Agenda Contents
North Lanarkshire Council · 3 October 2024
Back to Council — 3 October 2024 and its agenda
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24 September 2024 Members of the Council Chief Executive’s Office Archie Aitken Chief Officer (Legal & Democratic) Civic Centre, Windmillhill Street, Motherwell ML1 1AB www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk Notice is given that a Meeting of the Council is to be held in the Council Chamber, Civic Centre, Windmillhill Street, Motherwell, ML1 1AB on Thursday, 03 October 2024 at 16:00 PM which you are requested to attend. The agenda of business is attached. Des Murray Chief Executive Members : Clerk Name: Mark Hamill Clerk Telephone: 07811294702 Clerk Email: hamillm@northlan.gov.uk D Ashraf, A Ballinger, C Barclay, B Baudo, A Beveridge, M Boyd, H Brannan-McVey, G Brennan, B Burgess, A Bustard, J Cairns, A Campbell, T Carragher, C Costello, M Coyle, S Coyle, D Crichton, G Currie, P Di Mascio, K Docherty, K Duffy, A Duffy-Lawson, H Dunbar, T Fisher, F Fotheringham, W Goldie, K Harmon, M Hughes, J Hume, L Jarvie, D Johnston, T Johnston, J Jones, P Kelly, J Keltie, A Khan, K Larson, J Leckie, G Lennon, J Logue, H Loughran, F MacGregor, A Masterton, M McBride, B McCluskey, A McCrory, B McCulloch, M McCulloch, P McDade, F McKay, R McKendrick, J McLaren, C McManus, M McPake, J McPhilemy, A McVey, L Mitchell, L Nolan, P Patton, J Reddin, L Roarty, D Robb, G Robinson, N Shevlin, W Shields, A Smith, A Stubbs, L Stubbs, R Sullivan, A Thomas, J Toner, S Watson, C Williams, N Wilson, G Woods.
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Agenda 1 Declarations of Interest In Terms of the Ethical Standards In Public Life Etc. (Scotland) Act 2000 2 Minutes of Meetings of Committees, Sub-Committees and Panels - Cycle 3 Submit volume of minutes of meetings of committees, sub- committees and panels for cycle 3 for approval in terms of standing order number 21 (copy to follow) 3 Membership of Committees, Sub-Committees, Panels, Working Group and Outside Bodies Submit proposed amendments to Membership of Committees, Sub-Committees, Panels, Working Groups and Outside Bodies (copy to follow) 4 APSE Membership Submit report by the Depute Chief Executive proposing that the Council continue its membership of APSE. 9 - 12 NOTICE OF MOTIONS 5 Notice of Motion submitted by Councillor Carragher and Councillor A Stubbs Council Notes: • Section 51 of the 1980 Education (Scotland) Act[6] requires local authorities to make such arrangements as they consider necessary for the provision of school transport for pupils residing, and attending schools, in their area. • Local authorities have a wide level of discretion in this regard. • When considering whether to make arrangements for the provision of school transport, local authorities are further required to have regard to the safety of the pupils. • Legislation does not prescribe the distance beyond which they must, nor distance below which they must not,
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provide transport. • It is for local authorities to determine the nature of the provision they offer. Council Understands: • Local authorities are expected to keep their criteria for providing school transport under review and be flexible enough to take into account factors, relative to the nature of the route, which might affect pupil safety. • North Lanarkshire Council has not undertaken a review of criteria for providing school transport since May 2018. Council Agrees: • A member/officer working group is set up to thoroughly review and update the criteria used to provide school transport being flexible enough to take into account factors, relative to the nature of the route, ensuring at all times child safety is placed as the number one priority. • The recommendations of the member/officer working group to be submitted to the appropriate Committee of the Council to allow the updated criteria to be agreed and implemented in sufficient time to ensure necessary transport provision is in place before further changes are made to primary school provision. • Secondary school provision should be reassessed ensuring it meets the new agreed criteria. 6 Notice of Motion submitted by Councillor Smith and Councillor Hughes “Council acknowledges the contribution of the Local Development Programme in making positive differences to communities throughout North Lanarkshire, and the work of Community Partnership Officers in progressing these projects to completion.
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Council agrees that the Local Development Programme should be further opened to schools and Parent Councils to apply to, for the purposes of making external improvements and enhancements to school facilities, such as exterior décor, outdoor play and learning equipment, benches, landscaping, and other capital projects. These changes should be approved at a future meeting of the Communities Committee and implemented in time for applications to be submitted in financial year 2025/2026” 7 Notice of Motion submitted by Councillor A Stubbs and Councillor Ballinger “Council notes that more than a year has now passed since a substantial majority of respondents to a consultation, including a clear majority in each stakeholder group, favoured a change to the school holidays in North Lanarkshire and therefore agrees that necessary steps be taken to adjust the school holidays, including carrying out a formal consultation on the following proposals: 1. An earlier return to school following the summer break in August 2. Expanding the February break to one week 3. Expanding the October break to two weeks The consultation should include trade unions (teaching and non-teaching), parents/carers and pupils. If supported, the changes should be implemented from August 2026” 8 Notice of Motion submitted by Councillor Crichton and Councillor Brennan “In realising the requirement for council to act transparently, and in particular towards providing relevant information to the electorate of North Lanarkshire, council hereby accepts and agrees to display publicly online, via the MARS system and any / all other appropriate means, all submitted council motions, whether deemed competent or non-competent by the Provost’s office. This in turn allows the electorate to better understand and reference the full scope of representation being made by elected members on their behalf. This process should be adopted for motions and amendments submitted in relation to all council meetings ongoing following 3rd October 2024 full council meeting.
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In addition, a footnote from the Provost’s office should accompany any rejected motions specifically detailing the rationale behind refusal, based on the interpretation used to determine competency. We appreciate there may be a small or insignificant cost attaching to this motion (estimated by Chief Officer Finance as being £110 pa” 9 Notice of Motion submitted by Councillor Carragher and Councillor A Stubbs “This Council welcomes the positive contribution the young people of North Lanarkshire make to our communities, an example being the worldwide positive publicity gained by the NL School Pipe Band. The Council does not agree in any way that our young people are feral, knife-wielding murderers and cannot support the continuation in a senior civic role someone who believes this to be the case, and therefore agrees that Councillor Bob Burgess be removed as Depute Provost with immediate effect” 10 Notice of Motion submitted by Councillor Ballinger and Councillor Toner Council notes the difficulties faced by those living with the challenges of neurodiversity. Council agrees to create a member/officer working group to consider the potential of: Providing neurodivergent-friendly sessions at NL Leisure venues, and the optimal times for these to be offered. Offering reduced lighting in NLC venues to support those who experience light sensitivity. Offering reduced noise levels for those who experience audio sensitivity. Delivering a communications campaign to encourage organisations within North Lanarkshire to consider neurodiverse-friendly services and facilities. Council agrees to present the recommendations from this member/officer working group to the appropriate committee before the end of committee cycle two 2025.
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11 Notice of Motion submitted by Councillor Brennan and Councillor McCluskey “That Council agrees to instruct the Council Leader to write to the Labour Prime Minister, Sir Kier Starmer, to request the immediate reversal of his Government’s punitive decision to introduce means testing to the Winter Fuel Payment. This decision is expected to negatively impact on the household incomes of around 40,000 NLC residents who received the payment last year, and is expected to remove around £7 million from the North Lanarkshire economy” 12 Notice of Motion submitted by Councillor Brennan and Councillor Crichton “That Council agrees to the establishment of an officer/member working group, to develop and implement a savings strategy to reduce Council spending on external consultants (including external legal advice), over the next 5 years” QUESTIONS 13 Questions Received in Terms of Standing Order 51 - None Received