Agenda item

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

 

(1)      Green Group Motion

 

This Council is committed to producing a new Local Transport Plan where:

 

·                Public transport and active travel will be the natural first choice for our daily activities. We will encourage the reduction in car use by supporting a convenient, cost-effective and coherent public transport network.

 

·                We will support actively moving towards a position where all road vehicles from motorcycles to HGVs will be zero emission. We will support technological advances, including new modes of transport and mobility innovation, to drive modal shift and change the way vehicles are used.

 

·                Our goods will be delivered through an integrated, efficient and sustainable delivery system.

 

·                We will support clean, place-based solutions that meet the needs of local people and champion the climate agenda through local leadership. Changes and leadership at a local level will make an important contribution to reducing national GHG emissions.

 

·                Warwickshire will be an internationally recognised leader in environmentally sustainable, low carbon technology and innovation in transport.

 

          Proposer: Councillor Keith Kondakor

 

          Seconder: Councillor Jonathan Chilvers

 

(2)      Green Group and Independent Motion

 

            This Council

 

·            Thanks the huge number of people and community groups who volunteered or offered to volunteer in their communities during the first phase of the pandemic.

 

·            Recognises that is now a short-term one-off window to engage with individuals and groups and broker opportunities that could help address long term issues such as loneliness in our community.

 

·            Supports the making of an urgent bid to the Sustaining Prevention Fund to provide additional short-term (6 months) resources, to enable further proactive outreach and work with new community groups to help keep volunteers engaged in their communities for the longer term.

 

 

          Proposer: Councillor Jonathan Chilvers

 

          Seconder: Councillor Dan Gissane

Important – The two motions on this page are those that were published with the agenda. Both received amendments. Motion one was voted down. Motion two was agreed to with amendments. (Full details in Minutes).

 

Agreed Amended Motion 2

 

This Council

 

Thanks the huge number of people and community groups (including town and parish councils) who volunteered or offered to volunteer in their communities during the first phase of the pandemic.

 

Recognises that there is an opportunity to engage with individuals and volunteer groups that could help address long term issues such as loneliness isolation and mental health especially anxiety in our communities.

 

Acknowledges and supports the work undertaken by the cross party Covid-19 Recovery Working Groups in considering what is needed to enable new community groups to keep volunteers engaged in their communities for the longer term and supports these principles being incorporated into the recommendations to be considered by Cabinet in September 2020.

Motion 1

 

Councillor Keith Kondakor moved the following motion.

 

“This Council is committed to producing a new Local Transport Plan where:

 

1)    Public transport and active travel will be the natural first choice for our daily activities. We will encourage the reduction in car use by supporting a convenient, cost-effective and coherent public transport network.

 

2)    We will support actively moving towards a position where all road vehicles from motorcycles to HGVs will be zero emission. We will support technological advances, including new modes of transport and mobility innovation, to drive modal shift and change the way vehicles are used.

 

3)    Our goods will be delivered through an integrated, efficient and sustainable delivery system.

 

4)    We will support clean, place-based solutions that meet the needs of local people and champion the climate agenda through local leadership. Changes and leadership at a local level will make an important contribution to reducing national GHG emissions.

 

5)    Warwickshire will be an internationally recognised leader in environmentally sustainable, low carbon technology and innovation in transport”.

 

The motion was seconded by Councillor Jonathan Chilvers who emphasised that most of its features were based on proposals put forward by Grant Schapps MP (Secretary of State for Transport).

 

Amendment 1

 

Councillor Jerry Roodhouse proposed an amendment adding a further bullet point to say, “We will accelerate and support stronger localised school green travel plans by working with such bodies as the “Living Streets “ campaign all aimed at creating healthier communities by improving the air quality around schools”.

 

Councillor Sarah Boad (Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group) seconded the amendment and expressed her support for the motion as a whole. In doing so Councillor Boad noted that the Covid-19 pandemic had resulted in less traffic and improved air quality. Children, she suggested, should be encouraged to walk or cycle to school and bus operators should reinstate services they have withdrawn.

 

Acceptance of Amendment

 

Councillor Keith Kondakor accepted the amendment proposed by the Liberal Democrat Group as a friendly amendment.

 

Debate

 

Members of the Council made the following points.

 

Councillor Dave Parsons stated that improvements in air quality should commence in the home. Log burners and gas central heating add particulates and sulphur dioxide to the atmosphere.

 

Councillor Helen Adkins supported the motion stating that it captured the need of the moment.

 

Councillor Izzi Seccombe stated that whilst she would not support the motion, her objection was based on process proposed to be followed rather than the principle. Costings would be required before any commitments could be made. The motion appeared to bypass the work of the Covid-19 working groups which would in time be reporting to Cabinet.

 

Councillor Judy Falp commended the road safety team of the County Council.

 

Councillor Bill Gifford, having expressed his support for the amended motion suggested that it was concerned with the principles placing these over the process. Council was reminded that in July 2019 it had declared a climate emergency.

 

Councillor Clare Golby reminded Council that a new Local Transport Plan is in preparation. This, she said, should be allowed to evolve. She also stated that not all people can afford newer, greener forms of transport.

 

Councillor Keith Kondakor, who had proposed the motion, observed that traffic related air pollution can be very localised. He expressed his disappointment at the lack of support for the motion stressing that it was focused on developing a better system. At this stage budgetary issues were not part of the debate.

 

Vote

 

A vote was held.

 

There were 26 votes against the amended motion. 51 members were present therefore the amended motion was lost.

 

 

Motion 2

 

Councillor Jonathan Chilvers introduced and moved the following.

 

“This Council,

 

·       Thanks the huge number of people and community groups who volunteered or offered to volunteer in their communities during the first phase of the pandemic.

 

·       Recognises that is now a short-term one-off window to engage with individuals and groups and broker opportunities that could help address long term issues such as loneliness in our community.

 

·       Supports the making of an urgent bid to the Sustaining Prevention Fund to provide additional short-term (6 months) resources, to enable further proactive outreach and work with new community groups to help keep volunteers engaged in their communities for the longer term.

 

The motion was seconded by Councillor Dan Gissane who reserved the right to speak.

 

Amendment 1

 

Councillor Heather Timms proposed the following amendment.

 

“This Council

 

·       Thanks the huge number of people and community groups (including town and parish councils) who volunteered or offered to volunteer in their communities during the first phase of the pandemic.

 

·       Recognises that there is now a short term one off window an opportunity to engage with individuals and volunteer groups and broker opportunities that could help address long term issues such as loneliness in our communities.

 

·       Supports the making of an urgent bid to the Sustaining Prevention Fund to provide additional short term (6 months) resources to enable further proactive outreach and work with Refers this motion to the cross party Covid 19 Recovery Working Group on Communities who are considering what is required for new community groups to help keep volunteers engaged in their communities for the longer term, in order to make recommendations to Cabinet in September 2020”

 

The amendment was seconded by Councillor Izzi Seccombe who reserved her right to speak.

 

Councillor Chilvers declined to accept the amendment as a friendly amendment.

 

Amendment 2

 

Councillor Clive Rickhards, seconded by Councillor Sarah Boad proposed an amendment on behalf of the Liberal Democrat Group. This proposed an addition to the second bullet point so that the end of it read,

 

“…...such as loneliness, Isolation and mental health especially anxiety in our community”.

 

Acceptance of Amendment

 

The amendment proposed by the Liberal Democrat Group was accepted as a friendly amendment by Councillor Chilvers.

 

Debate

 

Councillor Helen Adkins expressed her support for the motion and friendly (Liberal Democrat) amendment. She rejected the Conservative amendment stating that it appeared to be a retrograde step.

 

Councillor Andy Crump reminded Council that the Covid-19 working groups had focused on the elements set out in the motion.

 

Councillor Dave Parsons considered that both motions before Council were sensible and well intentioned. He could not understand why there would be any reluctance to support them.

 

Councillor Clare Golby commended the working groups for moving quickly. She added that Warwickshire CAVA is already supporting community groups to bid for funding. There are plenty of opportunities for people to engage with community groups, but members need to be able to signpost to them.

 

Councillor Keith Kondakor suggested that the third sector will see a great deal of change during and after the pandemic. With uncertainty over a second wave it is important to boost third sector groups.

 

Councillor Dave Shilton observed that Nuneaton and Bedworth had not identified a County Council community champion. He thanked officers for their hard work during the pandemic and called for a letter of thanks to be sent to communities and local councils.

 

Councillor Izzi Seccombe emphasised that the issue of whether the motion should be supported or not was around the process. The Covid-19 working groups, she said, were already engaged in the work proposed by the motion. It would be preferable to champion the outcome of the working groups.

 

Councillor Gissane, who had seconded the motion observed that with people now returning to work it was important that the good work of community groups continues to be supported.

 

Councillor Timms concluded that there was already a good team working with community groups. Any bid to the investment fund would only serve to distract officers and delay matters.

 

Councillor Chilvers echoed the thanks of officers to the voluntary sector and the localities team. Aside from the differences around process it would be good to find a way forward to provide more support to communities.

 

Vote 

 

A recorded vote was requested by Councillors Kondakor, Chilvers and Boad.

 

Vote 1 was on the amendment proposed by the Conservative Group.

 

Votes for the amendment – Councillors Barker, Bell, Singh Birdi, Brain, Butlin, Caborn, Cargill, Cockburn, Crump, Dahmash, Gilbert, Golby, Gran, Hayfield, Horner, Jenns, Kaur, Morgan, Pandher, Redford, Roberts, Seccombe, Shilton, Simpson-Vince, Stevens, Timms, Warwick, C Williams, P Williams, Wright (30)

 

Votes against the amendment – Councillors Adkins, Boad, Chilvers,

C Davies, N Davies, Dirveiks, Falp, Gifford, Gissane, Holland, Kondakor, O’Rourke, Parsons, Phillips, Rickhards, Roodhouse, Sargeant, Skinner, Webb (19).

 

The amendment was won 30 votes to 19. This then became the substantive motion on which a (non-recorded) vote was taken. This was won 29 for, 14 against and 3 abstentions.

 

Resolved

 

That the following motion is agreed.

 

This Council

 

•         Thanks the huge number of people and community groups (including town and parish councils) who volunteered or offered to volunteer in their communities during the first phase of the pandemic,

 

•         Recognises that there is an opportunity to engage with individuals and volunteer groups that could help address long term issues such as loneliness in our communities,

 

•         Refers this motion to the cross party Covid 19 Recovery Working Group on Communities who are considering what is required for new community groups to help keep volunteers engaged in their communities for the longer term, in order to make recommendations to Cabinet in September 2020.