To receive any public questions, statements or petitions submitted in accordance with the Constitution. Further information on the requirements for submitting these is available to view following the links:-
The deadline for the submission of public questions is Tuesday 9 July 2019.
The deadline for the submission of a statement is 12.00 Noon on Monday 15 July 2019.
The deadline for the submission of a petition is 12.00 Noon on Monday 15 July 2019.
Minutes:
The Chairman advised that public questions had been submitted by
Public Question from Mark Elkins
Can the BCP Council consider removing Littledown petty parking restrictions to alleviate congestion caused by poor past planning policy? This has the advantage of giving RBH and Deansleigh Road business visitors and staff somewhere easier to park without having to enter the congested RBH/Deansleigh Road transport system wasting considerable time stationary with polluting engines running. Littledown residents and their visitors could then park in their own streets and it would offer football fans visiting our successful Premier League Club somewhere else to park taking the pressure off more generous minded local citizens who allow parking in other nearby areas.
Response by Councillor Andy Hadley (Portfolio Holder for Transport and Infrastructure)
Thank you for your generous proposal.
Through the Local Transport Plan, the Council has an overarching strategy which aims to reduce carbon emissions and improve quality of life for residents. One of the key approaches of the strategy is car parking measures which, balance supporting our local economy whilst encouraging the use of alternatives to the car, particularly for single occupancy commuter trips.
The parking restrictions in Littledown were introduced a number of years ago to protect residents from all day commuter parking, in recognition of the proximity to a number of large employer sites, such as JP Morgan and the Royal Bournemouth Hospital. The restrictions apply Mon-Fri 10am-11am & 2pm-3pm only, within the residential streets, and double yellow lines apply to the distributor road through the estate and on corners to these roads. If these restrictions were to be revoked it would cause additional congestion through the junction of Castle Lane and Chaseside, as more motorists would be entering this side of the junction, as well as causing additional congestion on these residential roads, as motorists search for available parking. These residential estate roads are narrow and were not designed for on road parking, especially at the scale that would be seen if no restrictions were in place. Additional traffic in this area would also increase the risk to road safety for families that live there and children playing in the street.
These restrictions do not prevent visitors to the Premier League Club, as match days are generally at the weekend or in the evenings when the yellow lines do not apply.
Public Question from Anna Moreton
In view of the successful lawsuits recently against Monsanto, and the World Health Organisation’s classification of glyphosate as a probably carcinogenic to humans and the fact that studies show the great harm glyphosate and all such chemicals do to earthworms, bees, butterflies and amphibians, what are the council’s plans for phasing out the use of chemical pesticides and the introduction of non-chemical alternatives in our public places, playgrounds and parks so that they are a safe environment for our children and can help reduce the alarming decline of bees and insects, and improve biodiversity in our local environment?
Response by Councillor Dr Felicity Rice (Portfolio Holder for Environment and Climate Change)
The Council takes its duty to protect the natural environment extremely seriously and is actively working to reduce the amount of chemicals used to manage common weeds or invasive plant species on highways, pavements, parks and other public spaces.
The Council complies with all applicable legislation around the use of glyphosate, using the chemical sparingly, and only via suitably trained and qualified staff. It is applied directly (either by nozzle or syringe) to plant leaves or stems. The chemical breaks down quickly in the environment.
The Council keeps abreast of any DEFRA (Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs) notifications, industry advice and any changes in legislation regarding the use of herbicides. The Council frequently reviews its working procedures in line with industry best practice.
The European Chemicals Agency’s (ECHA) Committee for Risk Assessment concluded that the available scientific evidence did not meet the criteria to classify glyphosate as a carcinogen, as a mutagen or as toxic for reproduction. It can cause eye damage and be damaging to aquatic life, the risk of which can be minimised through proper use.
We are aware that advice may change in the future and that plants evolve to become resistant to herbicides, and to this end we are actively investigating alternative methods of weed control. The Council will be considering all uses of glyphosate and potential alternatives over the coming 12 months.
There are many additional things we can do to protect and improve our natural environment, both as a Council and as local residents, and again we’ll be working to improve our environmental performance year on year. Having previously worked as a GP, health is at the heart of all decision making for me and it is also useful to note that Paris has been pesticide free for 15 years.
Public Question from Sarah Ward (on behalf of Neil Duncan-Jordan)
Does the Unity Alliance have any immediate plans to tackle the housing and homelessness crisis which led Conservative run Poole Council to introduce such punitive measures as the Poole Town Centre and Holes Bay PSPO?
Response by Councillor Kieron Wilson (Portfolio Holder for Housing)
The housing and homelessness issues in the BCP area are both key areas which I and the Unity Alliance will be focusing on over the coming few months and years. We will be taking a considered view of what we currently have and what we might need for the future.
You will know that there is a national housing crisis with not enough homes having been built over recent years, which in reality, equates to nearly four decades of underdevelopment across the country. The BCP area is in a similar position and now with the government, finally realising the state we are in, have set some very challenging new build figures for the area which we need to deliver over the coming years. The Council will need to be more proactive to help bring sites forward for new housing. The recent report presented to Cabinet last week relating to the Holes Bay site is a prime example of how the Council can be more proactive in meeting the housing needs of the conurbation.
We will be presenting proposals to Cabinet in a few months’ time to review our overall approach to Housing issues in order to draw up a new Housing Strategy for the whole BCP area.
In terms of homelessness, again, this is a key priority for myself as Portfolio Holder for Housing. Homelessness has unfortunately been increasing both nationally and locally over the last few years. There is already lots of good work underway locally by the Council and its many partners, providing much needed to support and accommodation for households who find themselves at risk of homelessness.
Over the next period, we will be taking stock of the current services, aligning our approach over the whole BCP area and setting out a new Homelessness Strategy for the area. This is going to have to have a holistic approach to the situation we find ourselves in. Our focus will inevitably be on ensuring a preventative approach to avoid people ending up in the crisis of homelessness. Just two weeks ago when the LGA conference came down to Bournemouth, I got speaking to the Mayor of Bristol, he told me how one of the first things they did was get all the housing service providers across the city in a room. They then pulled a long the floor a roll of paper, and divided it into sections, going from the stages a person can find themselves in a housing scenario. Starting with being secure in home ownership, to renting, to be behind on the rent, to being on the brink of homelessness, to being homeless, and ultimately sleeping on the streets. They then asked all those providers to place themselves in a category. And what they found was there was a lot service for those sleeping on the streets, but very few at the prevention stage. So that is what we need to do, get everyone in a room and see where our current strengths and weaknesses are and look to be improving on them. We have some really good services to build on and some great partner agencies who we will continue to work with. In fact I was just out last week with the St. Mungo’s rough sleeper team, and they are fantastic. This type of work requires a special type of people, and we have those across the conurbation in several different charities and agencies, all with the same motivation of reducing and eventually ending rough sleeping and homelessness. I look forward to working closely over the next four years with all of them.
The question references the PSPO in the Poole area. I would suggest that the PSPO was introduced to tackle street based anti-social behaviour rather than homelessness. Although I can see how that can sometimes be difficult to differentiate. I am aware that a fuller answer will be provided by the Portfolio Holder for Communities in relation to specific questions posed around the PSPO issue.
Public Question from Sarah Ward
Given that Home office advice explicitly states that PSPO’s should not be used as a way of managing homelessness or rough sleeping – does the Unity Alliance intend to remove clauses within the Poole Town Centre/ Holes Bay PSPO which clearly and demonstrably target rough sleepers, namely:
Having a receptacle which is being used to contain monies for the purpose of begging
Belongings, baggage and bags being left unattended on the street
Causing an obstruction in car parks, doorways, public and communal areas
Response by Councillor Lewis Allison (Portfolio Holder for Tourism, Leisure and Communities)
The Poole town centre and Holes Bay PSPO was introduced on 16th April 2018 in order to deal with significant levels of anti-social behaviour (ASB). It is important to be clear that this is not a means of dealing with homelessness and rough sleeping.
The measures in the PSPO aim to prevent and tackle any identified and reported issues. They do not target any specific group but the behaviours that impacts negatively upon others.
Any enforcement of the PSPO is aligned to support, particularly regarding the street community and vulnerable people. It has provided a means of drawing agencies together to support vulnerable individuals whilst ensuring that the community impact of negative behaviours is reduced. Since April 2018, only three Fixed Penalty Notices have been served and one prosecution has been brought. This is regarded as very positive - the experience is that officers with powers to enforce the PSPO achieve high compliance rates in street engagement.
In engaging with those breaching the order, a balance has been found around educating and advising individuals about the consequences of breaching the PSPO and understanding their vulnerabilities and issues in providing support. This balance of engagement and support has also been beneficial in Bournemouth Town Centre and Boscombe Precinct, where the approach to ASB relies on the Community Safety Accreditation Scheme (CSAS). CSAS provides patrolling officers employed by the Council with allocated Police powers which assist them in preventing and addressing low level criminality and ASB. A CSAS proposal for the Poole area has been made to the Chief Constable of Dorset Police and it is anticipated that the new service could be implemented in September, in order to further address the persistent issues of ASB in the area.
I am pleased to report that it is clear that the approaches being applied in our town centres are modelled around the need to ensure and prioritise support of the most vulnerable people in our communities. However, we must ensure that we develop a balanced approach which is fit for purpose for the whole of BCP. As a result, we will be reviewing the approach to street based ASB across BCP 3 months after the implementation of CSAS in Poole. This gives us an opportunity to understand how this new service is functioning against the backdrop of the PSPO and will inform our assessment of the options going forward which will include consideration of the future of the PSPO in Poole. I will report back to Cabinet in early 2020 with recommendations about a single approach.
I want to re-assure the Council and the community that it is clear to me that much detailed consideration and effort has gone in to devising effective solutions to a complex issue, which seeks a reduction of harmful behaviours that impact negatively on the wider community, whilst placing the needs of vulnerable people at the heart of the approach.
Public Question from Sue Aitken (on behalf of Andy Proctor)
How many fines have been issued as a result of the Poole Town Centre and Holes Bay PSPO, and specifically where they have been issued due to breaches of the following clauses:
Having a receptacle which is being used to contain monies for the purpose of begging
Belongings, baggage and bags being left unattended on the street
Causing an obstruction in car parks, doorways, public and communal areas
Of any fines issued, how many have been collected?
Response by Councillor Lewis Allison (Portfolio Holder for Tourism, Leisure and Communities)
A total of 3 Fixed Penalty Notices have been served under the Poole Town Centre and Holes Bay PSPO. All three have been as a result of breaches relating to ‘Having a receptacle which is being used to contain monies for the purpose of begging’. Each penalty is £100. £95 has been collected.
Public Question from Sue Aitken (on behalf of Peter Cooper)
How many bed spaces or units of accommodation does the Unity Alliance intend to make available to assist individuals off the streets over the next four years?
Response by Councillor Kieron Wilson (Portfolio Holder for Housing)
The issue of rough sleeping, to which this question refers, is sadly an issue for the BCP area, as it is nationally.
We as a Council already have many services delivered or commissioned by ourselves and our partner agencies to help prevent rough sleeping. We have a range of different accommodation options available both in terms of Council owned stock and private sector options. The provision of bed spaces is however only one part of the picture. Most importantly, we also ensure the provision of a wide range of support services alongside, to help people address issues they may have, such as mental health issues or substance misuse.
I am unable to quantify the number of bed spaces or homes that we as an Alliance intend to make available over the next four years. That would be impossible to quantify as homelessness trends change over time. What I can say though is that we will remain committed to making the best use of all the resources we have as an area to prevent people rough sleeping in the first instance, but where they do, we will focus efforts to help people off the streets as quickly as possible.
This includes accessing additional central government rough sleeper initiative money, which we have been successful in receiving over the last year. It also involves working closer with our voluntary sector partners and statutory partners to help make sure we target our collective resources as best we can with the key vision of preventing rough sleeping.
Public Statement from Angela Pooley (Friends of the Earth)
In order to meet the essential need to address the increasing negative effects of climate change it is crucial that assessing the environmental impact of major Policy & Planning Decisions becomes fundamental prior to final decisions being made or permissions granted.
Failure to do this would result in any declaration made by the Council of a Climate Emergency being a mere token gesture without meaning. I know that there are already Officers working within the BCP that have the necessary skills and commitment to be able to carry this out but it must have the full support of elected members.
Public Statement from Joan Richards
Residents such as myself, from Townsend, have lost confidence in our Council following the complete disregard shown to us during the A338 – Wessex Fields Link planning process. Contrary to government guidelines, local residents and their elected representatives were not consulted on options and the so-called public consultation was merely a tick-box affair. Hospital workers were clearly misled as to the schemes primary purpose. Should it go ahead, this appallingly bad scheme will not only damage the well-being of local people, but will also bring the Council problems for years to come.
Public Statement from Melissa Carrington (Extinction Rebellion Bournemouth and Dorset)
Councillors, be clear that declaring a climate and ecological emergency means you must give these issues your highest priority and allocate budgets and resources accordingly. Don’t be tempted to dilute the motion. Be guided by what is scientifically necessary to avoid harm to life. It’s too late for transitional, low carbon measures. We need zero carbon and zero harm, carbon sequestration and biodiversity restoration, urgently and at scale and a plan to protect citizens from the existential threat that the global heating poses. Anything less than full emergency mobilisation risks immense harm. Tell the truth, act now, and establish a citizen’s assembly.
Public Statement from John Kear (Statement read out by the Chief Executive on Mr Kears behalf)
BCP take Council tax from me. Each one of you needs to know and implement the law. Without my consent, ongoing money gain using my land title makes my land negative equity. It cannot be sold honestly. Your Local Land Charges Register is breached.
Each of you, by recorded vote today, can RESOLVE to act justly. Simply ask the Barrister-at-law, independent Member of your Standards Committee, to meet me to see himself the physical objects which speak in silence for themselves beyond all possible doubt whatsoever to pure minds.
Public Statement from Soo Chapman
The Climate and Ecological Emergencies and the safe passage of children are increasingly related as world resources shrink. Before triggering apocalyptic carbon bombing from melting permafrost the public must be incentivised and motivated to treasure Mother Nature. They must be protected from ignorance, fake news, fear and breakdown.
The working folk who stand to lose most from the end of the fossil-fuel age should be the first to gain from the new clean economy. Young people should be helped to plan ahead for the costs of Transition. And YouthStrike4Action deserve an Exceptional Circumstances mark rather than unauthorised absence.
Public Statement from Conor O’Luby
Despite the more proportionate results of this year’s BCP election, the archaic First Past the Post system still excessively skews the outcome. Thus, the Conservatives gained 47% of the councillors with only 32% of the vote, whilst Labour, for example took only 4% of the seats with 14% of the ballots cast. Make Votes Matter calls on the Council to investigate with Parliament changing the local electoral system to Proportional Representation, ensuring all residents have a voice, as they do in Scotland and other parts of the UK.
Public Statement from Judith Williams
Thank you for everything you are already doing for vulnerable children but we are living through the worst refugee crisis in our lifetime – 25 million refugees, of which half are children under 18. The British people saved 10,000 Kindertransport children 80 years ago. In their memory, will you as a council please pledge to accept a minimum of 3 unaccompanied or vulnerable children for the next 10 years under the ‘Safe Passage’ “Our Turn” fully government funded plan, brought here by safe and legal routes, rather than taking enormous risks. The British People did it then. We can do it again.
Public Statement from Melissa Carrington (Extinction Rebellion Bournemouth and Dorset)
Councillors, be clear that declaring a climate and ecological emergency means you must give these issues your highest priority and allocate budgets and resources accordingly. Don’t be tempted to dilute the motion. Be guided by what is scientifically necessary to avoid harm to life. It’s too late for transitional, low carbon measures. We need zero carbon and zero harm, carbon sequestration and biodiversity restoration, urgently and at scale and a plan to protect citizens from the existential threat that the global heating poses. Anything less than full emergency mobilisation risks immense harm. Tell the truth, act now, and establish a citizen’s assembly.