Agenda

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

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.

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.

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.

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

To receive petitions, if any, without discussion.

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.

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

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

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