Agenda and minutes

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 24 June 2020.

The minutes of the meeting held on 24 June 2020 were confirmed and signed as a correct record.

Please declare any disclosable pecuniary interests or personal interests that you may have relating to any specific matters which may be discussed at the meeting.

No additional declarations made.

a)    Virtual meeting protocol

To invite Simon Harper, Head of Democratic Services, to provide information on how the meeting will be run and provide guidance on how to use the WebEx remote meeting software.

b)    Peter Clarke

The Chairman to advise that former County Councillor Peter Clarke has sadly passed away.  He served on the County Council from 1995 to 2005 representing the Gloucester Division of Barton and was Leader of the Council from 2001 to 2004.  He also served as a member of Gloucester City Council and Cotswold District Council.  Before standing as a councillor, Peter held a senior position in the Youth Service at the County Council.

Peter had a particular interest in education and was the first chair of the G40 group of education authorities.  The group was set up to lobby for fairer funding for the 40 lowest funded education authorities in the country and still exists today.

c)    Cllr Rachel Smith

The Chairman to inform members that Rachel is currently on parental leave but can still be contacted by email or through Democratic Services. 

d)    Highways awards

Gloucestershire County Council’s Highways Team has won a prestigious national award from the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation (CIHT) for its work in partnership with Atkins and Ringway to deliver the county’s highway services.

In April 2019, Gloucestershire County Council (GCC) began a new chapter for its highway services with the start of new collaborative working arrangements with Atkins, for professional services and Ringway, for highway maintenance.

Seven entries were shortlisted for the award including HS2, Transport for Scotland, Transport for West Midlands and the partnership delivering the M23 Junction 8-10 scheme in Surrey.

e)    Minerals Local Plan

The Council’s recently adopted Minerals Local Plan has been shortlisted as a finalist in this year’s Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) South West Awards for Planning Excellence.

a)    Virtual meeting protocol

Simon Harper, Head of Democratic Services, provided information on how the meeting would be run as well as guidance on how to use the WebEx remote meeting software.

b)    Former Councillors Peter Clarke and Andrew Cornish

i)     Peter Clarke sadly passed away in August and a private funeral was held on 8 September 2020.  He served on the County Council from 1995 to 2005 representing the Barton area of Gloucester and was Leader of the Council from 2001 to 2005.  He also served as a member of Gloucester City Council and Cotswold District Council.  Before standing as a councillor, Peter held a senior position in the Youth Service at the County Council.

Peter had a particular interest in education and was the first chair of the G40 group of education authorities.  The group was set up to lobby for fairer funding for the 40 lowest funded education authorities in the country and still exists today.

ii)    Honorary Alderman Andrew Cornish passed away in January. Andrew joined the County Council in 1981 and served on the Council until 2005 representing the Prestbury area of Cheltenham. He was also a member of Cheltenham Borough Council.

            Members took a minute’s silence as a mark of respect for both former councillors.

c)    Cllr Rachel Smith

The Chairman informed members that Rachel was currently on parental leave but could still be contacted by email or through Democratic Services. 

d)    Highways awards

Gloucestershire County Council’s Highways Team hads won a prestigious national award from the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation (CIHT) for its work in partnership with Atkins and Ringway to deliver the county’s highway services.

Seven entries were shortlisted for the award including HS2, Transport for Scotland, Transport for West Midlands and the partnership delivering the M23 Junction 8-10 scheme in Surrey.

e)    Minerals Local Plan

The Council’s recently adopted Minerals Local Plan had been shortlisted as a finalist in this year’s Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) South West Awards for Planning Excellence.

f)     Emergency Services Day

9 September 2020, was 999 Day. More than 2 million people worked and volunteered in the NHS and emergency services in the UK, including 250,000 first responders.  The Emergency Services flag was being flown over Shire Hall to mark the day.

g)    Gloucestershire Day

Monday, 21 September 2020, would mark the first ever ‘Gloucestershire Day’ which will provide an opportunity to publicly thank those who have gone above and beyond their normal duty during the Covid-19 pandemic.  It would also be a time to celebrate everything that was great about Gloucestershire: our plans for economic recovery, the businesses, areas of interest and hidden treasures that make Gloucestershire such a special place. The Gloucestershire flag would be flown over Shire Hall on the day.

Ahead of the day, the Council would be asking for people to nominate their ‘county heroes’ to be showcased in a thunderclap across our social media platforms on 21 September.  Information had been circulated to all members and details are  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

Twenty eight questions had been received. A copy of the answers was circulated and is attached to the signed copy of the minutes.

Question 7 – Steve Gower stated that the public could call if they identified a homeless individual after 5pm or on weekends, but staff in the call centre had on numerous occasions claimed that they could not signpost individuals who were on the ‘do not place’ list. He asked exactly how many individuals were on this list.

In addition he asked when the funding from the Council for the homeless in Gloucester would end for those currently accommodated in hotels.

Cllr  Kathy Williams replied that she would provide a written response.

Question 15 – James Young stated that residents complaints were genuine and asked the Cabinet Member to meet with them to consider their concerns.

Cllr Nigel Moor replied that he would meet with residents to understand their concerns.

Question 16 – Michael Gibson stated that he believed the changes were cosmetic and that the traffic islands slowed the traffic down. He asked about a proposed 20mph speed limit.

In response Cllr Nigel Moor stated that these were significant changes and he understood concerns about speeding and this would be monitored when the scheme was fully operational.

Question 17 – Michael Gibson stated that the lack of consultation did not match the Council’s values and asked whether the current number of cyclists had been measured?

Cllr Nigel Moor  stated that the Council were looking at a whole range of factors including increasing the number of cyclists and that they did have that data.

Question 18 – Christabel Young referred to disability access and asked if the Cabinet Member  would be willing to explore these concerns.

Cllr Nigel Moor  explained that he would meet with residents the following week to discuss this.

Question 19 – Rhiannon Gibson asked what measures were going to be used  to determine whether it would be a successful scheme or not.

Cllr Nigel Moor replied that he would be willing to share the data and outlined that they would be looking at air quality and increasing the use of cycleways as well as assessing the impact on public transport.

Question 20 – Josephine Sanders asked if the Cabinet Member could clarify what signage would be outside properties outlining permissible loading times. She also sought clarity around the double lines referred to in the answer to her question.

Cllr Nigel Moor explained that he would clarify at the meeting with residents the following week.

Question 21 – Josephine Sanders detailed the immediate and significant impact on the day to day life of her family and asked for an urgent meeting with officers and the member to outline concerns.

Cllr Nigel Moor stated that he would meet with residents the following week.

Question 23 – Josephine Sanders outlined a number of safety concerns she had particularly regarding any resident who would become a blue badge holder. In addition she suggested there would no longer be  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

Cllr Richard Boyles, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Children’s Safeguarding and Early Years, to present the corporate parenting report.

Cllr Richard Boyles, Cabinet Member for Children’s Safeguarding and Early Years, presented the annual report 2019/20 which highlighted the wider improvement activity underway in Gloucestershire.

He drew members attention to the ‘Councillor One Page Profile’ which could help facilitate giving a child in care work experience.

One member referred to the national issue of child poverty and the need for early years intervention and emphasised the need to look more broadly.

Responding to questions Cllr Boyles expressed confidence on the upcoming delivery of Trevone House and the due diligence that had been undertaken on the contract. This was still on schedule for delivery around October, but he would check as to whether there had been any delays due to Covid-19.  He would explore the possibilities around arrangements for the opening of the site in the contact of the pandemic.

Cllr Boyles clarified that social workers had been visiting children during the Covid-19 pandemic and referred to the guidance that was being followed.  He provided details on the court procedures that had been set up when there were disputes over care.

One member asked about exam results for children in care and those that had led onto university places. A response would be provided, including details on deferment of places.

To receive petitions presented by members without discussion.

Cllr Jeremy Hilton presented Cllr Nigel Moor, Cabinet Member for Environment and Planning, with a petition relating to the new cycle lane in London Road Gloucester.

The Council’s Constitution provides for a maximum of two hours for debate on motions.  The time limit for member speeches is three minutes and the time limit for proposing a motion is five minutes.

In accordance with Procedural Rule 10.2 in Part 4 of the Council Constitution, the Chief Executive has prepared a short accompanying note for each motion in respect of any implications for climate change, resources, human rights and any other pertinent factors they may wish to include in accordance with the Council’s Policy Framework.

Motion 864 - Restoring our rivers

Proposed by Cllr Paul Hodgkinson

Seconded by Cllr Bernie Fisher

This Council notes that:

·         Gloucestershire is fortunate to have 28 rivers running through our county, including the River Severn and River Thames, Britain’s longest and second longest rivers.

• However, many of these waterways are flooded with harmful pollutants, including raw sewage discharges from water treatment operators Thames Water, Severn Trent and Wessex Water.
• This pollution is causing extensive damage to the fragile ecosystems around our county.
• It can also prove a serous public health concern for those residents living near rivers or using them for leisure activities; with pathogens able to cause serious illnesses.
• Furthermore, traces of Covid-19 have been found in sewage outputs in global hotspots.

This Council recognises that dumping raw sewage into rivers is currently legal in extreme circumstances, but also recognises claims that the use of these measures has become routine for some operators.

This Council believes that the adverse impacts on the county’s waterways are unacceptable and that water treatment operators need to adjust their behaviour and invest more in the networks to avoid damaging our county’s public resources.

This Council also believes that the county’s waterways are a resource that every resident should be confident in using safely, and that we should strive to have the country’s first designated bathing waters in rivers, which could bring great economic and social benefits to Gloucestershire.

This Council therefore resolves to

• Call on the Cabinet to take urgent action with District Councils, the Environment Agency, local partners and communities to lead comprehensive monitoring of the county’s waterways to determine the extent of the damage caused by raw sewage and pollutants.
• Call on the Cabinet to work with local partners, including The Rivers Trust and water treatment operators to promote better use of sewage facilities – recognising that everyone has a role to play in improving our waterways.
• Write to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, to ban the routine dumping of raw sewage into our rivers, with the ultimate aim of restoring our rivers to a state where we can safely swim in them and to protect their environment and biodiversity.

Motion 865 – Public Health England

Proposed by Cllr Iain Dobie

Seconded by Cllr Nigel Robbins

This Council recognises the hard work of the County Council’s Public Health officials when looking to tackle the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in Gloucestershire.

This Council also notes that the team  ...  view the full agenda text for item 7.

Motion 864 - Restoring our rivers

Cllr Paul Hodgkinson proposed and Cllr Bernie Fisher seconded the motion included on the agenda.

Cllr Hodgkinson stated that the UK’s rivers were the lifeblood of our natural world, shaping habitats, supporting wildlife and moulding the very landscape. With the Covid-19 lockdown and quarantine controls limiting the number of people travelling overseas, more people than ever had spent the summer months exploring their local environment, including the local lakes and rivers. 

Gloucestershire was fortunate to have 28 rivers flowing inside its borders. People were entitled to swim in or use these rivers for water activities, but tragically, many of the county’s rivers were flooded with harmful pollutants including raw sewage discharge from water companies. This situation also caused extensive damage to the fragile ecosystems supported by the waterway therefore proving a public health concern for anyone accessing the river. 

It was legally permissible for water treatment operators to dump untreated sewage in cases of extreme weather. However, it was the belief of many campaigners that this has become routine behaviour for many sewage operators. It was stated that at just one Combined Sewage Overflow (CS)) near Tetbury, raw sewage was dumped by Wessex Water on 108 occasions in 2019; near Stroud, one CSO operated by Severn Trent dumped raw sewage into the River Frome 141 times last year; and the River Coln, where Thames Water discharged a storm overflow near Fairford 132 times for a total of 2,207 hours in 2019.

In total last year, the three water companies operating in Gloucestershire discharged raw sewage into English rivers on more than a combined 55,000 occasions, totalling nearly 400,000 hours. These were just the ones we know about; over a third of CSOs were completely unmonitored.

In the absence of government regulation or enforcement of existing rules, local community groups were documenting the levels of effluent being dumped into local rivers eg. the River Windrush. Their findings showed that where once clear rivers teamed with wildlife, they were now murky and over-run with sewage fungus; much visible to the naked eye.

It was of deep concern that, with just 14 percent of the UK’s rivers being assessed as ‘good’ under the EU’s water framework directive, to learn last month that the head of the Environment Agency was planning to drastically slash the criterion by which rivers were judged – allowing for a huge increase in those deemed “good” despite no improvements. As noted by campaigners “surfers against sewage” this would amount to engineering the testing programme to give the illusion that our rivers were healthier than they are.

Cllr Hodgkinson stated that this motion therefore called on this council to clean up our county’s waterways and to target designated Bathing Water status for our rivers. This could start with working with our district councils, the Environment Agency, local partners and our communities to undertake comprehensive monitoring of our county’s rivers.  This could then continue with the Council leading the work with  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

Up to 30 minutes is allowed for this item.

To answer any written member questions about matters which are within the powers and duties of the County Council.

The closing date for receipt of questions is 10am on Wednesday, 2 September 2020. Please send questions to the Chief Executive marked for the attention of Stephen Bace (email stephen.bace@gloucestershire.gov.uk).

Questions received and proposed responses do not accompany this agenda but will be circulated prior to the meeting.

Eighteen member questions had been received (including an urgent question). The following supplementary questions were asked:

Question 1- Cllr Jeremy Hilton referred to 18% of care home staff having tested positive for anti-bodies for Covid-19 and asked whether there would be further testing.

Cllr Tim Harman explained that the objective was for further testing and he would provide more information when available.

Question 2 – Cllr Jeremy Hilton asked for documentary evidence that the member challenged or questioned the transfer of patients from hospital to care homes who had not had a Covid-19 test up to 7 April press release.

Cllr Kathy Williams replied that the County Council had followed all public health England guidance to create as much capacity as possible. Guidance and advice had been provided from the County Council. It was important to note that only those exhibiting symptoms were tested for Covid-19 at that time.

Question 4 – Cllr Jeremy Hilton expressed his concern regarding the budget for Children’s Services noting that the current years budget was expected to overspend by around £10m. He asked why the Cabinet Member had been struggling to keep within budget and suggested that original spending cuts in previous years had been too much.

Cllr Richard Boyles explained that there were a number of factors involved in the overspending of the budget including: the high needs block, the home to school transport costs, placements into care and staff costs with the  growth of sixty additional children’s social worker as well as  the delivery of Trevone House. It was important to note that the levels of need in children had grown. There were a number of actions that were being taken to turn this around. In previous years Gloucestershire’s budget had not been an outlier and demand had changed in recent years.

Question 7 - Cllr Jeremy Hilton asked what further action needed to be taken to turn children’s services around from an inadequate Ofsted rating.

Cllr Richard Boyles  replied that there had been lots of areas of improvement in children’s services as outlined in scrutiny reports and the DFE review. He was confident that improvement would be shown at the next inspection.

Question 10 - Cllr Jeremy Hilton asked whether the Leader agreed there was no need to abolish the County Council or Gloucester City Council.

Cllr Mark Hawthorne replied that the only two councils pursuing the splitting up of Gloucestershire were the Cotswold District and Cheltenham Borough councils.

Q13 - Cllr Joe Harris asked whether the Leader would agree that with Covid-19 and Brexit on horizon, it was the wrong time to be ‘tinkering around’ with the function of local government. In addition would he agree that all options should be on the table including two unitary councils?

Cllr Mark Hawthorne stated that he felt it was premature to make a public declaration of intentions until the local government white paper had been published. The issue of devolution was of interest to him. He also replied that the Liberal Democrats  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

Cllr Shaun Parsons, Chair of the Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee, to present a summary report from the July 2020 cycle of scrutiny committees.

Cllr Shaun Parsons, Chair of the Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee, introduced the report which detailed scrutiny activity over the previous months noting the recent virtual meetings that had been held.

One member requested that a report on the Rainbow Crossing members go to the Corporate Scrutiny meeting at the end of the month.

Please see minute 10.

To note the Cabinet Decision Statement for the meeting.

The recommendations to Council relating to the Council Strategy and the Second Review of the Statement of Community Involvement were approved by Council on 24 June 2020.

One member sought reassurance around testing for Covid-19 noting how busy test sites had been. She provided anecdotal evidence of individuals having difficulty obtaining tests. She emphasised the need for the public to have the details.

Cllr Mark Hawthorne referred the member to the Gloucestershire Local Outbreak Board and suggested that the question would be best placed at that meeting.

RESOLVED to note the Cabinet Decision Statement for the meeting held on 17 June 2020.

To note the Cabinet Decision Statement for the meeting.

Replacement of GIS (HealthCare) Fleet Vehicles– One member asked that details regarding the fleet and how it followed the Council’s climate change strategy be provided.

Cllr Kathy Williams, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care: Delivery, replied that once the vehicles had been procured a list could be provided to members.

Commissioning Youth Support Services - In response to a question, Cllr Boyles confirmed that the cross party scrutiny group looking at youth provision would be welcome to look over any recommendations before the publication of the report.

RESOLVED to note the Cabinet Decision Statement for the meeting held on 22 July 2020.

To consider the decision statements for the period 1 February to 31 August 2020.

RESOLVED to note that the Cabinet Member Decision Statements for the period 1 February to 31 August 2020.

To approve the calendar of meetings for 2021.

RESOLVED to agree the Calendar of Meetings for 2021.