To consider motions of which notice has been given in accordance with Procedure Rule Number 12.
Proposed by Councillor F. McFarland and seconded by Councillor J. Manners:
“Bassetlaw District Council is saddened and disturbed by the terrorist atrocities being committed by Hamas against Israel, which have caused horrific devastation and created an escalating humanitarian crisis.
In light of this, Bassetlaw District Council resolves to, as our way of expressing support for the people of Israel and members of our communities who have been deeply impacted by these illegal and unprovoked attacks against the Jewish people and Israel:
1. Condemn the attacks against Israel as a horrific act of terror.
2. Assert the belief that Israel has the absolute right to defend itself and deter future terrorist acts against its citizens.
3. Stand ready to provide support to the innocent victims of these atrocious attacks.
4. Work with our local Jewish community to offer support and security to those deeply affected.
5. Fly the Israeli flag on council flag-posts in solidarity with Israel.
6. Call on local media to refer to Hamas as a ‘terrorists’ rather than ‘militants’ for the reasons of factual accuracy and common decency.”
In relation to the elements proposed in this motion I have consulted with the Section 151 Officer who states that any additional costs, both in terms of additional staff time and other non-staffing costs, particularly in respect of offering or providing support (which would need to be quantified) would need to be found from within existing service budgets in this financial year and/or would need to be considered as part of the budget process for 2024/25 or, if non-recurrent, may be funded from the Council’s uncommitted general fund reserves or by re-purposing existing earmarked reserves subject to approval via the Council’s decision making process
Proposed by Councillor S Shaw and seconded by Councillor D Pressley:
“This Council notes that from Friday 20 October 2023, Bassetlaw was hit by three days of flooding which caused significant disruption and caused devastation for 252 homes and 43 businesses in the District, in some cases for the second time in four years
.
Firstly, this Council notes the significant efforts of its officers; county, district and parish councillors; residents; businesses; emergency services and others to provide a comprehensive response and appropriate support to those impacted by recent flooding events, and thanks everyone involved. Learnings will be gathered at all levels through the County Council’s Section 19 Report to ensure any mistakes are identified and learned from.
Secondly, this Council notes that in March this year, two Councillors wrote to the then Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) – the Rt Hon Thérèse Coffey MP – outlining their concerns about delays to flood alleviation schemes for Retford and Worksop. Rebecca Pow MP, a Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at DEFRA, replied in June 2023 and confirmed in writing that “Unfortunately, the costs of the schemes in Worksop and Retford were found to be greater than the benefits they would deliver, and they were not progressed further for this reason”.
Further representations were subsequently made by this Council to Brendan Clarke-Smith MP on two occasions to discuss urgent reform of outdated investment rules for flood prevention schemes. No responses were received.
While acknowledging the short-term funding provided by the Government to help impacted properties and businesses since 20 October 2023, this Council notes that:
1. It has previously ringfenced money, bought land and campaigned at all levels of Government to help progress meaningful flood protection investments for Bassetlaw residents and businesses.
2. Out-of-date processes and gateway reviews within the Environment Agency have seen flood schemes bogged down for years, with little progress made while costs have spiralled.
3. There hasn’t been an increase in Government grant funding since previous flooding events, despite record levels of inflation over the past 12 months.
4. Significant flood protection investments have been proposed – with £11.7m of business cases in the pipeline in 2021/22 for delivery by 2026/27, and £27.0m of business cases in the pipeline in 2022/23 for delivery by 2026/27 – but these investment plans have failed to bear fruit, with no approved schemes currently in the pipeline for either Retford or Worksop.
This Council, therefore, resolves to:
1. Establish a working group who shall report to Cabinet, to focus exclusively on flooding, to ensure continued focus and scrutiny on this important topic. This Group will have up to 10 members reflecting both the political make-up of the Council and prioritise the inclusion of Elected Members from the Bassetlaw wards most frequently impacted by flooding.
2. Continue to push for meaningful investment in flood alleviation schemes in Bassetlaw despite perceived business case inadequacies.
3. Lobby for an overhaul of the Environment Agency’s investment plan processes which fail to acknowledge the cumulative socio-economic and emotional impact of localised flooding, and are perceived to penalise parts of the country with lower land values and property prices.
Proposed by Councillor A Rhodes and seconded by Councillor J Bowker:
This Council notes that:
1. The pressure on organisations to pay their fair share of tax has never been stronger.
2. Polling from the Institute for Business Ethics finds that “corporate tax avoidance” has, since 2013, been the clear number one concern of the British public when it comes to business conduct.
3. Almost two thirds of people (64%) agree that the Government and local councils should consider a company’s ethics and how they pay their tax, as well as value for money and quality of service provided, when awarding contracts to companies.
4. Around 17.5% of public contracts in the UK have been won by companies with links to tax havens.
5. It has been conservatively estimated that losses frommultinational profit-shifting (just one form of taxavoidance) could be costing the UK some £17bn perannum in lost corporation tax revenues.
6. The Fair Tax Mark offers a means for business todemonstrate good tax conduct, and has beensecured by a wide range of businesses across theUK, including FTSE-listed PLCs, co-operatives,social enterprises and large private businesses.
This Council believes that:
1. As recipients of significant public funding, local authorities should take the lead in the promotion of exemplary tax conduct, be that by ensuring contractors are paying their proper share of tax or by refusing to go along with offshore tax dodging when buying land and property.
2. Where councils hold substantive stakes in private enterprises, influence should be wielded to ensure that such businesses are exemplars of tax transparency and tax avoidance is shunned.
3. More action is needed as current and proposed new UK procurement law significantly restricts councils’ ability to either penalise poor tax conduct (as exclusion grounds are rarely triggered) or reward good tax conduct when buying goods or services.
4. UK cities, counties and towns can and should stand up for responsible tax conduct, doing what they can within existing frameworks and pledging to do more given the opportunity, as active supporters of international tax justice.
This Council resolves to:
1. Approve the ‘Councils for Fair Tax Declaration’.
2. Lead by example and demonstrate good practice in our tax conduct, right across our activities.
3. Ensure IR35 is implemented robustly and contract workers pay a fair share of employment taxes.
4. Not use offshore vehicles for the purchase of land and property, especially where this leads to reduced payments of stamp duty.
5. Undertake due diligence to ensure that not-for-profit structures are not being used inappropriately by suppliers as an artificial device to reduce the payment of tax and business rates.
6. Demand clarity on the ultimate beneficial ownership of suppliers UK and overseas and their consolidated profit & loss position, given lack of clarity could be strong indicators of poor financial probity and weak financial standing.
7. Promote Fair Tax Mark certification especially for any business in which we have a significant stake and where corporation tax is due.
8. Support Fair Tax Week events in the area, and celebrate the tax contribution made by responsible businesses who are proud to promote responsible tax conduct and pay their fair share of corporation tax.
9. Support calls for urgent reform of UK procurement law to enable local authorities to better penalise poor tax conduct and reward good tax conduct through their procurement policies.
Proposed by Councillor H Digby and seconded by Councillor S Fielding:
This Council notes that there are currently estimated to be over a million people within the UK who have Alzheimer’s or dementia, with these conditions being the number one cause of death amongst women last year in 2022, as well as for the last 10 years.
With such a prevalent and serious condition, as Councillors, we have a responsibility to the residents of Bassetlaw to ensure that this Council can meet the needs of those suffering from these awful conditions.
As such, this Council resolves to:
1. Register with the Alzheimer’s Society’s Dementia Friends Initiative.
2. Offer dementia and Alzheimer’s training to employees and councillors.
3. Promote dementia-friendly signage across all Council buildings as well as to ensure compliance with the Alzheimer’s Society Dementia-friendly environment checklist, in so much as is practically possible.
4. Work with local businesses and organisations to support broader adoption of this policy.
Proposed by Councillor L Stanniland and seconded by Councillor A Coultate:
“It is now clear that the Great British Public do not want Ultra Low Emission Zones (ULEZ) rolled out across the country.
If a ULEZ scheme was implemented that affected Worksop, Retford, and surrounding areas, it would be damaging to our town centres and communities.
This council therefore resolves to oppose the introduction of any ULEZ scheme now, and in the future, which includes any part of Bassetlaw District in the Ultra Low Emission Zone.”
Minutes:
Proposed by Councillor F. McFarland and seconded by Councillor J. Manners:
“Bassetlaw District Council is saddened and disturbed by the terrorist atrocities being committed by Hamas against Israel, which have caused horrific devastation and created an escalating humanitarian crisis.
In light of this, Bassetlaw District Council resolves to, as our way of expressing support for the people of Israel and members of our communities who have been deeply impacted by these illegal and unprovoked attacks against the Jewish people and Israel:
1. Condemn the attacks against Israel as a horrific act of terror.
2. Assert the belief that Israel has the absolute right to defend itself and deter future terrorist acts against its citizens.
3. Stand ready to provide support to the innocent victims of these atrocious attacks. 4. Work with our local Jewish community to offer support and security to those deeply affected.
5. Fly the Israeli flag on council flag-posts in solidarity with Israel. 6. Call on local media to refer to Hamas as a ‘terrorists’ rather than ‘militants’ for the reasons of factual accuracy and common decency.”
In relation to the elements proposed in this motion I have consulted with the Section 151 Officer who states that any additional costs, both in terms of additional staff time and other non-staffing costs, particularly in respect of offering or providing support (which would need to be quantified) would need to be found from within existing service budgets in this financial year and/or would need to be considered as part of the budget process for 2024/25 or, if non-recurrent, may be funded from the Council’s uncommitted general fund reserves or by re-purposing existing earmarked reserves subject to approval via the Council’s decision making process.
Councillor J Manners spoke to the motion.
Councillor J Naish proposed an amendment which was circulated. Councillor A Rhodes seconded the amendment:
“Bassetlaw District Council is saddened and disturbed by the terrorist atrocities being committed by Hamas against Israel, which have caused horrific devastation and created an escalating humanitarian crisis in the Middle East.
In light of this, Bassetlaw District Council resolves to:
· Express our support for all the communities who have been deeply impacted by these attacks.
· Work with our local Jewish, Muslim and other faith communities to offer support to those affected.
· Write to the Police & Crime Commissioner to ask about steps being taken to ensure their safety.
We also call for a peaceful solution as soon as possible for all the communities who are suffering from both the attacks and the consequences of the attacks by Hamas, and we express our support for the international efforts to bring about this solution.”
The Council Solicitor advised that it was a valid amendment and it was accepted by the proposer of the motion.
Resolved that the amended motion be supported.
Proposed by Councillor D Naylor and seconded by Councillor D Pressley:
“This Council notes that from Friday 20 October 2023, Bassetlaw was hit by three days of flooding which caused significant disruption and caused devastation for 252 homes and 43 businesses in the District, in some cases for the second time in four years .
Firstly, this Council notes the significant efforts of its officers; county, district and parish councillors; residents; businesses; emergency services and others to provide a comprehensive response and appropriate support to those impacted by recent flooding events, and thanks everyone involved. Learnings will be gathered at all levels through the County Council’s Section 19 Report to ensure any mistakes are identified and learned from.
Secondly, this Council notes that in March this year, two Councillors wrote to the then Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) – the Rt Hon Thérèse Coffey MP – outlining their concerns about delays to flood alleviation schemes for Retford and Worksop. Rebecca Pow MP, a Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at DEFRA, replied in June 2023 and confirmed in writing that “Unfortunately, the costs of the schemes in Worksop and Retford were found to be greater than the benefits they would deliver, and they were not progressed further for this reason”.
Further representations were subsequently made by this Council to Brendan Clarke-Smith MP on two occasions to discuss urgent reform of outdated investment rules for flood prevention schemes. No responses were received.
While acknowledging the short-term funding provided by the Government to help impacted properties and businesses since 20 October 2023, this Council notes that:
1. It has previously ring-fenced money, bought land and campaigned at all levels of Government to help progress meaningful flood protection investments for Bassetlaw residents and businesses.
2. Out-of-date processes and gateway reviews within the Environment Agency have seen flood schemes bogged down for years, with little progress made while costs have spiralled.
3. There hasn’t been an increase in Government grant funding since previous flooding events, despite record levels of inflation over the past 12 months.
4. Significant flood protection investments have been proposed – with £11.7m of business cases in the pipeline in 2021/22 for delivery by 2026/27, and £27.0m of business cases in the pipeline in 2022/23 for delivery by 2026/27 – but these investment plans have failed to bear fruit, with no approved schemes currently in the pipeline for either Retford or Worksop.
This Council, therefore, resolves to:
1. Establish a working group who shall report to Cabinet, to focus exclusively on flooding, to ensure continued focus and scrutiny on this important topic. This Group will have up to 10 members reflecting both the political make-up of the Council and prioritise the inclusion of Elected Members from the Bassetlaw wards most frequently impacted by flooding.
2. Continue to push for meaningful investment in flood alleviation schemes in Bassetlaw despite perceived business case inadequacies.
3. Lobby for an overhaul of the Environment Agency’s investment plan processes which fail to acknowledge the cumulative socio-economic and emotional impact of localised flooding, and are perceived to penalise parts of the country with lower land values and property prices.
Councillor F McFarland proposed an amendment which was circulated. Councillor J Manners seconded the amendment.
A vote was taken on accepting the proposed amendment:
Resolved that the amendment not be supported.
Councillors J Manners, J Potts S Fielding Digby, D Pulk, D Henderson, M Carroll, D R Pressley, F McFarland and D Naylor spoke to the motion.
Resolved that the original motion be supported.
Proposed by Councillor A Rhodes and seconded by Councillor J Bowker:
“This Council notes that:
1. The pressure on organisations to pay their fair share of tax has never been stronger.
2. Polling from the Institute for Business Ethics finds that “corporate tax avoidance” has, since 2013, been the clear number one concern of the British public when it comes to business conduct.
3. Almost two thirds of people (64%) agree that the Government and local councils should consider a company’s ethics and how they pay their tax, as well as value for money and quality of service provided, when awarding contracts to companies.
4. Around 17.5% of public contracts in the UK have been won by companies with links to tax havens.
5. It has been conservatively estimated that losses from multinational profit-shifting (just one form of tax avoidance) could be costing the UK some £17bn per annum in lost corporation tax revenues.
6. The Fair Tax Mark offers a means for business to demonstrate good tax conduct, and has been secured by a wide range of businesses across the UK, including FTSE-listed PLCs, co-operatives, social enterprises and large private businesses.
This Council believes that:
1. As recipients of significant public funding, local authorities should take the lead in the promotion of exemplary tax conduct, be that by ensuring contractors are paying their proper share of tax or by refusing to go along with offshore tax dodging when buying land and property.
2. Where councils hold substantive stakes in private enterprises, influence should be wielded to ensure that such businesses are exemplars of tax transparency and tax avoidance is shunned.
3. More action is needed as current and proposed new UK procurement law significantly restricts councils’ ability to either penalise poor tax conduct (as exclusion grounds are rarely triggered) or reward good tax conduct when buying goods or services.
4. UK cities, counties and towns can and should stand up for responsible tax conduct, doing what they can within existing frameworks and pledging to do more given the opportunity, as active supporters of international tax justice.
This Council resolves to:
1. Approve the ‘Councils for Fair Tax Declaration’.
2. Lead by example and demonstrate good practice in our tax conduct, right across our activities.
3. Ensure IR35 is implemented robustly and contract workers pay a fair share of employment taxes.
4. Not use offshore vehicles for the purchase of land and property, especially where this leads to reduced payments of stamp duty.
5. Undertake due diligence to ensure that not-for-profit structures are not being used inappropriately by suppliers as an artificial device to reduce the payment of tax and business rates.
6. Demand clarity on the ultimate beneficial ownership of suppliers UK and overseas and their consolidated profit & loss position, given lack of clarity could be strong indicators of poor financial probity and weak financial standing.
7. Promote Fair Tax Mark certification especially for any business in which we have a significant stake and where corporation tax is due.
8. Support Fair Tax Week events in the area, and celebrate the tax contribution made by responsible businesses who are proud to promote responsible tax conduct and pay their fair share of corporation tax.
9. Support calls for urgent reform of UK procurement law to enable local authorities to better penalise poor tax conduct and reward good tax conduct through their procurement policies.
Councillors H Digby, J Bowker and A Rhodes spoke to the motion.
Resolved that the motion be supported.
Proposed by Councillor H Digby and seconded by Councillor S Fielding:
“This Council notes that there are currently estimated to be over a million people within the UK who have Alzheimer’s or dementia, with these conditions being the number one cause of death amongst women last year in 2022, as well as for the last 10 years.
With such a prevalent and serious condition, as Councillors, we have a responsibility to the residents of Bassetlaw to ensure that this Council can meet the needs of those suffering from these awful conditions.
As such, this Council resolves to:
1. Register with the Alzheimer’s Society’s Dementia Friends Initiative.
2. Offer dementia and Alzheimer’s training to employees and councillors.
3. Promote dementia-friendly signage across all Council buildings as well as to ensure compliance with the Alzheimer’s Society Dementia-friendly environment checklist, in so much as is practically possible.
4. Work with local businesses and organisations to support broader adoption of this policy.”
Councillors S Fielding, J Potts, M Richardson, D R Pressley, D Henderson and H Digby spoke to the motion.
Resolved that the motion be supported.
Proposed by Councillor D Bamford and seconded by Councillor F McFarland in the absence of Councillors L Stanniland and A Coultate:
“It is now clear that the Great British Public do not want Ultra Low Emission Zones (ULEZ) rolled out across the country.
If a ULEZ scheme was implemented that affected Worksop, Retford, and surrounding areas, it would be damaging to our town centres and communities.
This council therefore resolves to oppose the introduction of any ULEZ scheme now, and in the future, which includes any part of Bassetlaw District in the Ultra-Low Emission Zone.”
Councillor D Henderson proposed an amendment which was circuited. Councillor L Schuller seconded the amendment:
““It is apparent that a percentage of the Great British public has concerns about Ultra Low Emission Zones (ULEZ) being rolled out across the country.
This Council, therefore, resolves to note potential concerns about the introduction of any ULEZ scheme in Bassetlaw now, to call on the Government fully consult with the public about any such schemes in the future, and calls on the UK Government to provide appropriate funding and solutions to improve Bassetlaw’s road, cycle and rail network while simultaneously cutting vehicle emissions and tackling climate change.”
A vote was taken on accepting the proposed amendment:
Resolved that the amendment be supported.
Resolved that the amended motion be supported.