Agenda and minutes

County Council - Thursday 29 September 2022 10.00 am

Venue: Council Chamber, Shire Hall. View directions

Contact: Deb Moseley  Democratic Services Team Leader

Media

Items
No. Item

1.

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

The Council will observe a minute’s silence in memory of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

 

The Chairman will then invite Members to reflect on her life and legacy.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Chairman stated that, given the sad news from Buckingham Palace on 8th September 2022 that HM Queen Elizabeth II had died, and the period of national mourning that followed, it was appropriate for Council to take time at the start of this meeting to mark this historic occasion. 

 

Council stood for one minute’s silence in memory of HM Queen Elizabeth II.

 

Councillor Isobel Seccombe led tributes, commending the Queen’s dedication of her life to service and how thoroughly and well she had fulfilled her pledge.  The soft partnership work that Her Majesty had conducted internationally had been of incalculable benefit to the United Kingdom.  15 Prime Ministers had served her and she had provided wise counsel to them all and been a rock for the country. It was a true reflection of her strength of personality that, in the two days before her death, Her Majesty was putting her duties first and welcoming a new Prime Minister.  Councillor Seccombe stated that Her Majesty’s interest in people of all ages, nations, and races; her interest in their work and communities and how those communities were supported was the foundation of her soft partnership skills.  Councillor Seccombe also reflected on Her Majesty’s visit to Stratford-upon-Avon in 1986, and her support of the Royal Show at Stoneleigh. She noted that the Queen had effortlessly mixed her personal interests with public duty and this was no doubt what helped her to deal with the stresses and strains of life in public service.  Councillor Seccombe extended condolences to the Royal Family and commended their strength in sharing their loss in such a public way.  She considered that Her Majesty’s guidance had undoubtedly been of great important to her family, particularly King Charles III, and the world would be a better place with more people like the Queen.  In conclusion, Councillor Seccombe expressed her gratitude to those individuals and teams who had supported the efforts of the County Council and the Lord Lieutenant’s Office through the period of national mourning.  

 

Councillor John Holland echoed the remarks of Councillor Seccombe, particularly noting the Queen’s long and dedicated service during which she had seen the evolution of the British Empire into the Commonwealth and how her influence had seen it develop into the strong organisation it was. Councillor Holland noted the links the people all over the world had to the Queen and the United Kingdom and how many British people could claim to have met the Queen.  He noted that the Queen had travelled to Warwickshire on a number of occasions, for public and private events, and her signature appeared in the Register at St Mary’s Church as she had witnessed a private wedding there.  

 

Councillor Jerry Roodhouse placed on record thanks to HM Queen Elizabeth II for her commitment throughout 70 years’ service.  This was a momentous occasion in history as the Elizabethan period came to an end and the massive task of changing coins, notes, stamps, letter boxes, etc began.  Councillor Roodhouse reflected on  ...  view the full minutes text for item 1.

2.

General

Additional documents:

2(1)

Apologies for Absence

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Councillors Jo Barker, Margaret Bell, Peter Butlin, John Cooke, Jackie D’Arcy, Yousef Dahmash, Piers Daniell, Jan Matecki, and Jill Simpson-Vince.

2(2)

Members’ Disclosures of Pecuniary and Non-pecuniary Interests

Additional documents:

Minutes:

None.

2(3)

Minutes of the Previous Meeting pdf icon PDF 149 KB

To consider the minutes of the meeting held on 19 July 2022.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The minutes of the meeting of Council held on 19 July 2022 were agreed as an accurate record for signing by the Chair.

2(4)

Chair's Announcements

Additional documents:

Minutes:

1)       Commonwealth Games

 

The Chairman, Councillor Dave Humphreys, made the following statement:

 

“Summer seems a long time ago now but, if I can, may I take you all back a few weeks to when the Commonwealth Games lit up the region in a truly momentous 11 days.  Warwickshire played a huge part in the spectacle, and I would like to take this opportunity to recognise the fantastic efforts that went into delivering the county's elements of the Games this summer. It was a once-in-a-generation opportunity to host such important events in Warwickshire and our county and, indeed, this Authority, certainly rose to that occasion. What we showcased to those who attended the Road Races and Lawn and Para-Bowls, along with the global audience of many millions, was truly Warwickshire at its very best.

 

The work that took place across Warwickshire County Council over two years is nothing short of remarkable and the fact that, in order to deliver such successful events, teams as diverse as County Highways, Trading Standards, Communications and Localities all co-ordinated perfectly is a testament to what an incredible organisation the County Council is and what we can achieve when we work together.

 

There are so many outstanding highlights from the 11 remarkable days of activity in Warwickshire, like the huge number of spectators lining the streets of Warwick for the road races and the packed live-site locations in Warwick and Leamington Spa that brought the games to life for so many residents who flocked to watch the action on the big screens.

 

But, as well as what we did see, there is what we didn't see.  Despite the closures of roads needed to host the road race, residents were able to move around on the day and transport networks were maintained throughout. The day passed without incident and very little complaint. It takes some serious planning to go under the radar like that.

 

So, I would like to extend the thanks of this Council to everyone who was involved in making the Commonwealth Games in Warwickshire the incredible spectacle that it was. While I have already noted the efforts of so many of our officers throughout the council, I would recommend for particular approval the dedication and professionalism of our project lead, Rachel Baconnet (pron. Bac-on-ay), and also of John Noakes and Aaron Corsi, all of whom went way beyond the extra mile in coordinating our Games activity.”

 

2) Former Councillor John Haynes

 

Councillor Dave Humphreys, Chairman, made the following statement:

 

“It is my sad duty to inform Council of the recent passing of former County Councillor John Haynes.

 

John, a Labour Councillor, served as a Warwickshire County Councillor for two decades between 1989 and 2009, including a year as Chairman.  However, he had served his community for much longer, winning his first election back in 1958 as an Exhall ward councillor on the former Bedworth Urban District Council. He was a popular local character, dedicated to the town of Bedworth, and the wider county, and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 2(4)

2(5)

Petitions

To receive the following petition submitted in accordance with the Council’s Petitions Scheme:

 

·       Speed Cameras in Long Itchington

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Chair welcomed Mr Keith Turncliff to the meeting to present a petition requesting the installation of average speed cameras in Long Itchington.

 

Mr Turncliff made the following statement:


My request is for Average Speed Cameras to be installed on the A423 and Leamington Road in Long Itchington.

 

I worked for Warwickshire Police for over 35 years, mainly as a front line Police Officer, so have witnessed at first hand the results of speeding and the impact of fatal accidents on families. 

 

After retiring, I have been a main member of the local Community Speed Watch team and devoted many hours in an effort to reduce speeds in the village.  During my time with the CSW team I have witnessed vehicles travelling at 66 mph in 30 mph areas, on both the Southam Road and the Leamington Road.  Then we had the Covid-19 pandemic.

 

However, since then, things have got worse.  Warwickshire Police do carry out regular checks in the village as they recognise the problem we have, but tend to locate themselves outside the Duck on the Pond PH and only for the odd hour now and again. They need to vary the location and times where they carry out their checks.

 

This has had a knock on effect as the local CSW team is now redundant, because we cannot operate within a 2 mile radius of a location used regularly by Warwickshire Police - which effectively covers the whole village.
To the best of my knowledge NO speed checks have ever been carried out on Leamington Road by Warwickshire Police, which is disappointing as we have proved to them that Leamington Road does have a speeding problem.
For the purpose of this ePetition, I was fortunate to loan a speed gun from Warwickshire Police and carried out some covert checks in the 30mph areas, in order to obtain an accurate picture of speed in the village.
My survey of 1,884 motorists, showed that 86% were exceeding the speed limit.

 

52 motorists were travelling at speeds of 52 mph or greater, which would have resulted in a disqualification from driving. 

 

I believe there are three ‘hotspots’, where a fatal accident is most likely to occur in the village.  By far the area that causes me most concern is at the entrance to the Two Boats Public House on Southam Road.   Vehicles accelerate down the hill travelling South and those travelling North fail to brake before they enter the 30 mph zone.  There is a flashing 30 mph sign on the Southam Road, at this location, when travelling North.  I submit that over 90% of vehicles trigger this flashing sign.  There has been a fatal accident here in the past, albeit over 5 years ago.  During the survey, two HS2 8-wheeler HGV lorries were clocked at 48 mph and 55 mph travelling North here.  The highest speed of 73 mph was also recorded here, but going out of the village South towards Southam, which was 10% higher than previously recorded  ...  view the full minutes text for item 2(5)

2(6)

Public Speaking

To note any requests to speak on any item on the agenda in accordance with the Council’s Public Speaking Scheme (see note at end of the agenda).

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

None.

3.

Education Capital Programme 2022/23 pdf icon PDF 111 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Councillor Kam Kaur (Portfolio Holder for Education) moved the recommendation as set out in the report.  Councillor Mandy Tromans seconded the recommendation and reserved the right to speak.

 

Debate

Councillor Tracey Drew quoted paragraph 3.4 of the report that “the vehicle access and car parking will be configured to allow future shared access to the existing Evergreen School adjacent to the site if required should expansion of the special provision be undertaken.”.  Councillor Drew commented that the group would continue to push for design and build that maximised access and opportunities for active travel as well as vehicle travel. She reminded the meeting that Myton Road was a national cycle route and therefore, joining up the cycling and walking routes at the front and rear of this building was essential. 

Councillor John Holland raised two issues: one regarding the lack of developer funding to support the building of Myton Gardens Primary School and the other focussing on the siting of Oakley Grove School.

 

Councillor Parminder Singh Birdi considered that the scheme was much needed and welcomed the investment in education.

 

Councillor Mandy Tromans spoke in support of the report, welcoming the proactive investment in the area to address shortfalls in provision.

 

In response Councillor Kaur noted that the siting of Oakley Grove and the associated negotiation of Section 106 funding was the responsibility of Warwick District Council and funding had already been allocated.

 

Vote

 

Upon being put to the vote, the motion was carried by a majority.

 

Resolved:

 

That Council agrees to add to the capital programme the scheme delivery of a school at Myton Gardens, at a cost of £13.400 million funded from Department for Education grant.

4.

The Impact of Inflation on the Capital Programme pdf icon PDF 92 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Councillor Isobel Seccombe (Leader) moved the recommendation as set out in the report.  Councillor Adrian Warwick seconded the recommendation and reserved the right to speak.

 

Debate

 

Councillor Jerry Roodhouse welcomed the report and reflected on the current national economic situation and how that would impact on local authorities. He understood that there would be a need to prioritise the capital programme and he welcomed the provisions in the paper to report to scrutiny.  Looking ahead, Councillor Roodhouse considered that there was a hard budget round ahead.

 

Councillor Will Roberts noted that the report informed Council that 47 schemes had been identified in the approved capital programme where it was likely schemes would need additional funding approved to deliver the projects in full and sought agreement that, for transparency, these schemes be identified publicly.

 

Councillor Sarah Feeney expressed concern that monies would need to be reallocated, asserting the need for councillors to understand which schemes would be put on hold as communities would be counting on them to improve the areas where they lived.  Like Councillor Roodhouse, she anticipated hard times ahead. 

 

Councillor Jonathan Chilvers welcomed a prudent piece of good governance but expressed concern about the exemptions detailed in paragraph 2.10 of the report and sought some reassurance in this regard.

 

Councillor Bill Gifford expressed his support for the proposals and commended the work that had been produced.

 

Councillor Adrian Warwick reflected on the reasons for the economic pressure, citing the conflict in Ukraine as a key cause.  However, he was delighted to commend the report which supported the ongoing delivery of the capital programme.

 

In reply, Councillor Seccombe thanked Members for their comments and offered reassurance that there was clarity in terms of needing to deal with committed schemes as quickly as possible and the proposals set out in the report allowed for that to happen.  She acknowledged that there would need to be some prioritisation but considered that the proposal was a sensible way of dealing with current pressures. In doing so, she commended the prudent financial management of the council over many years but recognised that this did not result in immunity to the current financial pressures facing the country.  She also recognised that there would be a very challenging budget ahead.

 

Vote

 

Upon being put to the vote, the motion was carried with unanimous support.

 

Resolved:

 

That Council:

 

1.               Sets aside £15m of the Capital Investment Fund to create an Inflation Contingency Fund to manage the impact of inflation on the approved capital programme; and

 

Delegates authority to make allocations from the Fund to the Strategic Director for Resources, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Finance and Property in accordance with the proposals in paragraph 2.9 of the report.

5.

Officer Delegations pdf icon PDF 105 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Councillor Andy Jenns (Leader) moved the recommendation as set out in the report.  Councillor Andy Crump seconded the recommendation and reserved the right to speak.

 

Debate

 

Councillor Tracey Drew asked what impact the changes set out in paragraph 2.4.3 would have on the gypsy roma traveller community.

 

Councillor Sarah Feeney welcomed the clearer delegations with regard to the gypsy roma traveller community and welcomed the position with regard to special severance payments.

 

Councillor Crump – welcomed the sensible and reasonable delegations in the report relating to fire and rescue which gave more operational independence to the Chief Fire Officer.

 

Councillor Jenns thanked Members for their comments and clarified that the delegations would allow issues to be dealt with more quickly which would be of benefit to the gypsy roma traveller community.

 

Vote

 

Upon being put to the vote, the motion was supported unanimously.

 

Resolved:

 

That Council:

 

1.               Approves the amendments to the Constitution as set out in Appendix 1 to the Report.

 

Authorises the Strategic Director for Resources to make any consequential amendments to any Human Resources or other  corporate policies required as a result of the statutory guidance on special severance payments and the consequent changes to delegations.

6.

Notices of Motion

To consider the following motions submitted by members in accordance with Standing Order 5:

 

(1)      Liberal Democrat Motion: Cost of Living

 

This Council recognises that we are in the middle of the worst cost of living crisis for 50 years and that it is having a major effect on many local people:

 

This Council therefore calls for a local Cost-of-Living Emergency Summit to be arranged, with stakeholders, including Citizens Advice, Food Banks, Local Trades Unions, Chambers of Commerce and local MPs to explore how more local help can be provided for those struggling with the cost of living – including extending the use of discretionary payments.

 

This Council also notes that increasingly Local Authorities are developing ‘Library Plus or ‘Warm Bank’ schemes, to give residents a place to stay warm and keep the cost of bills at home down after school and during evenings and weekends. The Council requests  the Chief Executive  to develop a funded plan  for the use of ‘Warm Banks’ across the County which will include later opening for Libraries and other council owned buildings. where possible.

 

Finally this Council requests that the Leader writes to the Secretary of State expressing this Council's concerns over the impact that the cost of living is having on residents and also writes to the Mayor of the West Midlands Combined Authority and Leaders of all other Local Authorities in the West Midlands Region asking them to pass similar motions so we can take a united stand as Local Government to force the Government to do more to help local people.

 

           Proposer: Councillor Jerry Roodhouse

 

           Seconder: Councillor Sarah Boad

 

(2)      Labour Motion: Cost of Living

 

           In response to the current rate of inflation and its effect on the residents and businesses of Warwickshire, this Council will

 

         Expand on the information already available on the County Council Website, to create a ‘Cost of Living Hub’ as an online resource offering practical and financial advice to struggling residents.

 

         Convene a local Cost of Living Emergency Summit, inviting stakeholders such as Citizen’s Advice, food banks, trade unions, charities and other partners to help address the current crisis.

 

         Work with partner agencies to develop a ‘One Warwickshire’ regular system of partnership reporting to help track the impact of the cost of living crisis at local level to grow our evidence base for our needs analysis and so we can target our response accurately.

 

         Work with community and voluntary organisations to develop a community response to the crisis, building on what already exists and taking a social justice approach. Ideas include a network of welcoming spaces where people can spend time, have access to Wi-Fi, free activities and support.

 

         Work with council staff and VCSE organisations to roll out signposting training to ensure we maximise opportunities to inform and support residents in crisis and direct them towards services that can advise on saving money on heating bills, employment and skills and wellbeing support.

 

         Seek to prioritise, subject to available funding,  ...  view the full agenda text for item 6.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The meeting adjourned while Members considered the amended Motions which had been tabled.  The meeting reconvened at 11.55am.

 

Cost of Living

 

Two motions had been received on this topic with an amendment from the Conservative Group on each and, in the circumstances, the Chairman considered that the two motions and amendments should be debated in the round.

 

Councillor Jerry Roodhouse moved the Liberal Democrat motion as printed on the agenda:

 

“This Council recognises that we are in the middle of the worst cost of living crisis for 50 years and that it is having a major effect on many local people:

 

This Council therefore calls for a local Cost-of-Living Emergency Summit to be arranged, with stakeholders, including Citizens Advice, Food Banks, Local Trades Unions, Chambers of Commerce and local MPs to explore how more local help can be provided for those struggling with the cost of living – including extending the use of discretionary payments.

 

This Council also notes that increasingly Local Authorities are developing ‘Library Plus or ‘Warm Bank’ schemes, to give residents a place to stay warm and keep the cost of bills at home down after school and during evenings and weekends. The Council requests  the Chief Executive  to develop a funded plan  for the use of ‘Warm Banks’ across the County which will include later opening for Libraries and other council owned buildings. where possible.

 

Finally this Council requests that the Leader writes to the Secretary of State expressing this Council's concerns over the impact that the cost of living is having on residents and also writes to the Mayor of the West Midlands Combined Authority and Leaders of all other Local Authorities in the West Midlands Region asking them to pass similar motions so we can take a united stand as Local Government to force the Government to do more to help local people.”

 

In moving the motion, Councillor Roodhouse noted the decisions of the Bank of England and the impact that would have on mortgages and considered that the economic situation was due to wider causes than the war in Ukraine. He considered that the winter, which could be harder due to climate change, would prove particularly difficult.  He considered that a co-ordinated mechanism in the form of a website was needed to support residents through the cost of living crisis and also considered that the council’s buildings could be utilised in support and that the covid network should be reinvigorated.  He noted the amendment and supported debating the motions in the round.

 

Councillor Sarah Boad seconded the motion and reserved her right to speak.

 

Amendment:

 

“This Council recognises that we are moving into one of the most significant in the middle of the worst cost of living crisis crises for 50 years and that inflation it is having a major effect on many local people and businesses.

 

This Council therefore calls for a local Cost-of-Living Emergency Summit to be arranged, with stakeholders, including Citizens Advice, Food Banks, Local Trades Unions, Chambers  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

7.

Member Question Time (Standing Order 7)

A period of up to 40 minutes is allocated for questions to the Leader, Cabinet    Portfolio Holders and Chairs of Overview and Scrutiny Committees.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

(1)         Question to Councillor Redford from Councillor Feeney

 

“A number of services in Rugby seem to be regularly cancelled in the morning at the moment.  I’ve been informed by residents that the No 4 bus service at 7.45 is frequent cancelled leading to overcrowding on the next service.  It is a bus that school children use to get to school and it does create problems when it doesn’t run.

Also the 85 which goes to Coventry has similarly been cancelled a number of times with passengers waiting an hour for the next bus.  One lady was 2 hours late for work in Coventry one day.  I also know that a visually impaired resident gets that bus with his guide dog and its very difficult for them to make alternative arrangements if the bus does not turn up.

 

Can we ascertain why certain buses are cancelled on a fairly regular basis and also what steps the operator is taking to ensure that this will not be happening going forward?”

 

In response, Councillor Redford indicated that the problem lay with bus companies having extreme difficulties in recruiting staff, not just in Warwickshire, but nationwide.  This was an ongoing situation although there were some indications that these difficulties were coming to an end at a local level.  There had been a few problems in Rugby, with Councillor Redford noting problems with the timetables, reductions and cancellations.  However, Councillor Redford advised that he had received assurances from Stagecoach that there would be an easing of the situation in the wek following the meeting.

 

(2)         Question to Councillor Redford from Councillor Holland

 

“Warwick town centre has an Air Quality Management Order in place. Computer modelling of air quality and traffic flows has shown that there is only one possible scheme. This was agreed by Cabinet in 2016 and all work is fully funded.

 

The scheme can be seen at www.Warwickshire.gov.uk/warwicktowncentre

There has been no progress since May 2021. Will you ensure that the street work is completed as soon as possible?”

 

Councillor Redford agreed to do what he could to support the process and informed the meeting that it was proposed works at the St Johns Junction would be starting in July 2023 with further engagement with the local communities in the coming weeks. 

 

By way of supplementary question, Councillor Holland asked for serious resource to be directed to the scheme.  He noted that public consultation for St Johns was expected in July 2022 but nothing had happened and in fact over the previous 12 months, monthly meetings had taken place with no action moving forward.  He considered that the scheme represented approximately two years’ worth of work which could have been finished in 2018 or, accounting for some over-run, at least before the pandemic.   There were other issues linked to the scheme, like a pedestrian crossing for the new GP Surgery which opened in June last year.  A financial contribution had been received but the work was being held up by the work at  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

8.

Any Other items of Urgent Business

To consider any other items that the Chair considers are urgent.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

None.