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Agenda item

Member Questions

 

A Member of the Council may ask the Chair, the Leader, a Cabinet Member or the Chair of any Committee a question on any matter in relation to which the Council has powers or duties or which affects the Cotswold District. A maximum period of fifteen minutes shall be allowed at any such meeting for Member questions.

 

A Member may only ask a question if:

a)    the question has been delivered in writing or by electronic mail to the Chief Executive no later than 5.00 p.m. on the working day before the day of the meeting; or

b)    the question relates to an urgent matter, they have the consent of the Chair to whom the question is to be put and the content of the question is given to the Chief Executive by 9.30 a.m. on the day of the meeting.

 

An answer may take the form of:

a)    a direct oral answer;

b)    where the desired information is in a publication of the Council or other published work, a reference to that publication; or

c)    where the reply cannot conveniently be given orally, a written answer circulated later to the questioner.

 

The following questions have been submitted:

 

Question 1

Question from Councillor Stephen Andrews to Councillor Jenny Forde, Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing and Armed Forces Champion

 

In January of this year, you will recall that you undertook to provide a short briefing note for Members so that we are all aware of the support that this Council will now provide, or act to encourage those that it can influence to provide as part of this new Armed Forces Covenant Duty.

I have not yet seen this briefing note. This should not be complicated as the Council should already have the measures in place with guidance available to Staff.

 

When will this briefing note be produced and made available to Members?

 

Question 2

Question from Councillor Stephen Andrews to Councillor Juliet Layton, Cabinet Member for Development Management and Licensing

 

As of the 3rd March 2023, the version of the Scheme of Delegation posted on the Planning Committee page of the CDC website (https://www.cotswold.gov.uk/planning-and-building/planning-permission/planning-committee/) is clear at 4 i under Development Management (DM) that Planning Applications should be referred to the Planning Committee unless the Scheme of Delegation applies:

 

“… with the following exceptions:-

i.          Applications where the views of the Town Council or Parish Council are

clearly contrary to the proposed recommendation and cannot be resolved by

condition or negotiation (with the exception of householder development or

advertisement consent, which may continue to be delegated)”

 

In this and other areas, the published Scheme of Delegation differs significantly from the current practice of this Council.

 

Would she agree with me that the Scheme of Delegation followed by the Council should, in the interest of openness, transparency and good governance, be that made available to the public on the website of the Council?

 

 

Question 3

Question from Councillor Tom Stowe to Councillor Joe Harris, Leader of the Council

 

With the international cost of living crisis continuing, and council employees' morale at a low, can Cllr Harris please confirm what financial  hardship and well-being arrangements the council has in place to help council employees who may be struggling financially?

 

Minutes:

Annex C Supplementary Responses and Written Responses

 

Cllr Brassington commented following the reply to the supplementary question to Cllr Joe Harris from Cllr Tom Stowe that he found the tone of Cllr Stowe’s remarks offensive. It was noted that the Code of Conduct for Councillors says that Councillors should treat other Councillors with respect. This was noted that ‘respect means politeness in behaviour and speech'.

 

The Chair highlighted that the Monitoring Officer would take the matter away outside of the meeting.

Supporting documents:

 

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