To receive any petitions from members of the public.
The following petition
We the undersigned residents of the Crediton area, are appalled at the outrageous and undemocratic decision of Mid Devon District Council Cabinet to sell the Market Street Council building to the highest bidder, contrary to the expressed wishes of full Council and their Scrutiny Committee. The building is an essential facility for local people and is used by many mostly voluntary groups. Therefore we request that the Cabinet reconsider their decision and instead sell the property to Crediton Town Council at 50% of the restricted value as recommended by council officers in April 2017.
has now reached 1746 signatures and this therefore triggers a debate at Council.
In accordance with Procedure Rule 12.2 the following will apply: the petition organiser will be allowed to speak for 5 minutes to present the petition at the meeting. Only one person may speak to present the petition. The Council will then debate the petition for a maximum of 15 minutes (if the petition has 1500 signatures or more).
Minutes:
Honorary Alderman presented a petition with 1746 signatures to the Chairman of the Council and outlined the basis for the petition:
We the undersigned residents of the Crediton area, are appalled at the outrageous and undemocratic decision of Mid Devon District Council Cabinet to sell the Market Street Council building to the highest bidder, contrary to the expressed wishes of full Council and their Scrutiny Committee. The building is an essential facility for local people and is used by many mostly voluntary groups. Therefore we request that the Cabinet reconsider their decision and instead sell the property to Crediton Town Council at 50% of the restricted value as recommended by council officers in April 2017.
In accordance with Procedure Rule 12.2, Honorary Alderman Nation addressed the Council stating that further signatures had been received and raised the following issues:
· The concerns of the residents of Crediton with regard to the Cabinet decision to sell the Council offices in Crediton.
· The procedure that had taken place which led to the sale, which included the valuation figures, the registering of the property as a community asset, previous discussions at Council and at the Scrutiny Committee.
· Contracts had been exchanged but there was still time for the decision to be overturned.
· The Corporate Plan and its priorities and the Policy Framework.
· His time as the Chairman of the Scrutiny Committee and the training he had received with regard to strategic decision making.
· His view that the decision-making with regard to this issue had been inconsistent and was felt that it could be considered to be mal- administration.
· A possible new petition to force a referendum to switch from a cabinet system to a committee system, therefore decisions such as the one taken would be dealt with by the Full Council.
A debate then took place with the following issues arising:
· It was unfortunate that contracts had already been exchanged and that the Cabinet system had allowed such a decision to be made; the number of signatures required to force a referendum to change governance systems. The need for decision-making to be consistent.
· The Motion to Council in February 2018 and the support it had received. Crediton Town Council had made provision to relocate, but that other groups located in the property would suffer from increased charges.
· The issue had been badly handled and that a spotlight had been shone on the cabinet system of decision-making. The alternative to overturning the decision would be a referendum on the governance arrangements of the authority.
· Whether all of the Crediton Town Council were against the Cabinet decision.
· The decision being taken by only 3 Members of the Cabinet and that such a decision should have been taken by the Council, some Members pledged support for a referendum
· The lack of consistency with regard to decision-making, the need to receive best value for the sale of assets, the lack of public representation when the decision to sell the property was determined.
· The role and powers of the Scrutiny Committee, the breakdown in negotiations and the failure to meet a compromise, but not a failure of the Cabinet governance system.
· The difference between the sale of Tiverton Town Hall and the Crediton Office, the registering as a community asset and the breakdown in negotiations.
· The small margins involved in the sale and the lack of willingness to compromise, although agreement with the Cabinet system, why 3 individuals chose to go ahead with the decision against public wishes.
· Support for Crediton Members and residents
· The letter from the Chairman of the Scrutiny to the Leader and the fact that he would respond.
· The opportunity that Crediton Town Council was given to remain in the premises with a security of tenure. The question and timing of why this opportunity was rejected by the Town Clerk and whether this decision was made by the members of Crediton Town Council
The Chairman indicated that written responses would be supplied to questions asked in public question time and copies would be distributed to all Members of the Council.
Notes:
i) Councillors J M Downes, N Way and R Wright declared personal interests as Members of Crediton Town Council;
ii) Councillor F W Letch declared a personal interest as a Member of Crediton Town Council stated that he had signed the petition.