Agenda and minutes

1/21 – APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE AND NOTIFICATION OF SUBSTITUTES: Notification had been received that Councillor Nigel Simms was to act as substitute for Councillor John Ennis, Councillor Mike Chambers was to act as substitute for Councillor Nick Brown, Councillor Richard Cooper was to act as substitute for Councillor Tim Myatt and lastly Councillor Paul Haslam was to act as substitute for Councillor Alex Raubitschek. Apologies had been received from Councillor Norman Waller.  

                                                                                                           (5.30 pm)              

Members to advise of any declarations of interest.

2/21 – DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST: There were no declarations of interest made at the meeting.

(5.30 pm)

of the meeting of the Committee held on 18 March 2021.

3/21 – MINUTES: The Minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 18 March 2021 were approved as a correct record.

(Six Members voted for and there was one abstention.)

(5.31 pm)

To determine whether to exclude the press and public during the consideration of any exempt information items.

4/21 – EXEMPT INFORMATION: There was no exempt information.

(5.31 pm)

To consider any questions under Standing Order 27.

5/21 – PUBLIC ARRANGEMENTS – QUESTIONS: There were no public questions to consider under Standing Order 27.

(5.32 pm)

The Chair of the Members’ ICT Working Group to submit a written report.

6/21 – LIVE-STREAMING OF COUNCIL MEETINGS: Further to Minute 47/20 the Chair of the Members ICT Working Group, Councillor Ed Darling, submitted a written report which reported back on the Members ICT Group’s investigation of the technical aspects of livestreaming of council meetings from the Civic Centre Council Chamber.

The following Notice of Motion, proposed by Councillor Chris Aldred and seconded by Councillor Philip Broadbank, was referred to the Committee on 3 March 2021 in accordance with Standing Order 10(6)(e):-

“That this Council, due to the interest shown in the Live Streaming of its Meetings during the current Pandemic, asks the Overview & Scrutiny Commission to set up a Cross Party Working Group, to look at (1) improving the Presentation of and Public Access to Meetings as currently broadcast on the HBC You Tube Channel & (2) fully investigate Costings and Systems for the Streaming of Council meetings when they return to taking place physically - aiming for the Working Group to produce a report back to Full Council at the Annual Meeting of the Council in May.”

The report outlined that the General Purposes Committee had met on Thursday 18 March 2021 and considered the motion as detailed above. The Committee had resolved that the Members ICT Working Group would investigate the technical aspects of livestreaming meetings from the Civic Centre Council Chamber and report back. The Members ICT Group had met on Thursday 13 May 2021 in the Civic Centre Council Chamber to view an example livestream utilising the temporary solution put together by officers. Members of the working group were pleased with the technical aspects of the livestream as viewed in-person in the Civic Centre Council Chamber and online on YouTube. Contractors had since installed equipment that provided a better and more permanent solution. Council Members would soon be invited to a training session where the livestreaming will be demonstrated.

Democratic Services officers then responded to questions and confirmed that the final cost of the equipment installed by NUWAY AudioVisual was £2180.

It was proposed and seconded by Councillor Richard Cooper and Councillor Mike Chambers that the wording in recommendation (3) be amended to remove the word ‘not’ from the phrase “and that the offer had not been accepted”. Upon a vote being held five Members voted for the amendment and there were two abstentions the amendment was therefore carried.  Upon a vote being taken on the substantive motion Members unanimously approved the recommendations as amended.

RECOMMENDED (UNANIMOUSLY):

That   (1) it be approved that livestreaming of council meetings from the Civic Centre chamber be adopted on a permanent basis;

(2) officers in the council’s ICT department and Democratic Services Team be thanked for their considerable efforts in ensuring the council could meet legally during the national Stay At Home order, and remain socially distanced now meetings had returned to the Civic Centre chamber; and

(3) the Committee thank Councillor Chris Aldred for his offer of a kind donation to cover the costs of livestreaming from the Civic Centre Chamber  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

The Democratic Services Manager to submit a written report.

7/21 – APPOINTMENTS TO OUTSIDE BODIES 2021/22: The Democratic Services Manager submitted a written report which notified Members of the current representatives on the Outside Bodies arrangements for 2021/22. Paragraphs 5.6 to 5.10 provided an update on changes that had occurred throughout 2019/20 and they were reflected in the updated list attached at Appendix 1.

There was one appointment to be made at the meeting for the York and North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Overview and Scrutiny Board. Councillor Paul Haslam, with Councillor Nigel Simms as substitute, had been nominated for the position by the Conservative Group and Councillor Chris Aldred had been nominated by the Liberal Democrat Group. Councillor Aldred and Councillor Haslam both addressed the Committee.

RESOLVED (UNANIMOUSLY):

That   (1) Councillor Paul Haslam be appointed as Harrogate Borough Council’s representative on the York and North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Overview and Scrutiny Board;

(Five Members voted for Councillor Haslam and one for Councillor Aldred)

          (2) the Committee note and confirm the new appointment and amendments identified in Appendix 1 to the report.

(Six Members voted for the motion and one against)

(5.41 pm – 5.48 pm)

(D)

The Democratic Services Manager to submit a written report.

8/21 – TEMPORARY APPOINTMENT TO HAMPSTHWAITE PARISH COUNCIL: The Democratic Services Manager submitted a written report which informed the committee of the situation of Hampsthwaite Parish Council and sought approval to invoke the power to temporarily appoint a member to sit on the Hampsthwaite Parish Council.

The DSM advised that since the resignation of Councillor John Fairfoot from the Parish Council, the Parish Council was no longer quorate and now had only two Members. In this situation Section 91 (1) of the Local Government Act 1972 provided that the principal authority (Harrogate Borough Council) could make an order to appoint to a town or parish council until such time as the vacancies on the parish council had been filled by either election or co-option. Once the vacant seats had been filled, any appointee could then resign from the Parish Council if they wished to do so.

RESOLVED (UNANIMOUSLY):

That   (1) Councillor Michael Harrison be appointed under Section 91 (1) of the Local Government Act 1972 to Hampsthwaite Parish Council in order to make it quorate, unless or until either sufficient vacancies on Hampsthwaite Parish Council have been filled by way of co-option or election so that the Parish Council is able to act lawfully, or the Order made under Section 91 (1) is revoked; and

(2) the Head of Legal and Governance be authorised to make the required order as attached at Appendix A.

(5.48 pm – 5.50 pm)

(D)