Agenda

Minutes of the meeting of County Council held on 19 February 2025, as circulated, to be confirmed as a true record.

Unless already entered in the Council’s Register of Members’ interests, members are required where a matter arises at a meeting;

a.     Which directly relates to Disclosable Pecuniary Interest (‘DPI’) as set out in Appendix B, Table 1 of the Code of Conduct, to disclose the interest, not participate in any discussion or vote and not to remain in room. Where members have a DPI or if the matter concerns an executive function and is being considered by a Cabinet Member with a DPI they must notify the Monitoring Officer and arrange for somebody else to deal with the matter.

b.     Which directly relates to the financial interest or well being of a Other Registrable Interest as set out in Appendix B, Table 2 of the Code of Conduct to disclose the interest and only speak on the matter if members of the public are also allowed to speak at the meeting but otherwise must not take part in any discussion or vote on the matter and must not remain the room.

c.     Which directly relates to their financial interest or well-being (and is not DPI) or the financial well being of a relative or close associate, to declare the interest and members may only speak on the matter if members of the public are also allowed to speak. Otherwise, the member must not take part in discussion or vote on the matter and must leave the room.

d.     Which affects the financial well-being of the member, a relative or close associate or a body included under the Other Registrable Interests column in Table 2, to disclose the interest and apply the test set out at paragraph 9 of Appendix B before deciding whether they may remain in the meeting.

e.       Where Members have or a Cabinet Member has an Other Registerable Interest or Non Registerable Interest in a matter being considered in exercise of their executive function, they must notify the Monitoring Officer and arrange for somebody else to deal with it.

NB Any member needing clarification must contact monitoringofficer@northumberland.gov.uk. Members are referred to the Code of Conduct which contains the matters above in full. Please refer to the guidance on disclosures at the rear of this agenda letter.

To receive questions provided on notice from and to provide answers to the public in accordance with the Council’s Procedure Rules.

To receive questions provided on notice from and to provide answers to Members of the Council in accordance with the Council’s Procedure Rules.

Report of the Leader

This report sets out the achievements against all three priorities of the Corporate Plan.

To receive the annual reports from the Council’s four overview and Scrutiny Committees.

Report of the Chief Executive

To appoint a deputy Electoral Registration Officer.

Report of the Director of Law and Corporate Governance

To provide a delegation to the Director of Law and Corporate Governance to temporarily appoint Councillors to any inquorate Town or Parish Councils to enable them to continue to function.

Report of the Leader

The purpose of this report is to consider the recent review of Advance Northumberland Ltd (AN Ltd), recognise the key strategic role performed by AN Ltd and to approve the financial restructure of AN Ltd to be implemented.The aim of the proposed financial restructure is to enable AN Ltd to be more effective and efficient in delivering regeneration, housing and environmental benefits for the county, in line with the Council’s corporate plan, while achieving better value for money from public expenditure.

Council is invited to consider passing the following resolution:

(a ) That under Section 100A (4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following item on the Agenda as it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part I of Schedule 12A of the 1972 Act, and

(b) That the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosure for the following reasons:-

Agenda Item - 13

Paragraph of Part I of Schedule 12A – 3 (Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information).

AND    The public interest in maintaining this exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosure because disclosure could adversely affect the Council’s and third parties business activities.

Report of the Leader

This confidential information relates to item 11 in Part 1 of the agenda above. Unless Council is of the opinion when considering the matter under item 11, that it wishes to exclude the press and public to allow discussion of the confidential issues, and it passes the appropriate resolution at that point, then the confidential information will be taken as read, and the debate will be in public so far as practicable.