Meeting documents

Details of all Members’ interests in District, Town and Parish Councils can be viewed on the Council Website at

County Councillors membership of Town, City, Parish or District Councils and this will be displayed in the meeting room (Where relevant).

The Statutory Register of Member’s Interests can be inspected via request to the Democratic Service Team.

Council is asked to confirm the minutes are accurate.

The minutes of the meeting held on Wednesday 5 May 2021 were accepted as a true and accurate record and were signed by the Chair of the meeting.

To receive the chairs information detailing events attended since the last meeting.

The Vice Chair noted the death of serving County Councillor Alan Wedderkopp, who had been elected to the County Council in 2013 to represent the Comeytrowe and Trull division. He paid tribute to Councillor Wedderkopp’s service, reflected on his career prior to being elected to local government and other Members and Officers also paid tribute. The Vice Chair asked Council to stand in silence as a mark of respect.

The Vice Chair then made a statement and a presentation to Mr Mike Prior who had recently retired as Superintendent from Avon and Somerset Constabulary after 27 years’ service.

The Vice Chair then referred to events he had attended since the last meeting.

(see explanatory notes attached to agenda)

This item includes the presentation of petitions. Details of any public questions / petitions submitted will be included in the Chair’s Schedule which will be made available to the members and to the public at the meeting.

To consider this report from the Corporate Parenting Board.

Somerset Corporate Parenting Board Annual Report 2020-2021

The Council RESOLVED to adopt the Corporate Parenting Board requests to:

·       Recommend a focus on the inconsistency of Council Tax exemption across the county and the impact of this on Care Leavers.

·       Support and promote a whole Council approach to create practical and specific offers to Care Leavers through our Local Offer and the Care Leaver Covenant.

·       Support and promote a Care Leavers Guaranteed Interview Scheme for all care leavers of any age, where the essential criteria of the job are met.

·       Extend its thanks to the Somerset Care Council’s young people for all the hard work that they undertake.

To consider a report with recommendations from the Leader of the Council, arising from the Cabinet meetings held on 12 July 2021.

The recommendations relate to:

The formal adoption of the Business Plan for Somerset County Council until 2023; and

Endorsing the Treasury Management outturn report for 2020-21.

Somerset County Council Business Plan 2021-2023

The Council RESOLVED to:

·       Adopt the Business Plan for Somerset County Council until 2023.

·       Note that the business plan was flexible enough to continue as the strategic direction for authority until April 2023, conscious of, but not dependent upon any potential vesting day because of a Local Government Reorganisation decision being made.

Treasury Management Outturn report 2020-2021

The Council RESOLVED to:

Receive and endorse the Treasury Management outturn report for 2020-2021.

To receive reports by the Leader of Council summarising key decisions taken by him and the Cabinet since the last Council meeting and for elected members to ask questions of the Leader and Cabinet Members and to consider the following Annual Report:

6B) Annual Report of the Cabinet member for Adult Social Care

The Council received and noted this report together with the Annual Report of the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care.

The Council received and noted this report.

The Council received and noted this report.

The Council received and noted this report.

The Council received and noted this report.

The Council received and noted this report.

Exclusion of the Press and Public

To consider passing a resolution having been duly proposed and seconded under Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 that the press and public be excluded during the remainder of the meeting on the basis that if they were present during the business to be transacted there would be a likelihood of disclosure to them of exempt information of the following description:

·       Information relating to any individual

·       Information which is likely to reveal the identity of any individual

·       Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information)

Exclusion of the Press and Public

The Council RESOLVED to pass a resolution under Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 to exclude the press and public from the meeting, on the basis that if they were present during the business to be transacted there would be a likelihood of disclosure of exempt information, within the meaning of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972.

The Council RESOLVED to agree the recommendations in the report.