This meeting of Bassetlaw District Council included a question about whether the council plans to address a funding shortfall through service cuts or tax rises. It also included the potential adoption of the Misson Neighbourhood Plan, following a public referendum, and a discussion about proposed changes to the way councillors are paid.

Misson Neighbourhood Plan

The Council was asked to consider modifications to, and arrangements for a referendum relating to, the reviewed Misson Neighbourhood Plan. The Misson Neighbourhood Development Plan Review 2023-2031, which was submitted to the council by Misson Parish Council, proposed a variety of changes to the existing Neighbourhood Plan. These included updates to policies about design, housing mix and protecting community facilities, the introduction of a new policy to support better broadband provision, and the proposed designation of seven new local green spaces. The Submission Neighbourhood Plan was examined by an independent planning inspector, who recommended a number of modifications to ensure that the Plan meets the requirements set out in planning law and national planning policy.

The Plan includes a variety of policies and seeks to bring forward positive and sustainable development in the neighbourhood area. It has a focus on safeguarding its built and natural environment and on designating Local Green Spaces.

Subject to these modifications being adopted, the inspector recommended that the revised Neighbourhood Plan proceed to a public referendum. The Council was asked to decide whether to accept the inspector's recommendations and to make arrangements for the referendum, which was scheduled to take place on 13 February 2025.

Members' Allowance 2024/25

A report of the Independent Remuneration Panel was provided to the council, setting out recommendations on members’ allowances for 2024/25. The Independent Remuneration Panel considered a variety of factors, such as allowances paid by other councils, the council's financial position, the national economic climate and a recent pay award for council staff.

The Panel remain conscious that Members will have different financial circumstances, but and they do not want the level of allowances to become an issue in terms of the affordability of becoming an elected member.

The panel recommended a 2.5% increase to both the Basic Allowance and the Special Responsibility Allowance. It was proposed that the increase be backdated to 1 April 2024. No changes were proposed to any other allowances. The Council was asked to decide whether or not to accept the Panel’s recommendations.

Questions

Councillor Frank McFarland asked the leader of the council the following question:

“Does the leader of the council plan to fill the £3.8 million pound black hole in the councils finances through cuts to front line services or by increasing taxes on working people?”

Councillor Lesley Stanniland asked:

"The majority of Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) applications go through the local authority planning process. In August 2023, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government updated its Renewable and Low Carbon Energy Guidance to encourage local authorities to consult with their local fire and rescue service as non-statutory consultees for applications of storage systems 1MWh or over. Can you inform us how many planning applications for Battery Energy Storage Systems, of this size or over, have been received by our planning department since this guidance was updated, and whether the local fire and rescue service was consulted during the consultation phase for each of these applications?”¹

Councillor Steve Pashley asked about the rate of sickness absence at the council.

“Last year, BDC entered into the LGA corporate peer group challenge. It was identified that a specific issue surrounding sickness absence was having a significant impact on the operation of BDC. Whilst an action plan has been put in place to combat sickness absence, little or no improvement has been seen over the past year. Recent BDC data to end of September showed lost days per employee stood at 14.32 days per year, versus the national private sector lost days average of 5.8 days. The rolling employee FTE² for BDC in September was 497 which equates to a staggering 7115 lost days of productivity. This situation is totally unsustainable and is a misuse of taxpayers' money. What assurances can we be given that this situation will be immediately brought under control to see a significant reduction in absenteeism?”

Food Safety Enforcement Delivery Plan

Councillor Lynne Schuller, Cabinet Member for Health & Wellbeing, referred the Food Safety Enforcement Delivery Plan to the council for approval and implementation. This plan set out how Bassetlaw District Council would discharge its statutory food safety responsibilities.

It takes into account local circumstances and reflects the Council’s ambitions for the district as contained within the corporate plan. It also takes into account the national Food Hygiene Rating Scheme and the FSA food recovery roadmap post-pandemic.

It included details of the demands on the service, enforcement activities, staff development, resourcing and quality assessment, and also reviewed the previous year’s performance. The plan reported that in the year to March 2024: 624 inspection and intervention visits were made to food premises; 95% of food businesses were broadly compliant with food law; 898 businesses had achieved the highest 5 star rating in the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme; 19 written warnings and 2 improvement notices were served; 103 food samples were taken for analysis; and 81 food related complaints were investigated.

Proposed motions

There were two motions proposed for debate at this meeting, each by a pair of opposition councillors.

Councillor Luke Schuller and Councillor Sue Fielding proposed a motion about support for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)

Bassetlaw District council stand firmly in the support of children with SEND and their families. In supporting this motion, we aim to support Nottinghamshire County Council and our Government to recognise the urgency of need and within the current situation and help to provide decisive action, enhancing the quality and effectiveness of SEND provision.

The motion called for the council to write to the Secretary of State for Education, Bridget Phillipson, and the Schools Minister, Catherine McKinnell, requesting greater funding for Nottinghamshire Schools. It also proposed that the council write to Nottinghamshire County Council³ requesting that the council measure the qualitative impact of its SEND provision. It also called for the council to welcome the creation of a dedicated SEND email address, encourage councillors to take learning disabilities and autism awareness courses, and share the contents of a parliamentary debate about SEND.

Councillor Steve Pashley and Councillor Elizabeth Griffin proposed a motion about the potential introduction of a dark sky program in Bassetlaw.

Despite significant efforts to decarbonize council-owned buildings, properties, car parks, and public spaces, electricity costs remain substantial. Implementing a Dark Sky program across council-controlled buildings, car parks, parks, and recreation areas offers a cost-effective opportunity to reduce energy consumption, enabling the redirection of funds to areas of greater need within the community.

The motion called for the council to review lighting policies for council owned assets, transition to more energy efficient lighting, engage with experts to reduce light pollution, enhance efforts to protect ecosystems by supporting nocturnal wildlife, promote the benefits of dark skies, and monitor and report annually on the impact of the program.