Agenda

A)   Report of the Cabinet Member for Resources (HEREWITH)

(A period of 10 minutes, or such longer period at the discretion of the Mayor, will be set aside for questions which must be succinct and relate directly to matters within the report).

Report of the Leader of the Council:

A)   Decisions Taken Under Urgency Provisions                (HEREWITH)

Reports of the Governance Director and Monitoring Officer:

B)   Review of Proportionality and Distribution of Seats      (HEREWITH)

MOTION 1

MOVED by Councillor Thomson and duly seconded by Councillor Curr that:

This Council of Redcar & Cleveland wishes to record its grateful thanks to the work undertaken by Elected Members and Officers in carrying out the work of the Budget Task and Finish Working Group during 2024.

The Group was an All Party Group established after discussions at an All Member Conference on April 16^th 2024 when all 59 Elected Members were invited to share in analysing the financial challenges faced by the Council and seeking to consider solutions on a range of options to find savings of between £3 and £10 million.

The Group met on seven occasions and submitted findings and recommendations to two Members’ Conferences.

Having no executive or decision making powers, the process of progressing matters for further consideration was then routed through the Council’s formal permanent Scrutiny and Improvement Committees, and subsequently to Cabinet for some decision making and for Full Council for other decision making.

Regrettably, although the Group had no executive powers, and its work in investigating many of the financial challenges faced by the Council attracted great merit in its approach, recent attribution of decision making through public statements has questioned the probity of the process and the integrity of the serving Members of the Group.

Responsibility for proposing and implementing car parking charges throughout the Borough, some of which have been subsequently withdrawn by the Cabinet, after it had agreed the details in the Order Paper in December, have been attributed to the Budget Task and Finish Working Group. This is clearly not correct.

It is requested that the due process undertaken by the working of the Group is made clear to members of the public and clarification of the decision-making processes of the Council in respect of the remit and exposition attributable to the Group is made clear to the public so that no one is left in any doubt of the decision making process, and that  the standards of public service, noted in the Seven Principles of Public Life and the Nolan Principles are clearly seen to have been upheld by the Group members.

MOTION 2

MOVED by Councillor Learoyd and duly seconded by Councillor McInnes that:

The Tees Valley Energy Recovery Facility (TVERF) is an environmental, financial and health outcomes disaster for our area.

The 450000 tonne TVERF was brought forward with carbon capture under the Lib Dem/Independent administration 2019-2023 but has morphed into something radically different – an open plume incinerator within walking distance of another massive incinerator (the Suez Merseyside Wilton 11 incinerator).

Carbon output:

With 450000 tons of direct carbon emissions per year the TVERF is equivalent to the emissions from 180000 cars, 125000 homes, 10000 full Teesside to Alicante Flights, or the entire current output of Redcar and Cleveland (R&C) per year.

The single biggest act any R&C borough councillor can make towards slowing climate change is to stop this incinerator and work towards sustainable waste management. Through this motion  ...  view the full agenda text for item 10.

Where there are vacancies or changes in appointment:

·         To appoint Members of Council Bodies and Representatives to serve on other bodies to which Members are appointed by the Council; and

·         To approve any changes to Committee membership and to appoint Chairs and Vice Chairs where appropriate.

Questions to the Chair, Members of the Cabinet, Chairs of any Committee or Sub-Committee, Members of the Fire Authority, Police and Crime Panel or the Tees Valley Combined Authority Scrutiny Committee, for which notice has been given.