To receive an oral report at the meeting from the Leader (and Cabinet) on the business of the Executive or on any topic or subject that it is felt should be brought to the attention of the Council.
(Up to fifteen minutes is allowed for the Report of the Leader (and Cabinet), up to ten minutes is allowed for the Leader of the Major Opposition Group (or his nominee) to respond, up to five minutes is allowed for the Leader of any other Opposition Group (or his nominee) to respond. The Leader is allowed up to five minutes as a Right of Reply or 25% of the time given to the Opposition Group Leaders, whichever is the greatest.)
Minutes:
The Leader of the Council, Councillor P A Watkins, included the following matters in his report:
(a) To advise of the successful bid for Big Lottery funding for Central Dover. The £1 million fund would be open to community groups to bid for to fund local projects.
(b) The recent presentation to the Shadow Health and Wellbeing Board on proposals to designate a single major trauma unit site for East Kent, with William Harvey Hospital as the Trust's favoured site. The result of this proposed service reconfiguration if implemented would result in longer journey times for patients. There was also concern that the Deal outpatients' service could be removed when the new Buckland Hospital was operational and some coastal cottage hospitals in other parts of Kent faced a similar situation.
(c) An exhibition of Buckland Health facility with wider range of OPD services.
(d) Representatives from the Shadow Kent Health and Wellbeing Board and Dover Health and Wellbeing Board met with representatives of the Department of Communities and Local Government to discuss the working of Health and Wellbeing Boards in a two tier environment.
(e) That the new South Kent Coast Clinical Commissioning Group would be renting office space in the Council Offices.
(f) The following issues were discussed at the Shadow Locality Board:
· Library services
· A review of educational placement
· A discussion with the Leader of Kent County Council on how the informal governance arrangements for the Locality Board were operating.
· A skills exercise involving Councillor C J Smith and Councillor L B Ridings.
(g) That an economic development initiative for East Kent had been held at the Cruise Terminal to promote tourism and life sciences at the Pfizer Discovery Park.
(h) To update the Council on the progress of the Aylesham Project, which would involve a bid for £5 million from the Growing Places fund to frontload infrastructure works.
(i) That the demolition of the 1980's building on the Pfizer site was being explored as a possibility by the Discovery Park's owners.
The Leader of the Opposition, Councillor G Cowan, included the following matters in his report:
(a) To express his hope that the Big Lottery funding for Dover would deliver results.
(b) That at the Kent Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting Councillor M R Eddy had raised the issue of the impact of Buckland Hospital on Deal Hospital outpatient services.
(c) To repeat his previously expressed concern that rather than generate new jobs, local businesses would instead relocate to the Discovery Park.
(d) To highlight the cost of the Olympic Celebrations to the Council and the potential impact of Welfare Reform on the Council's finances. He also expressed his concern that announcements from the Department of Communities and Local Government on other schemes would have an adverse impact on local authority finances.
(e) That the move to monthly welfare payments would be a problem those on low incomes who were not used to monthly budgeting and the Council needed to do everything it could to help people cope.
(f) The impact of Council Tax Benefit Localisation on Town and Parish Councils as discussed at the recent Town and Parish Councils Event.
(g) The future of services identified as bronze in the Delivering Effective Services review in the current tight financial climate for local authorities and in particular the future of the Museum.
(h) The recent Shadow Locality Board meeting.
The Leader of the Council responded to points raised by the Leader of the Opposition Group in his report as followed:
(a) That the changes being introduced as part of Welfare Reforms had been well publicised and should not come as a surprise to people. In addition, the Council was keeping Town and Parish Councils up to date on changes that affected them.
(b) The Council would achieve a nearly balanced budget for this year's outturn.
(c) That the Regional Growth Fund had allocated £40 million to projects for East Kent, including £5 million for improving the High Speed Rail link. This also included awards to new companies planning start up businesses at the Discovery Park.
(d) That further work was being undertaken to identify the need for 'step down' facilities at Buckland Hospital.
(e) That the Big Lottery funding was for projects from the local community and that Dover Town Council and Dover District Council would not be able to bid for the funds. It was therefore down to the local community to come forward with projects.