Agenda item

The following questions have been submitted:

1.    From Dr Burrell to Councillor Monk, Leader of the Council

Will the Leader please explain how and why a £1.132m Call-Off contract could rightfully have been awarded to Faithfull & Gould (F&G) and why this was done without the recorded authorisation of the s151 officer or anyone more senior in the council than level K.  F&G were appointed lead project management consultant for the Princes Parade development and commenced work 3 months prior to planning consent being granted on 18 July 2019.  The Pagabo Framework Agreement, under which F&G were the single pre-nominated consultant, did not provide the opportunity for competitive tendering for either the contract nor the Framework.  In all respects this was an irregular commitment from an already insufficient Capital budget that should not have occurred and I ask that this should be explained.

2.    From Mrs Lawes to Councillor Mrs Hollingsbee, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Communities

Can the cabinet member explain how and what they are doing to actively reduce the deprivation in the district?

3.    From Mr Cooper to Councillor Peall, Cabinet Member for Enforcement, Regulatory Services, Waste & Building control

As a council tax payer in St Mary's Bay I have noticed that the council is clearly not fulfilling its statutory duties towards the environment. Could you please inform me when I and other residents of the Bay can expect to receive a real, meaningful and proper street sweeping service from you and your council in order to ensure, in accordance with the associated codes of practice and the advertised schedules on the councils website, that the pavements, gutters and alleyways are cleared and swept of all rubbish, leaf matter and other accumalated detritus including weeds, or is the council expecting its tax payers to issue Litter Abatement Orders through the Magistrates Court before it will act.

4.    From Mr Deane to Councillor Monk, Leader of the Council

In the light of growing concerns over environmental quality, will the council commit to an air quality monitoring exercise along the Dymchurch Road from the Dymchurch side of the new Aldi store to the to the traffic lights at the junction of the light railway station? This to be recorded at different periods throughout the day, week and year.

5.    From Mr Rylands to Councillor Wimble, Cabinet Member for the District Economy

What is the total expenditure by our Council  for the delivery of the Mountfield Rd Phase IV project New Romney, up to the 26th Sept 2019.

6.    From Mr Goode to Councillor Mrs Hollingsbee, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Communities

Is the council practising social exclusion in its service delivery by abandoning and neglecting the maintenance or replacement of play equipment; and closing children’s playgrounds often unexpectedly and without, or at short, notice by only allocating the total sum of £15,000 in this years budget to cover the maintenance and replacement of play equipment for the whole of the district?

7.    From Ms Glen to Councillor Monk, Leader of the Council

Talk of Compulsory Purchase of the Leas Pavilion has been ongoing for months now, but is this appropriate given that the owners have been attempting to comply with the works requested in the Repairs Notice dated February 2019? May we therefore now have a clear statement as to what actually is the Council’s position with regards to the future of the Leas Pavilion?

The questions asked, including supplementary questions (if any), and the answers given are set out in Schedule 1, appended to these minutes.

Proposed by Councillor Prater,

Seconded by Councillor Whybrow;

That the matter raised by Dr Burrell in question 1 be referred to the Audit and Governance Committee, as per paragraph 8.10 of part 4 of the constitution.

(Voting figures: 13 for, 15 against, 1 abstention).

The motion was LOST.