Members are reminded that they must declare their disclosable pecuniary interests and other registrable or non-registrable interests in any matter being considered at the meeting as set out in Appendix B of the Members’ Code of Conduct and consider if they should leave the room prior to the item being considered. Further advice can be sought from the Monitoring Officer in advance of the meeting.

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the previous meeting held on 6 July 2023

To receive such communications as the Chairman, Leader and Head of Paid Service may desire to lay before the Council.

To receive any questions from the public, notice of which has been given in accordance with Procedure Rule 14. Deadline for notification is 5.00 pm on Friday 15 September 2023

Report of Returning Officer attached

Contact:  Andy Begley, 01743 258675

Report of the Executive Director, Resources is attached

Contact:  James Walton.  Tel. 01743 258915

Report of the Executive Director, Resources is attached

Contact:  James Walton.  Tel. 01743 258915

Report of the Executive Director of Place is attached

Contact Mark Barrow  Tel: 01743258919

Report of the Executive Director of Place is attached

Contact Mark Barrow  Tel: 01743258919

Report of Returning Officer is attached

Contact:  Andy Begley, 01743 258675

Annual Report of the Portfolio Holder for Children and Education is attached

Report of the Assistant Director – Legal and Governance is attached

Northern Planning Committee

Councillor Steve Charmley to replace Councillor Mark Jones as a member of the Northern Planning Committee

Councillor Julian Dean to replace Councillor Mike Isherwood as a member of the Northern Planning Committee

Councillor Roger Evans to replace Councillor Nigel Hartin as a substitute member of the Northern Planning Committee

Councillor Julia Evans to replace Councillor Julian Dean as a substitute member of the Northern Planning Committee

People Overview and Scrutiny Committee

Councillor Jeff Anderson to replace Councillor Dan Morris as a member of the People Overview Committee

Councillor Joyce Barrow to be appointed as a substitute member of the People Overview and Scrutiny Committee

Councillor Julian Dean to replace Councillor Mike Isherwood as a substitute member of the People Overview and Scrutiny Committee

Strategic Licencing Committee

Councillor Duncan Kerr to replace Councillor Mike Isherwood as a member of the Strategic Licencing Committee

Councillor Julian Dean to replace Councillor Duncan Kerr as a substitute member of the Strategic Licencing Committee

Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee

Councillor Nick Bardsley to replace Councillor Steve Charmley as a member of the Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee

Councillor Steve Charmley to replace Councillor Nick Bardsley as a substitute member of the Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee

Councillor Ed Towers to replace Councillor David Minnery as a member of the Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee

Councillor David Minnery to be appointed as a substitute member of the Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee

Transformation and Improvement Overview and Scrutiny Committee

Councillor Rob Gittins to replace Councillor Chris Schofield as a member of the Transformation and Improvement Overview and Scrutiny Committee

The following motions have been received in accordance with Procedure Rule 16:

Current statistics clearly show that Brain Tumour research is underfunded and that not enough research is being carried out into finding effective treatments.

In 2018 the government pledged to invest £40 million pounds which has still not all been deployed.

The department for Science Innovation and Technology has stated that the scheme is still open to viable research applications, it has further been stated that more funding could be considered if the science is improved.

There are families all over Shropshire and within this council chamber, councillors and officers who have experienced the trauma of Brain Tumours.

All these people have witnessed the catastrophic effects of this condition on their loved ones and it is time that together we take appropriate steps to understand and conquer this condition and I therefore propose that this council write to the government minister asking that they immediately address the issue of the funding shortfall. Furthermore the urgent need to provide extra resource and to set in motion a programme of research to effectively diagnose much earlier and to accelerate the commencement and development of clinical trials in an endeavour to introduce treatments and to find a cure.

Nutrient Neutrality

Council notes the statement from Secretary of State Michael Gove that the government plans to remove the 'Nutrient Neutrality' requirement for Natural England to advise councils not to approve housing schemes that will add to nutrient pollution in already damaged rivers and waterways.

Council believes this would be a retrograde step which will further damage our already struggling waterways. The associated £280m ‘offsetting’ funding is an open acknowledgement that scrapping these rules will increase pollution. The amount is a drop in the ocean and, as Feargal Sharkey has pointed out, ‘you can’t offset a dead river’. Further, this plan transfers responsibility and costs of dealing with pollution from profitable developers to the public.

Council recognises the need for sustainable and affordable homes in the Clun catchment in particular, however we believe that instead of allowing housebuilders to pollute, Government should require water companies and housebuilders to invest in upgrading the infrastructure needed as a prerequisite to development whilst continuing to enforce mitigation schemes. We further believe that with the right investment and appropriate regulation of all sources of pollution to our waterways, from treatment works to agriculture, communities can have both high-quality affordable homes and healthy waterways.

We call on the Leader of the Council to write publicly to the Secretary of State and to our MPs to express the council’s views.

Protect Shropshire’s Public Buildings from Crumbling Concrete

This Council notes:

The sudden Government announcement regarding the risk of collapse due to outdated Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) in schools and other public buildings was made just days ahead of the start of the new academic year. Classrooms, gyms, corridors, toilets and WCs were closed and parents across the country were unsure whether their schools are safe. Although no Shropshire schools were closed, we also do not have any confirmation that none are affected.

This is because schools are invited to self-assess using a Government questionnaire circulated on social media.

There is no definitive list of public buildings and their assessment results to reassure residents as to which buildings are, and which are not, safe to enter.

Schools that were previously considered safe in 2018, are now considered to have deteriorated into a dangerous condition.

Ratings follow a scale from A-D, with D requiring immediate action. Those not rated “D” in 2018 may now be in need of repair, but again this information is not available, until an UpToDate assessment is completed, and results published.

This Council believes :

That the public need to know how safe are their schools, courts, prisons, hospitals and job centres.

An urgent, full audit is required to find out the extent of this dangerous concrete in the public sector estate, and for us as an authority to have confidence in our own estate, and that of our strategic partners in the county.

This Council resolves to :-

-          Publish a list of all Council estate buildings and their RAAC assessments.

-          Co-ordinate assessment responses across Shropshire Schools and publish the outcomes on the Shropshire Council website

-          Co-ordinate assessment responses with partners across other public buildings such as courts, prisons, hospitals, nurseries and colleges and publish the outcomes on the Shropshire Council website.

-          Identify any grade D buildings in Shropshire, as well as identify any grade Cs for preventative investment, as soon as possible.

-          Confirm plans for mitigation and repairs.

-          Include this issue on the Council’s Strategic Risk & Issues Log, to acknowledge the scale of risk and to monitor progress and impact.

As a Council we need to be in a position to give a clear and unequivocal guarantee to parents in Shropshire that ALL schools – including academies, free schools, and nurseries – have been properly assessed and that no children are at risk.

Bathing Water Designation on the River Severn

The River Severn and River Teme are key features of Shropshire, with public open space alongside the rivers that is enjoyed by residents and visitors alike. As a landowner, there is common law right that the natural water of a stream should flow past land substantially unaltered, in quality or quantity, and the Water Resources Act 1991 (WRA 1991) provide that consent is required under Section 88 (S88) WRA 1991 to discharge any trade effluent to any controlled waters. Any discharge consent issued may include conditions covering quality, rate and volume discharged.

The River Severn and River Teme are designated as main rivers and as such issues relating to them in respect of flooding and water quality fall within the statutory duties of the Environment Agency (EA), under the Water Framework Directive 2000 (WFD 2000/60/EC) and Flood & Water Management Act 2010 (FWMA 2010). However, as a Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA), Shropshire works in close partnership with the EA and Severn Trent Water (STW), through our Flood Programme Board, to manage flood risk within Shropshire and projects that we undertake do encompass wider environmental benefits where feasible.

We are currently undertaking a Defra funded pilot Natural Flood Management (NFM) projects on the Rivers Perry and Reabrook in Shropshire, which are both tributaries of the River Severn. Shropshire Council is developing plans to reduce flooding, enhance biodiversity and reduce nutrient pollution.

Bathing Water Designations on the Rivers Severn and Teme could support the overall aims of the Council, and other agencies, to progress water quality and environmental improvements on the rivers, while providing residents and visitors the opportunity to swim in clean water.

Council resolves to support the campaign for Bathing quality on the River Severn at Shrewsbury and Bridgnorth, and the River Teme at Ludlow, by writing to the Secretary of State for the Environment Food and Rural Affairs to confirm the support of Shropshire Council for bathing status.

To receive any questions from Members, notice of which has been given in accordance with Procedure Rule 15.2.

To resolve that, in accordance with the provisions of schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 and Paragraph 10.4 [3] of the Council’s Access to Information Rules, the public and press be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following items

To approve as a correct record the exempt minutes of the previous meeting held on 6 July 2023

Exempt Report of the Executive Director of Place is attached

Contact Mark Barrow  Tel: 01743 258919

Exempt report of the Executive Director Resources is attached

Contact:  James Walton.  Tel. 01743 258915