Agenda and draft minutes

Additional Meeting, Cabinet - Thursday, 5th November, 2020 6.30 pm

Venue: Online Meeting - view the meeting at www.mybostonuk.com/youtube

Contact: Lorraine Bush, Democratic Services Manager  Tel. no: 01205 314224 e-mail  lorraine.bush@boston.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

105.

MINUTES pdf icon PDF 310 KB

To sign and confirm the minutes of the last meeting, held on 21st October 2020.

Minutes:

The minutes of the Cabinet meeting held on 21 October 2020 were received and signed by the Chairman.

 

106.

APOLOGIES

To receive apologies for absence.

Minutes:

None.

107.

DECLARATIONS OF INTERESTS

To receive declarations of interests in respect of any item on the agenda.

Minutes:

Councillor Martin Griggs declared an interest in the PE21 Update Report on the grounds of his employment with Boston College.  However, this would have no bearing on his consideration and decision on the matter. 

 

108.

QUESTIONS FROM MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC

To answer any written questions received from members of the public no later than 5 p.m. two clear working days prior to the meeting – for this meeting the deadline is 5 p.m. on Monday 2nd November 2020.

Minutes:

A question had been received from Mr Darron Abbott

 

Mr Abbott’s question was as follows:

 

“I am sure that you keep yourself up to date in what is happening within the Borough of Boston so I therefore assume that you are aware that the crime figures in the Boston Rural west in the year ended August 2020 increased by 48%. There was the debacle of the police not wanting to enforce the councils injunction regarding the travelers enchampment on woodville park. I also understand you personally were assaulted three times in August and was unhappy with the police response.

 

“From what I have been told at times there are as few as one officer covering Boston, with other officers having to travel from Sleaford and Skegness if a crime is committed. As Leader of the Council do you feel that Lincolnshire Police are adequately enforcing the law within the Borough of Boston? “

 

Answer supplied by the Leader:

 

“Thank you Mr Abbott for your question, I like you always am disappointed when things aren’t to level of service we expect.

 

“The level of Policing is set by the Chief Constable. It is the Police that have to risk assess any ongoing situation, they have a duty of care to the public but also their own staff.

 

“When things do not go right then there are ways to register it, 101 and 999 register the incidents. Complaint’s to Professional Standards is another route.

 

“With regard to the increase in Crime I’m always disappointed when this spikes.”

 

Mr Abbott submitted a supplementary question, as follows:

 

“I thank the leader for his reply and I acknowledge his disappointment at organisations fail to meet their own expectations not just those of their customers.

 

“You say dial 999 or 101 I attach a screen shot of the time taken to answer one 999 call that shows a response time of 28 minutes 28 Seconds and I believe your personal experience was very similar and you were just as dissatisfied, but at least it shows that even the Leader of a Local Council is treated with the same contempt as a lowly member of the public.

 

“I believe the Council also has an obligation to protect the residents it serves but you seem very reluctant to make a representation to Lincolnshire Police regarding the poor service the residents of Boston are receiving.

 

“I therefore respectfully ask if you will take the relevant actions by calling to account the Chief Constable and the Police and Crime Comissioner and if this fails write to the Home Secretary requesting that the Home office take over the running of Lincolnshire Police as they can no longer effectively Police the County.”

 

Answer supplied by the Leader:

 

“Thank you, Mr Abbott, for your question.  

 

“The spending review that now has been suspended due to the COVID pandemic was to level up things up for both the councils and police forces alike. The police numbers have been given a boost by the Government,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 108.

109.

REFERRAL FROM FULL COUNCIL - CALL IN: PE21 THE NEXT STEPS pdf icon PDF 205 KB

A referral from the Full Council meeting of 26th October 2020.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

 

DECISION

 

That the original decision, made by Cabinet on 9th September 2020, stands, as follows:

 

That the Deputy Chief Executive (Strategy) be authorised to communicate to the Principal of Boston College that the Council is minded to enter into an agreement to lease and a lease for the Geoff Moulder Centre in order to facilitate the development of the College’s Mayflower Centre project.

 

 

Portfolio Holders and Officer

 

 

TL / NW

 

REASON FOR DECISION

 

The Deputy Leader, Councillor Nigel Welton, introduced the report, which set out a referral from the Full Council meeting of 26th October 2020, regarding a Cabinet decision called-in and considered by Scrutiny Members. 

 

The original Cabinet decision, made on 9th September 2020, was:

 

3.    That the Deputy Chief Executive (Strategy) be authorised to communicate to the Principal of Boston College that the Council is minded to enter into an agreement to lease and a lease for the Geoff Moulder Centre in order to facilitate the development of the College’s Mayflower Centre project.

 

The Deputy Leader explained that this decision had been taken to enable the Deputy Chief Executive (Strategy) to have a discussion with the Principal of Boston College on the matter.  

He considered that the subsequent discussions by Members at the Corporate and Community Committee meeting of 1st October and at Full Council had been worthwhile and positive, and he reiterated his statement, made at both meeting, that no decision would be made in regard to transferring any Council asset except by all Members at Full Council.  This was now a matter of public record in the minutes of those meetings.  PE21 was at the concept stage and when the project was developed, it would be submitted by way of a full report to Cabinet and then to Full Council for a decision.

 

The Deputy Leader proposed that the original decision made by Cabinet should stand and this was seconded by the Leader, Councillor Paul Skinner.

 

 

 

OTHER OPTIONS OR ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED

 

None.

 

 

 

RECORD OF ANY CONFLICT OF INTEREST

 

None.

 

 

RECORD OF ANY DISPENSATION GRANTED

 

None.