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 at the following link:-
https://democracy.bcpcouncil.gov.uk/ieListMeetings.aspx?CommitteeID=151&Info=1&bcr=1
The deadline for the submission of public questions is normally 4 clear working days before the meeting. However, due to the late publication of the reports relating to items 8 and 9, the deadline for the submission of questions has been extended to Friday 16 September 2022 for questions relating to these two items only.
The deadline for the submission of a statement is midday the working day before the meeting.
The deadline for the submission of a petition is 10 working days before the meeting.
Minutes:
The Committee was advised that 5 questions and 4 statements had been received. Questions and statements were read out by members of the public and the Democratic Services Officer as follows:
Question from Ms Boyce in relation to agenda item 6
1. Can the Portfolio-Holder please tell us, in detail, what is being done to improve bus services to Winkton. The Council's "enhanced partnership" with bus operators, whose draft forms Background Paper 2 to the agenda, looks to "increase the frequency of existing services" and "assess the overall bus network ... to identify any gaps in provision" (p. 48). Such gaps are glaringly evident in the Winkton to Christchurch bus service, which operates just three days of the week, twice-daily. I raise this as a Christchurch resident, as there is no Christchurch councillor on this committee who can do so on my behalf.
Response from Cllr M Greene, Portfolio Holder for Sustainability and Transport
Winkton is served by is the morebus 125 which runs two-return journeys between Ringwood and Christchurch via Winkton on each of Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
A new hourly bus service, the 23 route, was introduced in neighbouring Burton at the end of 2021. This is being funded through the DfT Better Deal for Buses programme. Passenger numbers on this service are encouraging and we are hopeful that after three years they will be sufficient to support a long-term commercial route. This service is approximately 500m from Winkton.
The indicative BSIP funding does include a revenue allocation to increase the frequency of some existing bus services. However, this is very much aimed at attracting high numbers of new passengers, and in particular those that would otherwise travel by car. As well as having a positive impact on congestion and air quality, this should also make the bus network more sustainable with a reduced need for subsidy in the future. Very importantly, the Council will also be required to demonstrate value for money with such initiatives.
In contrast to the popularity of the No. 23 Route, the number of passengers boarding the 125 service in Winkton since the start of this year has averaged just over one per week. While an increase in frequency might indeed lead to a corresponding increase in passenger numbers, it is extremely unlikely that increase would be to the extent that it would satisfy the requirements for BSIP funding So, regrettably, I do not expect any expansion of this service.
Questions received from Mr A McKinstry in relation to agenda items 8 and 9:
2. Why were the reports for Items 8 and 9 on tonight's agenda - respectively, the Bereavement Services business plan (including the future of Poole Crematorium), and an update on the BDC - still not available to the public as of 11.45 p.m. on 13 September, the day of the deadline for public questions?
Responses provided by Officers
The Chief Executive and Deputy Leader/Portfolio holder agreed to defer the BDC LLP business plan from 26 October 2022 Cabinet. This deferment will enable BDC to review the Partnership Business plan work programme and funding strategies in light of the recent 7 September Finance update and the recommendation to that nonew financial commitments will be made until such time as there is a balanced budget for 2023/24 other than with the specific agreement of the Chief Finance Officer in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Finance. Place O&S were due to review the Cabinet report, however as this item had been deferred officers have had to urgently draft a revised report for Place O&S to consider.
Elected Members and Officers wished for the Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting on the 21st September 2022 to have sight of the full and final Bereavement Services Business Plan Update and Options for the future of Poole Crematorium due to be presented at Cabinet on the 28th September 2022. The report was receiving final reviews ahead of being issued on Thursday 15th September 2022 which was the deadline for Cabinet report submission.
For clarity the deadline for public questions was extended to allow a clear working day for questions to be submitted following the publication of the associated reports. No further questions were received on these items.
Question received from Mr McKinstry in relation to agenda item 5:
3. Can the Constitution be amended so that public questions can be submitted until these reports are uploaded? I'm still fuming over the KPMG reports being released five weeks after public questions, and likewise with tonight's reports, the lack of a cremator at Poole is an emotive subject and one that several residents might have wished to comment on. There is no harm in updating the Constitution where such shortfalls are apparent - especially as Cllr. Broadhead said, when moving to abolish the OSB on 10 May, that he wanted the voice of residents to come "shining through" at scrutiny sessions.
Response from Cllr Sean Gabriel – Place O&S Committee Chair:
The Constitution Review Working Group is currently undertaking a review on a number of aspects of the Constitution. Public questions and statements is one of the areas that will be considered for potential changes by the group. The Constitution Review Working Group will be reporting into the Audit and Governance Committee in November to consider this matter.
Question received from Mr McKInstry in relation to agenda item 7:
4. These concluding questions relate to the severe weather emergency protocol for homeless people, Item 7 on tonight's agenda. First, can we have an explanation of why SWEP wasn't implemented until 15 July this year, when a Level 3 heatwave alert was issued by the Met Office on 11 July and Dorset Council activated its protocol on 9 July. We may have the answer already, because a BCP spokesperson told the Echo on 12 July that "SWEP is activated only when there is a real risk of loss of life" - a remark that shocked and horrified a number of local residents.
Response from Cllr Karen Rampton, Portfolio Holder for People and Homes:
The SWEP response commenced on 11th July, the same day as the MET Office alert. It wasn’t initially described as SWEP in case of confusion. There is a misconception amongst some people that the hot weather response means a universal offer of accommodation when that could be or is in fact one of a range of responses. Other responses which were implemented being additional outreach, sun hats provided, sunscreen provided, water provided, shaded area provision, welfare check and safety advice. I emailed all councillors on 15th of July my press statement to correct the misleading and inaccurate version published in the Echo on 15th. I made it clear that SWEP had been triggered and had been so throughout the week. SWEP triggers a review of interventions; some are stepped up and some are left in place as they are considered appropriate. The comms on this occasion could have been clearer, SWEP activation in August was clearer and was very prompt.
Question received from Mr McKinstry in relation to agenda item 7
5. This authority has acquired a reputation for implementing SWEP only grudgingly. This was evident not only in the July heatwaves but also in the failure to activate SWEP on 1-2 April, when temperatures dropped to -3 degrees Centigrade; and on 21-22 February, when wind speeds reached 69 mph across the conurbation. Why does this reluctance exist, and is it legacy thinking from the days of Poole and Bournemouth Borough Councils, who both pursued very hostile policies against the homeless - in Poole's case, even fining homeless people under PSPOs, a policy which was described at the time as "inhumane"?
Response from Cllr Karen Rampton, Portfolio Holder for People and Homes:
SWEP is an emergency response during extreme weather. SWEP has criteria for triggering based on MET office forecasts, in line with government guidance and is consistent with other councils. Temperatures vary and show as different on apps and other sources and forecasts are different for different areas. We use the standard 3 nights of zero or below. Two years ago we made a change so that SWEP is activated if there is Amber or Red Storm Warning. The first one being Boxing Day 2020. As I say SWEP is an emergency response, we want rough sleepers to have accommodation with out needing extreme interventions. SWEP compliments all the other services and is part of a range of interventions in place which we carry out with our partners across the homelessness partnership to prevent homelessness.
The Portfolio Holder expressed her dissatisfaction with the way that this question was worded and pointed out that there was a dedicated and hardworking team across the homelessness partnership.
Statement from Mr Tallamy in relation to agenda item 6
1. Having no transport of my own, I am a regular bus user across the BCP region so I hope that PH Cllr Mike Greene includes rural areas for improved bus services and connectivity in his discussions with providers rather than concentrating on already well provided urban and town centre routes. Many of our outlying areas have already seen reductions in their timetables and others such as Winkton have no fit for purpose service at all and what is currently in place is an ill thought out gesture which I feel sure he is already well aware of.
Statement from Mr Tallamy in relation to agenda item 6
2. As the bus service improvements being discussed here at tonight's meeting also form an integral and vital part of the Councils Climate Action Plan I hope that PH Cllr Greene will soon be presenting a, in my opinion, long overdue fully substantiated, documented and workable plan to Council and residents alike for scrutiny, a matter I deemed important enough to email the PH about on the 15th August 2022 and as to date have received neither an acknowledgement or other response from him.
Statement from Mr Stretch in relation to agenda item 8
3. Families are unhappy knowing their loved-ones are being transported from Poole to Bournemouth in a van.
Dorset is not served realistically with 9 crematoria, the furthest crematoria Andover is 1.5hrs by motorcar.
One replacement bariatric cremator would be adequate, equivalent to that of New Milton crematorium, Cost £450k, not £2M.
Tapper’s have persuaded their clients to migrate to their own, hence the reduction of numbers.
Local Funeral Directors would use Poole if there were a cremator present.
The public wish to continue to use Poole, https://savepoolecrem.org/ over 3K signatures
Private companies have offered to purchase the facility.
Statement from Mr McKinstry in relation to agenda item 7
4. An afterthought on SWEP: I'm glad the protocol is being reviewed, and am hoping the "flexibility and discretion" cited in tonight's report might be exercised more readily: activating SWEP across less than three consecutive nightly freezes, for instance, or (as suggested in Paragraph 29) continuing accommodation provision after SWEP is lifted. As homelessness can affect anyone, these would be very welcome revisions to the protocol. My worry now is that non-statutory services such as SWEP may be suspended altogether under the Council's new, beleaguered financial strategy. Hopefully this scenario can be discussed tonight, when Item 7 comes up for consideration.
The Chairman varied the order of business to take agenda item 9 next.