Agenda and minutes

You are invited to declare any registerable and/or non-registerable interests in matters appearing on the agenda, and the nature of that interest.

Please complete the Declarations of Interests card available at the meeting and return it to the Democratic Services Officer before leaving the meeting.

You are also invited to disclose any dispensation from the requirement to declare any registerable and/or non-registerable interests that have been granted to you in respect of any matters appearing on the agenda.

Declarations of interest were reported as follows:

The following members declared a non-registerable personal interest in Item 4, Motion 4, as a Member of the Tyne and Wear Local Government Pension Scheme

Councillor G Bell

Councillor S Cox

Councillor N Craven

Councillor E Darke

Councillor D Drummond

Councillor S Graham

Councillor I Grayson

Councillor J Harrison

Councillor J Johnsson

Councillor J Kirwin

Councillor W Lott

Councillor F Lott

Councillor A McMullen

Councillor L Marshall

Councillor J O’Shea

Councillor J Shaw

Councillor J Wallace

The following members declared a registerable interest in Item 4, Motion 4 – spouse or partner is a member of the Tyne and Wear Local Government Pension Scheme:

Councillor L Bell

Councillor D Cox

Councillor J Cruddas

Councillor P McIntyre

Councillor M Murphy

Councillor M Wilson

Councillor T Mulvenna declared a registerable interest and dispensation as a substitute member of the Tyne and Wear Local Government Pension Committee.

Councillor W Samuel - declared a registerable interest and dispensation as a member of the Tyne and Wear Local Government Pension Committee.

Resolved:  that the minutes of the Council meeting held on 20 July 2023 be taken as read, confirmed and signed by the Chair.

Six valid Motions on Notice, signed by at least three Members of the Council, have been received for consideration at this meeting.

It was moved by Councillor K Davis and seconded by Councillor M Fox that: 

‘North Tyneside Council notes that:

The decision of Cabinet to proceed with the creation of a North East Combined Mayoral Authority.

The North of Tyne Combined Authority Mayor, Jamie Driscoll, and Cabinet delivered on their pledge to deliver this devolution deal.

Council believes that:

The approach of the North of Tyne Combined Authority Mayor and Cabinet in working collaboratively with people from all backgrounds has been welcome.

The creation of a North East Mayoral Combined Authority (NEMCA) can unlock the potential of the people of the North East through continuing collaborative working and innovative solutions to the challenges in our region.

Council resolves to: 

Write to the North of Tyne Combined Authority Mayor, Jamie Driscoll, and Cabinet commending them for the work that they have undertaken on behalf of the people of the North of Tyne.”

An amendment was moved by Councillor C Johnson and seconded by Councillor W Samuel as follows:

Paragraph 2 – delete the following wording ‘The North of Tyne Combined Authority Mayor, Jamie Driscoll and’ and replace with ‘The leaders of the 7 NEMCA area authorities and the North of Tyne Cabinet.’

Paragraph 3 – delete the following wording ‘North of Tyne Combined Authority Mayor and Cabinet’ and replace with ‘leaders of the 7 NEMCA area authorities’

Paragraph 5 – delete the following wording ‘North of Tyne Combined Authority Mayor, Jamie Driscoll, and Cabinet’ and replace with ‘The leaders of the 7 NEMCA area authorities and the North of Tyne Cabinet’.

The amended motion therefore read:

“North Tyneside Council notes that:

The decision of Cabinet to proceed with the creation of a North East Combined Mayoral Authority.

The leaders of the 7 NEMCA area authorities and the North of Tyne Cabinet delivered on their pledge to deliver this devolution deal.

Council believes that:

The approach of the leaders of the 7 NEMCA area authorities in working collaboratively with people from all backgrounds has been welcome.

The creation of a North East Mayoral Combined Authority (NEMCA) can unlock the potential of the people of the North East through continuing collaborative working and innovative solutions to the challenges in our region.

Council resolves to:

Write to the leaders of the 7 NEMCA area authorities and the North of Tyne Cabinet commending them for the work that they have undertaken on behalf of the people of the North of Tyne.”

The amendment, on being put to the meeting, was approved by 40 votes to 7 votes with 2 abstentions.

(Councillor A McMullen Joined the meeting at this point)

A further amendment was moved by Councillor L Bones and seconded by Councillor O Scargill as follows:

To add the following paragraph to the end of the Motion:

‘That Council write to the leader of the Labour Party, Sir Keir Starmer, to condemn his decision to exclude Jamie Driscoll from the Labour shortlist.’

A secret ballot on the amendment was requested by two Members present.

A recorded  ...  view the full minutes text for item C36/23

It was moved by Councillor W Samuel and seconded by Councillor D Drummond that:

Council notes that there are an increasingly wide range of concerns around the NHS directly impacting our residents. After 13 years of Conservative Government outcomes for our residents are increasingly concerning.

Council recently set up the cross-party emergency task and finish group to examine the effectiveness of emergency care, but the issue goes much wider than this. The Government’s decision to remove targets for cancer diagnosis and treatment presumably because said targets were not being met is a worrying example of this trend.

Council therefore agrees to widen the remit of the task and finish group to look at all aspects of healthcare provision and policy which impacts on the workload of the NHS emergency response services and the effectiveness of that response.

The motion on being put to the meeting was approved by 41 votes to 5 votes with 4 abstentions.

It was moved by Councillor H Johnson and seconded by Councillor C Johnson that:

Council welcomes the recent announcement by the Mayor and Cabinet that we are investing further in our estates with the neat streets campaign.

This is a welcome significant investment in staff and financial resources to further improve our area it will see new staff, vehicles and equipment deployed across North Tyneside, with a special focus on keeping housing estates, open spaces, town centres and the coastline neat and tidy.  

Council calls upon the Mayor to write to all political groups on North Tyneside Council urging them to include this funding in their budget proposals for next year.

The motion, on being put to the meeting, was approved unanimously.

It was moved by Councillor S Graham and seconded by Councillor C Johnson that:

North Tyneside council unanimously voted to declare a Climate Emergency. The council has also since created a net zero action plan and is making sound progress against it.

The Tyne & Wear Local Government Pension Scheme, holds investments in fossil fuel focussed companies.

North Tyneside council calls upon the mayor and our representatives on the pensions committee to

•          Urge the pensions committee to reconsider its current investment in companies planning to increase extraction.

•          explore shortening the timeframe for total divestment from fossil fuels.

The Motion, on being put to the meeting, was approved by 43 votes to 7 votes.

It was moved by Councillor O Scargill and seconded by Councillor C Johnston, that:

Road Safety

From speeding problems to road markings, we take seriously the complaints we receive from residents about dangerous driving, unsafe roads, and the often inadequate response to these problems.

It is regrettable that the Council’s response to road safety issues can be too slow or defeatist – particularly when councillors are told that there is no problem because ‘the average driver does not speed’ or because 'there has not been a fatal accident'.

Council asks the Mayor to bring forward a speeding prevention plan, which includes:

•          Change the way speeding problem areas are identified, moving away from the average to a system which reflects a mix of incidents numbers, police concerns, resident complaints, councillor reports and maximum speeds recorded

•          Develop a strategy for dealing with anti-social driving outside of sociable hours

•          Improve the way that Council logs and reports upon residents’ speeding complaints and to frequently communicate this data to Northumbria Police

•          Work more closely with the police on the installation of 20mph zones to ensure these can be effectively enforced

•          Work with Northumbria Police to establish Community Speed Watch schemes in problem areas

•          Introduce a system for councillors to request urgent junction protections be installed in areas of their wards where poor visibility is hazardous

•          Prioritise the re-painting of faded junction lines over other road markings where the faded junction lines present a danger to drivers' safety

An amendment was moved by Councillor H Johnson and seconded by Councillor C Johnson as follows:

To remove paragraph 2 and replace with

 ‘Road safety is a hugely important issue for the council and we note that the council has invested millions into road safety improvements over the last few years.

Council also notes other than road and road infrastructure design North Tyneside council has little power to enforce on road safety.’

Paragraph 4 - To remove the following sentence ‘Council asks the Mayor to bring forward a speeding prevention plan, which includes:’, and replace with ‘Council asks the cross party Thriving sub-committee to bring forward a road safety plan which considers the below suggestions and which is submitted to cabinet for consideration.’

The amendment, on being put to the meeting, was approved by 43 votes to 7 votes.

A further amendment was moved by Cllr L Bones and seconded by Cllr O Scargill, as follows:

Paragraph 4 - To add ‘Before the end of the municipal year’.

The amendment was accepted without a vote.

The amended motion therefore read:

‘Road Safety

From speeding problems to road markings, we take seriously the complaints we receive from residents about dangerous driving, unsafe roads, and the often inadequate response to these problems.

Road safety is a hugely important issue for the council and we note that the council has invested millions into road safety improvements over the last few years.

Council also notes other than road and road infrastructure design North Tyneside  ...  view the full minutes text for item C40/23

It was moved by Councillor I McAlpine and seconded by Councillor L Bones that:

Motion title: Pets as prizes

North Tyneside is privileged to hold a great many funfairs and similar events. In decades past it was considered the norm to win a goldfish or other small animal when in attendance. Contemporary views on animal welfare recognise the problems with unexpectedly handing out small animals to residents, who may be unprepared for the commitment that caring for them entails. Currently, North Tyneside strongly discourages this practice but has no formal provision in place to ban it outright on Council land.

Issuing pets as prizes is now widely acknowledged to be cruel and anachronistic. Above all else, the methods of their interim holding and transportation cause significant trauma to the animals and in some circumstances their death.

The RSPCA campaign actively on this issue with clear guidance, and this motion asks North Tyneside to join more than 50 other Local Authorities in prohibiting this practice at a local level. It is right for every resident to look after small animals if they wish to do so, but with the proper handover and aftercare available from proper pet distributors.

This council asks the Mayor to:

1.       Immediately prohibit the practice of giving out pets as prizes.

2.     Introduce appropriate measures to communicate, and enforce this, prior to the summer 2024 season.

An amendment was moved by Councillor I McAlpine and seconded by Councillor L Bones to add the following words to the end of bullet point 1 ‘on council land.’

The amendment was accepted by the meeting without a vote.

The amended motion therefore read:

Motion title: Pets as prizes

North Tyneside is privileged to hold a great many funfairs and similar events. In decades past it was considered the norm to win a goldfish or other small animal when in attendance. Contemporary views on animal welfare recognise the problems with unexpectedly handing out small animals to residents, who may be unprepared for the commitment that caring for them entails. Currently, North Tyneside strongly discourages this practice but has no formal provision in place to ban it outright on Council land.

Issuing pets as prizes is now widely acknowledged to be cruel and anachronistic. Above all else, the methods of their interim holding and transportation cause significant trauma to the animals and in some circumstances their death.

The RSPCA campaign actively on this issue with clear guidance, and this motion asks North Tyneside to join more than 50 other Local Authorities in prohibiting this practice at a local level. It is right for every resident to look after small animals if they wish to do so, but with the proper handover and aftercare available from proper pet distributors.

This council asks the Mayor to:

1.       Immediately prohibit the practice of giving out pets as prizes on council land.

2.     Introduce appropriate measures to communicate, and enforce this, prior to the summer 2024 season.

The amended motion, on being put to the meeting,  ...  view the full minutes text for item C41/23

The Chair had agreed an urgent motion on the grounds that the motion related to policies that had been announced after the deadline and it will be two months until the next Council meeting.

It was moved by Councillor C Johnson and seconded by Councillor S Graham that:

‘Net-Zero

Council notes

Climate change is an indisputable fact that is changing our planet in unimaginable ways.

Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak yesterday had a bonfire of green pledges.

Successive Conservative Governments have failed to invest in the very pledges the Prime Minister scrapped yesterday. Leading to this complete failure on the climate by the Conservatives.

Council further notes the North Tyneside Conservative budget last year scraped investment in our Net-Zero investment fund. If this had of not been saved by the Labour Party, it would have stopped further investment in things like LED streetlights which as well as being better for the environment save the council millions in electricity costs.

Council notes that investment into car battery technology and green technology are crucial to the prosperity to this region. The pledges that the Conservatives made about bringing thousands of jobs to the region with this pledge are now clearly disgracefully disregarded by the Conservatives.  The next Labour Government will introduce a green prosperity plan which will invest in these sectors and bring much needed economic growth to our region.

Council reaffirms our commitment to our Net-Zero pledges.

Council calls upon the Mayor to write to Rishi Sunak urging him to express our dismay reconsider his bonfire of pledges on Net-Zero targets.’

The Motion, on being put to the meeting, was approved by 43 votes to 7 votes.

Council to consider the final proposals for the formal approval of the revised Policy.

Council received a report that presented the final proposals for the formal approval of the revised Statement of Licensing Policy.

It was moved by Councillor C Johnson and seconded by Councillor M Thirlaway that:

Council approve the draft revised Statement of Licensing Policy attached at appendix 1 to the report, including the delegation scheme included in the policy.

The motion, on being put to the meeting, was approved unanimously.

Council is requested to review the allocation of seats to political groups following notification of the formation of a new political group, the Community Independent Group.

Council received a report requesting a review of the allocation of seats to political groups following notification of the formation of a new political group, the Community Independent Group.

It was moved by Councillor C Johnson and seconded by Councillor W Samuel, that Council:

(1)       approves the revised allocations of seats to political groups as shown in the Appendix to this report;

(2)      agrees that the Leaders of the political groups will inform the Monitoring Officer of their respective group’s nominations of Members to each of the Committees and Sub-Committees of the Authority by 12 noon on Friday 22 September 2023;

(3)      considers any changes to the appointment of Chairs and Deputy Chairs to the Council’s Committees and Sub-Committees; and

(4)      authorises the Head of Law to implement any necessary and consequential actions to affect the change in political balance of the Authority as detailed in the report.

The motion, on being put to the meeting, was approved unanimously.

To receive any announcements by the Chair of Council.

The Chair made the following announcements:

The Chair’s charity for this year will be the Adventure Playground Trust.  This aims to provide play opportunities for children across the borough, providing an environment for children to learn new skills, take risks and innovate.

Since the last meeting he had attended a number of events, including:

Awarding certificates at two citizenship ceremonies.

Attending the Battle of Britain Commemoration Service at the war memorial on The Links in Whitley Bay.

Attending the funeral of David Bavaird, the High Sheriff, and someone many people in the chamber will know, and who will be missed by many.

To receive any announcements by the Elected Mayor.

The Mayor highlighted some recent visits she had undertaken, including:

Visits to a number of Community Groups.

A visit to the Whitley Bay hub, The Big Local.

A visit to Cullercoats Watchhouse.

She has recently received a very positive email from a group in Collingwood Ward in relation to help they had received from Council staff on work to make Hilltop Park into a community area. 

She thanked staff for the great work they are doing on behalf of the Council.

One valid questions on notice have been received for a response at this meeting.

1.      Question to the Elected Mayor by Councillor M Thirlaway

As a North Shields area councillor, I welcome the recent opening of the Transport hub and town Square which follows the Howard Street and Northumberland Square developments, can the Mayor provide an update on North Shields regeneration?

Councillor C Johnson responded as follows:

Following the recently successful opening of the £12.9m Transport Hub and new town square, the next phases of regeneration of North Shields are well underway.

The Embankment walkway is under construction and will improve linkages between the Town Centre and the Fish Quay.  This will help to increase footfall and improve the local economy.

We are also seeking a further £3.8m funding to implement proposals to improve Bedford and Saville Streets and we are continuing to work with Nexus and Transport North East to secure funding for the relocation of the Ferry Landing to the heart of the Western Quay.

A further £1.9 million of investment is going into our cultural quarter, including The Exchange, The Globe Gallery and the Business Centre. 

In addition, we are also seeking funding to improve the gateways into North Shields and to develop more active travel routes.

We are also making sure that we are delivering more and affordable housing with excellent progress being made to develop sites at Unicorn House, Tyne Brand and Smiths Dock.