The meeting of Lichfield District Council was scheduled to receive updates on several topics, make decisions on the sale of council owned land, and consider updates to existing council policies. The council was also scheduled to hear a report on a data breach that had taken place during the Police and Crime Commissioner election earlier in the year. Finally, the council was scheduled to hear and respond to a number of motions from councillors.

Sale of land at Birmingham Road/St John Street

The most significant item included in the reports pack for this meeting was the proposed sale of land at the corner of Birmingham Road and St John Street in Lichfield to CB Collier.

The reports pack stated that the council previously approved a project to be added to the Capital Programme, to be funded by the capital receipt from this sale, to provide an anchor food and beverage tenant for the cinema complex. This project was for £1,700,000 leaving £3,236,000 to be allocated.

It was proposed that two new projects be added to the Capital Programme funded by the capital receipt for this sale:

• £2,000,000 for public realm works, including a linear park, on the Birmingham Road Site
• £1,236,000 for capital investment in Burntwood, for projects emanating from the Burntwood Masterplan.

Lichfield District Design Code

The reports pack included the final version of the Lichfield District Design Code Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) for discussion by the council.

The Design Code is intended to be used by the council to assess the suitability of new developments in the district. It provides design guidance on many topics, such as:

• Movement, such as the design of streets and junctions.
• Nature, such as the planting of street trees and biodiversity.
• Built form, such as the density and height of buildings.
• Resources, such as the use of renewable energy.

The Design Code has been split into six 'Area Types':

• City Centre Area Type: Covering the city centre of Lichfield. The code seeks to enhance the character of the city centre, maintain its historic character, improve accessibility for pedestrians and cyclists, and promote a mix of uses.
• Cathedral Precinct Area Type: Covering the historic area around Lichfield Cathedral. The code aims to preserve the setting of the Cathedral, protect views, promote high quality design that respects the historic character of the area and ensure that new development is of an appropriate density.
• Suburban Area Type: Covering most of the residential areas in the district. The code sets out minimum density standards for new development, promotes a mix of housing types and tenures and encourages the creation of new streets and spaces that are safe, accessible and attractive.
• Village Area Type: Covering the centres of the villages in the district. The code aims to protect the character of the villages, promote high quality design that is in keeping with local vernacular, and encourage the provision of new housing, local services and community facilities.
• Rural Area Type: Covering the countryside outside of settlement boundaries. The code seeks to protect the intrinsic beauty and character of the countryside. It promotes limited development within this area type but does allow for agricultural buildings and dwellings that are essential for a rural worker to live close to their business.
• Employment Area Type: Covering existing and proposed industrial and commercial areas. The code prioritises safe access for HGVs and other service vehicles, the design of high-quality employment buildings and sustainable drainage.

The reports pack also included a Consultation Statement that outlined the responses that were received during the statutory consultation period and how these had informed the final version of the Design Code.

Local Government Association Model Councillor Code Of Conduct

The Member Standards Committee recommended that the council adopt the Local Government Association Model Councillor Code of Conduct.

The Model Code of Conduct was introduced by the Local Government Association to improve consistency across local authorities in England. It seeks to:

• Create consistency across England.
• Reflect the common expectations of the public regardless of geography or tier.
• Reduce the potential for confusion among councillors serving on more than one council.

Review of Polling Districts, Polling Places and Polling Stations

The reports pack included a review of Polling Districts¹, Polling Places² and Polling Stations³ across the Lichfield Constituency.

A polling district is an area whose electorate are all invited to vote at the same polling place. A polling place is a building or area in which one or more polling stations are provided to allow the electorate to vote. A polling station is the room, or part of a room, where voting takes place.

The Electoral Registration Officer recommended that the council split a number of Polling Districts due to anticipated increases in the number of voters in those districts. The Electoral Registration Officer also recommended that the council move a number of Polling Places due to a number of issues with existing locations, including:

• Accessibility.
• Availability.
• Proximity to voters.

The reports pack also included all of the comments received from the public consultation on the proposals, as well as the Electoral Registration Officer's response to those comments.

PFCC Poll Card Printing Investigation Report

The reports pack included an investigation report into an incident involving the printing of poll cards for the Police and Crime Commissioner (PFCC) election earlier in the year.

The report stated that a data breach had occurred during the printing of poll cards by an external printing company, which led to a number of poll cards being sent out that contained the personal data of multiple voters.

The report concluded that the breach occurred because of an error in the design of the poll card template used by the external printers and stated that the council had taken immediate action to remedy the issue.

Update To The MTFS - Changing Room Refurbishment Burntwood Leisure Centre

The council was asked to approve a new project to be added to the Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) to refurbish the changing rooms at Burntwood Leisure Centre. The project would cost £50,000 and be funded from the Leisure Centres Compensation Reserve.

Motions on Notice

Three councillors had submitted motions that were scheduled to be heard during the meeting.

Motion on Notice (1): New Leisure Centre

Councillor Ray submitted a motion asking the council to reconsider its decision to build the new leisure centre at Stychbrook Park using a hybrid energy source. Councillor Ray's motion proposed that the new leisure centre be built to BREEAM Excellent, the highest sustainability and environmental standard, using an all-electric energy source.

Motion on Notice (2): Protecting British Family Farms

Councillor Marshall submitted a motion asking the council to formally oppose changes to inheritance tax affecting family farms recently announced by the government.

Motion on Notice (3): Violence Against Women and Girls

Councillor Coe submitted a motion asking the council to commit to doing all it can to address Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG), including seeking White Ribbon accreditation for the council.