Agenda item

(Copy herewith)

Councillor Larratt presented a report on Community Governance and Next Steps and noted the recommendations of the Cross-Party Working Group, contained in Item 2 of the report.

Councillor Nunn seconded the report.

Councillor Stone moved that the item be deferred and the report be sent back to the Cross-Party Working Group for further development; she stated that there had been no further work had been undertaken since the report was taken to the Cross-Party Working Group on 16^th September and expressed her disappointment that the report had not been seen by a scrutiny group or Members informed by way of a briefing.

Councillor Roberts echoed comments made by Councillor Stone and commented that there were no references to funding or budgets within the report

Councillor Birch seconded the motion made by Councillor Stone and commented that work should not progress until further details such as costings were detailed in the report.

Councillor B Markham commented that further details regarding assets, budgets, costing, etc., should be considered by the new town and parish councils which would involve a broader spectrum of elected members and allow members of the public to observe any decisions made.

Councillor Beardsworth expressed her disappointment that no work had been made on the report since it was considered by the Cross-Part Working Group on 16^th September. She questioned funding figures in the report and stated that further work was needed.

Councillor Malpas voiced concern around the lack of costings within the report and suggested that some of the town’s assets would need to be sold in order for the Guildhall to be properly maintained.

Councillor Larratt commented that any delays could cause the Council to risk losing control of implementing the new town and parish councils; the new shadow town and parish councils were the best option to inform the Cross-Party Working Group which would then bring forward satisfactory recommendations.

A vote was taken on the amendment by Councillor Stone to refer the report back to the Cross-Party Work Group for further work.

Upon a vote, the motion was lost.

The recommendations within the report were agreed.

RESOLVED:

1.       That the Chief Executive convenes a first shadow meeting of the Northampton Town Council to consider the matters as set out in the draft agenda on page 17 of the Cross-Party Working Group report of the 16^th September 2020 (and marked Appendix A in that report).

2.       That the Northampton Town Council be recommended at its first shadow meeting to agree the terms and conditions along with arrangements for the recruitment of a Town Clerk   for the Town Council who when appointed will commence duties as soon as is practicable after the 1st April 2021.

3.       That the Cross-Party Working Group be delegated power to carry out the interview and appointment of a Town Clerk and have further delegated authority to agree all terms and conditions for such an appointment.

4.       That the services proposed to be transferred to the Town Council as set out in the enclosed  report from Richard Walden to the Cross-Party Working Group on page 11, section 3.6 (i) be approved in principle subject to further consideration by the Cross-Party Working Group and final recommendations to be brought back to  a future meeting  of Full Council.

          NB. Please note that the Highway verge issue will remain the responsibility of the new unitary authority unless transferred at some future date.

5.       That the Cross-Party Working Group be given delegated authority to act as a Parish Council Renumeration Panel with any recommendations submitted for approval to Full Council and then for consideration by the Shadow Town Council.

6.       That Full Council approves the transfer of the existing Borough Coat of Arms to the Northampton Town Council with any necessary approvals from the College of Arms.

7.       That the governance arrangements for the Northampton Town Council as set out in section 3.12 on page 14 of the Cross-Party Working Group report be approved and recommended to the Shadow Town Council.

8.       That agenda item 4 (pages 31 to 68) of the Cross-Party Working Group report dealing with the transfer to the Northampton Town Council of the Borough Council’s muniments etc. be noted with any final decision to be made by Full Council once a full list of such items has been agreed by the Cross-Party Working Group.

9.       That the transfer of the following properties as referred to in the Cross-Party Working Group report (agenda item 5 on pages 69 to 72).

a)    The Guild Hall, Northampton to the Northampton Town Council.

b)    The Far Cotton Recreation Centre to the Far Cotton and Delapre Community Council.

c)     The appropriate community centre or centres to be identified in the Kingsthorpe are for transfer to Kingsthorpe Parish Council.

          Be approved in principle subject to further consideration by the Cross-Party Working Group as the best way forward both in the short and long term for each of the above proposals with any final decision being made by Full Council before the 31^st March 2021.

10.     That the report in Agenda item 6 (pages 73 to 76) of the Cross-Party Working Group dealing with the issue of Town /Parish Council precepts be noted with further reports to Full Council after further consideration by the Cross-Party Working Group.

11.     That similarly the report in Agenda item 6 (page 77) of the Cross-Party Working Group dealing with the cost to date of the Community Governance Review be noted.

12.     That the decision of the Cross-Party Working Group at its meeting on the 16^th January 2020 to give further consideration at a future meeting to the proposal to grant the Freedom of the Borough to the National Health Service etc be noted.