Agenda and minutes

Venue: Virtual Meeting

Contact: Isabelle Moorhouse  Trainee Democratic Services Officer

Media

Items
No. Item

1.

General

Additional documents:

1(1)

Apologies

Additional documents:

Minutes:

None.

 

1(2)

Member's Disclosures of Pecuniary and Non-pecuniary Interests

Additional documents:

Minutes:

None.

 

1(3)

Chair's Announcements

Additional documents:

Minutes:

None.

1(4)

Minutes of Previous Meeting pdf icon PDF 331 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The minutes of the 12 February 2020 were approved as a true record, subject to the following amendments; Councillor Keith Kondakor raised whether streetlights being left on in windy weather conditions was what was stated in the meeting.

 

2.

Public Speaking

Additional documents:

Minutes:

There were none.

 

3.

Questions to Portfolio Holder

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Minutes:

Following concerns raised by Councillor Keith Kondakor regarding the lack of road allocation in Nuneaton and Bedworth and the effects of Covid-19, Councillor Jeff Clarke (Portfolio Holder for Transport and Planning) stated that Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council had been consulted with and temporary measures have been implemented. Councillor Clarke continued that if more permanent measures were requested, then these requests could be made or the delegated councillor budget could be used. He concluded that £6 million will be spent by Warwickshire County Council on highway and cycling safety schemes. Following a supplementary from Councillor Kondakor, Councillor Clarke stated measures will be implemented on the ring road in Bedworth and temporary schemes are being utilised to ensure the correct schemes are enforced.

 

Councillors Jenny Fradgley and Dave Shilton expressed gratitude to the Highways and Engineering Teams for their work in Stratford Upon Avon and Kenilworth respectively. Councillor Fradgley added that she requested an update on how the LEP (Local Enterprise Partnership) are working on smaller projects and asked how government funding is being used in Warwickshire.

Councillor Izzi Seccombe (Leader of the Council) clarified that the government asked the council to provide short-term safe spaces in town centres, but some town centres are more pedestrianised then others. All the district and borough councils have been involved but the systems implemented were short-term solutions to improve the economy.

Mark Ryder (Strategic Director for Communities) added that his team and the LEP are looking at projects that could obtain extra government funding, like the cycling schemes but it is nationally competitive. Warwickshire County Council had demonstrated to the DfT (Department for Transport) that the allocated money was spent appropriately but the allocated money is less than the cycle schemes so this will negatively affect the council budget. Mark Ryder concluded that they are still finalising permanent cycle schemes, but city centres are more likely to be prioritised by the government then smaller town centres; it was agreed that updates will be provided on the cycle scheme bids.

 

In response to Councillor Caroline Phillips, Councillor Clarke reiterated that the schemes implemented in Nuneaton are government led temporary schemes and different measures would need to be implemented for a cycling scheme. 

 

Councillor Kondakor asked for updates on the electric bus scheme.

4.

West Midlands Railway Executive and West Midlands Trains pdf icon PDF 2 MB

External speakers will give a briefing on the changes and updates to West Midlands Railway:

Malcolm Holmes (Executive Director, WMRE)

Jonny Wiseman (Customer Experience Director, West Midlands Trains) and Francis Thomas (head of Corporate Affairs, West Midlands Trains).

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Malcom Holmes (Executive Director, West Midlands Railway Executive) explained that the West Midlands Rail Executive (WMRE) are a partnership of local authorities across the West Midlands, including Warwickshire County Council, and the De Facto rail authority for the region. The WMRE works with the DfT and they manage the contract for rail services and undertake rail strategy work in the West Midlands.

 

Since March 2020, passenger numbers have plummeted on trains which have been consistent with government guidance to avoid public transport. This had risen slightly when shops reopened, and they are currently operating 70% of the timetables to maximise social distancing with an aim to increase this to 80% in July 2020. Malcom Holmes continued that they had established a coordination group with Network Rail in the region which led the rail response to Covid-19. The rail industry have calculated their capacity in order to enforce social distancing and have slightly reduced trains on the Coventry line in Warwickshire; they have been in contact with Chiltern regarding the lack of trains through Warwick. The West Midlands Railway services are running as normal on the Leamington Spa to Coventry and Nuneaton line. Social distancing measures have been administered across West Midland stations, when passengers are at a higher capacity there could be delays due to social distancing.

 

The WMRE have been working with Midlands Connect on a project called Birmingham Airport Connectivity which will connect the Thames Valley, Oxford and Leamington Spa to Newcastle via Coventry and Birmingham Airport. Midlands Connect are working on a business case to double some of the existing single line section on the route between Leamington and Coventry, but this will not allow an improvement to the local service for Kenilworth without full doubling of the route. Therefore, further work had been commissioned between Midlands Connect, the DfT and Network Rail to assess the benefits of running a second local rail service which supports the full doubling of the route.

 

Malcom Holmes stated that phase one of HS2 (High Speed Railway) has recently been given the formal ‘notice to proceed’ by government, and that a revised HS2 business case had been published which showed in most scenarios, it will have a positive value for money. Malcom Holmes expressed the WMRE concerns about the business case as it did not refer to northbound services in Phase 2A after the initial route going northwards. He continued that there will be huge benefits for the West Midlands being connected to the north and Scotland, but there is a risk that this service will not be provided through HS2 infrastructure until the completion of Phase 2B. The National Infrastructure Commission is undertaking a review into HS2 Phase 2B and WMRE had stressed the importance of an early direct service introduction northbound in its response.

 

Malcom Holmes concluded that the West Midlands Rail Investment Strategy was published in January 2019; however, due to the long term economic and commuting impact of Covid-19, this had led to a need to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

5.

WCC Covid Recovery Approach pdf icon PDF 174 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Mark Ryder introduced the item. The paper built onto the Covid-19 recovery report that was presented at June’s Cabinet meeting and set out the direction for recovery. Mark Ryder continued that recovery is at various spatial levels and everything is interlinked; for example, public transport being affected and effecting the wider economy. The recovery phase was split into three stages: a foundation stage which included improving council services and helping local businesses, a consolidation and acceleration phase. Mark Ryder concluded that Cabinet agreed four themes of the recovery approach: Place, Economy & Climate, Community and Voluntary Sector, Health, wellbeing and social care and the Organisation, including the reinstating of services.

It was clarified that the four working groups will produce a report for Cabinet in September. Councillor Holland suggested setting targets for performance indicators.

 

In response to Councillor Kondakor, David Ayton-Hill (Assistant Director – Communities) stated that tourism was flagged as a key sector of work in order to help local businesses, whose trade relies on tourism, to continue. Local businesses are being informed on how to market to and accommodate for domestic tourists, especially in rural areas which are likely to have more tourists. Coventry have altered their City of Culture plans so their programme will run from April 2021 until March 2022. This change is being reviewed to it could feedback into Warwickshire’s tourism sector.

 

 

Resolved:

That the Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee:

 

1.     Receives the County Council’s approach to Covid-19 Recovery, as set out in the attached Cabinet report.

2.     Commented on the specific issues relevant to the remit of this Committee that should be considered in the development of the Recovery Plan which is due to be submitted to Cabinet in September.

 

 

5(1)

Economic Development Update pdf icon PDF 343 KB

This breifing note update will focus on developments made during the Coivd-19 period.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

In response to the Chair, David Ayton-Hill stated that Warwickshire County Council are set to receive £800 million in government economic recovery grant payments, but this will be withdrawn in future when businesses return to normal. The Council will help businesses to return to normal before funding is withdrawn.

 

The update was noted by the committee.

6.

School Safety Zones and Routes Concluding Report pdf icon PDF 128 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Councillor Fradgely introduced the item and thanked all the officers involved on the TFG. In the last School Safety Zones meeting, members agreed there was more work to do in regard to educating children and parents on walking to school rather than being driven. Councillor Fradgley concluded that due to the Council’s climate change agenda and the Covid-19 crisis, the new TFG as recommended in the report, would be beneficial now.

 

Councillors Kondakor and Holland stated that a slower speed limit needs to be implemented around all schools. Councillor Philips informed the committee that if enough 20mph signs are erected in an area then PCSO’s (Police Community Support Officers) will enforce them.

Councillor Kondakor added that economic and housing growth in Warwickshire have made roads a barrier for cyclists and pedestrians.

 

Councillor Andy Crump (Portfolio Holder for Fire and Community Safety) stated that the Road Safety team were reminding parents to slow down around schools and there have been a list of programmes carried out, but peer pressure is also needed. He concluded that there is a need to carry out programmes that encourage walking.

 

Resolved:

 

That the Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee:

 

1)    Notes the developments carried out by officers as part of the School Safety Zones Task Force since April 2015

 

2)    Agrees that a Task and Finish Group be established to explore education-based ways of encouraging more children to walk / scooter / cycle in safety to their schools and report on costed options to inform the refreshed MTFS (Medium Term Finance Strategy).

 

7.

Communities OSC Work Programme pdf icon PDF 205 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Councillor Kondakor queried if electric buses could be incorporated into the bus provision item coming to September’s committee.

 

Resolved

That the Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee notes the work programme

8.

Urgent Items

Additional documents:

Minutes:

None.

 

9.

Reports Containing Confidential or Exempt Information

“That members of the public be excluded from the meeting for the items below on the grounds that their presence would involve the disclosure of confidential or exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3, Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 as amended”

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Resolved

That members of the public be excluded from the meeting for the items below on the grounds that their presence would involve the disclosure of confidential or exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3, Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 as amended.

 

10.

Exempt Minutes for 12 February 2020

To approve the exempt minutes of the meeting held on 12 February 2020

Minutes:

Resolved

The exempt minutes of the 12 February 2020 meeting were agreed as a true record and signed by the Chair.