Decisions

Purpose of the Report

To seek Executive approval of the Annual Governance Statement for 2021/22.

Decision

(1)  That the Final Annual Governance Statement for 2021/22 be approved.

(2)  It be noted that progress monitored on the significant issues identified over the coming year be completed by Audit Committee, with issues reported by exception to Executive.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected

None were considered.

Reasons for the Decision

The Annual Governance Statement was completed each year, as an assessment of how the Council had complied with its Code of Corporate Governance.

Key Senior Officers had been asked to contribute to a view of how the Council was applying its Code of Corporate Governance to its activities, including necessary staff and service changes resulting from the pandemic.

Following this investigation officers had concluded that one of the two significant governance issues from 2021/22 needed to remain in the 2022/23 AGS as follows:

1. The Disaster Recovery Plan in place for IT arrangements

One of the 2021/22 significant issues was now deemed as mitigated to the extent that it was now no longer a significant issue and had already moved to Green status:

2. Vision 2025 needs to be re-profiled and communicated to a wider audience in the light of COVID-19 effects

There were no further significant issues identified.

As in previous years a small number of areas were identified as less serious, but areas that it would be wise to keep a watchful eye on progress, as detailed within the main body of the report.

The AGS was usually due for completion in May, but as an extension had been granted to the Statement of Accounts, the timescale was currently the end of July 2022.

The AGS had been considered by the Audit Committee and an extract of the minutes had been circulated with the agenda.

Purpose of the Report

To seek Executive approval of the revised Noise Nuisance Policy.

Decision

That implementation of the revised Noise Nuisance Policy be approved.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected

None were considered.

Reasons for the Decision

The City of Lincoln Council had a statutory function in relation to the investigation of ‘statutory nuisance’ as defined in the Environmental Protection Act 1990.  The Council frequently received enquiries relating to noise, and thus having a clear policy in relation to assessing statutory nuisance was vital.

The City of Lincoln Council had long since held a function in relation to dealing with statutory nuisance arising from excessive noise. This function had been discharged by the Council’s Public Protection and Anti-Social Behaviour (PPASB) Service.

The Council’s Noise Policy was last revised and updated in 2016 following the introduction of the Anti-Social Behaviour Crime and Policing Act 2014, which specifically complemented statutory nuisance and noise investigation legislation. 

This review had been done as a required update to reflect changes in the Council’s priorities which incorporated minor amendments, and did not include any specific or significant changes to legislation, case law or approach.

This had been considered by the Policy Scrutiny Committee and an extract of the minutes was appended to the report.

Purpose of the Report

To seek Executive approval of the revised Animal Policy.

Decision

That implementation of the revised Animal Policy be approved.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected

None were considered.

Reasons for the Decision

The Council had many and varied roles and functions that relate either directly or indirectly to animals.

The Animals Policy had a major review in 2017 which brought together a number of our functions into one collective policy. The policy in 2017 was drafted by experts, consulted on with specialists, third sector and industry bodies.

There had not been any significant changes to the revised policy (contained at Appendix A), with the exception of a change to the licensing of activities involving animals which affects pet shops, Dog and cat boarding, home boarding of dogs and dog day care, horse riding establishments and performing animals.

The policy focused on upholding the welfare of animals and ensuring high standards, which the Council had a long-held tradition of upholding, in relation to the welfare of animals in its local area, both through our service delivery and our policy position were maintained.

The purpose of this was to embed the relevance of the welfare statement, provide consistency across our services and present a cohesive position externally.

This had been considered by the Policy Scrutiny Committee and an extract of the minutes was appended to the report.

Purpose of the Report

To seek Executive approval of the revised Internal Domestic Abuse Policy.

Decision

That implementation of the revised Internal Domestic Abuse Policy be approved.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected

None were considered.

Reasons for the Decision

The City of Lincoln Council had a legal and moral obligation to ensure that the workplace was safe and supported victims of domestic abuse. It was therefore necessary to have a clear policy setting out the Council’s response and responsibilities in relation to domestic abuse which impacted on the workforce, whether as victims or perpetrators.

Domestic Abuse had risen on the national agenda over the last decade with new and widened definitions being introduced, as well as specific Act’s to tackle domestic abuse, setting a framework for the support that victims could expect.

The Council’s Internal Domestic Abuse Policy was last revised and updated in 2014.  Following changes in legislation and more detailed definitions produced, a policy refresh was required.

The City of Lincoln Council was committed to tackling domestic abuse as an active statutory partner in the Domestic Abuse Board in Lincolnshire.

This had been considered by the Policy Scrutiny Committee and an extract of the minutes was appended to the report.

Purpose of the Report

To seek approval from Executive of the revised Lincoln Tenant’s Panel Constitution, following consideration by Housing Scrutiny Sub-Committee.

Decision

That the revised Lincoln Tenants’ Panel Constitution be approved.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected

None were considered.

Reasons for the Decision

The Lincoln Tenant’s Panel Constitution (LTP) set out how the Lincoln Tenants’ Panel was to operate. It was reviewed on an annual basis. The last constitutional amendments had been agreed by Executive on 26 February 2018.

The amended Constitution proposed that the requirement for an annual general meeting be removed and that a general meeting took place every three years or that an extra-ordinary meeting be called in the event of any changes to the Constitution, or any other issues deemed to require a decision by LTP. Therefore, this revised Constitution if agreed would require an extra-ordinary general meeting to be arranged to formally adopt and sign the Constitution.

LTP members would no longer represent specific areas or estates and would be expected to cover all council housing estates within the city.  This was being changed to reflect the fact LTP would be operating with a more strategic mindset, concentrating on helping the council improve services, rather than focusing on single issues on the estates they lived on.

The main proposed changes to the LTP Constitution were detailed at paragraph three of the officer’s report.

A wider body of tenants had been given the opportunity to comment on the main changes through social media. There had been no comments from tenants.