To receive any public questions, statements or petitions submitted in accordance with the Constitution, which 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 a public question is 4 clear working days before the meeting.
The deadline for the submission of a public 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 Chairman advised that a number of public issues had been submitted for the meeting:
A – Public Questions
Public Question from John Pendrill (read out by the Chief Executive)
Why are so many middle and high-status managers leaving the council? There are many incompatibilities between council policies and the relevance of them to the community. Personnel find it difficult or impossible to work in such an environment so choose to move elsewhere to engage with policies that are appropriate to the towns and wider locations concerned.
Are councillors aware of the disruption that occurs when experienced managers’ leave? Changes of personnel at higher levels cause delays in dealing with many issues that arise in the normal course of business.
Response from Councillor Drew Mellor, Leader of the Council
I would like to thank Mr Pendrill for his question. The figures are consistent with previous local authorities and the wider economy. It is natural that the Council would have some anecdotal movement of staff as we emerge from the pandemic. We also need to consider the organisational change we are in, including the smarter structure programme and bringing together the three authorities so there is an added change in our environment, and we should expect that. It is also important to say that we should recognise the service of staff who have moved on and we are hugely grateful to the efforts of those people who got us through the pandemic and to the dedication of officers across the Council. This is entirely consistent with what we would expect, and I am completely confident, and we can evidence, that we are still able to recruit the best talent in the country as we move forward to be a world-class single Council.
Public Question from Gerald Rigler
Discussing the Local Plan, the last Council Meeting learnt that a future BCP housing need of about 2700 dwellings per annum was a fair and balanced representation. What is the evidence?
Independently, ONS expects only 744 new households per annum will be formed in the BCP area during 2021 to 2031 (2018-based projection). Therefore, some Councillors think developers will build 2000 surplus dwelling each year for the whole plan period. The population of BCP (0–79) is projected to decline. So, who could buy these surplus dwellings and how may it be known that they will be built?
Response from Councillor Philip Broadhead, Deputy Leader of the Council and Portfolio Holder for Regeneration, Economy and Strategic Planning
I thank Mr Rigler for his question. The housing figure of around 2,700 dwellings per annum comes from the Government’s standard housing methodology. Government policy is clear that local authorities must use the standard methodology as the starting point for determining housing needs in each area. However, this is a starting point, and we have a piece of work underway to understand and provide evidence for what the balanced representation of the actual housing need should be.
I have written separately to Mr Rigler to assure him that the draft minutes from the last full Council were not clear in what my actual words were in this meeting. Fortunately, a recording is on youtube! Watching that, Mr Rigler will see that I actually said that we were seeking to ensure we have a fair and balanced view of what our housing numbers should be, not to just accept the 2700 figure. The piece of work on this is now in its final stages and I will have more to announce on this in due course.
For the second part of the question, it is acknowledged that the Government’s standard housing methodology uses the 2014 household projections as the basis for calculating housing needs whereas more recent household projections in the 2018 indicate a lower level of population growth. The Government are also aware of this issue but have reaffirmed the need to continue calculating housing need using the 2014 household projections in order to meet the national target of 300,000 homes per year.
Again, and connected to the work mentioned above, the Council is reviewing this position with its own housing evidence work to ensure that the Local Plan includes a housing requirement that takes account of available evidence and will ultimately meet BCP’s housing needs.
Public Question from Philip Stanley-Watts
BCP beaches are amongst the safest in the UK what with the professional approach of BCP seafront staff and lifeguards. Nevertheless, this summer there has been tragic incidents around UK coasts. Would the cab member consider a beach code of safety and swimming on the school curriculum?
Reply from Councillor Mohan Iyengar, Portfolio Holder for Tourism, Leisure and Culture
Firstly, our condolences are with the family of Callum Osbourne who tragically lost his life in Poole Harbour earlier this summer.
The Council, Haven Holidays, RNLI and Poole Harbour Commissioners are working together to assess and make improvements around the Rockley beach area where appropriate.
We are extremely fortunate to have the RNLI lifeguards on our beaches and along with the various voluntary lifeguard groups they help keep beach visitor’s safe. We follow the advice the RNLI issue in terms of water safety as it its vitally important such information is consistent nationally.
Swimming is already part of the National Curriculum for schools.
All schools must provide swimming instruction either in key stage 1 or key stage 2
In particular, pupils should be taught to:
· swim competently, confidently and proficiently over a distance of at least 25 metres
· use a range of strokes effectively [for example, front crawl, backstroke and breaststroke]
· perform safe self-rescue in different water-based situations
Additionally, the RNLI offer an excellent Swim Safe scheme which provides free water safety lessons targeted at school children and locally this is provided though the Watersports Academy on Banks Road.
UK-wide I’m currently a member of the LGA’s National Water Safety Forum which includes councillors and officers in areas both coastal and inland where there’s a good amount of water-based activity. Working with MPs and a variety of associations we’re looking to take forward work in the areas of education and enforcement to improve peoples’ safety.
The RNLI’s advice for water safety remains that people should visit a lifeguarded beach wherever possible and enjoy the water safely by swimming between the red and yellow flags. We ask people to ‘float to live’ if they find themselves in trouble in the water and advise that in an emergency, they should dial 999 for the Coastguard.
Public Question from Ian Redman (read out by his wife)
The Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) provided local councils with grant funding to support businesses that were severely impacted by the pandemic, ARG funds were used by BCP to fund the Bounce Back Challenge Fund Grants.
Recognised external consultants (Dorset Growth Hub) independently scored the BBCF proposals and rated the "Deliverability" of The Lagoon proposal as zero out of 7. Cllr Broadhead was a member of a panel which upgraded the "Deliverability" score to 5 out of 7.
The £70,000 Lagoon proposal has no planning permission.
Why was The Lagoon given a Deliverability score of 5 out of 7?
Response from Councillor Philip Broadhead, Deputy Leader of the Council and Portfolio Holder for Regeneration, Economy and Strategic Planning
All BBCF applications were scored against 4 criteria: Helping Economy Bounce Back, Pride of Place, Innovation and Deliverability.
The process for scoring against the criteria fell into two parts – we contracted Dorset Growth Hub to do a lot of the ground work and draft scoring, and this was then complemented by our in house Economic Development Team, who assessed the draft scores and amended if necessary, using further local and professional knowledge to assist. These final scores, done in collaboration with the DGH and ED teams, were presented to the awarding panel for approval.
The Dorset growth Hub draft score considered the scheme deliverability as 0 (zero) but this was in the context of having the project built out.
The Council’s ED team in their screening of the grant applications prior to the judging panel, saw that the grant request was to actually only bring the scheme to submitted planning application stage, total cost £140,000, of which 50% (£70,000) was bounce-back grant and 50% external private sector backed funding. On the back of this, the score was amended to 5 (out of 7) on the matrix of likely achievability, and it is this which was considered by the decision panel.
Our internal team advised it would be wrong of the decision panel to pre-empt any planning decisions and refuse the bounce-back grant on that basis alone, i.e. by assuming the plan would not get planning approval, this is entirely a matter for the Planning Committee at the time of the application.
Public Question from Susan Chapman
Scientists are warning of more deaths in one year as climate breaks down than all the world wars in the last 100 years combined. But the public remain uninformed.
BCP's strategy echoes the dismal unambition of government as carbon bombing continues. Global scientists leaking part 3 of the IPCC report warn we have no time to lose. Avoiding multi-breadbasket failures and loss of natural systems is critical.
Please will BCP waste no time in introducing the brilliant decarbonising ideas of RethinkX's Report on energy, transport and food while injecting true environmental literacy and behavioural change into the whole conurbation?
Response from Councillor Mike Greene, Cabinet Member for Transport and Sustainability
BCP Council continues to prioritise our response to the Climate and Ecological Emergency, allocating additional resources to support firm and committed action to reduce our impact on the environment and improve our resilience to extreme weather and climate change. Officers have reviewed the IPCC Report and other professional assessments, the findings of which are guiding the development of our Climate Action Plan which will be published later in the year. We look forward to further engaging with residents, businesses and visitors on this important agenda.
Public Question from Chair of Harbour Ambition Limited (read out by the Chief Executive
Harbour Ambition Community Benefit Society is pleased to see BCP Council making another proactive and positive step to acquire a key site within Poole’s Regeneration Area. Especially as it is adjacent to the Holes Bay site and brings the potential for coordinated development. We also welcome BCP’s intention to ensure this particular development brings forward local homes for local people and opens up the public realm.
We are concerned about the lack of inclusion of affordable homes. Does this mean there will be additional provision of truly affordable homes on the former power station site in mitigation?
Response from Councillor Philip Broadhead, Deputy Leader of the Council and Portfolio Holder for Regeneration, Economy and Strategic Planning
I thank Harbour Ambition Limited for their question, along with their support for the Council’s acquisition and delivery of the Carters Quay waterfront development. I wholehearted agree that this step will help propel forward the regeneration of Poole – moving us from a series of seemingly endless cycles of just talking about it to actually delivering it. Furthermore, our intervention here ensures that rather than these homes being offered on the open market for sale, which surely would have meant that a large proportion would be snapped up by non-local second home buyers, we can provide these homes for rental for local people. Our history with similar developments such as St Stephens Road in Bournemouth shows that the demographic of those who move into these types of homes are largely the young, who are often saving to get onto the housing ladder.
The consented scheme did not make provision for affordable homes, however as this development will now be offered for rental and not sale, this gives us much more flexibility over the life of the development in terms of how we use the scheme to take forward our ambitions for more affordable homes across the whole of BCP. Indeed, as the projected income from this scheme over the term of borrowing is circa £40m, this gives a generous income to play with in the long term for a variety of council priorities, of which affordable housing will be one. It is quite timely too that at the next Cabinet meeting we are bringing forward our strategy for our non-regeneration housing sites across the BCP area, where our plan is to build 1000s of affordable homes.
Finally, I’m absolutely committed that truly affordable homes will be part of the mix for the former Power Station site, and now that we have our highly experienced Urban Regeneration Company up and running, I’m looking forward to the work they’ll be doing in collaboration with both the Council and our local communities to making that a reality.
Public Question from Melissa Carrington (read out by Susan Chapman)
This year the government has enshrined in law a new target for carbon emissions reduction of 78% by 2035 and signed the G7 Nature Compact, committing to halting and reversing biodiversity loss by 2030.
The UK Climate Change Committee has said that
" Local authorities have powers or influence over roughly a third of emissions in their local areas."
Given this, how does the Council propose to use its unique powers and influence to help deliver a 78% reduction in carbon emissions in the BCP area by 2035 and halt or reverse biodiversity loss in the BCP area by 2030?
Response from Councillor Mike Greene, Cabinet Member for Transport and Sustainability
The Council’s declared carbon commitments support the targets set out by central government, including those in the recent G7 Nature Compact. Targets and datasets will be reviewed and used to guide the development of BCP’s Climate Action Plan, which will be published later in the year.
BCP Council is actively working across a range of services and sectors to provide the infrastructure and facilitation that will make achieving carbon neutrality and climate resilience possible. For example, area-wide sustainable transport initiatives are being delivered through the TCF programme, council homes are being built to A rated or PassivHaus standards, and our parks and open spaces teams are leading on the creation of a Green Infrastructure Strategy which seeks to establish the areas as a healthy, resilient, green and prosperous place that improves biodiversity and protects our natural capital.
We hope to further engage with the largest and most influential local businesses and organisations through the creation of the BCP Climate Action Leadership before the end of the year. We will bring together, educate, learn from and support members of this group in reducing their carbon footprint and adopting sustainable business practices, with the aim of improving environmental, economic and social performance. BCP Council welcomes the opportunity to lead by example but is relying on all members of our community to take action to achieve these very challenging climate and ecological goals.
B – Statements
Public Statement from Conor O’Luby
Fly-tipping is a scourge that blights our environment and potentially puts people's health at risk. It is happening with increasing frequency. I urge the Council to take all measures available to them to address this problem, including prosecution of offenders, wherever possible.
C – Petitions
Make Ashley Road Safe
The Chairman reported that a petition on the above had been received with 2,000 plus signatories and in accordance with the Constitution would generate a debate and would be dealt with under agenda item 6 on the agenda.