Agenda and minutes

To confirm and sign the minutes of the meeting held on 15 February 2023.

The minutes of the meeting held on 16^th February 2023 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 declarations of interest were received.

a)            Phil Awford

To invite members to pay tribute to Cllr Phil Awford who passed away on 11 March 2023. Phil was the serving County Councillor for Highnam division and a much loved and respected member of the Council. At the end of the tributes, members will be asked to stand in silence as a mark of respect for Phil.

b)           Ray Theodoulou

To invite members to pay tribute to Ray Theodoulou who passed away on 9 March 2023. Ray represented the communities of Fairford and Lechlade on Thames on the County Council for many years. At the end of the tributes, members will be asked to stand in silence as a mark of respect for Ray.

c)            Nigel Jones, Baron Jones of Cheltenham,

To invite members to pay tribute to Nigel Jones who passed away on 12 November 2022. He served on the Council prior to becoming an MP in 1992.  At the end of the tributes, members will be asked to stand in silence as a mark of respect for Nigel.

a)   Councillor Phil Awford

Members were invited to pay tribute to Cllr Phil Awford who passed away on the 11 March 2023. Phil was the serving County Councillor for Highnam division and a much loved and respected member of the Council. The following Councillors paid their respects:

Cllr Mark Hawthorne (Leader of the Council):

Today we gather to remember one of our long-serving members Phil Awford. For many in this chamber, Phil was more than a colleague – he was a friend.

Phil was a longstanding member of this council. First elected in 1997 and then again in 2005, he also served on Tewkesbury Borough Council during this period and gained a well-deserved reputation for campaigning on the issue of flooding – earning him the nick name “flood plain Phil”.

He was Mayor of Tewkesbury during the floods of 2007, and through his work on the Regional Flood Committees ensured that Gloucestershire got the investment it needed on flood defence and mitigation. His expertise on this issue was second to none.

He later served as Chairman of this Council, a reflection of his long service, and an acknowledgement of the respect in which he was held across the chamber.

I first met Phil over 25 years ago. He knocked on my door, holding out a piece of blue literature and saying in the way only Phil could – “Any chance of a vote”. His surprise was noticeable when I came back with an enthusiastic yes. In hindsight his reaction was not surprising – after all this was the mid-90s and enthusiastic young Conservatives were thin on the ground.

But neither of us knew then that this chance encounter on a doorstep in Kingsholm would be the beginning of a 25-year friendship.

For it was Phil, along with Andrew Gravells and Paul James who got me involved in the Conservative Party. Indeed, my first campaign experience was Phil’s first victory onto this council in 1997, after a recount, by just 50 votes.

Phil took Paul [James] and myself under his wing. He was the person who encouraged me to stand, and Phil, Paul, Eusuf, Jim Porter and later Phil Beer formed the core of the party in Kingsholm in those early days.

Phil did more than just run my first campaign. He took it upon himself to look after the three of us, Paul, Phil Beer and myself. He’d help organise our annual Christmas Eve parties at my small flat in Kingsholm, cooking up some unusual dishes – including one-year pheasant which, from memory, contained more shot that meat.

He’d often entertain and tried very hard to get us onto his favourite tipple, which back then came in a plastic gallon container – and was a tad too cloudy for my liking.

I was fortunate a couple of weeks ago to go along with Paul James to visit Phil in hospital. We spent a good hour remembering the old days, recalling some of those shared moments that had bonded our friendship  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

Up to 30 minutes is allowed for this item.

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

The closing date for receipt of questions was 10am on Monday, 13 March 2023.

However, questions that relate to reports on the agenda may be submitted up to

10am on Wednesday, 15 March 2023.

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.

Severn public questions had been submitted prior to the meeting. The following supplementary questions were asked:

Question 1 – Alan Bailey asked when Parish Councils could expect to see a consultation plan for the connections to the ‘Missing Link’ National Road scheme that GCC would be responsible for.

Cllr David Gray accepted that it was a considerable scheme and would have knock-on consequences on the surrounding areas. He explained a number of public meeting and consultations had been held and additional events would be run.

Question 2 – Alan Bailey asked whether priorities would be reviewed such that they aligned with the delivery of the Missing Link. He also asked who would lead the planning group as responsibilities were split across Gloucestershire County Council and Cotswold District Council.

Cllr David Gray expressed that he would not be able to give specific answers but understood the member of the public’s concern over the local community not being sufficiently consulted.

Question 4 – John Irving asked for a specific response for damage caused to 24 Vicarage Lane because of heavy lorry traffic.

Cllr Dom Morris expressed concern for residents of the Lane but also for the member of the public’s specific property. He explained he would ask officers again to look into the enforcement side of ensuring heavy lorries were not using that road.

Question 7 – Paul Morrish asked for greater consideration and action to be given to reducing road speed limits from 30mph to 20mph given the reduction in incidents in other areas of the country that had implemented these changes.

Cllr Dave Norman explained that it was important to explore reductions in speed on a case-by-case basis and to go through due process each time. He said that he was happy to meet with the member of public outside of this meeting to explore his individual request.

Cllr Stephen Davies, Cabinet Member for Children’s Safeguarding and Early Years, to present the Corporate Parenting Report.

6.1       Cllr Stephen Davies, Cabinet member for Children’s Safeguarding and Early Years, presented the report. It was highlighted that improvements were being seen across key indicators. There were, however, issues around the cost of specialist placements and the number of children placed out of County.

6.2       A member asked why only 94% of foster carers were DBS checked and whether this could be fixed. The Cabinet Member said he would come back to the member with a written response.

6.3       In response to a question about dental assessments it was explained that they were done through the NHS and the numbers of completed dental assessments was improving as they worked through the backlog.

6.4       In response to a question about staff turnover, it was explained that over 30% of staff were agency workers and that more detail would be provided in a written response.

6.5       A member raised concern over the number of children that had moved between multiple homes and highlighted the importance of a stable environment. It was explained that there was an ongoing recruitment campaign for additional foster carers and Children’s Services were working towards building their own accommodation and capacity to  help mitigation this in the future.

6.6       The issue of social worker vacancies was raised, and it was explained that this was an area under regular discussion. The Social Worker Academy was set up to combat staff shortages, and Children’s Services would be employing as many newly qualified graduates from the Academy as they could.

6.7       It was also asked whether detailed information on children who had been suspended from school was available, in particular, if they were awaiting Special Education Needs assessments. Cllr Stephen Davies agreed to provide a written response.

To receive petitions, if any, without discussion.

7.1       A petition from Cllr Tim Harman, on behalf of residents of Upper Bath Street in Cheltenham, requesting changes to the existing parking scheme, was presented to Councillor Dom Morris.

Mandatory Voter ID

Proposed by: Cllr Wendy Thomas

Seconded by: Cllr John Bloxsom

Council believes that voting at elections is the cornerstone of democracy at both local

and national level and that participation in elections should be encouraged in all those who are qualified regardless of age, ethnicity, income or any protected characteristic.

We note that the New Burdens Funding Allocations Grant for 2022/23 and 2023/24 that has been allocated to the six District Councils in Gloucestershire will total £180, 639. There are some serious questions about whether this funding will be adequate to cover each of these councils’ costs and what the funding position would be if there were general election called.

These measures will be an expensive distraction, adding costs onto election authorities, which are experiencing budget pressures and staff shortages, and create barriers to voting, in particular for already disadvantaged groups, rather than promoting voter registration and actual voting.

The published list of acceptable ID required to vote is limited and Council is concerned that this measure could have a negative impact on voter turnout.

Council therefore resolves that the Leader should write to Minister for the Cabinet Office to call for adequate funding for the organisation of local elections, staff recruitment and training and for public awareness raising, in order to minimise the risk of voter disenfranchisement due to unawareness of, and lack of preparedness, with the new requirements.

Council believes that it is important that voting remains accessible for all and that the application process for a free voter card should be easy and accessible and therefore further resolves to actively co-operate with the district councils to support the promotion of public awareness, the making of applications for Voter Cards and their timely issuing.

Motion 914 - National Bus Fare Cap Grant Scheme

Proposed by: Cllr Cate Cody

Seconded by:  Cllr Beki Hoyland

Council notes:

• The Bus Fare Cap Grant scheme is a Government funded scheme introduced on most single (including Child and Student) bus journeys across England from 1st January 2023 until 31st March 2023.
• This is a positive intervention to help with the cost of living, taking many return journeys on the bus around the county from £7:50 to £4, nearly halving the cost per day.
• A comparable journey of a 40 mile round trip in the car will cost approximately £10
• Making the bus affordable means that more people, particularly in this largely rural County, could be encouraged to start using the bus rather than private cars for regular journeys.
• Elsewhere in Europe, governments are taking great steps to promote and sustain public transport, eg Germany with its new €49 monthly pass, valid across the country https://www.politico.eu/article/german-government-approves-nationwide-49-euro-public-transport-ticket/amp/
• Encouraging more bus journeys and therefore fewer car journeys is one way that this council can take effective action in line with the climate emergency declaration of 2019.
  
  

Council resolves to:

• Write to the Department for Transport and our six MPs to let them know how much we have appreciated this scheme and that we  ...  view the full agenda text for item 8.

Motion 913 – Mandatory Voter ID

8.1       Cllr Wendy Thomas proposed, and Cllr John Bloxsom seconded the following motion:

Council believes that voting at elections is the cornerstone of democracy at both local and national level and that participation in elections should be encouraged in all those who are qualified regardless of age, ethnicity, income or any protected characteristic.

We note that the New Burdens Funding Allocations Grant for 2022/23 and 2023/24 that has been allocated to the six District Councils in Gloucestershire will total £180, 639. There are some serious questions about whether this funding will be adequate to cover each of these councils’ costs and what the funding position would be if there were general election called.

These measures will be an expensive distraction, adding costs onto election authorities, which are experiencing budget pressures and staff shortages, and create barriers to voting, in particular for already disadvantaged groups, rather than promoting voter registration and actual voting.

The published list of acceptable ID required to vote is limited and Council is concerned that this measure could have a negative impact on voter turnout.

Council therefore resolves that the Leader should write to Minister for the Cabinet Office to call for adequate funding for the organisation of local elections, staff recruitment and training and for public awareness raising, in order to minimise the risk of voter disenfranchisement due to unawareness of, and lack of preparedness, with the new requirements.

Council believes that it is important that voting remains accessible for all and that the application process for a free voter card should be easy and accessible and therefore further resolves to actively co-operate with the district councils to support the promotion of public awareness, the making of applications for Voter Cards and their timely issuing.

8.2       Cllr Thomas suggested that there was little evidence and data behind the decision from Government to implement mandatory voter ID. The reported levels of electoral fraud in recent years had been incredibly low, for example in 2021, there were 315 allegations reported, with only one leading to a caution. It was suggested that this was an expensive and complicated solution to a non-existing problem and had the potential to lead to inaccessible and unworkable elections, particularly those due this May (2023). She expressed concern that the changes disproportionality affected younger people, who were less likely to have the adequate ID readily available and were already more likely to be disenfranchised. It was also suggested that the money allocated to date for local authorities did not cover all the additional costs of implementing this new voting system, adding that this money could have been put towards encouraging people to vote overall.

8.3       In seconding the motion, Cllr Bloxsom shared that the Electoral Commission found 4% of the UK population did not have the required ID, which equated to around 2 million voters. The Home Office online tracker to date showed they had only received 29,000 applications for the free ID card. He reiterated that he  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

Up to 45 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 was 10am on Monday, 13 March  2023.

However, questions that relate to reports on the agenda may be submitted up to

10am on Wednesday, 15 March 2023.

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.

As background information, the Cabinet Member Decision Statements over the period 1 February 2023 to 10 March 2023 are available on the GCC website:

https://glostext.gloucestershire.gov.uk/mgDelegatedDecisions.aspx?XXR=0&&DR=1%2f02%2f2023-10%2f03%2f2023&ACT=Find&RP=0&K=0&V=0&DM=3&HD=0&DS=2&Next=true&NOW=28022023101726&META=mgdelegateddecisions

Fifty Member questions had been submitted prior to the meeting. The following supplementary questions were asked:

Question 1 – Paul Hodgkinson asked what the Cabinet Member would be doing to ensure local roads and communities experienced as minimal inconvenience as possible due to diversions from work on Cheltenham Hill.

Cllr Dom Morris explained that it was an important resurfacing scheme, and the road needed repair. There had been engagement with affected communities and that engagement would continue to ensure minimum disruption.

Question 7 – Paul Hodgkinson asked if the Cabinet member could do more work to assess whether a Gloucestershire Youth Council could be set up.

Cllr Stephen Davies agreed that there was more work to be done in this area, and the correct channel for this should be through the Children’s Coalition in Gloucestershire. He did not agree however that a Youth Council was the best way forward.

Question 8 – Paul Baker asked whether the Cabinet Member would bring the shortage of SEND places in Gloucestershire to scrutiny.

Cllr Philip Robinson explained that it was down to scrutiny to decide what would be brought to meetings and he was happy to discuss if this was requested.

Question 9 – Paul Baker asked for a sense of when a review into road and pavement maintenance would be completed and presented to members.

Cllr Dom Morris explained that the review was part of the Transformation Plan but it was still in its very early stages so there was no specified timeline for the completion of that review yet.

Question 12 – Jeremy Hilton expressed concern over the speed of consultation for new parking regulations in Kingsholm and asked if the Cabinet member could do more to speed things up.

Cllr Dom Morris reiterated that there was a significant Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) backlog and work was being done to reduce it.

Question 15 – David Drew expressed concern over a road closure on Slad Road that was extended from three to six weeks. He asked why his objection to this was ignored.

Cllr Dom Morris reiterated that the work had to be done as it was posing a risk to the highway.

Question 16 – David Drew asked what the process was to make sure externalised contractors were on track with TROs.

Cllr Dom Morris explained that the TRO backlog was a big issue and that contractors had been brought in to speed up the process. They were also investing in officers and advertising for roles within GCC to increase TRO capacity and remove the need for contractors longer term.

Question 18 – Roger Whyborn asked if the Cabinet Member could share the feedback from the failed transport bids.

Cllr Robinson explained that there was some feedback on multi-operator ticketing and data analysis from various meetings with the Department for Transport. He was happy to discuss further feedback with the Councillor as it came through.

Question 19 – David Willingham asked for a commitment that contact details for community connections  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

Scrutiny Committee Chairs to answer any questions on the activity detailed within the report:

Cllr John Bloxsom Vice Chair, Corporate Overview and Scrutiny

Cllr Andrew Gravells, Health Chair

Cllr Stephan Fifield, Adult Social Care and Communities Chair

Cllr Andrew Miller, Children and Families Chair

Cllr Vernon Smith, Environment Chair

Cllr Matt Babbage, Economic Growth Chair

Cllr Jeremy Hilton, Fire and Rescue Chair

Cllr Steve Robinson, Gloucestershire Police and Crime Panel Chair

10.1    Cllr John Bloxsom, Vice Chair of the Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee, gave an update on the discussions held at the committee meeting held on 28 February 2023. 

10.2    Cllr Bloxsom informed members that, at the meeting, it had been agreed that the committee would invite Cllr Mark Hawthorne, (Leader of the Council), and Cllr Lynden Stowe, (Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance and Change), to the Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting on 19 April 2023 to give an overview of the council’s plans for the next financial year.

10.3    Cllr Rebecca Hoyland requested an update on Council Motion 908, (Violence Against Women and Girls), considered at the council meeting on 9 November 2022, and the commitment to seek White Ribbon accreditation, (a nationally recognised accreditation demonstrating an organisation’s commitment to ending male violence against women).

10.4    Cllr Stephan Fifield, Chair of the Adult Social Care and Communities Scrutiny Committee, informed Cllr Halifax he had been unable to attend the committee meeting on 7 March 2023, but that a detailed presentation had been provided in response to Motion 908. Cllr Fifield agreed to seek a full update on the response to Motion 908 and report back to Cllr Halifax after the meeting.

10.5    The scrutiny update was noted.

Cllr Mark Hawthorne, Chair of the Appointments Committee, to present the report from the meeting held on 3 March 2023.

11.1    Leader of the Council and Chair of the Appointments Committee, Cllr Mark Hawthorne, presented the Pay Policy Statement 2023/24.

11.2    Cllr Hawthorne informed members that, at the Appointments Committee meeting on 3 March 2023, (in accordance with the 2011 Localism Act and associated statutory guidance requiring the Council to produce a Pay Policy Statement for each financial year), the committee had noted changes from the previous year and had agreed to recommend to council that the revised Pay Policy Statement 2023/24 be adopted.

11.3    Responding to a suggestion from Cllr Rebecca Halifax that more focus be placed on local recruitment, it was explained that recruitment from the local area was a consideration. However, given that the majority of senior and key roles at the council required high levels of expertise and experience, it was important not to limit the recruitment process by defining who should be targeted but by the quality of the candidate.

11.4    Cllr Cate Cody asked questions in relation to pay ratios and the gender pay gap. Acknowledging that the council did not have a specific policy on pay ratios, but instead recognised the Hutton Review of Fair Pay in the Public Sector recommendation of a maximum ratio of 1:20 between the highest and lowest remunerated posts, Cllr Cody enquired why the council website did not reflect this recommendation, but instead, reported a different ratio, that of highest paid to median paid. Cllr Hawthorne noted the disparity and agreed to provide a written response once the issue was looked into.

11.5    Cllr Hawthorne agreed to provide explanations on issues relating to the gender pay gap after the meeting.

11.6    Council noted the Appointments Committee report and unanimously

RESOLVED to adopt the Pay Policy Statement 2023/24.

12.1    Deputy Leader and Chair of the Gloucestershire Pension Committee, Cllr Lyndon Stowe, presented the Gloucestershire Pension Fund Annual Report 2021/22.

12.2    The Annual Report provided information on the management of the Fund, an analysis of investment activity and performance, details of Fund membership and a summary of Fund benefits. The report also contained the formal accounts of the Fund for the year ended 31 March 2022 and copies of the Fund’s strategy and policy statements.

12.3    Referring to the executive summary section of the report on page 118 of the agenda, (page 58 of the report), and the actuarial valuations of the Fund reported at three yearly intervals during the period 2010 to 2029, Cllr Stowe confirmed that, in spite of the severe disruption to the markets from Covid-19 in March 2020, and the war in Ukraine, the funding level of the Fund at 31 March 2023 was likely to be better than expected, (anticipated to reach a valuation of 143%). This was an unprecedented increase from that reported in March 2019, (110%), and the previous three valuations.

12.4    In addition to consideration of the Pension Fund Annual Report, (and in accordance with the Council’s Constitution), the Pension Committee and Full Council were required to receive an annual report from the Gloucestershire Pension Board. The report included information on the work programme undertaken by the Pension Board in 2021/22, with any risks or concerns identified. The Pension Board Annual Report presented to Council at this meeting was contained within the Annual Report at page 132 of the agenda (page 72 of the Annual Report),

12.5    Acknowledging the in-depth amount of work involved in producing the reports, Cllr Colin Hay, (a member of the Pension Committee), suggested a little more consideration might be required when selecting some of the images used to showcase the Pension Board Annual Report. The comment was noted.

12.6    Responding to questions from Cllr David Willingham in relation to the Brunel Pension Partnership, (a collaboration involving nine other Local Government Pension Scheme Funds from the South West of England), Cllr Stowe recommended members refer to the Brunel Partnership website at https://www.brunelpensionpartnership.org/.

12.7    It was later suggested that the Pension Committee consider arranging an information sharing seminar that officers and members from the district councils might find useful. The suggestion was noted, with the proposal that the suggestion be considered at the next Pension Committee meeting.

12.8    Thanking officers for their work in producing the reports, Council noted the Gloucestershire Pension Fund Annual Report and Pension Board Annual Report 2021/22.