To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 26 July 2022 (C.6 - C.9), attached.

The decision:

That the minutes of the meeting held on 26 July 2022 (C.6 - C.9), previously circulated, be signed as a correct record.

The Leader made a statement to the Council on the following matters:-

·                York and North Yorkshire Devolution Deal which had been signed on 1 August 2022.

·                Visit by the Rt Hon Greg Clark, Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, to various projects in Northallerton.

·                RAF Linton-on-Ouse Asylum Reception Centre - The Leader announced that the Council had been informed that RAF Linton-on-Ouse was no longer being considered as an Asylum Reception Centre.  The Authority was still awaiting formal notification by the Home Office and the MoD and that, until this was received, the legal work remained ongoing.

The Leader wished to applaud local Ward Members and the community residents for their support.  This was an excellent outcome for the residents of Linton-on-Ouse and all those living in the surrounding areas as well as Hambleton District Council. 

The Leader stated that, had the Council not intervened with this proposal and challenged the Government when it was first made aware of its plans, he firmly believed that there would already be asylum seekers on site, with the numbers steadily building up week by week.

·                CCTV – Arson attempt - Tesco Supermarket – The Leader reported that a CCTV operative had assisted in avoiding a near disaster at the rear of Tesco Supermarket as an arson attempt was made by two young people who had set alight some pallets at the rear of the supermarket.  This achievement would be recognised appropriately by the Authority and hopefully by the supermarket accordingly.

·                North Northallerton Sports Village – The Leader reported that work was underway with the infrastructure for the sports village and that the project would be completed prior to 31 March 2023, by the end of the Council.

A number of statements were made based on the Leader’s statement. 

Members wished to record their gratitude to the Leader and the Council for their backing regarding the Linton-on-Ouse Asylum Reception Centre.  The Community were extremely grateful for their support and the outcome was a significant achievement for the Leadership Team.

The Chairman of Council wished to record special thanks to the CCTV operative who had assisted in avoiding the arson attack at the rear of Tesco Supermarket.

The Chief Executive declared a personal interest and left the meeting at 10.11am prior to any discussion and voting on the following item.

Report of the Deputy Chief Executive

The Deputy Chief Executive presented a report seeking approval for the appointment of the Chief Executive (Head of Paid Service) to the role of Section 151 Officer until 31 March 2023 and for the reallocation of the wider non-section 151 functions of the Director of Finance and Commercial.

The decision:

That Council approves that:-

(1)       The Chief Executive is appointed as Section 151 Officer until 31 March 2023;

(2)       authority is delegated to the Deputy Chief Executive to commission independent external advice and support, in the event that the Chief Executive acting as Head of Paid Service and/or Section 151 Officer may be considered to have a conflict of interest on the basis described in this report; and

(3)       the Chief Executive is authorised to allocate any remaining services of the Director of Finance and Commercial amongst the senior management team.