Agenda item - Oral questions from Councillors

A list of Councillors who have indicated their desire to ask an oral question at the meeting along with the subject matters has been listed in the agenda papers (copy attached).

34.1      The Mayor noted that 14 oral questions had been received, but that following consultations with the Groups, a total of 11 questions had been agreed and these were listed in the addendum that had been circulated.  She also noted that 30 minutes were set aside for the duration of the item.

 

34.2      The Mayor invited Councillor Janio to put his question to Councillor Hamilton.

 

(a)          Rent Arrears

 

34.3      Councillor Janio asked the following question,  “Can the finance lead please confirm that the Labour administration has allocated adequate hardship funds to cope with the new welfare changes such as the phased change over to universal credit?”

 

34.4      Councillor Hamilton replied, “At the moment universal credit is starting to come in. I can give you some information that I have, because some of the universal credit tenants are in fact in arrears. 28 people in temporary accommodation in receipt of Universal Credit are in arrears and we also have 59 housing revenue account tenants who receive universal credit and are also in arrears to an average amount of £500 per household.

 

            With regard to your question, we do have a housing discretionary fund available and we are not going to stand by and see situations where people who are on universal credit are going to suffer and we are actually looking at other schemes whereby we may be able to give some assistance to people who are facing these difficulties. I can’t give you all the details yet as they are still under discussion. That is the situation we will face.

 

            We have got a very strong team of officers who do their very best to keep the arrears down. I've got a list here of 20 different actions that we take to help people who are in arrears with their rent and we only ever actually go down the possession route in a very small number of cases even then they are normally suspended cases.

 

            However we have 11,000 tenants and we only have 82 or so who have moved over to universal credit. As this number increases, rest assured from this side, that we will not stand by and see our tenants effected by the several weeks wait for their benefit because of the rather ham fisted way that this universal credit has been brought in. We will not allow that situation to put people out through no fault of their own or having a long time waiting for universal credit when I don't see why they couldn’t have kept their payments going up until the date when the new system was ready and they wouldn't have this five or six week gap”

 

34.5      Councillor Janio asked the following supplementary question, “Will the Labour administration, if they do get into trouble over the budget especially with the already wasted six hundred thousand underspend from last year, please come and speak to us before we enter the full Budget negotiations to try to allocate enough money to the hardship fund so that we don't have any hardship cases?”

 

34.6      Councillor Hamilton replied, “We are already looking into this with the Finance team. We are already putting in a significant amount of money so we will be able to face the situation as and when it arrives.”

 

(b)          Business

 

34.7      Councillor Mac Cafferty asked the following question, “The Labour administration were handed healthy growth in business, however key performance indicators from July tell us that there has been a disturbing and large drop in growth and the number of businesses; that’s a fall of two thousand and forty businesses or 13.4%. The city centre is littered with empty shop fronts and ‘to let’ signs; tagging is out of control. What are the Labour administration's concrete proposals for rectifying this in the next 6 months?”

 

34.8      Councillor Robins replied, “Retail shop vacancy rates in the city centre in September 2017 were 6.79% and in the BID area is 5.7% compared to a national rate of 12.5%. There has been a slight increase in the city centre in the last year which relates mainly to the redevelopment of North Street and Brighton Square as part of the Hannington Lane development.”

 

34.9      Councillor Mac Cafferty asked the following supplementary question, “Would you agree with me, Councillor Robins, that while businesses are declining and visitor numbers down for the second year, that the administration saying that they don't want future conferences to come to the city amounts to economic stupidity?”

 

34.10   Councillor Robins replied, “I will send Councillor Mac Cafferty a list of the initiatives the Council is currently running to help businesses in the city.”

 

(c)          Resolving Planning Applications

           

34.11   Councillor Peltzer Dunn asked the following question,  “Will Councillor Cattell please confirm the percentage of planning applications lodged between 1 April 2016 and 31 March 2017 completed within the target times, and how many applications therefore were not resolved until after the expiry of the target date? Would she also please confirm how many applications were unresolved six months after the planning application had been registered?”

 

34.12   Councillor Cattell replied, “Between April 2016 and March 2017 there were 3627 planning applications determined. 73% were either determined within time or with an agreed extension of time. The use of extensions of time is allowed by Government legislation and enables negotiation on planning applications that would otherwise have to be refused.

 

Planning performance is continuing to improve in relation to the Government's 24 month rolling programme target which is measured on the 30th September each year. Planning Services comfortably exceeded the targets set by Government by delivering 80 % of non-major application decisions within eight weeks, the target is 70% and 92.5% of major applications within thirteen weeks above the target of 65%.

 

You also asked about the number of unresolved applications exceeding 6 months old. In 2016/2017 this figure was 169 which amounts to 4.5% of all applications received. This is not ideal and we are aiming to improve significantly on this performance in the next year.”

 

34.13   Councillor Peltzer Dunn asked the following supplementary question, “Would the Chair agree with me that the Planning Department provides a service to applicants, residents and non-residents alike and that a payment is made for the service to the City Council? Would the Chair further agree that applicants should expect to receive the service for which fees have been paid?  Would therefore the Chair agree with me that if applicants do not receive the service laid down by the planning departments own guidelines, that the Council irrespective of the final planning application determination be entitled to a refund of fees paid by way of compensation for the City Council not providing a proper service to the applicant?”

 

34.14   Councillor Cattell replied, “There is provision in the act for fees to be refunded but we have not had to do this as so few people have actually applied. We have launched a service commitment which involves giving regular updates during the application. I can send you a more detailed written response if you send me a written copy of your question

 

(d)         Beach Litter Enforcement

 

34.15   Councillor Druitt asked the following question, “I welcome the streets ahead anti-litter campaign which is very effective and imaginative. However in order to keep the beach clean and safe and our seas free of plastic there needs to be effective enforcement as well. Can the Administration confirm whether the beach is included in the 3GS enforcement contract and the rationale behind the current failure to protect it?”

 

34.16   Councillor Mitchell replied, “The Council takes the cleanliness of the beach very seriously indeed and we put in extra investment at busy times including additional bins and staff. Rather than having uniformed enforcement officers patrolling between sunbathers our approach is one of education and engagement with people using the beach. This summer we launched the ‘Streets Ahead’ campaign with the environmental charity hub and that has increased the number of businesses and community groups we work with to help reduce beach litter and get that message out. The campaign was designed explicitly to improve awareness of not leaving litter behind on the beach and did include the silent disco where over 1300 people traded trash for treats.

 

City clean engagement on Facebook was up 841% with a 400% increase on Twitter plus extensive TV and radio coverage and last weekend the silent disco was back by popular demand for a ‘Hallo-Clean’ event where over 100 people took part and I would thank each and every one of those. So at present no we do not have any plans to put 3GS Enforcement Officers on the beach”

 

34.17   Councillor Druitt asked the following supplementary question, “I whole heartedly approve of prevention in these matters however sadly there is still a beach litter enforcement problem and I wonder if Councillor Mitchell would consider, over the next three months, if there is not going to be 3GS enforcement on the beach what can we do instead to ensure that those people who are leaving litter on our beaches do have to take responsibility for their actions?”

 

34.18   Councillor Mitchell replied, “I will just repeat that we have no plans to put 3GS enforcement officers on the beach. What we will do is to increase our messaging. We have had people walking onto the beach in between visitors just in a fun light hearted sort of way with litter pickers all dressed up reminding people that it's not ok to bespoil our beaches with litter and that's what we will continue to do.”

 

(e)          Subsidised Bus Services

 

34.19   Councillor Wares asked the following question, “As Councillor Mitchell knows there was cross party agreement to continue funding all the subsidised bus routes in the city and was quoted in the press emphasising the necessity to maintain these community lifelines but, despite assurances and without any consultation with residents or Councillors, without reference in the committee papers and without warning the number 56 service in Patcham and Hollingbury has been reduced from every hour to every two hours. Please could Councillor Mitchell confirm that the Council is now working to reverse this terrible decision and restore a one hour bus service as before?”

 

34.20   Councillor Mitchell replied, “I am very pleased that this Council, unlike others, continues to support 19 bus routes across the city including eight school routes and additional funding has enabled some services to be extended. I do appreciate your concerns Councillor Wares relating to service 56 where there were already existing reliability issues under the previous timetable.  Public transport officers have had meetings with the big lemon bus company to see where timetable amendments can be made to maximise services, while improving the reliability issues of the old time table, and I believe that these discussions have resulted in some proposed amendments that can hopefully be introduced following the formal route registration process.

 

The report to PR&G Committee did not commit to maintaining existing timetables or any other specific detail and therefore there was no explicit or implicit attempt to deceive members.  The tender process that was used encouraged the more flexible and innovative approach from operators that, for example, has benefited residence in the Deans.”

 

34.21   Councillor Wares asked the following supplementary question, “It is important for everybody to understand that, across the city, not one subsidised bus service suffered any harm except for the number 56 and, as has been said, some have actually been enhanced. I understand that there was no commitment to maintain timetables but this is an absolutely essential service to residents in Patcham and Hollingbury.  Could I please ask when this will come forward and when our residents will know that there is an improved timetable?”

 

34.22   Councillor Mitchell replied, “Officers are working on this now.  They will be in touch with you, I will remind them to be in touch with you as soon as possible to let you have that information so that you can reassure your residents.”

 

(f)           Range of Plastics Collected by BHCC for Recycling

 

34.23   Councillor Littman asked the following question, “Given that recycling rates in the city are so woeful having been below 30% every year for the last 11 years, a time period covered by administrations of all three colours. Can the Chair of ETS please tell us why, as a waste collection authority, the only type of plastics we collect are plastic bottles?”

 

34.24   Councillor Mitchell replied, “I am pretty proud to have raised our recycling levels to the highest rate ever from the 24% under your administration to the 29.1% now and we would certainly like to see more types of plastic being able to be collected by the Council for recycling and City Clean officers are actively looking for future solutions to enable this to happen in partnership with East Sussex County Council and Veolia.  However the extent to which different types of plastic can be collected depends on technical, economic and logistical factors. At present the Council can only recycle plastic bottles that are made of a certain type of soft plastic; drinks, water, milk and detergent bottles for example. There is a very good market for this product that provides income with an optimum recovery root meaning it can be processed and recycled many times over.

 

Currently the Hollingdean material recycling facility is not designed to take plastic pots, tubs and trays. Veolia are assessing the feasibility of retrofitting this facility but this will also need to assess the space required for the additional equipment and the materials.  Another key consideration is the need for there to be a sustainable end market for the volume of this material and present indications are that there is a lack of demand from the industry for these recycled materials due to the fierce competition from virgin plastics thanks to low oil prices and recent developments in china that are restricting the input of recycling however we are keeping all options under review.”

 

34.25   Councillor Littman asked the following supplementary question, “Councillor Mitchell what work is ongoing in regards to collaboration with other agencies in the city which collects a greater range of matters than we do for example the Magpie Waste Show Operative or the Green Centre and also with other Local Authorities apart from East Sussex to increase the range of plastics we collect even if we are not able to dispose them ourselves?”

 

34.26   Councillor Mitchell replied, “We do point residents to other waste collection organisations so that they can dispose of a greater range of materials. I am very hopeful that in future we as a Council will be able to expand our range too.”

 

(g)         Quality of Mears Repairs

 

34.27   Councillor Bell asked the following question, “I was very pleased to see that on the online satisfaction rate from our tenants on the Mears repairs it was at 73%. My concern is with the other twenty percent not being satisfied; would the Chairman please identify what elements were not of satisfaction?”

 

34.28   Councillor Meadows replied, “Off the top of my head I have no details on the other 20%. However as you know we are working really hard with our tenants to ensure that they are satisfied with the service they receive from Mears.”

 

34.29   Councillor Bell asked the following supplementary question, “In recent events and times where the Chair of Housing has spoken in this Chamber she has mentioned a light touch contract but I've confirmation that the contract for the turning point in in contract 2005 which is widely used for housing repairs contracts across the country and it encourages partnership work and open book accounting. However the reason why it is considerably light touch is because of the management of this contract by this administration via her chairmanship. I would like to know what this administration is going to do to rectify this.”

 

34.30   Councillor Meadows replied, “As others on the Housing Committee know the reason I was given to understand that it was a light touch contract was because there was to be no duplication of surveys, there was to be no duplication of other items around the delivery of the service and that Mears would take over most of that and the Council would dip in and out and monitor the service. Unfortunately when I came into being the Chairman as you call it we found out that wasn't good enough. Residents were exceedingly unhappy with the service that Mears was providing and we agreed with that and so we employed more officers and we ensured that that service is now much more robustly monitored which is why we are finding other things that are going wrong. We are making sure that that contract is delivering for our residents, something that hasn't happened in the past two administrations.

 

We inherited a contract that wasn't working for this city and we are now making sure that it does deliver for this city.”

 

(h)         School Catchment Areas

 

34.31   Councillor Page asked the following question, “In the light of the recent offer by several secondary schools to keep their catchment areas and their stable communities rather than have a short term chopping up of catchment areas. What steps will the council take to find them the small amount of capital funding necessary for those bulge classes to become reality?”

 

34.32   Councillor Chapman replied, “To be absolutely clear the offer that some of the secondary schools have made does not solve the problem and there will still be children redirected in September 2019. The cross party working group will discuss this proposal in depth at our next meeting which is after the consultation closes.”

 

34.33   Councillor Page asked the following supplementary question, “My question was about whether the administration would provide capital funding for bulge classes which would help a significant number of children attend their local school.”

 

34.34   Councillor Chapman replied, “Even if Dorothy Stringer and Varndean took an extra class each in 2019 there would still be an additional 36 pupils at least redirected and in the following year that number would rise to 76. There would still be a large number of pupils redirected even if the bulge classes were taken. As I said the cross-party group will discuss this proposal and we will think about the offer that has been made and will see if it is practical, if there is funding available and also the consequences that that will have on other schools in the city.”

 

(i)           Secondary School Admission Policy

 

34.35   Councillor Nemeth asked the following question, “Members are aware that the Administration’s secondary admission proposals would see a large percentage of children in Wish ward no longer being able to attend Hove Park or Blatchington Mill apparently due to a lack of capacity at these schools following their catchment areas being modified to include part of Brighton.  Yet the Head of Blatchington Mill yesterday stated and I quote ‘I can unequivocally confirm that Blatchington Mill is in a position to admit more students into year seven and therefore to accommodate all children in Wish ward that would be affected by the proposed changes’. There were no caveats to this statement with regards to say Capital expenditure.

 

Will Councillor Chapman please explain why parents and children are being put through unnecessary stress and upheaval when such a clear solution presents itself?”

 

34.36   Councillor Chapman replied, “We have to come up with a city wide arrangement that serves the whole city. Something that happens in Hove will affect other parts of the city as well. We have to consider the bigger picture but the offer that has been put forward by Blatchington Mill, Varndean and Dorothy Stringer will be considered by the cross party working group.”

 

34.37   Councillor Nemeth asked the following supplementary question, “I have another brief quote from the Head of Blatchington Mill ‘we've been clear to the Local Authority that we would wish to expand our intake in year seven and therefore cannot understand why this has not been considered within the projections for the catchment areas’.

 

This information is so important to the overall picture but it's not mentioned in the report that is before us and our residents why has it been left out when the Administration’s known for at least a year?”

 

34.38   Councillor Chapman replied, “Nothing has been left out of the report; as I say we will go through the proposals that have been put forward by the secondary schools in the last few weeks and will make a decision based on that. As I said we have to think about the wider consequences of certain schools expanding and how that will affect other schools as well and we have to come up with a city wide solution to this problem.”

 

(j)           Brexit

 

34.39   Councillor Sykes asked the following question, “I have heard Councillor Morgan speak passionately about Europe and about the impacts of Brexit on the city for example in areas such as hospitality, EU grants and environmental regulation. What’s the strategic leadership Councillor Morgan as Council Leader is providing to prepare the city for a hard Brexit?”

 

34.40   Councillor Morgan replied, “I discuss the impact of Brexit and the preparedness of both the City and the City region at every meeting of the Coast to Capital LEP that I attend, at every meeting of the Greater Brighton economic Board that I attend, and every meeting of the Brighton Hove Economic Partnership that I attend as I did just two days ago.

Part of the economic strategy going forward will be to look at that hopefully taking into account the sectoral impact studies that will be released thanks to a motion by Labour MPs in Parliament. What I will announce here today is that in the New Year I'm going to be convening a leaders’ business summit which will examine and look at potential solutions for business in the city to deal with the impact of Brexit.”

 

34.41   Councillor Sykes asked the following supplementary question, “As I’m sure Councillor Morgan knows we've got a new strategic risk SR30 which was agreed recently by ELT.  It’s focussed largely on the effects of Brexit on the city and I just wondered which elements of SR30 Councillor Morgan is taking particular ownership of?”

 

34.42   Councillor Morgan replied, “It's clear from studies by the Centre for Cities that Brighton and Hove is one of the economies that stands to be most affected by Brexit although obviously until those impact studies by the government are released it's very hard to see which sectors will be most impacted but we are also set to be one of the economies that that set best to bounce back so when those impact studies are released then we will have a better picture of which wants to focus on locally.”

 

(k)          School Admission Policy

 

34.43   Councillor Taylor asked the following question,  “Due to this administration’s lack of grip on school places several families in the Dorothy Stringer/ Varndean catchment area were initially denied their catchment school places causing uncertainty and worry to those families. What is the administration doing to prevent a repeat of the chaos this year?”

 

34.44   Councillor Chapman replied, “The administration is trying to deal with the situation of too many children in certain catchment areas as we have discussed and that's why we're out to consultation at the moment on changes. Part of the reason for this is because of the delay with the new school and unfortunately local authorities can no longer open their own schools. We have to have a free school and which means that we have to deal through third parties which means it extends the process and it is ultimately out of our control as it is up to the Education Skills Funding Agency.”

 

34.45   Councillor Taylor asked the following supplementary question, “I have raised at committing the possibility of expanding schools the deal with the bulge in the central catchments and we've heard head teachers themselves have offered to expand their schools assuming the Labour administration actually knows what is going on.”

 

34.46   Councillor Chapman replied, “The first thing to say is that I can't be held responsible for the closure of a school that I was at while it was being closed down but as I say the administration is trying to solve the problem with pupil places by pushing along with the new school to address the increase in pupil numbers in secondary schools and has to say we're going through the consultation now where parents can and residents can respond to the consultation which obviously we take into full consideration but we have to try and deal with the situation that we have in the city where there are too many children in some of the catchment areas.”