Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors L Deighton, S Fawcett, N Morley, and M E Thacker MBE.

Members are requested to declare the existence and nature of any disclosable pecuniary interest and/or other interests, not already on their register of interests, in any items on the agenda and withdraw from the meeting at the appropriate time. 

In respect of Item 7, Medium Term Financial Plan 2024/25 – 2028/29:

·                     Councillors C Smith, K Gillott and K Clegg, declared that they had Disclosable Pecuniary Interests regarding the HRA as Rykneld Board Members but had been granted a dispensation by the Standards Committee to participate and vote on the matter.

·                     Councillors C Lacey, S Pickering and P Windley declared that they were tenants of Rykneld Homes.

·                     Councillors C Cupit, A Dale, M Foster, K Gillott, C Renwick all declared that they were Members of Derbyshire County Council.

In respect of Item 10, English Devolution White Paper Update, and Item 12 Motion B, Councillors A Dale, C Cupit, M Foster, K Gillott and C Renwick declared that they were all elected Members of Derbyshire County Council.

Councillor A Dale wished to record his opposition to the dispensation that had been granted by the Standards Committee to members of the Rykneld Board to participate in the HRA part of Item 7, Medium Term Financial Plan 2024/25 – 2028/29.

To approve as a correct record and the Chair to sign the attached Minutes of the Council meeting held on 25 November 2024.

RESOLVED – that the Minutes of the Council meeting held on 25 November 2024 be approved as a true and correct record.

The Chair of the Council, Councillor C Smith, reported that she had been busy during the Christmas period, visiting various Christmas fayres.  She thanked Councillor J Barry for the donation of a Christmas cake and two wreaths which had been raffled, with the money raised going to the Chair’s Charity Appeal.

The Chair announced that a Chair’s Appeal raffle was currently being organised and further details would be sent out in due course.

As it was the first meeting of 2025, the Leader of the Council, Councillor N Barker, wished everyone a Happy New Year.

Councillor N Barker stated that whilst it was the budget setting meeting, local government reorganisation was also being discussed today, which considered the future of the Council.  It was important to be part of the process and whatever the outcome, the aim was to achieve the best outcomes for the people and communities of North East Derbyshire. 

Councillor N Barker stated that he continued to meet with stakeholders, including a recent meeting with the CEO of East Midlands Chamber of Commerce.

Councillor N Barker stated that his door, and those of the chief officers, were always open and Councillors were welcome to raise issues at any time.

Councillor N Barker also wished to recognise that it was the 80^th Anniversary of liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau.

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule No 8 to allow members of the public to ask questions about the Council’s activities for a period up to fifteen minutes.  The replies to any such questions will be given by the appropriate Cabinet Member.  Questions must be received in writing or by email to the Monitoring Officer by 12 noon twelve clear working days before the meeting.

No questions have been submitted under Procedure Rule No 8 for this meeting.

No questions from the public had been received.

Report of Councillor P Kerry, Deputy Leader of the Council and Portfolio Holder for Strategic Leadership and Finance

The decision requested is part of the Budget and Policy Framework and thus can only be made by Council.

The report to Council sought approval for the current budget for 2024/25 and original budget for 2025/26 for the General Fund, Housing Revenue Account and Capital Programme as part of the Council’s Medium Term Financial Plan covering the years 2024/25 to 2028/29.

Members were informed that Cabinet had considered and endorsed the proposals at its meeting on 23 January 2025 following on from scrutiny at the Joint Scrutiny Committee on 16 January 2025.  The recommendations were now referred to Council for consideration and approval.

Councillor P Kerry, Deputy Leader of the Council, provided a background to the budget setting and noted that that it had been a challenging budget setting cycle. 

Councillor P Kerry moved a Motion that Council approve recommendations 1 to 12 in the report. Councillor N Barker spoke and seconded the Motion.

Councillor N Baker proposed an amendment, to amend the increase to Council Tax in recommendation 3 from 2.99% to 1.99%.  He stated that restraint should be used and that it was reasonable to not exceed the Bank of England inflation target of 2%. Councillor A Dale spoke to and seconded the amendment.

Councillor D Hancock, J Stokes, S Reed, H Wetherall, M Durrant and F Adlington-Stringer spoke regarding the budget proposal and amendment.

The amendment was put to the vote.  As required by law this was taken as a recorded vote.  The amendment failed.

For: 17

Councillors P Antcliff, N Baker, S Clough, C Cupit, A Dale, P Elliott, M Emmens, M Foster, P Jones, W Jones, S Reed, C Renwick, R Spooner, J Stokes, K Tait, R Welton, P Windley

Against: 32

Councillors F Adlington-Stringer, N Barker, J Barry, G Baxter, R Beech, J Birkin, D Cheetham, K Clegg, S Cornwell, M Durrant, C Fletcher, C Gare, K Gillott, D Hancock, L Harthorne, D Higgon, P Kerry, C Lacey, T Lacey, H Liggett, F Petersen, S Pickering, M Roe, K Rouse, R Shipman, D Skinner, Caroline Smith, Christine Smith, M Smith, L Stone, H Wetherall.

The Original Motion was put to the vote.  As required by law this was taken as a recorded vote.  The Motion was approved.

For: 33

Councillors F Adlington-Stringer, N Barker, J Barry, G Baxter, R Beech, J Birkin, D Cheetham, K Clegg, A Cooper, S Cornwell, M Durrant, C Fletcher, C Gare, K Gillott, D Hancock, L Harthorne, D Higgon, P Kerry, C Lacey, T Lacey, H Liggett, F Petersen, S Pickering, M Roe, K Rouse, D Skinner, Caroline Smith, Christine Smith, M Smith, L Stone, R Welton, H Wetherall, P Windley.

Against: 14

Councillors P Antcliff, N Baker, S Clough, C Cupit, A Dale, P Elliott, M Emmens, M Foster, P Jones, W Jones, C Renwick, R Spooner, J Stokes, K Tait.

Abstention: 1

Councillor S Reed

RESOLVED – That:

(1)         that the view of the Director of Finance & Resources; that the estimates included in the Medium-Term Financial Plan 2024/25 to 2028/29 are robust and that the level of financial reserves are adequate at this time; be accepted.  ...  view the full minutes text for item COU/79/24-25

Report of the Deputy Leader of the Council with responsibility for Finance.

The decision requested is part of the Budget and Policy Framework and thus can only be made by Council.

The report to Council provided information for the approval of the Council’s suite of Treasury Strategies for 2025/26 to 2028/29.

The report outlined the Council’s proposed suite of Treasure Strategies, which contained:

·                    The Treasury Strategy which provided the framework for managing the Council’s cash flows, borrowing and investments for the period.

·                    The Capital Strategy which was intended to provide a high level, concise overview of how capital expenditure, capital financing and treasury management activity contributed to the provision of the Council’s Services.

·                    The Investment Strategy which focused on investments made for service purposes and commercial reasons, rather than those made for treasury management.

The strategies provided an approved framework within which officers undertook the day to day capital and treasury activities.

Councillor P Kerry and N Barker proposed and seconded a Motion to approve the recommendations as contained within the report.

RESOLVED – That:

(1)       Council approve the Treasury Management Strategy at Appendix 1 and in particular:

a)      Approve the Borrowing Strategy

b)      Approve the Investment Strategy

c)      Approve the use of the external treasury management advisors Counterparty Weekly List (or similar) to determine the latest assessment of the counterparties that meet the Council’s Criteria before any investment is undertaken.

d)      Approve the Prudential Indicators.

(2)       That Council approve the Capital Strategy as set out in Appendix 2and in particular:

a)      Approve the Capital Financing Requirement

b)      Approve the Minimum Revenue Provision Statement for 2025/26

c)      Approve the Prudential Indicators for 2025/26, in particular:

                        Authorised Borrowing Limit            £244.26m

                        Operational Boundary                     £239.26m

                        Capital Financing Requirement    £234.26m

(3)       That Council approve the Investment Strategy as set out in Appendix 3.

(4)       That Council approve the Flexible Use of Capital Receipts Strategy at Appendix 4.

Report of the Assistant Director of Governance and Monitoring Officer.

The decision is a Council decision and only the Council can determine the matter.

The Assistant Director of Governance and Monitoring Officer presented a report on the proportionality of the Council and Appointments to Committees.

The political balance for the Council as a whole and the specific bodies covered by the political balance requirements were set out in the report.  The current membership of Committees was set out in Appendix 1 to the report.

Councillor T Lacey was nominated to replace Councillor D Skinner on Audit Committee.

Councillor M Smith was nominated to replace Councillor K Clegg on General Licensing Committee and Licensing and Gambling Acts Committee.

Councillor H Liggett was nominated to replace Councillor D Hancock on Planning Committee and Local Plan Working Group.

Councillor D Hancock was nominated to replace Councillor P Windley as the nominated substitute for Planning Committee.

Councillor T Lacey was nominated to replace Councillor N Morley on Communities Scrutiny Committee.

RESOLVED – That:

(1)         the changes to the political make-up of the Council be noted and the proportional allocation of committee places as set out in paragraphs 2.1 and 2.2, be agreed.

(2)         the proposed appointments to Committees, as set out in paragraph 2.4 and as updated at the meeting, be agreed.

Report of the Head of Paid Service.

This report is submitted to Council for information.

The Managing Director presented a report which provided information and shared awareness of the current situation and potential organisational threats following the Devolution White Paper that had been published on Monday 16 December 2024, particularly in relation to the announcement of Local Government Reform.

The report stated that the Government had announced a programme of local government reorganisation to replace all ‘two-tier’ county and district councils with single tier ‘unitary’ authorities. 

The report provided details on risk management, from an organisational operational perspective, which included ‘keeping the wheels on the organisation’ and preventing distraction from the day job, recruitment and retention, morale of the workforce, ineffective communication, threats to financial planning, and threats around decision making during this uncertain period.

Councillor M Foster spoke with regard to concerns about the staff and staffing issues.  Councillor R Welton spoke about the implications for Town and Parish Councils.  Councillor H Wetherall spoke about the project management aspect of the whole project, and where that capacity would come from.  Councillor H Liggett talked about the impact on residents and that it would be important to keep them informed. Councillor A Dale spoke about the uncertainty to staff but noted there were statutory service roles that would carry on largely unchanged. Councillor N Barker noted that work on this had already taken a lot of time and effort.

RESOLVED – That:

(1)         the contents of the report and organisational response so far, be noted.

(2)         The Managing Director reports back to Council with update reports as appropriate.

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule No 9.2 to allow Members to ask questions about Council activities.  The replies to any such questions will be given by the Chair of the Council or relevant Committee or the appropriate Cabinet Member.  Questions must be received in writing or by email to the Monitoring Officer by 12 noon twelve clear working days before the meeting. 

The following questions have been received.

Question ‘A’ – Proposed by Councillor A Dale to Councillor S Pickering, Portfolio Holder for Environment & Place

I'm sure the Cabinet Member will join me in praising our brilliant refuse staff, who do a fantastic job all year round, but particularly so over the Christmas period, in difficult circumstances. However, following complaints in previous years around the coordination of collections, which left some residents without certain bins being emptied for nearly three weeks at one of the busiest times of year for rubbish being generated, there was an apology and an acknowledgement at the time that we needed to reconsider this in the future to avoid as much as possible these problems happening again. My colleagues and I were therefore concerned that pretty much the same issues have happened again this year, resulting in similar complaints from our residents. Can the Cabinet Member please confirm how we ended up in this situation, what steps were taken to improve the coordination before issuing the bin calendars and whether he will commit to review this again moving forward?

Question ‘B’ – Proposed by Councillor S Reed to Councillor S Pickering, Portfolio Holder for Environment and Place

At the last ICT committee members learnt about £500k government grant, related to improving planning and Automation/AI, which NEDDC and Bolsover Councils each secured.

The committee were informed that Bolsover’s project showed great promise but was ultimately shelved. 

Can the portfolio holder advise/report the following on NEDDC’s grant;

A. What project was the grant used for

B. Current status of the project or expected completion date

C. What benefits have been realised/expected.

Question ‘C’ – Proposed by Councillor S Clough to Councillor K Rouse, Portfolio Holder for Health and Leisure

Recently I have been in receipt of information that has highlighted some concerns that relates to Killamarsh Active.

The subsidy currently stands at £354k, this is around the same as it was under the Parish Council before the Pandemic in 2020 and doesn’t seem to be reducing even though there has been £1.9m investment and it was presented at Communities Scrutiny Committee, as being well used and exceeding its potential at this point in time. 

The high Subsidy has given rise to concerns among residents that the centre is at risk, So could reassurance be given that plans are in place and work is being undertaken to reduce the high Subsidy and give a guarantee that there are no plans to close or reduce the centre when the Parish Council Tapered Lease Subsidy expires next year or when the final payment is claimed from Killamarsh Parish Council  ...  view the full agenda text for item COU/83/24-25

The Chair confirmed that four questions had been received.

Question ‘A’ – Proposed by Councillor A Dale to Councillor S Pickering, Portfolio Holder for Environment & Place

I'm sure the Cabinet Member will join me in praising our brilliant refuse staff, who do a fantastic job all year round, but particularly so over the Christmas period, in difficult circumstances. However, following complaints in previous years around the coordination of collections, which left some residents without certain bins being emptied for nearly three weeks at one of the busiest times of year for rubbish being generated, there was an apology and an acknowledgement at the time that we needed to reconsider this in the future to avoid as much as possible these problems happening again. My colleagues and I were therefore concerned that pretty much the same issues have happened again this year, resulting in similar complaints from our residents. Can the Cabinet Member please confirm how we ended up in this situation, what steps were taken to improve the coordination before issuing the bin calendars and whether he will commit to review this again moving forward?

Councillor S Pickering responded that he would not begrudge the staff time off at Christmas, but it did mean there was disruption to the schedule.  There were regular black bin collections and extra burgundy bin collections over the Christmas period.

Councillor A Dale agreed that he also did not begrudge staff time off at Christmas but asked if the coordination could be considered again for next year as a number of issues had been raised with him.

Councillor S Pickering responded that it would be kept under review.

Question ‘B’ – Proposed by Councillor S Reed to Councillor S Pickering, Portfolio Holder for Environment & Place

At the last ICT committee members learnt about £500k government grant, related to improving planning and Automation/AI, which NEDDC and Bolsover Councils each secured.

The committee were informed that Bolsover’s project showed great promise but was ultimately shelved.

Can the portfolio holder advise/report the following on NEDDC’s grant;

A. What project was the grant used for

B. Current status of the project or expected completion date

C. What benefits have been realised/expected.

Councillor S Pickering responded that funding applications of several authorities had been conflated in the question. The Council had received £90,000 which had been used for automating the call for sites process.  The project was ongoing and it was hoped that further funding would be received to be able to continue the project.

Question ‘C’ – Proposed by Councillor S Clough to Councillor K Rouse, Portfolio Holder for Health and Leisure

Recently I have been in receipt of information that has highlighted some concerns that relates to Killamarsh Active.

The subsidy currently stands at £354k, this is around the same as it was under the Parish Council before the Pandemic in 2020 and doesn’t seem to be reducing even though there has been £1.9m investment and it was presented at Communities Scrutiny Committee as being well used and  ...  view the full minutes text for item COU/83/24-25

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule No 10 to consider Motions on notice from Members.  Motions must be received in writing or by email to the Monitoring Officer by 12 noon twelve clear working days before the meeting. 

The following motions have been submitted.

Motion ‘A’ – Proposed by Councillor R Shipman

Motion to Improve Bin Collection Services in North East Derbyshire District Council

This Council Notes That:

1.     Reliable waste collection services are a fundamental responsibility of local government and vital for maintaining public health, environmental sustainability, and resident satisfaction.

2.     Several residents across North East Derbyshire have expressed concerns about missed collections, inconsistent schedules, and insufficient communication regarding service disruptions.

3.     Increased housing developments and population growth have placed additional pressure on the current waste collection system.

This Council Believes That:

1.     Improved bin collection services would contribute significantly to cleaner communities and higher resident satisfaction.

2.     Effective waste management is critical to achieving North East Derbyshire’s environmental sustainability goals.

3.     Clear communication with residents is essential to maintaining trust and accountability.

This Council Resolves To:

1.          Conduct a comprehensive review of the current waste collection system including:

a. Routes and schedules.

        b. The adequacy of existing resources (vehicles, staff, bins).

        c. Feedback from residents regarding service performance.

2.     Develop and implement a strategy to address identified issues, which may include:

        a.Optimizing collection routes for efficiency.

        b.Expanding collection days or hours to accommodate growing demand.
c. Investing in new or upgraded collection vehicles with improved capacity and environmental standards.

        d. Introducing real-time updates for residents on collection delays via a digital platform or SMS service.

3.     Commit to gathering accurate data and quarterly performance reviews of the bin collection service and publish results to ensure transparency and accountability. 

4.     Seek external funding opportunities, partnerships or sponsorships / advertisements on vehicles where possible to finance service improvements without placing undue financial strain on the Council budget.

Motion ‘B’ – Proposed by Councillor H Liggett

North East Derbyshire District Council’s Opposition to the Abolition of District Councils and the Creation of ‘Super Councils’ motion

This Council notes with concern the UK Government’s proposals to abolish district councils in favour of creating large unitary authorities or ‘super councils’.

This Council believes:

1.     That District Councils, such as North East Derbyshire District Council, play a vital role in delivering high-quality, accessible, and locally-focused services to residents.

2.     That local decision-making is essential to ensuring that the voices of communities are heard and reflected in the decisions that affect their daily lives.

3.     That the creation of large ‘super councils’ risks removing decision-making further from local residents, reducing accountability, and eroding the sense of local identity that district councils foster.

4.     That smaller, locally-based councils are better placed to respond to the specific needs of their communities compared to larger and more remote administrative bodies.

This Council further notes:

1.     That the proposed changes are likely to lead to a loss of local representation, with fewer elected representatives for larger populations.

2.     That  ...  view the full agenda text for item COU/84/24-25

Motion ‘A’ – Proposed by Councillor Ross Shipman

Motion to Improve Bin Collection Services in North East Derbyshire District Council

This Council Notes That:

1.         Reliable waste collection services are a fundamental responsibility of local government and vital for maintaining public health, environmental sustainability, and resident satisfaction.

2.         Several residents across North East Derbyshire have expressed concerns about missed collections, inconsistent schedules, and insufficient communication regarding service disruptions.

3.         Increased housing developments and population growth have placed additional pressure on the current waste collection system.

This Council Believes That:

1.         Improved bin collection services would contribute significantly to cleaner communities and higher resident satisfaction.

2.         Effective waste management is critical to achieving North East Derbyshire’s environmental sustainability goals.

3.         Clear communication with residents is essential to maintaining trust and accountability.

This Council Resolves To:

1.         Conduct a comprehensive review of the current waste collection system including:

a. Routes and schedules.

            b. The adequacy of existing resources (vehicles, staff, bins).

            c. Feedback from residents regarding service performance.

2.         Develop and implement a strategy to address identified issues, which may include:

            a. Optimizing collection routes for efficiency.

b. Expanding collection days or hours to accommodate growing demand.
c. Investing in new or upgraded collection vehicles with improved capacity and environmental standards.

d. Introducing real-time updates for residents on collection delays via a digital platform or SMS service.

3.         Commit to gathering accurate data and quarterly performance reviews of the bin collection service and publish results to ensure transparency and accountability. 

4.         Seek external funding opportunities, partnerships or sponsorships / advertisements on vehicles where possible to finance service improvements without placing undue financial strain on the Council budget.

Councillor R Shipman moved the Motion.

Councillor D Hancock seconded the Motion.

Councillor S Pickering stated that in 2024 the Council was scheduled to empty just under 2.8 million bins and just over 4,600 were missed.  Most bins were not collected because of blocked roads/parked cars or broken-down fleet vehicles.  Councillor S Pickering added that he felt the Motion was not needed and he would vote against.

Councillor N Barker, J Stokes, F Adlington-Stringer, A Dale and J Barry spoke to the Motion.

Councillor C Cupit suggested that an amendment be made to resolve to send points 1 to 4 to the relevant scrutiny committee for review.

Councillor R Shipman said that the current item that was due to be considered at scrutiny was only looking at the reasons for missed bin collections.  The Motion proposed went further and looked at improvements that could be made.  He challenged the figures that Councillor S Pickering had provided.

Following the debate Councillor R Shipman agreed to a proposal to amend the proposal to resolve to send to the relevant scrutiny committee points 1 – 4.  The Motion passed.

RESOLVED – That this Council resolves to send to scrutiny for review the following:

1.         Conduct a comprehensive review of the current waste collection system including:

a. Routes and schedules.

            b. The adequacy of existing resources (vehicles, staff, bins).  ...  view the full minutes text for item COU/84/24-25

To consider any other matter which the Chair is of the opinion should be considered as a matter of urgency.

There was no urgent business.