In accordance with the Constitution, motions on notice must be signed by at least two Members and be about matters for which the Council has a responsibility or which affect the Melton Borough.
Reverend Ashby
The following motion was received from Councillor Posnett (Seconded by Councillor Orson).
Reverend Kevin Ashby has been the rector of St Mary’s Church since 2009 and has decided to retire, with his last day being 1 May.
Kevin has faced a number of challenges during his time in Melton including the biggest renovation of St Mary’s Church in the last two centuries. Kevin had to cope with the Church being closed for a year in 2017 while heating was installed, lighting was upgraded, flooring was levelled, toilets were put in and other features were added for project that cost £2m.
Kevin has also faced the challenge of continuing his ministry during the Covid pandemic, delivering services online and maintaining links with the community including with many elderly people who were confined to their homes.
Kevin will be remembered for commitment, leadership and enthusiasm and I am sure Members will all join me in wishing him a long and happy retirement.
I request that Members join me in supporting the following
motion:
That the Council recognises and thanks Reverend Kevin
Ashby for his service to Melton Mowbray and the prayers he has provided to this
Council.
John Skerritt
The following motion was received from Councillor Browne (Seconded by Councillor Orson).
John Skerritt, former Mayor of Melton, has served as Chairman of the Tenants Forum Executive Committee (TFEC) for over 20 years and has made a huge contribution to improving the councils landlord services as a driving force for giving tenants and leaseholders of Melton Borough Council a voice. Before his involvement with TFEC he was a District Councillor between 1973 and 1999 representing Melton Egerton ward.
John stepped down as TFEC chair in February, and whilst TFEC is no longer in place I will ensure that as we move into a new era of engagement and accountability through introduction of the Charter for Social Housing Residents, this Council continues to commit wholeheartedly to tenant and leaseholder engagement and to ensuring our tenants and leaseholders can hold us to account as a landlord, something that John was instrumental in leading and developing.
It has been a pleasure to work with John and he will forever stand out as a hugely committed and effective councillor and tenant leader. His public service contribution to the Borough has been immense and he has impacted positively on so many people’s lives.
I request that Members join me in supporting the
following motion:
That Council gives thanks to John Skerritt for the
dedication and service he has given to the community for almost 50 years.
Safer Communities
The following motion was received from Councillor Fisher (Seconded by Councillor Smith).
The safety and
wellbeing of our communities should be at the forefront of our minds at all
times. Melton is generally a safe place, where people can go about their lives
without fear of crime, and we should not tolerate behaviour or incidents that
jeopardise this in any way.
For some time
now, our Borough has been subjected to unacceptable anti-social behaviour.
Often involving groups of teenagers and attributed to a small minority of our
community, this type of issue is not unique to Melton but needs to be addressed
before it spirals out of control. Members, I am certain that many of you will
have witnessed groups of young people congregating outside McDonald’s in the
town, in parks and even supermarket car parks which can be quite intimidating
for passers-by and whilst this is nothing new there certainly seems to be less
available for the younger generations to do nowadays.
Local Police and
Council Officers are working extremely hard to identify and take action against
those that are responsible for this unacceptable behaviour. However, we need to
understand the root causes of this behaviour. We need to create more
opportunities to engage with young people in ways that give them a voice and
something as simple as a safe place to meet with their peers. The recent
pandemic has hit our communities hard. It is likely to have impacted on our
young people in ways that we can only understand by reaching out and giving
them a voice.
Additionally,
over the last eighteen months in Melton alone we have lost two well used
facilities; Terminal one an indoor skate park and Yoof
which provided an indoor area to meet up and carry out gaming and sports
activities. Local scouting groups and sports activity providers do a fantastic
job of engaging with young people of all ages, introducing them to new skills
and new friends but these don’t run full time and don’t always appeal to
everyone for various reasons.
Whilst
commissioning of youth services may not be within this Council’s remit, our
young people are our future generation. We need to play our part in empowering
them and giving them a voice. We need to better understand what they need to
grow and prosper and to become responsible adults. We need to work with our
partners to create the right opportunities for young people, and to ensure they
can access them. We need to understand the root causes for antisocial behaviour
and to work with our young people to address them.
I request that
Members join me in supporting the following motion:
1.
That as a
community leader, Melton Borough Council is a driving force in making positive
changes for our younger generation, working closely with other partners and
with young people across Melton to understand what Melton has to offer young
people, what is needed and to develop a clear plan for empowering and
supporting young people.
2.
To commit to
giving young people across Melton a voice. To learn from our young people and
to work with them to understand what is needed to improve services and
facilities across Melton, and to reduce antisocial behaviour.
3.
To support the
emerging Action Melton Youth (AMY) project as a key opportunity to engage with,
support and empower young people through collaboration with other key partners
who collectively, can make a difference.
Recognition for
the Armed Forces who were involved with the Falklands War
The following
motion was received from Councillor Higgins (Seconded by Councillor Glancy).
The Falkland’s War
remains one of the largest air naval combat operations between modern forces
since the end of the second world war. This year we mark the 40th anniversary
and felt it important to recognise this and give our gratitude to those serving
today, who stand ready should they be called upon and recognise that the
readiness and professionalism of our Armed Forces is second to none.
As a Council, we
signed the Armed Forces Covenant in partnership with Rushcliffe and Charnwood
Borough Council in 2013 and since then we have supported veterans in a number
of ways. To name a few:
1.
The support we give to
people in terms of recruitment / employment.
I know we have a Guaranteed Interview Scheme for Veterans and Reservists
and the Council have recently applied for Gold Standard Employer status.
2.
We offer a range of
support and advocacy through training, building awareness and engaging
community-based groups.
3.
We have reviewed the
allocations policy to support veterans in the Borough.
4.
We play an active part
in supporting the Armed Forces in Leicestershire.
I request
members join me in supporting the following motion:
As a Council, we
reaffirm our commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant and in particular we
recognise those who served and pay tribute to those who laid down their lives,
suffered injury (whether mental or physical) and recognise all those families
who lost loved ones on all sides during the Falklands War.
Minutes:
Reverend Ashby
The following motion was
proposed by Councillor Posnett and seconded by Councillor Orson.
‘It gives me great pleasure to
propose this motion to Kevin.
Reverend Kevin Ashby has been
the Rector of St. Mary's Church since 2009 and has decided to retire, with his
last day being the 1 May 2022. Kevin has
faced a number of challenges during his time in
Melton, including the biggest renovation of St. Mary's Church in the last two
centuries. Kevin had to cope with the
Church being closed for a year in 2017, while heating was installed, lighting
was upgraded, flooring was levelled. toilets were put in and other features
were added for the project which cost £2m.
Kevin has also faced the challenge of continuing his ministry during the
Covid-19 pandemic, delivering services online and maintaining links with the
community, including with many elderly people who were confined to their homes.
I would like to give my personal
thanks to Kevin who has supported me through sad times and happy times. 1 of the highlights of my years as County
Chairman was my Civic Service at St. Mary’s Church, following its
renovation. My guests were overwhelmed
with the Church.
Kevin will be remembered for
commitment, leadership and enthusiasm and I am sure Members will join me in
wishing him and Alison a long and happy retirement.
I request that Members join me
in supporting the following motion:
That the Council recognises and
thanks Reverend Kevin Ashby for his service to Melton Mowbray and the prayers
he has provided to this Council.’
During
debate the following comments were made:
Council
RECOGNISED and THANKED Reverend Kevin Ashby for his service to
Melton Mowbray and the prayers he has provided to this Council.
(Unanimous)
Reverend Ashby thanked the
Council for its support during his time as Rector at St. Mary’s Church,
commenting that such support enabled much to be achieved at the Church.
John Skerritt
The
following motion was proposed by Councillor Browne and seconded by Councillor
Orson.
‘John Skerritt, former Mayor
of Melton, has served as Chairman of the Tenants Forum Executive Committee
(TFEC) for over 20 years and has made a huge contribution to improving the Council’s
landlord services as a driving force for giving tenants and leaseholders of
Melton Borough Council a voice. Before his involvement with TFEC he was a
District Councillor between 1973 and 1999 representing Melton Egerton ward.
John stepped down as TFEC
chair in February, and whilst TFEC is no longer in place I will ensure that as
we move into a new era of engagement and accountability through introduction of
the Charter for Social Housing Residents, this Council continues to commit
wholeheartedly to tenant and leaseholder engagement and to ensuring our tenants
and leaseholders can hold us to account as a landlord, something that John was
instrumental in leading and developing.
It has been a pleasure to
work with John and he will forever stand out as a hugely committed and
effective councillor and tenant leader.
His public service contribution to the Borough has been immense and he
has impacted positively on so many people’s lives.
I request that Members join me in supporting the following motion:
That Council gives thanks to
John Skerritt for the dedication and service he has given to the community for
almost 50 years.’
During debate
the following comments were noted:
Council
THANKED John Skerritt for the dedication and service he had given
to the community for almost 50 years.
(Unanimous)
The Mayor
presented a certificate to Mr. Skerritt.
Mr. Skerritt commented that
this motion had been a great surprise to him.
He had enjoyed his time as a councillor and as a tenant representative,
as this had enabled him to help many people over the years. Mr. Skerritt also paid tribute to those at
TFEC, who he had worked alongside.
(At various points during
the following motion, the following Councillors left the meeting: Browne,
Child, Douglas, Evans, Holmes, Illingworth, Orson, Posnett, Wilkinson. The meeting remained
quorate at all times. All except Councillor Illingworth returned to the
meeting during the motion below).
Safer Communities
The following motion was proposed by Councillor Fisher and seconded by
Councillor Smith.
‘The safety and wellbeing of our communities should
be at the forefront of our minds at all times. Melton is generally a safe place, where
people can go about their lives without fear of crime, and we should not
tolerate behaviour or incidents that jeopardise this in any way.
For some time now, our Borough has been subjected
to unacceptable anti-social behaviour.
Often involving groups of teenagers and attributed to a small minority
of our community, this type of issue is not unique to Melton but needs to be
addressed before it spirals out of control.
Members, I am certain that many of you will have witnessed groups of
young people congregating outside McDonald’s in the town, in parks and even
supermarket car parks which can be quite intimidating for passers-by and whilst
this is nothing new there certainly seems to be less available for the younger
generations to do nowadays.
Local Police and Council Officers are working
extremely hard to identify and take action against
those that are responsible for this unacceptable behaviour. However, we need to understand the root
causes of this behaviour. We need to
create more opportunities to engage with young people in ways that give them a
voice and something as simple as a safe place to meet with their peers. The recent pandemic has hit our communities
hard. It is likely to have impacted on
our young people in ways that we can only understand by reaching out and giving
them a voice.
Additionally, over the last eighteen months in
Melton alone we have lost two well used facilities; Terminal one an indoor
skate park and Yoof which provided an indoor area to
meet up and carry out gaming and sports activities. Local scouting groups and sports activity
providers do a fantastic job of engaging with young people of all ages,
introducing them to new skills and new friends but these do not run full time
and don’t always appeal to everyone for various
reasons.
Whilst commissioning of youth services may not be
within this Council’s remit, our young people are our future generation. We need to play our part in empowering them
and giving them a voice. We need to
better understand what they need to grow and prosper and to become responsible
adults. We need to work with our
partners to create the right opportunities for young people, and to ensure they
can access them. We need to understand
the root causes for antisocial behaviour and to work with our young people to
address them.
I request that Members join me in supporting the
following motion:
1. That as a community
leader, Melton Borough Council is a driving force in making positive changes
for our younger generation, working closely with other partners and with young
people across Melton to understand what Melton has to offer young people, what
is needed and to develop a clear plan for empowering and supporting young
people.
2. To commit to giving
young people across Melton a voice. To
learn from our young people and to work with them to understand what is needed
to improve services and facilities across Melton, and to reduce antisocial
behaviour.
3. To support the emerging
Action Melton Youth (AMY) project as a key opportunity to engage with, support
and empower young people through collaboration with other key partners who
collectively, can make a difference.’
During debate
the following comments were noted:
RESOLVED
Council AGREED
(1) That as a community leader, Melton Borough Council
was a driving force in making positive changes for our younger generation,
working closely with other partners and with young people across Melton to
understand what Melton had to offer young people, what was needed and to
develop a clear plan for empowering and supporting young people;
(2) To commit to giving young people across Melton a
voice. To learn from our young people
and to work with them to understand what is needed to improve services and
facilities across Melton, and to reduce antisocial behaviour;
(3) To support the emerging Action Melton Youth (AMY)
project as a key opportunity to engage with, support and empower young people
through collaboration with other key partners who collectively, can make a
difference.
(Unanimous)
At 8:00pm, Councillor Child
left the meeting and did not return.
At 8:05pm, the meeting was
adjourned.
At 8:14pm, the meeting was
reconvened.
Commemoration for the Armed Forces who were involved with the Falklands
War
The following motion was
proposed by Councillor Higgins and seconded by Councillor Glancy.
‘The Falklands War remains
one of the largest air and naval combat operations between modern forces since
the end of the Second World War. It is 1
that is in very much living memory, as we are sadly losing our Second World War
generation and this year marks the 40th anniversary of that conflict and it is
important that we recognise that across the borough because it did impact
people who lived, worked, and now live in the borough. Equally, with everything that is happening in
Ukraine, we should pay tribute to our armed forces who today are standing ready,
should they be called on and to recognise the professionalism and the readiness
of our armed forces, that is second to none.
In 1982, the armed forces were ready within days of being called. The admiral Sir Henry Leach went to the Prime
Minister and said, ‘We should go’ and she said, ‘Why do you say that?’ His response was, ‘If we do not go, it will
be very much worse. We may be living in
a different country.’ The Council has
very much recognised the Armed Forces Covenant.
In partnership with Rushcliffe and Charnwood Borough Councils in 2013,
we have supported our veterans in many ways.
This Council supports the people in terms of recruitment and employment and we have a guaranteed interview scheme for
veterans and reservists and that this Council as well as Charnwood and
Rushcliffe Borough Councils have recently applied for the gold standard as
employer status. We offer a range of
support and advocacy training, building awareness and engaging community based groups and we also have reviewed the
Allocations Policy to support veterans in the borough because Armed Forces
members make up some of the highest percentage of homeless people. We also play an active part in supporting the
armed forces in Leicestershire.
I request that Members join
me in supporting the following motion and ask that the Mayor
write to the South Atlantic Medal Association:
As a Council, we reaffirm
our commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant and in particular
we recognise those who served and pay tribute to those who laid down
their lives, suffered injury (whether mental or physical) and recognise all
those families who lost loved ones on all sides during the Falklands War.’
During debate
the following comments were made:
RESOLVED
Council
REAFFIRMED its commitment to
the Armed Forces Covenant and in particular we
recognise those who served and pay tribute to those who laid down their lives,
suffered injury (whether mental or physical) and recognise all those families
who lost loved ones on all sides during the Falklands War.
(Unanimous)