Agenda and draft minutes

The Mayor’s Chaplain, Reverend Kenneth Clark, led the Council in prayer.

Apologies for absence were submitted on behalf of Councillors Burrell,

Butler-Rhule, Currans, R Gosine, S Gosine, Kelly, Maddison and Mrs Thurlow.

To receive declarations of interest from Members including the terms(s) of the Grant of Dispensation (if any) by the Audit Board or the Chief Officer & Director of Corporate Services.

There were no declarations of interests.

To approve as an accurate record the minutes of the Annual Meeting of the General Assembly of the Council held on 11 May 2022.

The General Assembly of the Council considered the minutes of the Annual Meeting which took place on 11 May 2022.

            RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the Annual Council Meeting held on 11 May 2022 be confirmed as an accurate record.

The Mayor said that he had been busy attending many local events and was enjoying meeting people from different communities and backgrounds. He reminded Members of his forthcoming Charity Bar-BQ which would take place at The Malt Shovel public house on Thursday 28^th July and the outdoor bowls event on Friday 12^th August at Stone Lodge.

The Mayor advised Members that Councillor Swinerd had asked for permission to address the Council to pay tribute to the late former Councillor Derek Parsons.

Councillor Swinerd spoke about Derek Parsons who he said he had known towards the latter part of his life, mainly at the pub. He said that there were those people who became Councillors for the politics and others that stood for office because of their desire to serve the community and that Derek Parsons fell into the second category. Although he had worked for Shell for 44 years in a very senior executive position, dealing with trademarks and intellectual property, he had still found the time to serve as a councillor. He was first elected to the Council in 1966 and formed an administration in 1968 when the conservatives first took power, becoming the first substantive leader of the council and during this time the Council became twinned with Hanau, began to refurbish council homes and started development work in the town centre. He remained on the Council when Labour regained power. He had been a great example to many people, and in particular had ‘mentored‘ Councillor Pat Coleman. Councillor Swinerd also mentioned Mr Parsons great friendship with Lawrence Buckingham and some of their adventures together. In addition to serving on the Council Mr Parsons served on many other community bodies including the Dartford Civic Society and Dartford Grammar School, and was also very cultured and a gifted artist. In short he had been a great citizen of the borough.

The Leader of the Council added his own personal tribute to Mr Parsons and also commented on his strong friendship with Lawrence Buckingham and said that they were both wonderful people, who had continued to take an interest in Dartford beyond their membership of the Council, regularly attending concerts at the bandstand in Central Park and had been very supportive.

The Leader of the Council made the following announcements:

·         Queen’s PlatinumJubilee

The Jubilee weekend had seen over 80 street parties and community events which had been supported by the Council. The Leader, Mayor and many Councillors had attended the vast majority of these and it had been a privilege to celebrate the Queen’s outstanding achievement.

·         Dartford Pride

The Leader said that he had also attended the Dartford Pride celebrations at The Orchard Theatre which had been a wonderful day attended by a range of people across the whole community from diverse backgrounds.

Councillor Stealey thanked the Leader of the Council, the Cabinet, Council colleagues, the artists and the Orchard Theatre for organising and supporting the event, which was a tribute to Dartford and that he looked forward to attending future events.

The Leader of the Council said that the overwhelming feedback from the public had been highly complimentary but that he also felt that it had also been important to engage with the wider community.

·         Big Day Out

The Leader paid tribute to the Director of Growth & Community, Caroline Hicks, and her team for their hard work on the Big Day Out. This had been another wonderful event which people had enjoyed, the more so in the current challenging economic situation as it was free of charge, which had enabled families to enjoy a fun day out together. The format of the day had worked well and might be used for future events rather than returning to a full-blown festival operation. Feedback would be sought from Members, delivery partners and the public.

·         Free School Meal Voucher Scheme

The Leader of the Council informed Members that the Council had decided to fund a scheme to assist families whose children normally received ‘free’ school meals so that the children could continue to be fed during the school holidays. The scheme provided a £50 voucher for qualifying families. He recognised that this was not a Council responsibility, and could not become a regular scheme, however he felt that the current challenging economic situation was unprecedented and that people who were struggling to cope had not been able to adjust to this and it was right to provide some short term assistance in these circumstances. The Council had also made a financial contribution to every school to aid the provision of school uniform for those who would be otherwise unable to afford it.

·         Dartford Local Plan

The Leader of the Council informed Members that the new iteration of the Dartford Local Plan had passed the first stage of its public examination which was a considerable achievement. He thanked the Chairman of the Development Control Board, Councillor Hunnisett, and the Planning Policy Manager, Mark Aplin, and the Planning Team for their outstanding work on this.

·         Recent Heath Fires

The Leader of the Council thanked the Parks Department and other Council staff for their endeavours during the recent heatwave when record temperatures had resulted in a spate of fires, including a major fire on Dartford heath  ...  view the full minutes text for item 31.

The following questions were submitted by the Shadow Leader of the Council:

Question 1

‘The Grants Committee has been abolished yet has not met since 2018.  Can the leader please explain why this committee has ceased to meet?’

Question 2

‘The census revealed that Dartford experienced the second highest growth in population with a rise of 20%.  This is higher than the overall increase for England (6.6%) and includes an increase of 14.7% in people aged over 65.  Does the leader believe Dartford is coping with this increase?’

Question 3

‘Dartford’s population has become more diverse, both in terms of race, ethnicity and age and with an increasing number of residents with a disability.  What steps have the council taken to ensure all staff have the skills and competencies to communicate and work with people with such diverse needs?’

In accordance with Standing Order 14 the questions and answers, including any supplementary questions and answers, are recorded in a book kept for this purpose in the Members’ Area.

To consider the following motions submitted in accordance with Standing Order 10:

(1) Motion submitted by the Shadow Leader of the Council, Councillor K J Grehan

This council notes that:

·         The term night-time economy is used to describe a wide range of activities from a trip to the theatre or a family meal to a night out at a club.

·         Night-time economies are an important part of our towns and cities and are estimated to bring in over £60 billion to the UK economy every year.

·         The vast majority of people enjoy a night out safely and sensibly. However, the night-time economy can be associated with issues, predominantly around alcohol fuelled violence and crime and anti-social behaviour which often result in negative perceptions.  latest statistics from 2016 showing that in over half of all violent incidents, the victim believed the perpetrator to be under the influence of alcohol.

·          Alcohol was identified as a major driver of crime in the Government’s Modern Crime Prevention Strategy (MCPS), published in 2016. As well as including a number of proposals for additional tools for councils to better manage problem areas at the local level, the strategy focused on partnership working.

·         Dartford town centre had experienced some issues with alcohol related anti-social behaviour, and suffered from negative perceptions in the past with the town having a narrow, alcohol-led offer.  Now, with many new restaurants in the town there is an opportunity for the town to become a place of choice for visitors from elsewhere.

This council further notes that:

·         Drink spiking is when someone puts drugs or alcohol into a person’s drink without their knowledge or consent. It can include putting alcohol into a non-alcoholic drink, adding extra alcohol to an alcoholic drink or slipping prescription or illegal drugs (such as tranquillisers, amphetamines or GHB–also called liquid ecstasy) into an alcoholic or non-alcoholic drink. It can be difficult to tell whether a drink has been spiked, as substances used for spiking usually have no taste, odour or colour.

·         Needle spiking (sometimes referred to as injection spiking) is where someone surreptitiously injects, with a hypodermic needle, (or other form of administration e.g. combi-pen) a victim with a substance.

·         There was a sudden increase in the number of spiking incidents across the country in October 2021 and reports of a new form that involved individuals being spiked with a needle.

·         Police data show that 93% of needle spiking incidents where a venue was recorded occurred in the evening and night-time economy, most frequently in pubs and clubs.

·         Nightlife Crew is being offered to local authorities and BIDs, through a ‘train the trainer’ course delivered by Drinkaware. Delegates who successfully complete the course are then accredited by Drinkaware to deliver the training in their areas, incorporating it into their existing night-time safety initiatives.

·         The Covid pandemic has resulted in around 850,000 18-year-olds coming of age without having experience of the night-time economy.

This council resolves to:

·         Aid that all staff working at licenced premises to be given  ...  view the full agenda text for item 33.

The Mayor informed Members that two motions had been submitted by the Shadow Leader of the Council in accordance with Standing Order 10:

(1) Motion proposed by Councillor A Gaskin

Councillor Gaskin introduced, and proposed the following motion:

‘That this council notes that:

·         The term night-time economy is used to describe a wide range of activities from a trip to the theatre or a family meal to a night out at a club.

·         Night-time economies are an important part of our towns and cities and are estimated to bring in over £60 billion to the UK economy every year.

·         The vast majority of people enjoy a night out safely and sensibly. However, the night-time economy can be associated with issues, predominantly around alcohol fuelled violence and crime and anti-social behaviour which often result in negative perceptions.  Latest statistics from 2016 showing that in over half of all violent incidents, the victim believed the perpetrator to be under the influence of alcohol.

·          Alcohol was identified as a major driver of crime in the Government’s Modern Crime Prevention Strategy (MCPS), published in 2016. As well as including a number of proposals for additional tools for councils to better manage problem areas at the local level, the strategy focused on partnership working.

·         Dartford town centre had experienced some issues with alcohol related anti-social behaviour, and suffered from negative perceptions in the past with the town having a narrow, alcohol-led offer.  Now, with many new restaurants in the town there is an opportunity for the town to become a place of choice for visitors from elsewhere.

This council further notes that:

·         Drink spiking is when someone puts drugs or alcohol into a person’s drink without their knowledge or consent. It can include putting alcohol into a non-alcoholic drink, adding extra alcohol to an alcoholic drink or slipping prescription or illegal drugs (such as tranquillisers, amphetamines or GHB–also called liquid ecstasy) into an alcoholic or non-alcoholic drink. It can be difficult to tell whether a drink has been spiked, as substances used for spiking usually have no taste, odour or colour.

·         Needle spiking (sometimes referred to as injection spiking) is where someone surreptitiously injects, with a hypodermic needle, (or other form of administration e.g. combi-pen) a victim with a substance.

·         There was a sudden increase in the number of spiking incidents across the country in October 2021 and reports of a new form that involved individuals being spiked with a needle.

·         Police data show that 93% of needle spiking incidents where a venue was recorded occurred in the evening and night-time economy, most frequently in pubs and clubs.

·         Nightlife Crew is being offered to local authorities and BIDs, through a ‘train the trainer’ course delivered by Drinkaware. Delegates who successfully complete the course are then accredited by Drinkaware to deliver the training in their areas, incorporating it into their existing night-time safety initiatives.

·         The Covid pandemic has resulted in around 850,000 18-year-olds coming of age without having experience of the night-time economy.

This  ...  view the full minutes text for item 33.

There were no urgent items.

It was moved by Councillor P Cutler, seconded by Councillor J A Kite and

RESOLVED:

That in accordance with Standing Order 11(13) the General Assembly of the Council go into Committee and the rules of Procedures for Committees do apply.

THE LEADER OF THE COUNCIL, COUNCILLOR J A KITE MBE, IN THE

CHAIR

There were no references from other committees.

To consider the Work Plan for the General Assembly of the Council for 2022/23.

The General Assembly of the Council considered its proposed Work Plan for 2022-23.

            RESOLVED:

That the Work Plan, attached at Appendix A to the report, be approved as the General Assembly of the Council’s Work Plan for the 2022-23 Municipal Year.

To consider the outcome of the Interim Review of Polling Districts and Polling Places 2022 and to approve the proposed electoral arrangements.

The General Assembly of the Council considered a report which detailed the outcome of the interim review of polling districts and polling places which was conducted between 7 March and 30 May 2022. The responses and proposals were reported to the Electoral Provisions Sub-committee on 30^th June 2022 including comments from the (Acting) Returning Officer both prior to the review and following its conclusion. In conducting the review consideration had not only been given to the accessibility, lighting and location of the polling places but also to the additional requirements of the Elections Act 2022, including the need for electors to present ID when voting at polling stations from May 2023 and the desirability for there to be a suitable area where staff would be able to check documents and hold confidential conversations with electors. If adopted by the General Assembly of the Council the revised arrangements would take effect following the republication of the register of electors in December 2022 and would be used at the next local elections in May 2023. The General Assembly of the Council was also asked to grant delegated authority to the Chief Officer & Director of Corporate Services to amend a polling place if the designated polling place was unavailable and to adjust the relevant polling districts, detailed in Appendix B to the report, following a Community Governance Review.

The Deputy Leader of the Council explained that he had Chaired the meeting of the Electoral Provisions Sub-committee which had considered the review of polling districts and polling places in some detail, including responses received from Members. He commended the report and the recommendations to the Council.

            RESOLVED:

1. That the recommendations following the review of polling districts and polling places for the borough, as detailed in Appendix A to the report, be approved; and

2. That the Chief Officer & Director of Corporate Services be granted delegated authority to:

     (a) amend a polling place, if the appointed place becomes unavailable; and

(b) if required, adjust the relevant polling districts, detailed in Appendix B to the report, following the outcome of the Community Governance Review.

To consider the conduction of a Community Governance Review in Swanscombe Town ward and possible amendments to the boundaries of the Swanscombe and Ebbsfleet borough wards.

The General Assembly of the Council considered a report which asked Members to consider whether a Community Governance Review (CGR) should be carried out for the Swanscombe Ward area of Swanscombe and Greenhithe Town Council and whether the boundaries of Swanscombe and Ebbsfleet borough wards should be amended so that they were coterminous. Considerable development was taking place across Swanscombe and Ebbsfleet which would change the character and area of local communities and would result in electoral anomalies. The CGR was a process which allowed the Borough Council to consider whether existing parish arrangements were robust, representative and proving efficient delivery of local services. This process would include consulting electors, the Swanscombe and Greenhithe Town Council and interested parties before completing a Reorganisation of Community Governance Order. As a CGR of all parish arrangements across the borough had been carried out within the last five years, to coincide with the review of Borough wards conducted by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE), consent to any changes to the parish ward would also require the consent of the Chief Executive of the LGBCE.

The Electoral Provisions Sub-committee considered the proposals, at its meeting held on the 30 June 2022, and endorsed the commencement of a CGR and that relevant parties should be consulted. Subject to the outcome of the CGR, the Sub-committee also supported the recommendation that the boundaries of Swanscombe and Ebbsfleet borough wards should be amended so they are coterminous which would require the General Assembly of the Council to ask the LGBCE to make an order to confirm the amendment to the borough ward boundaries. This would need to be done by 1 October 2022 in order to stand a chance of an Order being made in time for implementation in the May 2023 local elections.

Councillor Harman said that Swanscombe & Greenhithe Town Council wished to suggest a change to the proposed boundaries so that Alkerden Barn, a historic building, remained in the parished area given that it had strong connections with the Heritage Centre which was run by the Town Council. The Leader of the Council suggested that this should be submitted, along with any other comments that Members wished to submit, as part of the consultation which would run until 8^th August 2022.

            RESOLVED:

1. That, to ensure the governance arrangements continue to reflect the identities and interests of the community and are effective and convenient, the commencement of the Community Governance Review for the Swanscombe Ward of Swanscombe and Greenhithe Town Council, in accordance with the Terms of Reference, at Appendix C to the report, be noted.

2.  That it be noted that the Community Governance Review cannot make any changes to the Swanscombe Town Ward or Swanscombe and Ebbsfleet borough ward boundaries, without the consent of the Local Government Boundary Commission for England; and

3. That, to ensure the boundaries are coterminous, subject to the outcome of the Community Governance Review and consultation, the amendment to the boundaries of Swanscombe and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 39.

This report is ‘to follow’.

The General Assembly of the Council considered proposed procedures to be applied by the Borough Council to fill Parish/Town Councillor vacancies after an ordinary election and where a Parish/Town Council becomes inquorate and is unable to fill vacancies by co-option or election.

The Leader of the Council commented on the number of vacancies arising on parish council’s and the need to encourage public spirited people to put themselves forward to serve their communities, whether through election or

co-option,  and that the current vacancies were a weakness which reflected badly on the parish councils.

            RESOLVED:

1. That the Chief Officer & Director of Corporate Services, in consultation with Group Leaders, be authorised to nominate and make temporary appointments to a Parish/Town Council where it is unable to act because it is inquorate, in accordance with the terms of the Order, at Appendix A to the report;

2. That the Procedure for Making Appointments to Inquorate Parish/Town Councils under Section 91(1) of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended) and Section 39(4) of the Representation of the People Act 1983 (as amended), at Appendix B to the report, be approved for consultation with the Parish/Town Councils and that the Chief Officer & Director of Corporate Services be granted delegated authority to finalise the Procedure; and

 3.  That the Procedure for Filling Parish/Town Councillor Vacancies following an Ordinary Election, at Appendix C to the report, be approved for consultation with the Parish/Town Councils and that the Chief Officer and Director of Corporate Services be granted delegated authority to finalise the Procedure.

To consider the appropriate action to take when a Member fails to attend a meeting for six consecutive months and to recommend accordingly.

The General Assembly of the Council considered a report which proposed that delegated authority should be given to the Chief Officer & Director of Corporate Services to declare a casual vacancy on the Council where a Member failed to attend a meeting for six consecutive months without prior approval by the Council. Where a person ceased to attend for six months s86 of the Local Government Act 1972 stated that their office should be declared vacant immediately, promptly and without delay. However the Council’s current practice was to report the vacancy to the next meeting of the General Assembly of the Council thereby causing a delay between the time when the person ceased to be a Member by virtue of non-attendance and the vacancy being declared. The delegation of authority to declare a vacancy would enable this to happen in the timely fashion envisaged in the law.

            RESOLVED:

That, where a Member ceases to be a councillor by reason of their failure to attend a meeting throughout a period of six consecutive months from the date of their last attendance, unless the failure was due to some reason approved by the Council before the expiry of that period, the Chief Officer & Director of Corporate Services be granted delegated authority to immediately declare the office of councillor vacant, under notification to all Councillors.

To consider the Playground Refurbishment Programme 2022/23.

The General Assembly of the Council considered a report which sought agreement to the draft playground refurbishment programme 2022/23 and an increase to the programme’s capital budget, to facilitate the programme’s implementation. The Council owns and maintains 27 playgrounds at various sites across the borough. The Council’s last playground refurbishment programme was carried out between 2009 and 2011.Since then equipment at some sites had degraded and deteriorated over time and was in need of replacement. In 2019 the Council made a commitment to improve the play experience of young people across the Borough and to refurbish existing playgrounds or deliver new facilities where appropriate. A capital budget of £1,000,000 was created in 2020/21 for a playground refurbishment programme. Initial scoping and planning works were undertaken but the programme could not be progressed, as the playground industry effectively had to shut down for two years because of Covid-19 and playgrounds had to be closed during lockdowns to help prevent the spread of Covid-19.

In late 2021, it became apparent that the programme would be able to restart in early 2022. It was agreed that trial works would be undertaken at two sites to develop a blueprint for the wider programme.  The Council’s existing playground at Queens Gardens was identified for refurbishment and The Bridge development was identified as needing an entirely new playground. The works at the two sites were successfully completed in April and May 2022 and it was proposed to build upon this with a programme of works to other playgrounds.

The next phase of the playground refurbishment programme, which was formulated following lead member site visits and discussions, and analysis of equipment condition appraisals would  include the following works:

·     Central Park – complete removal of existing play equipment (with refurbishment of the water play area) and replacement with an entirely new playground and related facilities – estimate £1,000,000

·     Jessamine Place - refurbishment of existing play equipment – estimate £100,000

·     Hesketh Park – refurbishment of existing play equipment – estimate £100,000

·     Worcester Park - refurbishment of existing play equipment – estimate £100,000

·     Central Park – new outdoor gym equipment – estimate £50,000

·     Worcester Park – new outdoor gym equipment – estimate £50,000

·     Darenth Country Park – removal of remaining play equipment and replacement with an entirely new wooden playground – estimate £100,000

The total cost of the programme amounted to £1.5M. The Cabinet had approved the refurbishment programme at its meeting on 21 July 2022 including a recommendation to the General Assembly of the Council to  increase the original playground refurbishment capital budget (M5335) by £514K to facilitate the implementation of the programme.

The Lead Member for Parks, Open Spaces & Heritage thanked the Waste & Parks Manager and his team for their hard work in developing a comprehensive programme of works which would transform the borough’s playgrounds, which formed a vital part of every child’s upbringing.

The Lead Member for Business supported these comments and said that the refurbished playground at Queens Gardens had been very well received by local  ...  view the full minutes text for item 42.

To consider the outturn for the Capital Programme 2021/22 and Prudential Indicators.

The General Assembly of the Council considered a report which detailed the final pre-audit figures for the 2021/22 Capital Programme, the capital resources that were used to fund it and those that remain available to fund future investment, along with a recommendation from the Cabinet on the carrying forward of the capital budget into 2022/23 as set out in Appendix C to the report.

RESOLVED:

That the capital budget be carried forward into 2022/23, as set out in Appendix C to the report, thereby increasing the total capital budget by £3.015M.

This item is ‘to follow’.

The General Assembly of the Council considered a report which detailed progress to date on the schemes in the approved Capital Programme and the latest position on capital resources. Members were also asked to agree an additional £2.2M budget for the Westgate and former Co-Op site following the Cabinet’s recommendation at its meeting on 26 May 2022 [Min No. 9].

A Member asked whether there was any update on the Green Homes Delivery Scheme, how this was working and how many applications there had been. The Leader of the Council said that the Council had added a further £638K to match the grant funding under the second scheme to keep it moving forward. Whilst he didn’t have the figures on the number of applications so far he was sure that this information could be provided.

RESOLVED:

That an additional £2.2M budget for the Westgate and former Co-Op site be approved, in accordance with the Cabinet’s recommendation at its meeting on 26 May 2022 [Min. No.9]

To appoint a non-voting Independent Member to the Audit Board.

The General Assembly of the Council considered a report which explained the background to the recruitment of a non-voting  ‘Independent Member’ to serve on the Audit Board. CIPFA guidance and best practice supported the appointment of such members to provide additional independent expertise and specialist knowledge to audit boards and the Audit Board had approved a recruitment exercise for up to two non-voting independent members at its meeting on 26 January 2022 [Min 35]. Whilst current guidance required the appointment of non-voting Independent Members to be considered as good practice, it was announced in June 2022, that the Government proposes to make such roles mandatory as part of the new system for regulating audit, following the Redman Review recommendations.

The role of Independent Member was advertised jointly with Sevenoaks District Council and interviews were held with a joint Panel consisting of Members and officers from each Council.

The Panel recommended one applicant, Mo Chunghtai, for appointment as a non-voting Independent Member to the Dartford Audit Board. Mo Chunghtai’s experience and interest in the Dartford area should serve the Board well. In addition, he is also serving as an Independent Member for Sevenoaks District Council, which should provide added synergy. Mo Chunghtai has provisionally accepted the role.

            RESOLVED:

That Mo Chunghtai be appointed as a non-voting Independent Member of the Audit Board.

To consider amendments to the Pay Policy Statement 2022-23.

Members considered a report which explained that the Council would be introducing a Shared Cost Additional Voluntary Contributions arrangement for employees in August 2022, which would allow them to build up extra savings for retirement.  In order to do this it would be necessary to amend the Pay Policy Statement approved at the General Assembly of the Council (Budget) meeting in February 2022 to reflect the new scheme and to ensure the transparency requirements under the Localism Act 2011 are met.

            RESOLVED:

That the Pay Policy Statement amendment, as highlighted in red script at Appendix A to the report, be approved.

It was moved by Councillor J A Kite, seconded by Councillor C J Shippam and

RESOLVED:

That in accordance with Standing Order 11(14) the General Assembly of the Council now re-convene.

THE MAYOR, COUNCILLOR P CUTLER, IN THE CHAIR

To consider any of the minutes of the following Cabinet meetings reserved in accordance with Standing Order 16;

(a)       for full debate by Political Groups on the Council;

(b)       by Ward Members.

Cabinet

9 December 2021

27 January 2022

24 February 2022

24 March 2022

21 April 2022

26 May 2022

23 June 2022

No Cabinet minutes were reserved for debate.