVED that the Minutes of the meeting held on 13 July 2017 be confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

1919.

Chairman's Announcements (Agenda item 4)

To receive any announcements to be made by the Chairman.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Chairman referred Members to the printed announcements.

 

Tributes were paid in memory of Mr Bill Allington and Mr Reg Farmer who had recently passed away.

1920.

Constitutional Arrangements (Agenda item 5) pdf icon PDF 80 KB

To consider: (a) The appointment of the Vice-Chairman of the Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee, and (b) The future working arrangements of the cross-party councillor working group.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

(a) Vice-Chairmanship of HOSC

 

Council considered the nomination of Mrs Frances Smith as the Vice-Chairman of HOSC. The details were set out in the report.

 

[Note – Mr J H Smith did not participate in the item]

 

RESOLVED that the nominee of the Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee (HOSC), Mrs Frances Smith, be appointed as Vice-Chairman of the HOSC.

 

(b) Council Working Group

 

Council considered whether or not it wished to re-convene the Council Working Group. The details were set out in the report.

 

In the ensuing debate, the following principal points were raised:

 

·         A proposal was moved and seconded to reconvene the Council Working Group on a cross-party, broad politically-balanced basis with membership formulated through group leaders and chaired by the Vice-Chairman of the Council. The Group would then formulate recommendations for the next municipal year

·         It was too early in the life of the new Council for the Working Group to be reconvened as more time should be given to allow new councillors to settle into their role

·         The reconvening of the Working Group was welcomed as an opportunity to continue the work of the previous Group in scrutinising the modus operandi of the Council

·         The Leader of the Council expressed his disappointment that the proposal had not received cross-party support but he was hopeful that in the future all political parties would engage in the process to ensure that the Council operated effectively.

 

RESOLVED that the Council Working Group be re-convened on a cross-party, broad politically-balanced basis with membership formulated through Group leaders and chaired by the Vice-Chairman of the Council.

1921.

Consultation by the Police and Crime Commissioner - Fire and Rescue Functions (Agenda item 6) pdf icon PDF 101 KB

To consider the proposals put forward by the West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner for the future governance of the Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Authority (Yellow pages).

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Council considered the consultation by the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) in relation to Fire and Rescue functions. The details were set out in the report.

 

In the ensuing debate, the following principal points were raised:

 

·         A motion was moved and seconded not to support the proposals of the PCC to take over the functions of the Fire and Rescue Authority. The majority of councillors were opposed to the proposals. This was not a personal matter. The other constituent councils affected by the proposals had already opposed or were about to oppose the proposal. There was a lack of clarity in the financial/economic case, in particular the proposed £4m savings had not been substantiated. In addition, there was no detailed business model provided. The representational model had not been examined. The proposal for the Police and Crime Panel to scrutinise the work of the PCC was unrealistic. It was questioned whether the PCC had the capacity to undertake these changes at a time when a major transformation programme was underway. However it was recognised that the Fire and Rescue Authority should continue to be a cutting edge authority, communicating effectively with neighbouring authorities, the police and ambulance service and with a shared of back office support

·         There was no financial stability in the PCC's proposals. It would appear that the proposed £4m savings made reference to savings that had already been made by the Fire and Rescue Authority. A close working relation with Shropshire Fire and Rescue Authority was vital. The emphasis on community safety in the PCC's report indicated a misunderstanding of the fire and rescue context. There were no other examples in the western world of fire and rescue services being aligned with the Police

·         The business case put forward by the PCC was poor with gaps and a lack of detail

·         It was recognised that the Fire and Rescue Authority should be improved but there were better ways of going about it.

 

The motion receive unanimous support.

 

RESOLVED: that

 

a)    the Police and Crime Commissioner be advised that Worcestershire County Council does not support his proposals and is particularly concerned that only an initial business case has been provided to the Council as a statutory consultee;

 

b)    the proposals do not provide evidence that would be in the interests of improving public safety or the economy, efficiency and effectiveness of the service; and

 

c)    the Council encourages the Police and Crime Commissioner to work with the Fire Authorities, and engage with the upper tier authorities, to achieve greater collaborative arrangements.

1922.

Reports of Cabinet - Matters which require a decision by Council (Agenda item 7 (a)) pdf icon PDF 328 KB

To consider the reports of the Cabinet and to receive answers to any questions asked on those reports as follows:

 

a)    Report of Cabinet – Matters which require a decision by Council (Yellow pages); and

b)    Report of Cabinet – Summary of decisions taken (White pages).

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Council considered the Children and Young People's Plan (CYPP) 2017-2021. The details were set out in the report.

 

In the ensuing debate, the following principal points were raised:

 

·         The Cabinet Member for Children and Families introduced the report. He commented that the CYPP was a multi-agency plan. It had been drawn up for children with children's involvement. It had been considered by the Cabinet, Children and Young People's Panel, Corporate Parenting Board and accepted by the Health and Well-being Board. This was a Plan not only for this council but for all agencies across the county

·         It was important to ensure that Looked After Children achieved the best educational outcomes and that they should not be disadvantaged because they were in care

·         All councillors had a responsibility as corporate parents to take an active role in supporting the Plan and young people. It was encouraging that young people had been actively involved in drawing up the Plan and the "Who Cares we Care" and "Speak out" groups had endorsed it

·         In response to a query, the Cabinet Member for Children and Families undertook to investigate whether members required Disclosure and Barring clearance to undertake their role as corporate parent in their local community.

 

The recommendation received unanimous support.

 

RESOLVED that the new Children and Young People's Plan (CYPP)  2017-2021 be adopted as approved by the Health and Wellbeing Board, as part of the Council's Policy framework for a whole-system response to improving outcomes for children, young people and their families.

1923.

Reports of Cabinet - Summary of Decisions Taken (Agenda item 7 (b))

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Leader of the Council reported the following topics and questions were answered on them:

 

·         Emergency Preparedness, Resilience, Response and Recovery

·         Balanced Scorecard report Quarter 4 2016/17

·         Update of Minerals and Waste Development Framework Local Development Scheme

·         Ombudsman Report – Adult Social Care.

1924.

Overview and Scrutiny Work Programme 2017/18 (Agenda item 8) pdf icon PDF 194 KB

To consider the future work programme recommended by the Overview and Scrutiny Performance Board (Yellow pages).

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Council considered the Overview and Scrutiny Work Programme 2017/18. The details were set out in the report.

 

In the ensuing debate, the following principal points were raised:

 

·         The Chairman of the OSPB thanked the previous Chairman, Mr R M Udall, participating councillors, Panel Chairman, and officers for their support in preparing the work programme. Attempts had been made to improve ways of working and in particular, Chairman pre-briefings were being introduced to ensure scrutiny meetings were undertaken in the proper way. Work was also underway to try and improve Cabinet Member and opposition briefings. He particularly highlighted the important work in relation to children's and adult services. An issue not addressed in the programme was the necessary changes in the process for scrutinising the budget as this year the draft figures would not be circulated until later in the year than before. He would be inviting the Leader to OSPB

·         The work programme would be updated to reflect the greater level of scrutiny work required for the Children and Young People's Panel as a result of the post Ofsted action plan for Children's Social Care.

 

RESOLVED that the 2017/18 Scrutiny Work Programme be endorsed.

1925.

Notices of Motion - Notice of Motion 1 - Official Anthem of the County (Agenda item 9) pdf icon PDF 156 KB

To receive the report of the Head of Legal and Democratic Services on any Notices of Motion received by him (Lilac pages). 

Councillors are asked to note that any Notices of Motion must be received by the Head of Legal and Democratic Services no later than noon on Thursday, 7 September 2017.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Council had before it a Notice of Motion standing in the names of Mr R M Udall, Mr P M McDonald, Ms P A Hill, Mr L C R Mallett, Mr A Fry and Ms P Agar.

 

The motion was moved by Mr R M Udall and seconded by Ms P Agar.

 

The Council agreed to deal with the motion on the day.

 

Those in favour of the motion made the following comments:

 

·         The Council should celebrate the fact that this was Elgar's County and adopt Land of Hope and Glory as its anthem as a symbol of Worcestershire. If members believed that the lyrics were outdated/imperialistic they should simply interpret them based on values rather than empire 

·         Land of Hope and Glory was a beautiful stately march suitable to be played at a number of occasions. Elgar was at the heart of everything that should be celebrated in the County and was beyond any jingoistic association. It was a recognised brand with local resonance

·         On the Council's web site, there was a campaign supported by the Cabinet Member for Economy and Infrastructure, requesting the public to support the adoption of Land of Hope and Glory as the anthem for the county.

 

Those against the motion made the following comments:

 

·         Elgar disassociated himself from the words written to his music which reflected a different time and place and were not relevant to the present day and had no connection with the county

·         For what purpose did the Council need an anthem, how and when would it be used and given the imperialistic nature of the lyrics, was Land of Hope and Glory an appropriate option?

·         Notices of Motion of this kind were a waste of Council time which could be better spent on more serious matters.

 

On being put to the vote, the motion was lost.

1926.

Notices of Motion - Notice of Motion 2 - Sale of car registration number plate (Agenda item 9)

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Council had before it a Notice of Motion standing in the names of Mr P M McDonald, Ms P A Hill, Mr L C R Mallett, Mr A Fry, Ms P Agar, and Mr R M Udall.

 

The motion was moved by Mr P M McDonald and seconded by Mr R M Udall.

 

The Council agreed to deal with the motion on the day.

 

Those in favour of the motion made the following comments:

 

·         It was questionable whether the sale of the number plate AB1 was in the gift of the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) or whether it belonged to the Council. In any event, the number plate was public property and should have been sold in an open and transparent way to achieve the best price. Initially it appeared that the number plate was to be sold at public auction but it was subsequently withdrawn and sold privately to a retired member of the police force at what would appear to be below market price. The savings from the private sale were unproven. The PCC should be held to account for his actions. The Police and Crime Panel should be requested to scrutinise the process

·         There was a lack of transparency in the sale process and a dispute about the heritage of the number plate. The sale was withdrawn from auction and made in private but should have been made in public

·         There was no public awareness of the apparent 50% sell-on clause which highlighted the lack of transparency in the sale process and the need for scrutiny by the Police and Crime Panel given question marks over the sale process

·         The process required closer examination.

 

Those against the motion made the following comments:

 

·         This Notice of Motion was a deliberate attempt to smear the PCC. The PCC had acted in good faith and would be able to prove title and best value from the sale. If the mover of the motion had asked the Police and Crime Commissioner's Office they would have been informed that proper processes had been followed and the number plate was only withdrawn from the auction when it was realised that best value could be achieved through the sale to a private bidder thereby avoiding auctioneer's costs by selling to the highest bidder. It was not the role of the Council to direct the Police and Crime Panel to scrutinise this matter

·         There was no evidence to support the accusation that the number plate had been undervalued. By selling the number plate, the PCC was providing a source of income from an unwanted asset

·         The PCC should be congratulated for ensuring the Council received full value from the sale particularly given the 50% sell-on clause that had been negotiated

·         The sale of the number plate was within the authority of the PCC and the sale process would be subject to the usual internal and external audit processes.

 

On being put to the vote, the motion was lost.

1927.

Notices of Motion - Notice of Motion 3 - Asbestos in schools (Agenda item 9)

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Council had before it a Notice of Motion standing in the names of Mr P M McDonald, Ms P A Hill, Mr L C R Mallett, Mr A Fry, Ms P Agar, and Mr R M Udall.

 

The motion was moved by Mr P M McDonald and seconded by Ms P A Hill.

 

The Council agreed to deal with the motion on the day.

 

Those in favour of the motion made the following comments:

 

·         The Administration and the Cabinet Member for Transformation and Commissioning were fully aware of the danger to staff and children from the existence of asbestos in 140 county schools and had knowingly put staff and children at risk. The programme of asbestos removal only related to a number of boiler houses. The Council's stance was that asbestos would only be removed where there was a risk of damage or disturbance. There were no warning signs on walls where asbestos was encapsulated. Even when encapsulated, asbestos remained a danger from disturbance, especially in a school environment. The majority of teachers were unaware of the location of asbestos in their school and therefore the associated level of risk. It was acknowledged that the cost of asbestos removal was high but this was no excuse for not taking action

·         The nature of work in the classroom, for example pinning pictures to the wall as well as other natural events could lead to danger of asbestos being disturbed.

 

Those against the motion made the following comments:

 

·         The Cabinet Member for Transformation and Commissioning commented that asbestos when bonded in cement was relatively stable but became dangerous when damaged or the fibres disturbed. The Council had a programme for the removal of asbestos which would be undertaken in a considered manner, taking into account the impact on the safety and education of children

·         The Health and Safety Executive had advised that asbestos should be left in situ. Disturbing asbestos would raise the risk to public health

·         There were many forms of asbestos with varying levels of risk. The white asbestos present in schools was the least hazardous form

·         For the Council to undertake a whole-scale removal of asbestos throughout its schools would require the approval of the Health and Safety Executive and a nationally funded scheme. This Council did not have the funds to carry out such a programme.

 

On being put to the vote, the motion was lost.

 

1928.

Notices of Motion - Notice of Motion 4 - Public sector pay (Agenda item 9)

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Council had before it a Notice of Motion standing in the names of Mr P M McDonald, Mr R M Udall, Ms P A Hill, Mr L C R Mallett, Mr A Fry and Ms P Agar.

 

The motion was moved by Mr P M McDonald and seconded by Mr R C Lunn.

 

The Council agreed to deal with the motion on the day.

 

Those in favour of the motion made the following comments:

 

·         Since 2010, the average pay for a local government worker had reduced between £2 - 5k in real terms. Public sector workers were underpaid and over-worked. A pay rise was necessary to reflect their true worth. There were no pay caps for chief officers and a great disparity in wages between them and the workforce. The pay cap was unsustainable and should be lifted. Low wages were a false economy given the cost of bringing in external sources of labour

·         Local government workers had been the subject of a pay cap for 8-9 years. This contrasted with the recent decision taken by Council to increase Cabinet Members' allowances by over 10% 

·         A low pay economy was an unproductive economy. Voting against this motion suggested that the administration did not value its employees

·         The issue was not about employees receiving a 5% pay increase but bringing an end to the pay cap to allow free collective bargaining.

 

Those against the motion made the following comments:

 

·         There was a difficult balance to be struck between increasing salaries and the financial cost to taxpayers. If the cap was lifted in line with the union's request, where would the money be found to pay for it? A sizeable increase to wages would be unaffordable and could lead to job cuts and reductions to services

·         The Council had already made progress towards establishing the national living wage for its staff. The motion should be rejected on the basis that the LGA were doing a good job of negotiating a pay settlement on behalf of all councils as employers

·         There was no doubt that local government pay had not kept up with inflation but the stated fall of 21% was inaccurate. However, proposals for a 5% increase were unaffordable for the Council without additional funding from the Government

·         Amending the job evaluated pay structures would be a dangerous and expensive exercise

·         The Council needed to know the national approach to public sector pay awards before committing to any pay deal locally

·         It should be noted that Cabinet Members received an allowance and not pay so the comparison with employees was unfair. It should also be borne in mind that officers received other benefits such as pensions, sick leave, holidays and incremental pay increases. By contrast many private sector workers had not received pay increases for many years and did not receive the same benefits.  

 

On being put to the vote, the motion was lost.            

1929.

Notices of Motion - Notice of Motion 5 - Council-wide seminar / workshop to discuss upcoming issues (Agenda item 9)

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Council had before it a Notice of Motion standing in the names of Mrs E B Tucker, Prof J W Raine, Mr M E Jenkins and Mrs F M Oborski.

 

The motion was moved by Mrs E B Tucker and seconded by Prof J W Raine.

 

The Council agreed to deal with the motion on the day.

 

Those in favour of the motion made the following comments:

 

·         The mover and seconder of the motion agreed that the motion should refer to a council-wide seminar rather than a countywide seminar and it was altered accordingly

·         The Council had an opportunity to learn from the failures associated with children's safeguarding. On what basis was the Council confident that this was a one-off event? Members were largely kept in the dark about upcoming issues. A member workshop was requested to give members an opportunity to pool ideas and make recommendations through the democratic process

·         The question needed to be asked as to why the difficulties in Children's Services were not anticipated. The aim of the motion was to establish how well members were informed of issues. Members received information on matters that were going well but not necessarily things that were not

·         It was acknowledged that Children's Services would be scrutinised in response to the Ofsted Report but Children's Services were more than just about safeguarding. It seemed that members only became aware of issues when they became serious. This motion was intended to improve lines of communication so that members were alerted to potential issues before they became serious

·         The Council also needed to be informed of the cost of any failings in service provision.

 

Those against the motion made the following comments:

 

·         The motion should not be supported on the basis that it underplayed the successes of the Council and provided an unfocussed scatter-gun approach to scrutiny which undermined the role of the OSPB

·         As a result of the Ofsted report, Children's Services would be the subject to significant scrutiny and should the reference to Children's Services be removed, it was possible that the motion could be supported.

 

On being put to the vote, the motion was lost.

 

1930.

Report of Cabinet Member with Responsibility (Agenda item 10) pdf icon PDF 160 KB

To receive the report of the Cabinet Member with Responsibility for Communities on current issues and proposed developments within her area of responsibility and to receive answers to any questions on the report (Green pages)

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Cabinet Member with Responsibility for Communities presented her report which concerned a number of overarching issues:

 

·         Libraries including the Hive

·         The Hive

·         Adult Learning

·         Museums Worcestershire

·         Arts Service

·         Severn Arts

·         Corporate Information Management Unit

·         Registration and Coroner Services

·         Countryside and Greenspace Service

·         Road Safety

o    Bikeability

o    Road Safety Education and training

o    School Crossing Patrol Service

·         Malvern Hills AONB Partnership

·         Gypsy and Traveller Services

·         Trading Standards and Animal Health (Regulatory Services)

·         Worcestershire Archive and Archaeology Service (WAAS)

·         Scientific Services

·         Voluntary and Community Sector

·         Partnership Working – Syrian Refugee Resettlement.

 

The Cabinet Member with Responsibility answered questions about her report which included:

 

·         Proposals for the extension of the mobile library service to hard to reach urban areas

·         Whether the decision to move Rubery Library into the local church would be reversed

·         Whether the range of magazines accessed through a digital format would be expanded

·         An assurance was requested regarding their safety at night of staff at the Hive following recent late night disturbances

·         What action would be taken to promote physical activity?

·         More specific information was requested about the high performing technology offer as part of the library service provision at the Hive

·         Had the £1.3m European Social Fund been received or did it remain under threat as a result of the Brexit decision?

·         What actions were proposed to ensure that social history was included in the museums service offer

·         What support was the Museums Service providing to help the work being undertaken to improve the Elgar Birthplace Museum?

·         What support was provided by the Museums service to smaller museums in the county?

·         What support was provided by the Arts Service to alternative forms of popular art?

·         What process had been followed for the recruitment of Trustees on the new limited company for Severn Arts? 

·         An assurance was requested that the new business arrangements for Severn Arts would deliver the Council's responsibilities for the music service

·         What other countryside sites were being considered for transfer to other agencies?

·         What was the Council's position with regard to the proposal for a cable-car up to the Malvern Hills Beacon?

·         Were there any plans to provide additional funding for the Bikeability training programme?

·         What efforts were being made to fill the school crossing patrol vacancy at St Barnabus Primary School, Worcester?

·         An assurance was requested that the Council was meeting its statutory responsibilities in relation to trading standards

·         Was the Council an active member of the West Midlands Service for Travelling Children?

·         Had the Romany Gypsies who owned land on Hartlebury Common been consulted regarding the status of Hartlebury Common

·         Was the revenue budget for Trading Standards sufficient for it to carry out its statutory functions?

·         What information could be provided on trends in non-compliance of trading standards regulations especially with the withdrawal of routine trading standards inspections?

·         An assurance was sought that there were no further proposals to reduce the opening hours of the archive service

·         Was the Council doing everything it could to alert members of the community about telephone  ...  view the full minutes text for item 1930.

1931.

Question Time (Agenda item 11) pdf icon PDF 127 KB

To receive answers to any questions asked by Councillors (Orange pages).

 

(Members are reminded of the timescale adopted by Council for notice of questions. A Councillor may only ask a question if:

 

·         It is delivered in writing to the Head of Legal and Democratic Services by noon on Monday 11 September 2017 or

·         If it relates to urgent business, the Head of Legal and Democratic Services is notified at least half an hour before the start of the meeting.)

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Twelve questions had been received by the Head of Legal and Democratic Services and had been circulated before the meeting.

1932.

Reports of Committees - Audit and Governance Committee (Agenda item 12 (a)) pdf icon PDF 152 KB

To consider the reports of Committees and to receive answers to any questions asked on those reports as follows:

 

a)    Audit and Governance Committee – Summary of decisions taken (White pages); and

b)    Planning and Regulatory Committee – Summary of decisions taken (White pages).

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Council received the report of the Audit and Governance Committee containing a summary of the decisions taken.

 

In the ensuing debate, concern was expressed that the report did not reflect the tone and nature of the debate at the Audit and Governance meeting in relation to the findings of the external auditor in respect of the Annual Statutory Financial Statements. In response Mr Middlebrough, on behalf of the Chairman commented that there had been a discussion about why the programme for finalising the Accounts was behind schedule but members received an assurance that the Accounts would be published in line with the statutory deadline. Details of the debate had been included in the published Minutes of the meeting.

1933.

Reports of Committee - Planning and Regulatory Committee (Agenda item 12 (b)

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Council received the report of the Planning and Regulatory Committee containing a summary of the decisions taken.