Agenda and minutes

Councillor Snape moved, and Councillor Haden seconded, and it was:

Resolved – That Councillor Phil Hewitt be elected Chairman of the County Council for the ensuing year.

There were no declarations of interest on this occasion.

Resolved – That the minutes of the meetings of the County Council held on 16 March and 13 April 2023 be confirmed and signed by the Chairman.

Councillor Peters moved, and Councillor Worthington seconded, and it was:-

Resolved – That Councillor Colin Greatorex be appointed Vice-Chairman of the County Council for the ensuing year.

There were no items of Chairman’s Correspondence on this occasion.

The Leader of the Council presented a Statement outlining his recent work since the previous meeting of the Council.

Staffordshire Means Back to Business – Oral Update

(Paragraph 1 of the Statement)

Councillor Smith referred to recent developments in Lichfield including the proposed provision by BP of 20 new electric vehicle charging points, Bloor Homes’ regional headquarters and a proposed 10 acre site for high-tech manufacturing units.  Councillor Yates referred to the Chatterley Valley West site in Newcastle-under-Lyme and also asked that the County Council support the provision of new development sites in the Staffordshire Moorlands.

Councillor Hussain indicated that many high streets were struggling to attract and retain shops and businesses and he asked what could be done to address this issue. In response, Councillor Philip White referred to the £200m investment by the Government through its Town Deals, Future High Streets and Levelling-Up funding.  He added that town centres were a priority for the County Council and outlined how the Authority was working in partnership with the District and Borough Councils.

Councillor Pert referred to the opening of the new Pets At Home Distribution Centre near Stafford and the employment opportunities the development would generate.

Councillor Winnington enquired about whether it was still proposed that a rail freight facility would be provided as part of the West Midlands Interchange proposals.

Councillor Philip White also referred to the Council’s Employment and Skills Strategy which was currently out for consultation.

Capital Programme for Schools 2023/24

(Paragraph 2 of the Statement)

Councillor Yates referred to SEND provision in the Staffordshire Moorlands including the recent creation of a SEND Parents Group.  He also welcomed the support for SEND provision contained in the Capital Programme.

Councillor Charlotte Atkins indicated that it was becoming clear that Leek could only sustain one High School and she enquired as to how the capital programme could be utilised to facilitate this.  In response, Councillor Price indicated that he would be happy to meet with Councillor Atkins to discuss this matter further.

Councillor Winnington welcomed the proposals for a new primary school at Burleyfields, Stafford.  In response, Councillor Price indicated that the construction of the new school was due to commence in April 2024.

Councillor Philip Atkins spoke about the need to develop new schools where there was demand for additional places due to new housing developments.

Councillor Francis commented on the excellent SEND provision at Marshlands School in Stafford which was amongst the best in the Country.

Councillor Price indicated that the Capital Programme contained proposals amounting to £43m of which support for SEND provision totalled £13.3m.  He also added that a consultation was currently taking place on future SEND provision and he encouraged all Members to get involved.

Highways and Transport Programme 2023/24 and Pothole Funding

(Paragraphs 3 and 4 of the Statement)

Councillor Hudson, Councillor Afsar and Councillor Loughborough-Rudd welcomed the funding being made available under the Highways and Transport Programme.  They also spoke about the need for Amey to keep to agreed timescales  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

Report of the Chairman of the Health and Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee

The Council considered the revised Code of Joint Working Arrangements with District and Borough Councils for Health Scrutiny.  The Code had been reviewed and refreshed to develop the health scrutiny function across Staffordshire and to foster good relationships with District and Borough Council scrutiny committees and Health Partners.

Resolved – (a) That the revised Code of Joint Working Arrangements (Joint Code) with District and Borough Councils for Health Scrutiny be approved.

(b) That the constitution be amended to include the following wording:

a.   The Council has agreed a Code of Joint Working between the District/ Borough Council and Staffordshire County Council in relation to Overview and Scrutiny of health matters.

b.   In accordance with the agreed code:

                   i.        the County Council shall discharge the overview and scrutiny function under the Health and Social Care Act 2001 and subsequent guidance including the Local Authority (Public Health, Health and Wellbeing Boards and Health Scrutiny) Regulations 2013.

                 ii.        the [Borough/District] Chairman of the [relevant Overview & Scrutiny Committee] Committee will be appointed to Staffordshire County Council’s Health and Care Overview & Scrutiny Committee.

                iii.        the County Council is entitled to appoint one of its members to the [relevant Borough/District Overview & Scrutiny Committee] in relation to health matters.

Report of the Chairman of the Audit and Standards Committee

The Council considered the Annual Report of the Audit and Standards Committee 2022/23.

Councillor Worthington extended his thanks to the Council’s Internal Audit Team for the work that they do.

Resolved – That the contents of the Annual Report of the Audit & Standards Committee for 2022/23 be approved.

To consider the appointment of the members to Committees on the nomination of Group Leaders.

Cllr Alan White moved, and Cllr Philip White seconded, and it was:

Resolved – That the Members indicated on the attached schedule be appointed to serve on the Committees listed for the period up to the Annual Council meeting in 2024.

Cllr Alan White moved, and Cllr Philip White seconded, the nominations for the appointment of Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen of Committees.

Resolved – That the under-mentioned be appointed as Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Committees stated for the period up to the annual Council meeting in 2024:-

Cllr Alan White moved, and Cllr Philip White seconded, and it was:

Resolved - That the nominations of the Leader of the Council, in consultation with the Political Group Leaders, on the appointment of Members to Outside Bodies for 2023/24 be approved and that the Leader be authorised to make any changes to those appointments as may become necessary.

Questions to be asked by Members of the County Council of the Leader of the Council, a Cabinet Member, or a Chairman of a Committee.  The question will be answered by the relevant Member and the Member asking the question may then ask a follow up question which will also be answered

Councillor Yates asked the following question of the Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources whose reply is set out below the question:-

Question

I have been promoting the use of the MyStaffs mobile device app to residents, it has come to my attention that the current version cannot be installed using the latest android software. Could the portfolio holder please ensure that the App is updated so that it can be downloaded universally across commonly used hardware platforms, and a “test and review” procedure is introduced to ensure that the compatibility of the App keeps pace with device software upgrades.

Reply

On the 22nd of March 2023 Google and Apple updated their terms and conditions and subsequently required us to undertake a review of the data captured by the MyStaffs App and re-apply to be listed on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. This work was carried out and the MyStaffs App was successfully relisted. Testing was undertaken to check it was working on Android and Apple devices and no issues were identified.

This is the first issue that has been raised with us on this and officers are now investigating and working to resolve it. Once we have identified the problem and it’s cause we will ensure that this doesn’t happen again. In the interim all the services provided by the MyStaffs App are still available via the Council’s website.

Supplementary Question

What I would like to see is the app linked to “What Three Words” so that when a person logs an issue in real time it also automatically includes a precise location.

Reply

That is a good idea, and I will ask officers to have a look to see if we could make this work.

Councillor Pritchard asked the following question of the Leader of the Council whose reply is set out below the question:-

Question

Just two weeks ago Staffordshire was united in celebration of the coronation of our new monarch, His Majesty King Charles III.

Street parties and celebrations took place across Staffordshire, including in Tamworth town centre and Borough Road in my Division.

Local businesses also got involved by decorating their premises and holding events.

Clare Lee, at the Tam O Shanter in my division, threw open her doors to host a free family fun day for the local community.

Would the Leader join me in congratulating everyone who made these wonderful events happen for the coronation, including by community champions like Clare Lea at the Tam O Shanter?

Reply

It was fantastic to see people, businesses and organisations all over Staffordshire coming together to celebrate the coronation, once again emphasising the community spirit, patriotism and pride people take in their local areas.

So yes, I would also pay tribute to and congratulate Clare Lea and everyone who contributed to another memorable weekend, hot on the heels of our latest Staffordshire Day celebrations.

Over the last four weeks the county council counted down to the coronation across our social media channels and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 12.

Request for Parking Restrictions along Monks Walk, Gnosall

Councillor Winnington presented a petition from local residents requesting parking restrictions along Monks Walk, Gnosall.