Full Council - Wednesday 4 October 2023, 6:30pm - Tunbridge Wells Borough Council Webcasting

Full Council
Wednesday, 4th October 2023 at 6:30pm 

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I am delaying the start of this meeting in order for us to conduct a short prayer, which I shall ask my chaplain the Reverend Dr Jeremy I to lead, if anyone for not to observe the prayer, please take this time for a moment of personal reflection or you may withdraw from the Chamber if you wish the meeting will start immediately afterwards.
let us pray.
dear God, we pray for Tunbridge Wells Borough Council as they meet this evening to decide on matters which will shape the lives of our local community, we pray for your blessing on the Council as they meet, they pray that the Council will be guided by your spirit of wisdom and grace as they make their decisions this evening and approve.
consider the neighbourhood development plans regardless of party official affiliation, we pray for all the Councillors as they work together to build a better future for our community and as they seek to foster a culture of inclusivity and respect a future where everyone feels safe, valued and respected input, particularly pray for strength and perseverance for all the Council as they work to address the challenges facing our community poverty, homelessness, climate change and the many other matters large and small this evening at other times as they come to their attention and care.
in Jesus' name are men.
please be seated.
I don't think anybody left so.
good evening, members of the Council, members of the public and others who join us, both here at the Town Hall and online, via the live webcast.
we technically have two separate meetings this evening.
first, an extraordinary meeting followed immediately by an ordinary meeting, so I welcome you to the first meeting, the extraordinary meeting of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council on Wednesday, the 4th of October 2023.
before we get under way, I would ask the Chief Executive to set out some important safety and procedural information.
and I would ask you to give your full attention to the Chief Executive.
thank you, Mr. Mayor, in the event of the fire alarm ringing continuously, you must immediately evacuate the building at walking pace officers will escort you via the most direct available routes, and please, no one is to use the left. We will make our way to the fire assembly points by the entrance to Town Hall Yard, car park, on Munson, Way, once outside a check will be made to ensure everyone has safely left and no one is to re-enter the building until advised it is safe to do so. This is a public meeting and proceedings are being webcast live online. A recording will also be available for playback on the Council's website shortly afterwards,
any third party may record or film council meetings unless exempt or confidential information is being considered, but clearly the Council is not liable for any third party recordings. Please use the microphones when speaking and turn them off. When you finish the red light indicates the microphone is on and when the red light is off, microphone is off and any comments not recorded for the webcast may not be included in the minutes of the meeting. At the end of each debate, the Mayor will ask whether the matter is agreed in the absence of a clear majority, or if the Mayor decides a full vote is desirable or votes will be taken by a show of hands. Members requesting a recorded vote must do so before the vote is taken. And finally, if you have a mobile phone, please ensure it is switched off or set to silent mode. Thank you very much
thank you before we move to the agenda items, I have a special announcement.
this is the first meeting of the Full Council since we learn to the death of our friend and former colleague, Leslie Evans, on the 18th of September.
Councillor Evans was elected to Tunbridge Wells Borough Council in 1996 to 2000 representing the ward of Sherwood, she was very hard working Councillor, both the Council and particularly for the residents of Sherwood, she passed away in the comfort of the home, she shared with her loving husband John
we particularly extend the whole Council sympathies to anise council of experts to Alan here this evening.
the service will be held at the crematorium Tunbridge Wells on Thursday, the 12th of October at 2.30 parson present members of the council and Labour party members are invited to attend.
please remain seated but join me in a minute's silence, to remember Councillor Leslie Evans.
thank you agenda item 1 is to receive any apologies for absence, the Chief Executive.

1 Apologies for absence

thank you, Mr. Mayor, we've received apologies from Councillors, Hill Holden Opara and Johnson.

2 Declarations of Interest

2 Declarations of Interest

3 Goudhurst, Lamberhurst & Horsmonden Name change - Consultation

thank you, the next item number 2 on the agenda is to receive a declaration of interest in accordance with Members' Code of Conduct.
has any member a declaration of interest to make in respect of any item on the agenda the extraordinary meeting today?

3 Goudhurst, Lamberhurst & Horsmonden Name change - Consultation

I see none, thank you, we move on to the next item agenda, item 3 is to consider the results of the consultation on the proposed name of a Goudhurst land behest and horsemen, their name change, we have no speakers on this item.
so I am going to ask Councillor Warmington to introduce the item and move the recommendation, Councillor Wellington.
thank you ma the proposal to change the name of Goudhurst, Lanre behest and Horsmonden ward, which is the name that the Local government Boundary Commission of England I gave it to rural tonnage roles, arose from a very reasonable concern of local people, it seems clear to me that there is wide support for this change of name is supported by local political groupings, the parish councils involved and the people living in the proposed ward.
that being the case, I'm happy to wholeheartedly support the proposed name change and encourage all other councillors to do so as well.
finally, I would like to say thank you to the TW MBC officers for the time in putting together both the report and the consultation on this issue, thank you.
Councillor British Alan, I understand you are seconding the motion.
yes, that's correct.
would you like to speak now in order to reserve your right to speak?
I reserve my right to speak, thank you.
this matter is now open for debate, does anybody wish to speak on the matter?
Councillor March.
thank you very much indeed.
husband then, is very much in favour of supporting Brenchley and Matfield because they feel that they have been Reddish and Matfield feel they've been left out.
of this whole scenario, and it isn't right, that we should in fact have five names, therefore, with the three names, Brenchley and Matfield feel disenfranchised and with horsehair horsemen Den feel that by calling it Rural,
as the only.
award with a name of rural in it, all of the other wards that are in fact in the sticks.
are able to use their own names and were not able to do that in this particular instance, so therefore we really feel that rural
although it does not necessarily give us the names of each of the areas of each of the parishes, it does, though, in fact help us to feel that we are part of one ward as opposed to disenfranchising others, thank you.
thank you did anybody else want to speak on this item.
Councillor Mullen,
thank you, yes, I'm a as representing a I'd like to see a while, hopefully indoors, what are Councillor Marks, you just said.
the Parish. Eventually Metfield was somewhat surprised and very disappointed to say the name that was given to us by the Boundary Commission and I've having spoken to a number of residents and spend time with Councillor March, and there isn't it was me then as well, as well as those in Galveston lambast, I think that the I I've seen wholehearted support for the fact that we, if we're going to be grouped together by the Danish Christian, such why then we wanted to have a name that represents our area as a as an area rather than just individuals, the towns, also individual villages that, obviously that include all the names which and Bradley Metfield Parish Council has been established for over 130 years, and if you see us, it's it's unfair that its name is not mentioned and therefore a very great car, a fantastic compromise, I believe, is the one that has been suggested as Royal Tunbridge Wells, and I heartily hope that all Members will support that. Thank you
thank you, Councillor Noon.
thank you Chair, can I just?
clarify if there was any part of discussion in the confusion with KCC elections because they actually do lose.
the rural element in their description of the areas that are covered by that election, particularly I thinking of Paddock Wood.
can you just clarify that or someone thank you?
thank you for your excellent, it's not really a question section, but the chief executive might help for a bit.
thanks, Mr. Maher, so I think this is an issue that that has been raised, but I'm assured it, it's not an issue because it's it, it would only pertain to the Borough Council and Borough Council elections and actually it was the name that was originally proposed by the Local government Boundary Commission for England in their initial proposals and it was only amend or amended in response to a request from
an individual rather than from any party or the Council or other body.
thank you, Lord Mayor, I am not part of trying to counter any dish category, sorry, Councillor me, and it's it's you, you've make a speech, is not a question, it's not an interactive session here would you like, would you like to carry on making a speech or is that enough now I just wanted to let Members be aware that there was no other motive that any of the confusion within that rural designation which has never been known in the borough before so as long as there's information put out there to residents
then I think there should be a problem, thank you very much, Councillor Knight.
yes, thank you, Mr yes, I would like to say I fully support what both Councillor McMillan and March have said in Goudhurst and Lamb behest, we have talked about the parish chairs are and also residents and everybody pretty matches agreement all this, it's not an ideal situation, but the name does represent what we are rural Tunbridge Wells, and I hope Members will fully support it. Thank you, Mr. Mayor,
thank you, Councillor Mowat, Councillor Lewis.
thank you, Mr. Ma.
I I do have a slight problem in the to me, rural 212 sounds too much like Royal Tunbridge Wells, but as I understand, I can imagine there's been a tortuous route to this, and politics is the art of compromise, so if this is the only choice then rural Tunbridge Wells, it will need to be. Thank you.
thank you, Councillor Lewis, as anybody else wants to speak.
Councillor warm.
so, as chairman of the parish church group, just to confirm that I have had no representation made by any of the Parish chairs affected as to being in opposition to this proposal, so I think it is worth mentioning that I've had not no communication to that effect, thank you Mr Matt, thank you very much.
does anybody else want to speak Councillor British Alan, did you want you to say that there was a second?
nothing had been particularly just to say that I support this, and as there doesn't seem to be any major issues from those wards involved that very happy to support this and suggests that this is adopted Monkey, thank you I think the chief executive of Brightsolid will thank you Mr. Mayor, I just wanted to be clear, so the recommendation is that the Council determines.
whether we should be requesting the Local government Boundary Commission for England changes the proposed name, I think, to to me the sense of the debate is that it is requesting that that name is changed, so it might be that that Councillor Worthington, in concluding with the consent of the meeting, makes that slight amendment to the recommendation. Just to be clear that, having listened to the debate, the recommendation that you're seeking to put forward is that we re re, request and recommend that that name change be made.
yeah, so I'm very happy with him, OK, in which case are we all agreed?

4 Common Seal of the Council

j final item, 6 extraordinary meetings item 4, which is to authorise the common seal as set out on page 26 of the agenda I so move Councillor Pope, are you happy to second?
I second the motion, thank you, the motion is to authorise the Common Seal of the Council to be affixed to any contract minute, notice or other document arising out of the minutes or pursuant to any delegation, authority or power conferred by the Council are we agreed?
thank you, that brings us to the end of the extraordinary meeting, they will now be a short pause, while the officers change over to the other meeting on the webcasting equipment.