Agenda item

In accordance with Procedure Rules 10.3 and 10.5, a Member may ask the Mayor, Leader or the Chairman of any committee or sub-committee, a question on any matter in relation to which the Council has powers or duties or which affects the Melton Borough.

 

No questions were received by the deadline. 

 

In accordance with Procedure Rules 10.3 and 10.5, a Member may ask the Mayor, Leader or the Chairman of any committee or sub-committee, a question on any matter in relation to which the Council has powers or duties or which affects the Melton Borough of which due notice has been given.

 

(1)  In accordance with Procedure Rule 10.5 (b), the following question from Councillor Blase was received after despatch of the agenda:

 

“Following the announcement by the County Council to explore proposals for a unitary council for Leicestershire, can the Leader explain what he understands will be the implications for Melton Council’s aspirations and commitments; including the emerging Local Plan, housing strategy, relief road, our existing service contracts regarding waste and housing repairs.”

 

The Leader responded:

 

Firstly can I thank Councillor Blase for his question which follows a significant announcement from the County Council to explore the potential for a single unitary council for Leicestershire. At this stage the County Council’s proposals or justification have not yet been shared with Melton Borough Council so it is difficult to properly understand what any potential implications there might be.

 

In the short term, whilst inevitably we will have to commit some resources to reviewing their proposals and considering some of our own, there will be little impact and we will endeavour to maintain business as usual as far as possible. However should any structural re-organisation take place there will inevitably be some disruption and re-focussing for any new organisation that emerged and one of the great challenges of re-organisation is bringing together the different agendas, legal agreements and aspirations in to something that will work into the future.

 

The scale of any change cannot be under-estimated and done badly any projected savings could be quickly undermined. For now though it is important to remember that any potential change would still be some years away and at this stage any proposals need to be properly considered and robustly tested to make sure they stack up.

 

Melton Councillors will certainly be given the opportunity to form their own view on the proposals and I will ensure there are both informal and formal opportunities for the Council to resolve a position and then to ensure our voice is heard loud and clear in this debate.

 

 

Councillor Blasé put his supplementary question:  ‘If we go to a vote, which way will you be voting?’

 

The Leader responded: As a Borough Councillor?  Until all the views have been canvassed, I cannot answer that.

 

(2)  In accordance with Procedure Rule 10.5 (b), the following question from Councillor Graham MBE was received after despatch of the agenda:

 

"In view of the County Council's tight framework for their version of what they would like, with regards to a Unitary Authority, can the Leader please advise us how this Council will proceed over the coming months. and :

 

 a) If he would be prepared to have talks with Rutland about future working arrangements?

 

 b) If he is prepared, with other District Leaders to look at a scheme where the County Council site at Glenfield is sold and the proceeds used for an arrangement between Districts to take over the few remaining responsibilities that the County Council has? An arrangement would also be made for those areas of responsibility that would affect the area of Leicestershire and its neighbours.”

 

The Leader responded:

 

Thanks you to Cllr Graham for his question. The County Council has set out a timetable for confirming its own position on these proposals and is intending for them to be considered at its Full Council on 5th December. We understand that their proposals will be considered by their Scrutiny Committees during the Autumn and that stakeholders, including ourselves, will have an opportunity to feed in our view. At this stage we are unclear when the business case for their proposals will be shared with us and are seeking clarification of these timescales. Once this has been established we will schedule an extraordinary Council meeting so Melton Borough Council’s formal position can be established and submitted.

 

I have already discussed this matter with the Leaders of Leicestershire’s other District Councils and collectively we are very disappointed with the lack of engagement from the County Council on these proposals and for their unilateral attempt to rail road just one option. We are all committed to ensuring the best use of public funds in Leicestershire and at Melton we have always been open-minded about doing things differently. Not recognising the important contribution district councils make in shaping and leading their local areas is a mistake and undermines the opportunity for more collaborative options to be developed. Big is not always beautiful and any future arrangement must ensure that local interests are served as one size very definitely does not fit all.

 

I have agreed with the other District Leaders that we should explore all options, including maintaining the status quo, to properly understand what is in the best interests of Melton and Leicestershire. I have recently met with the leader of Rutland Council to explore opportunities for further collaboration and we would be happy to continue those discussions. A review of options could include exploring the dis-establishment of the county council and disaggregating services to a smaller level, though we must also be realistic about ensuring that any proposals developed will require support from the government too. At the LGA recently the new Secretary of State gave a clear message that any proposals for re-organisation need to have broad local support if they are too proceed and whilst we have not yet formalised the position of Melton Borough Council it is clear that the County Council have so far secured limited buy-in for their proposals from many of the important stakeholders locally.

 

This is a hugely significant agenda and if handled the wrong way it has the potential to waste a considerable amount of time and money and could deflect us from the aspirations we’ve recently established in our Corporate Delivery Plan; steering our focus away from our communities and towards structural arguments and disagreements. We must not allow that to happen.

 

Before putting his supplementary question Councillor Graham thanked the Mayor for taking the question at short notice.  Councillor Graham referred to local government being a partnership that was based on trust and was concerned that this Council was not coerced into a ‘knee jerk’ reaction.  He expressed the view that the County Council had had the luxury of time to prepare this proposal.  Accordingly, his supplementary question was “How does the Leader see the consultation proceeding with partners we can trust?”

 

The Leader responded: Melton Borough Council will continue working with all key partners and anyone else who is interested with openness, transparency, and honesty.  I am now in daily contact with other district Leaders through a WhatsApp group and will keep the Council updated.

 

In reference to the Leader’s comment earlier in the meeting regarding an Extraordinary Council meeting to agree the Council’s formal response to consultation, the Mayor requested that at least 3 weeks’ notice be given of the date.  The Leader undertook to consult with the Mayor at the earliest opportunity when a date was to be considered.