The Chair will advise the meeting of the evacuation procedures to follow in the event of an emergency. This is particularly important for visitors and members of the public who will be unfamiliar with the building and procedures.

The Chair will inform the meeting whether there is a planned evacuation drill due to take place, what the alarm sounds like (i.e. ringing bells), where the closest emergency exit route is, and where the second closest emergency exit route is, in the event that the closest exit or route is blocked.

The Chair will inform the meeting that:

(a) in the event of the alarm sounding, everybody must leave the building via the nearest safe available exit and gather at the Assembly points at the far side of the Car Park.  Nobody must leave the assembly point until everybody can be accounted for and nobody must return to the building until the Chair has informed them that it is safe to do so; and

(b) the lifts must not be used in the event of an evacuation.

Any officers present at the meeting will aid with the evacuation.

It is important that the Chair is informed of any person attending who is disabled or unable to use the stairs, so that suitable arrangements may be made in the event of an emergency.

The Chair outlined the emergency evacuation procedure.

Councillors should not act or take decisions in order to gain financial or other material benefits for themselves or their spouse, civil partner or person with whom they are living with as a spouse or civil partner. They must declare and resolve any interests and relationships.

The Chair will ask Members if they have any interests to declare in respect of items on this agenda, under the following headings:

(a) Disclosable Pecuniary Interests (DPI) under the Localism Act 2011. The nature as well as the existence of any such interest must be declared. After declaring a DPI, the Member must leave the meeting and not take part in the discussion or vote. This applies even if there is provision for public speaking.

(b) Disclosable Non Pecuniary Interests (DNPI) under the Code of Conduct adopted by the Council in May 2012. The nature as well as the existence of any such interest must be declared. After declaring a DNPI interest, the Member may stay, speak and vote on the matter.

(c) Where it is possible that a fair-minded and informed observer, having considered the facts would conclude that there was a real possibility that the Member might be predetermined or biased the Member should declare their predetermination or bias and then leave the meeting while that item is considered.

Advice to Members: If any Councillor has any doubt about the existence or nature of any DPI or DNPI which he/she may have in any item on this agenda, he/she should seek advice from the Monitoring Officer, the Head of Legal or from other Solicitors in Legal Services as early as possible, and in advance of the Meeting.

No interests were declared.

Report added 09.08.2022

The Head of Environment and Leisure gave an outline of the vehicle availability issue that had arisen during the stages of the tender process for the new Waste and Street Cleansing Contract, originally due to start in October 2023.  He said that all three members of the Mid-Kent Waste Partnership, Ashford, Maidstone and Swale Borough Council, had discussed the options available to address the supply issue and at the Extraordinary Environment Committee held earlier that day, Members had agreed to extend the term of the current contract by 5 months to March 2024 in order that the vehicle supply issues could be met.

The Head of Environment and Leisure said that as a result of the extension of the contract, it would be necessary for the Medium-Term Financial Plan (MTFP) to be amended as set out in the recommendations.

In response to a question from a Member, the Director of Resources clarified that the costs were additional costs to the 2023/24 budget and it was a commitment to spend in future years.

Resolved:

(1)  That the provisions for the additional waste and street cleansing contract extension will be included in the revised 2023/24 Medium Term Financial Plan as set out in Appendix I.

(2)  That delegated authority be given to the Director of Resources in consultation with the Chair of Policy and Resources Committee to revise the assumptions in the MTFP further should this be necessary to secure the contract extension.

To decide whether to pass the resolution set out below in respect of the following item:

That under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting from the following item of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraphs 1 and 3.

1.    Information relating to any individual

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

There was no discussion on the exempt Appendix and it was not necessary to exclude the press and public.