Agenda and draft minutes

To receive any apologies for absence from Members.

There were no apologies for this meeting.

To receive information on any changes in the membership of the Committee.

Note – When a member of a Committee is unable to attend a meeting of a Committee or Sub-Committee, the relevant Political Group Leader (or their nominated representative) may, by notice to the Monitoring Officer (or their nominated representative) prior to the meeting, appoint a substitute member from within the same Political Group. The contact details on the front of this agenda should be used for notifications.

There were no substitute members.

Councillors are requested to declare any interests on items included in this agenda. Please refer to the workflow on the preceding page for guidance.

Declarations received will be reported at the meeting.

There were no declarations of interest received on this occasion.

To confirm and sign as a correct record the minutes of the Meeting held on 13 June 2023.

The minutes of the meeting held on 13 June 2023 were agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

In relation to the items of business appearing below, the Committee is asked to consider the following resolution: -

‘That under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraphs 1 and 2 in Part I of Schedule 12A of the Act and that the public interest in withholding the information outweighs such interest in disclosing the information.’

RESOLVED that: The Committee excluded the Press and Public for item 6 of the Agenda under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 on the grounds of the likely disclosure of exempt information, as defined in Paragraphs 1 and 2 in Part I of Schedule 12A of the Act, as the public interest in withholding the information outweighs such interest in disclosing the information.

To seek a decision on whether or not transport assistance in the form of a taxi should be provide for the appellant outside of the usual policy.

Exempt Report as defined in Paragraphs 1 and 2 in Part I of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972.

Exempt information – Category 1 (information relating to any individual) and Category 2 – (information which is likely to reveal the identity of an individual).

The Committee considered an appeal against the refusal to provide home to school transport assistance in the form of a taxi from home to school as detailed in the report, a copy of which had been circulated to each Member and a copy of which appears as Appendix A to these minutes in the Minute Book.

DECISION MADE: In considering the appeal, the Committee had regard to all the supporting information provided by the Local Authority and the appellant, including the verbal submissions made by the Local Authority and the appellant at the meeting.

RESOLVED that having taken careful note of all the evidence presented by all parties, the appeal, in respect of the appellant named in the report, be granted. Home to school transport assistance is granted in the form of a taxi to take the appellant from home to school in the morning and from school to home at the end of the school day, for the first half of the autumn term of academic year 2023/24 (6^th September to 20 October 2023).

The Committee found that the home to school transport policy had been applied correctly but agreed that there were exceptional circumstances to depart from the home to school transport policy on this occasion.

Voting: Unanimous