Agenda item

Up to 30 minutes is allowed for this item.

 

To answer any written members’ questions. 

 

The closing date for receipt of questions is 10am on Wednesday, 18 March 2015. 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.

Sixty member questions had been received.  A copy of the answers was circulated and is attached to the signed copy of these minutes.

 

The following supplementary questions were asked:

 

Question 1 – Cllr Paul Hodgkinson explained that members in Cheltenham were not having the local member face to face meetings with Local Highways Managers and that this arrangement was sporadic in other areas. He asked if the Cabinet Member would ensure that Local Highways Managers emailed local members to arrange meetings for the next two years.

 

Cllr Vernon Smith replied that he was happy to talk to officers and emphasised the importance of a close relationship between highways managers and the local member. He encouraged members to call their local highways manager and be proactive in arranging meetings. Where meetings were not happening in areas, he was happy to take the matter forward with officers on behalf of individual members.

 

Question 2 – Cllr Bernard Fisher asked whether the answer provided to his question did take into account the last 12 calendar months and how it compared to the previous three years.

 

Cllr Vernon Smith informed the member that the figure reflected the time period of the contract from 1 April 2014. He explained that there was a regular rota for the cleaning of gullies and that the same contractor from the previous 5 years had been used. He felt progress had been made after a slow start.

 

Question 3 – Cllr Iain Dobie asked for clarification over the favourable terms referred to in the answer in relation to the bidder. He asked whether this included green spaces or was purely in financial terms.

 

Cllr Mark Hawthorne explained that the development on the land was a Cheltenham Borough Council matter.

 

Question 4 - Cllr Nigel Robbins asked for proper independent review of the Amey Highways Contract, brought into the public domain looking at the quality of the work and value for money.

 

In response, Cllr Vernon Smith stated that he believed that the employment on a temporary basis of an ex Network Manager and previous Divisional Surveyor to assist in managing the backlog of work showed a willingness to take action. He felt that the Governance Board was sufficient to monitor performance and ensure value for money.

 

Question 5 – Cllr Bernard Fisher asked that if there was a surplus in the highways budget for 2014/15 that this be put into the next budget or provide for an increase in ‘Highways Local’.

 

Cllr Vernon Smith provided details of the need for ‘slippage’ to be built into the contract of around 10% for the first quarter to take into account the impact of outside factors such as the weather. This would be a matter for the Advisory Board to consider.

 

Question 6 – Cllr Jeremy Hilton asked for clarification as to whether the member had read the un-redacted contract between Gloucestershire County Council and Urbaser Balfour Beatty from beginning to end.

 

Cllr Mark Hawthorne stated that he had read the contract and spoken to officers to ensure his understanding. He indicated that 95% of the contract was available online for members to read through themselves.

 

Question 7 - Cllr Jeremy Hilton asked for clarification as to whether the member had read the un-redacted contract between Gloucestershire County Council and Urbaser Balfour Beatty from beginning to end.

 

Cllr Ray Theodoulou stated that it was not the role of every member to read every contract in full but that he had read this contract.

 

Question 8 – Cllr Lesley Williams asked whether the £0.95 million contract for short breaks to assist people to maintain their caring role would be likely to increase.

 

Cllr Dorcas Binns stated that she would like to applaud the work of carers and that the council was working closely with Carers Gloucestershire and Guideposts to assess whether this should increase.

 

Question 9 - Cllr Lesley Williams asked whether the electronic call monitoring would only be within the learning disability service areas, or whether it would be rolled out further.

 

Cllr Dorcas Binns agreed that electronic call monitoring was the way forward and explained that after the trial the intention was to roll this out more widely across adults services.

 

Question 10 – Cllr Lesley Williams asked whether a detailed report performance in relation to foster placements, both temporary and permanent, could be provided to Children and Families Scrutiny Committee.

 

Cllr Paul McLain explained the challenge to find permanent foster placements for young people with high risk behaviours and stated that he was happy for a report to be provided to scrutiny.

 

Question 15 – Cllr Lesley Williams asked whether more resources were needed in Mental Health Services and what was being done to secure them.

 

Cllr Kathy Williams explained that work was being undertaken with NHS partners around the budget recovery plan and that there were a number of actions being taken forward as detailed within the answer provided.  She hoped that additional government funding might be made available.

 

Question 30 – Cllr Barry Kirby referred to the County Council’s responsibility in relation to Section 106. He asked what issues the MP had discussed with the Cabinet Member in relation to the Kingsway GP Surgery.

 

Cllr Andrew Gravells thanked the MP Richard Graham for his support with regards to Abbeydale Surgery and explained that the MP had spoken to him in relation to Kingsway, having had discussions with NHS England.

 

Question 33 – Cllr Barry Kirby asked whether the member had fed back to the Fire Minister the legal advice detailed in the answer for Firefighters falling short of fitness standards when approaching retirement age.

 

Cllr Will Windsor-Clive replied that legal advice had been taken and the Fire Minster had been informed to that affect.

 

Question 34 – Cllr Barry Kirby asked what the timescale was for the replacement of the new equipment for the Fire and Rescue Service.

 

Cllr Will Windsor-Clive stated that the timescale was for 2017/18.

 

Question 35 – Cllr Barry Kirby asked when the work would be completed in relation to the keep clear road markings on the A38 southern connector, stating that this had been ongoing since September 2014.

 

Cllr Vernon Smith apologised for the delay. He asked the member to share his correspondence with him on this matter and that he would follow this up on behalf of the member.

 

Question 38 – Cllr Barry Kirby explained that bus providers seemed to be changing routes and questioned why members appeared to be the last to know.

 

Cllr Will Windsor-Clive replied that he agreed that there had been confusion and that changes had not been communicated in the way he would have liked.

 

Question 41 – Cllr Tracy Millard asked for further details of the concerns that had been raised in relation to Chapel House Care Centre.

 

Cllr Dorcas Binns said that as the information was confidential, she agreed to meet with the member to discuss the issues.

 

Question 42 – Cllr Tracy Millard asked if her meeting with the Cabinet Member could also include what robust monitoring measures were taking place.

 

Cllr Dorcas Binns agreed that this would be included within the meeting.

 

Question 43 – Cllr Tracy Millard asked whether children felt confident in raising concerns.

 

Cllr Paul McLain stated that this question was a good challenge and that he would raise it with the Council’s Young Ambassadors. He felt that there was a need to spread awareness of the opportunities available for children to raise concerns.

 

Question 51 – Cllr Paul McMahon explained that in September 2014 the road safety liaison group for the Forest of Dean had been set up. He inquired why a meeting had been set up following the previous council meeting including drawing up terms of reference for another group when there was already a group in existence.

 

In response, Cllr Will Windsor-Clive recognised that a group had been established, but that there had been a recent agreement to provide financial and officer support for the group.

 

Question 52 – Cllr Chris Coleman asked what communication the cabinet member entered into with each of the district councils with regards to trees on roads.

 

Cllr Vernon Smith replied that Gloucestershire County Council works with districts with regards to trees, with regular inspections, and that he would speak to the member regarding his concerns.

 

Question 53 – Cllr Chris Coleman asked whether the work had been carried out in relation to the tree stump on the Promenade in Cheltenham and, if it had not, why not.

 

Cllr Vernon Smith explained that the removal of the tree stump was a complicated procedure which required specialist contractors and that he had been advised by officers that it would be removed as soon as was possible.