Two health suite related events took place at the full council meeting on 30 January 2024.
Firstly, as a result of the non-existent budget request brought to the FPR Committee on 23 January, we took the opportunity to ask Cllr Julia Neden-Watts the following question in her capacity as Chair of the ESCS Committee:
On what date did the Environment, Sustainability, Culture & Sports Committee resolve a budget request to the Finance, Policy & Resources Committee for repurposing of £181K ‘health suite refurbishment’ budget to ‘group exercise studio’ and what will the £12K be spent on within the current financial year?
You’ll enjoy what she says. Do you think she gave a “full answer” in her first response?
Mayor
Mr. Baker, are you here? Councillor Neden-Watts will you provide an answer to Mr. Baker please.
Cllr Julia Neden-Watts
Thank you. The decision to repurpose existing funds towards a group exercise studio at Pools on the Park was properly taken by the Environment, Sustainability, Culture and Sports Committee on 7th November 2023.
This is a demonstrably false statement. There was no decision made to repurpose funds at the meeting on 7 November 2023.
They really do think we’re all stupid and can’t read minutes of committee meetings.
There is an unintentional error in the terms of reference for the Environment Committee for repurposing budgets. The limit is stated as £100,000. It should have been updated to £250,000 to align with the level for officer delegations. This unintended error in the terms of reference will shortly be updated. So while the decision was properly taken by the Environment Committee, in view of the error in the terms of reference and for transparency, the budget requirement was also brought to the Finance Committee.
And the £12,000 likely to be spent in the current year, current financial year, i.e. before the end of March 2024, will be allocated to initial costs in planning and preparing to progress the development of the studio.
Mayor
Have you a supplementary question?
Martin Baker
I do. I don’t, I don’t think I’ve actually got an answer to my question. What date was that budget request resolved by the Environment Committee?
Cllr Julia Neden-Watts
I disagree with the supplementary question. I think I’ve given a full answer in my first response.
So there we go. The Chair of the ESCSC has confirmed at a full council meeting that her committee made no such budget request. Not only that but she now has made things even worse for the council by falsely stating that the ESCSC made a decision on 7 November 2023 to repurpose allocated budget.
Unbelievable isn’t it.
The second event was towards the end of the meeting, when the Green Party brought forward a rather convoluted motion. Things did not go according to plan.
Mayor
All right. We go to the next one: decision on the health suite, and I call on….
Cllr James Chard
A point of order, Madam Mayor. Point of order, Madam Mayor. I’d like to raise a point of order.
Under rules 33.1(f) and 15.3 of the Rules of Procedure. So the substantive thing that this motion seeks to achieve is a reference by this council to the Environment Committee in order to consider whether to refer a matter onto the Policy and Performance Review Board. That doesn’t name a rule of procedure, but the relevant one is rule 33.1(f), and that rule allows matters to be referred to a relevant committee, either by this council or by any member of the relevant committee.
Councillor Warlow is a member of the relevant committee. Therefore, what he’s asking by this motion to do, is to secure something that he can secure himself without bringing the motion. As such, the motion is a frivolous one because it serves no reasonable purpose under rule 15.3 and should be ruled out of order and I raise this for a couple of reasons.
It’s not for want of considering the seriousness of the issue to residents, but what Councillor Warlow now is seeking to do, whether on advice or on his own reading of the rules of procedure, is to pursue a very circuitous route to secure something that he could just do himself, with no reference to this council. Further, I have a concern for Councillor Warlow that if his motion falls, he will have lost the opportunity to make the reference to he wants to make.
Mayor
We will have… now, hear some advice. [laughter]
Abdus Choudhury (Monitoring Officer)
Thank you, Madam Mayor. Councillor raises a relevant point with regards to council, council procedure, rule 33. However, my advice in relation to this matter is that Councillor Warlow by bringing forward this motion, is seeking an expression of Council’s opinion on the issue and expression of the Council’s will in relation to this issue, to be looked at by the Environment Committee, which I have advised is in order and therefore should be considered by, by Council.
Mayor
Thank you. Councillor Frieze.
Cllr Andrée Frieze
Is it possible to ask a question of clarification on that, on that advice?
Mayor
Yes.
Cllr Andrée Frieze
Thank you. Thank you. If the motion does not pass. Is Councillor Warlow able to bring this to Environment Committee under his own… on by himself?
Abdus Choudhury (Monitoring Officer)
No, Madam Chair. That’s having a second go at the same matter. And that’s expressly prohibited under the Council procedure rules. If the expression of council’s will this evening is against the motion, and that’s where it rests, until the requisite time has passed for the same matter to be brought forward again. [laughter]
It has since transpired that this advice from the Monitoring Officer was incorrect. Democratic Services have confirmed that Rule 19.2 only applies to full council meetings and not committee meetings…
Mayor
Let’s listen to understand what Councillor Warlow would like to do. [inaudible] Councillor Roberts!
Councillor Warlow.
Cllr Chas Warlow
I am standing and I have decided. Thank you for that advice. I am going to withdraw the motion.
Mayor
Thank you for your consideration.