Issue - meetings

Please refer to the recommendations detailed below.

Item 6a – Cabinet 9 March 2022 – Minute No 141 – LTP Capital Programme 2022-23

Councillor Mike Greene, Portfolio Holder for Transport and Sustainability presented the report on the LTP Capital Programme 2022 and outlined the recommendations as set out on the agenda. He explained that the current LTP runs from 2011 -2026 and each year the Government makes a capital allocation to assist in its funding which were in two broad sections one which was the integrated transport block and as expected an award of £3.1m has been made and the other the structural highways maintenance for which the Council has been awarded £4.8m. Councillor Greene reported that the reason these can be predicted so accurately depends on how well the Council has adhered to the Department of Transports guidelines on maintaining the network as efficiently as possible.  Councillor Greene explained that the Council continues to be in the highest band possible although this does result in little flexibility for example the order in which the Council’s roads were resurfaced and to what standard. 

Members were informed that the two blocks were subdivided into categories such as road safety and bridge maintenance, but no specific schemes or locations were included as that process was not included within this paper.  Councillor Greene reported that the Council was being asked to approve the overall allocation of the LTP and its categorisation which has already been agreed with the Department of Transport.  He explained that the Overview and Scrutiny Board had used the opportunity to look at several operational processes and specific locations, but this was not before the Council today and the issue comes to the Council due to overall monetary size.  Councillor Mellor seconded the proposal and reserved his right to speak.

Councillors in discussing the recommendations raised a number of issues including Councillor Brown asking if the Portfolio Holder could advise when Members would be informed of the detailed breakdown of schemes that would be funded and those schemes that would not receive funding.  He also asked what the process would be to inform Members as in prior years there had been more detail.  Councillor Hadley indicated that there was a tendency to roll the Local Transport Plan forward and he expressed his concern if the Council was adequately taking the opportunity to build back better and support other journeys than just the commute. He asked if there was sufficient ambition to break beyond the congestion record which was based on historic boundaries and the lack of funding priority which was not reflected in the Local Transport Plan and the wider plan.  Councillor Hadley reported that this was evident especially in how the network gridlocks whenever there were not roadworks or other incidents. He explained that a move to electric cars would improve air quality but do nothing to reduce that congestion.  He referred to investment in transforming travel which was significant and asked what LTP investments were being made in planning for the longer term and ensuring  ...  view the full minutes text for item 152

Please refer to the recommendations detailed below.

Item 6a – Cabinet 12 January 2022 – Minute 113 – Council Tax – Tax Base 2022/23

Councillor Mellor, Leader of the Council presented the report on the Tax Base 2022/23 as set out on the agenda and outlined the recommendations.  He explained that it was a technical requirement to approve the Tax Base in advance of setting the Council Tax. The recommendations presented a calculation of the tax base for Council tax setting purposes.  Councillor Broadhead seconded the proposal.

Voting – Unanimous.

The recommendations arising from the Cabinet on 12 January 2022 as set out on the agenda were carried.

Item 6b - Cabinet 12 January 2022 - Minute No 117 - Climate Action Annual Report 2020/21

Councillor Mike Greene, Cabinet Member for Transport and Sustainability presented the report on the Climate Action Annual Report 2020/21 and outlined the recommendations as set out on the agenda.  He asked the Council to receive the report as an update on activities to address the climate and ecological emergency for the period July 2020 to June 2021.  Councillor Greene explained that it had been an unusual year due to the pandemic and also a transitional one. He commented on the budget provision, the approach taken by the previous administration and the reinstatement of funding and increase in budget put in place by the current administration.  Councillor Greene referred to the significant disruption the removal on the budget had caused to the creation of a suitably sized team to tackle the problem.  Councillors were advised nevertheless that headline figures were encouraging showing the Council’s own emissions declining by 11% and area wide emissions reducing by 3.7% for the most recent year available.  Councillor Greene suggested caution before celebrating.  He explained that the area-wide data was the change from 2017 to 2018 before BCP Council was in existence as a local authority and whilst the true reduction in the Council’s own emissions was likely to prove greater than the 11% once contributions from leased out buildings was updated the impact of the pandemic was unknown.  Councillor Greene referred to the second recommendation which asked the Council to support the adoption of, ongoing development and delivery of the BCP Council Climate action plan. He explained that it was based on the draft plan agreed by the Council in 2019, which had been tweaked according to emerging guidance primarily from Friends of the Earth and the response to the extensive public engagement which was undertaken early in 2021.  Councillors were advised that the plan reflected a shift in priorities the largest possible reduction in emissions for the least possible cost to the Council taxpayer while still recognising the non-financial benefits of some actions.  Councillor Greene reported that the actions were divided into five themes with each of them having a cross party portfolio holder support group to help monitor and if necessary to modify the actions to ensure that the overall targets were met.  In addition, a rag status has been introduced for each action to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 142