St Clare's, fireworks and council tax - a round-up of decisions made at the latest full meeting of South Tyneside Council

An opposition motion to the council on January 16 called on it to back the Save St Clare’s Hospice campaign and for councillors to push for the reopening of the hospice’s former base in Jarrow.

Changes proposed by the Labour administration and approved by councillors rowed back on this slightly, instead requesting NHS bosses give ‘serious consideration’ to demands to resurrect the Primrose Hill site.

It also renewed demands for a Charity Commission investigation into the hospice’s sudden collapse into insolvency a year ago and for a proper national funding system for end of life and palliative care.

Other highlights from the meeting included:

Approval of the borough’s council tax base for 2020/21 – this is used to calculate the final council tax rate for the year and the bills households will be asked to pay Coun David Francis, who became one of the North East’s first Green Party councillors last year, criticised investments in fossil fuels made by the Tyne and Wear Pension Fund. The fund is managed by South Tyneside Council A 1,733-signature petition calling for an ‘urgent review’ of bus services in the borough Opposition members requested a rule change which would force the council to hold named votes if just councillor requested it – the move was rejected following a named vote Another opposition-backed rule change to reduce the number of councillors needed to table a motion to council was also defeated by named vote An opposition motion calling for tougher rules on fireworks displays was withdrawn to support a similar motion proposed by Labour councillors