Agenda and minutes

There were none on this occasion

RESOLVED – That the minutes of the meeting held on 22 January 2014 be confirmed and signed by the Chairman.

Training for members provided by Stuart Evans, Head of Environment,

Development and Planning Team, Birmingham City Council

Members received a ‘Charities and Trusts’ training session, illustrated by slides, presented by Mr Stuart Evans, Head of Environment, Development and Planning Team at Birmingham City Council.

The main points of the training session covered the areas of – the key principals of Corporate Trustee roles; key implications – both Executive and Council functions, powers etc; the duties of a Corporate Trustee; conflicts of Interest – both on a personal level and corporate level; and an outline of a recent case and best practice.

Mr Evans suggested that as an initial step, the Charities and Trusts Committee should undertake an audit of all the trusts and charities it was responsible for and review  each one to determine if it fulfilled its objectives.  An action plan could then be formed and consideration could be given to the consolidation of some of the smaller charities. 

Members were informed that there were approximately twenty Charities and Trusts for which the County Council was Trustee.

Mr Evans outlined areas where there could be  possible  conflicts of interest for Members such as serving on the Planning Committee.

Mr Evans emphasised the importance of keeping monies for the Charities and Trusts in a separate account which is also audited separately.  The Treasury and Pension Fund Manager reassured Members that the County Council did hold separate accounts and that training could be provided for Members on the investment procedures undertaken. 

Mr Evans then outlined an example case concerning land at Failsworth, Lower Memorial Park where Oldham MBC, a sole corporate trustee of a charity holding land for ‘purposes of a recreation ground only’, wanted to sell the land for a football club development and shopping centre.  He outlined the issues surrounding the case and he undertook to send further example case studies for Members information.

He stressed the importance of building and maintaining a good working relationship with the Charity Commission.

The Chairman thanked Stuart Evans for an informative presentation.

RESOLVED – That the public be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business which involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended) indicted below.

The Committee then considered the following issues:

(exemption paragraph 3)

(exemption paragraph 3)

Report of the Director of Democracy, Law and Transformation