Agenda item
Motions
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 925: Flooding
Proposed: Cllr David Drew
Seconded: Cllr Graham Morgan
Council notes its role as the Lead Local Flood Authority and its responsibilities and powers to manage flooding, identify communities at highest risk and install flood alleviation measures to protect those properties in partnership with the district councils.
Gloucestershire has been impacted by increasingly frequent flooding in recent years including the torrential downpours experienced on the night of 12 June 2023. We note that the County Highways Adverse Weather Plan states that its action plans have been tested after the events in 2007, 2012, 2014, 2019 and 2020.
These events are set to increase as a consequence of climate change. Council resolves to convene an urgent summit of all those agencies responsible for flood prevention and resilience to discuss how adequate plans can be put in place and tested to reduce the ongoing threat of flooding and the responses to it, including the Council’s own Adverse WeatherPlan and other action plans.
Motion 926:Hunting with dogs on Council land
Proposed: Cllr Wendy Thomas
Seconded: Cllr Steve Robinson
Council is alarmed at the evidence that hundreds of foxes up and down the country, and here in Gloucestershire, are being illegally killed as a result of hunting with dogs.
We welcome the Council decision of 27 October 1993 to prohibit access to any Council land or property over which it has legal control by persons and/or organisations engaged in using hounds for the purpose of hunting animals.
We further welcome that, subsequently, fox hunting, deer hunting and hare hunting with dogs has been made illegal under the terms of the Hunting Act 2004, except where an exemption applies.
We are, however, alarmed that Gloucestershire has recently been identified as the top county in England and Wales for suspected illegal hunting with reports that illegal hunting with dogs by organised hunts is common, while there are few prosecutions.
We note that most registered hunts claim to be ‘trail’ hunting, which has proven to be a loophole in the Hunting Act 2002, growing after the ban, which has allowed hunts to claim that any chase of a wild animal is an accident rather than intentional.
We note that there have been distressing local incidents reported in the media which have caused widespread public concern. We are ashamed that Gloucestershire has been identified nationally as having the largest number of suspected illegal hunts and incidents of ‘hunt havoc’ in the recent hunting season.
Council therefore resolves to:
1) Prohibit trail hunting, exempt hunting, hound exercise and hunt meets on land that is owned and controlled by Gloucestershire County Council.
2) Introduce a clause into any new farm tenancy that trail hunting, exempt hunting, hound exercise and hunt meets will not take place on land rented from Gloucestershire County Council.
3) Seek a voluntary agreement with existing tenants that trail hunting, exempt hunting, hound exercise and hunt meets will not take place on land rented from Gloucestershire County Council.
4) Support calls for the Hunting Act 2004 to be strengthened.
Motion 927: Fostering motion
Proposer: Cllr Stephen Davies
Seconder: Cllr Andrew Miller
Council notes:
· There are over 800 children in the care of Gloucestershire County Council.
· We have approximately 250 in house foster carers, but we need many more to meet growing demand.
· Nationally and locally, recruiting and retaining sufficient foster carers is an enormous challenge.
· That all elected members, as corporate parents, have a responsibility to help us recruit new foster carers so that we can create a resilient, diverse and caring foster parent network that can meet the needs of all children in our care.
Whilst Council accepts that the responsibility for recruiting and retaining Foster Carers sits with Officers within the Council, that Councillors (as corporate parents) can assist by:
o
Sharing information on foster carer recruitment
across all of our networks so that we can ensure the message gets
out countywide across variety of platforms. This can
include:
o
Sharing information about foster recruitment on social
media
o Adding a link
to https://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/fostering/
onto email signatures
o
Adding a section on foster recruitment to our local newsletters/
updates if this is appropriate, and not attached to
any party political messaging
o Sharing information on foster recruitment with parish and town councils, local schools and religious venues so that these groups can also help to disseminate information. Writing to our district councillor colleagues and members of parliament to ask them to share this information on their social media too to ensure that the message gets out as wide as possible
Motion 928: Refugee motion
Proposer: Cllr Stephan Fifield
Seconder: Cllr Mark Hawthorne
The conflicts and unrest in Ukraine, Syria and Afghanistan have forced many people to make Gloucestershire their home – often leaving suddenly and without loved ones. Across our county, our communities have welcomed and supported these refugees. Many people including teachers, healthcare professionals, religious groups, charities, and council staff have worked incredibly hard to ensure we are able to provide essential support to those who have come to Gloucestershire after fleeing conflict in their own countries. Currently, there are around 1500 refugees resettled in Gloucestershire under the several government resettlement schemes:
· Since 1 April 2022, 1528 Ukrainian guests have arrived in Gloucestershire under the Homes for Ukraine scheme (HFU). These guests have been welcomed into the homes of 793 generous host families. Originally, HFU was designed to last 6-12 months. However, it has now been extended beyond the originally conceived timescales due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Currently there are 355 households still hosting Ukrainian guests in Gloucestershire.
· There are also a further 300 Ukrainians living with other family members in Gloucestershire under the Ukrainian Family Scheme.
· In April 2021, the government launched the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) and the Afghan citizen Resettlement Scheme (ACRS). We have committed to resettling 35 Afghan families under the ARAP/ACRS with 31 families currently resettled in the county. We have welcomed 127 Afghan individuals in County across these two schemes.
The Syrian Resettlement Programme was announced by the government in September 2015 and converted to the UK resettlement scheme in April 2021. So far, 93 families (379 people) from Syria and other countries have been supported to resettle in the county under the Gloucestershire Refugee Resettlement Programme (GRRP).
We are proud to be such a welcoming county and pay tribute to all the people in our communities who have helped make Gloucestershire home to so many people in their time of greatest need. In particular, council would like to thank:
· The hosts on the HFU scheme who have opened their family homes to welcome those displaced by war.
· Gloucestershire Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers (GARAS) who provide critical support to refugees and asylum seekers living in Gloucestershire, including casework, education and employment support, coordination of activities and advocacy.
· Gloucestershire’s Strategic Migration Partnership who oversee all of this work and liaise with the Home Office.
· GCC’s Public Health and Communities team who have worked incredibly hard on all these schemes but especially the HFU rapid response team who coordinate all the required checks for hosts and welcome visits for guests
· All other groups and individuals who work tirelessly across the county to support and provide comfort to refugees, many of whom are suffering from severe trauma. This includes religious groups, volunteers and the charity sector.
As a thank you to all of these groups and individuals, council calls on cabinet to host a 'thank you' event to demonstrate our gratitude to everyone who has worked to make Gloucestershire a welcoming and hospitable county to those fleeing war, conflict and persecution.
And furthermore
· Council commits to marking UK Refugee Week annually to reflect on the experiences of refugees worldwide and to acknowledge and thank the many community and voluntary groups across Gloucestershire who have supported those fleeing persecution to find a new home in our county
Motion 929: Train Ticket pricing structure
Proposed: Cllr Alan Preest
Seconded: Cllr David Gray
The cost of a rail Adult return day ticket from Lydney to Gloucester currently costs £11.60. (Chepstow-Gloucester £13.20).
One price fits all, there are no off-peak concessions.
Travelling by train is more than a journey, it is and should be the ready-made solution to make our roads quieter and safer and improve the air quality.
Rail is an environmentally friendly way to travel and plays a critical role in helping to tackle climate change.
I propose that this Council write to the Transport for Wales overarching Authority, the Welsh Government, to ask them to explain their regulatory pricing structure particularly for the Chepstow -Lydney-Gloucester journeys and consider an overall fare reduction, but at the very least the creation of a more realistic off-peak day return fare , in anticipation of the potential economic benefits, tourism benefits and climate change.
Minutes:
8.1 Cllr David Drew proposed, and Cllr Graham Morgan seconded the following motion:
Council notes its role as the Lead Local Flood Authority and its responsibilities andpowers to manage flooding, identify communities at highest risk and install flood alleviation measures to protect those properties in partnership with the district councils.
Gloucestershire has been impacted by increasingly frequent flooding in recent years including the torrential downpours experienced on the night of 12 June 2023. We note that the County Highways Adverse Weather Plan states that its action plans have been tested after the events in 2007, 2012, 2014, 2019 and 2020.
These events are set to increase as a consequence of climate change. Councilresolves to convene an urgent summit of all those agencies responsible for flood prevention and resilience to discuss how adequate plans can be put in place and tested to reduce the ongoing threat of flooding and the responses to it, including the Council’s own Adverse Weather Plan and other action plans.
8.2 Cllr Drew referenced this motion as a ‘cry for help’ which he was sure would manifest itself across the chamber today. He stressed that many areas of the county were now flooding quite regularly, and with climate change likely to ensure these extreme weather events increased in both frequency and intensity, it was very important that members and communities were aware of where responsibility lay during a flood event, and crucially how to access that support when needed. He made reference to the fact that all district authorities had flood reliance plans, but these were not in the public domain and some had no member involvement in their drafting.
8.3 It was understood that members of the public were sometimes reluctant to report flooding to their homes due to home insurance and future sale of the property, but it was therefore very difficult for those responsible to have a full understanding of the county’s flood problems and therefore put the right defences in place. Cllr Drew hoped this motion was viewed by members as the right way forward to work together and to better protect the county from future events.
8.4 In seconding the motion, Cllr Morgan made reference to the various initiatives/strategies such as the Local Flood Risk Management Strategy that was produced by GCC in June 2013 and the Surface Water Forum in the Forest of Dean, both of which had started out very productively, but had recently slowed in progress. These forums and strategies were vital in bringing together joint working and conversations across all organisations who had different roles to play to address flooding. These roles ranged from keeping waterways clear to the installation of Natural Flood Management schemes. The Member summarised that this motion was a plea for joint working to be brought to the forefront in tackling this issue.
8.5 A member raised the need to consider Natural Flood Management (NFM) schemes before concrete solutions, and for communities to feel encouraged to be involved and promote NFM where possible. It was suggested that members should also be encouraging their residents to report incidents of flooding for the wider public good and to enable organisations to access the most accurate data. It was highlighted that there was also a need to consider where future housing was built and to not place further pressure on identified flood plains and surrounding communities.
8.6 Following on from comments around NFM, a member highlighted the huge opportunities and need to ‘think outside of the box’ when it came to using nature as a natural mitigation. An example was giving of using rewilding projects to slow the movement of rivers and as a result improve their biodiversity and habitats.
8.7 Cllr Dom Morris, Cabinet Member for Flooding, welcomed the constructive conversation on this motion today and the message around how important it was for departments and teams to work and plan together in tackling such issues. He echoed tributes paid to the work that was already ongoing in the county and the incredible hard work of officers and looked forward to being part of the proposed summit.
8.8 A member spoke in favour of the motion and referenced the many experiences he had over the years of discussions as a high level resulting in little action. This, in addition to the 10-15 years of cuts by national government, had resulted in vital organisations such as the Environment Agency’s funding being cut by over half.
8.9 Cllr Mark Hawthorne, Leader of the Council, recognised the huge amount of work and investment by GCC and partners since the 2007 flood event. He also acknowledged that the nature of the challenge faced changed with every single event and that the most powerful tool this county was its community resilience. There were many residents who dedicated a lot of time and energy to being flood wardens, leading community groups, and these were the people who understood what needed to be done in their areas. He supported the motion and its message around working with partners but asked members not to forget the role communities played in tackling this issue as well.
8.10 Members shared examples of where joint working at a community level had made a real difference to its flood resilience. These included using local knowledge to identify drains that regularly blocked, having regular meetings with key partners and agencies to coordinate local programmes, and ensuring regular reporting to keep water routes clear etc.
8.11 Cllr David Gray, Cabinet Member for Environment and Planning, welcomed the comments about the use of biodiversity as a flood mitigation. He acknowledged that often issues such as flooding focused on risks and expenses, but it was important to also recognise the opportunities and benefits, of which biodiversity gain was definitely one. He welcomed the opportunities that would come for nature in better managing our water.
8.12 The proposer of the original motion, summarised by thanking members for the very useful debate on this issue. He reiterated that the threat of flooding was an ongoing issue for many of our residents and one that we needed to ensure we were as prepared for as possible in advance of the next inevitable event.
8.13 On being put to the vote, it was unanimously
RESOLVED that
Council notes its role as the Lead Local Flood Authority and its responsibilities and powers to manage flooding, identify communities at highest risk and install flood alleviation measures to protect those properties in partnership with the district councils.
Gloucestershire has been impacted by increasingly frequent flooding in recent years including the torrential downpours experienced on the night of 12 June 2023. We note that the County Highways Adverse Weather Plan states that its action plans have been tested after the events in 2007, 2012, 2014, 2019 and 2020.
These events are set to increase as a consequence of climate change. Council resolves to convene an urgent summit of all those agencies responsible for flood prevention and resilience to discuss how adequate plans can be put in place and tested to reduce the ongoing threat of flooding and the responses to it, including the Council’s own Adverse Weather Plan and other action plans.
Motion 926: Hunting with dogs on Council land
8.14 Cllr Wendy Thomas proposed, and Cllr Steve Robinson seconded the following motion:
Council is alarmed at the evidence that hundreds of foxes up and down the country, and here in Gloucestershire, are being illegally killed as a result of hunting with dogs.
We note the Council decision of 27 October 1993 to prohibit access to any Council land by hounds for the purpose of hunting animals and that, following legal proceedings in relation to other authorities, this was rescinded on 1 November 1995.
We welcome that, subsequently, the hunting of wild mammals with a dog, as defined in Section 1 of the Hunting Act 2004, has been made illegal, except where an exemption applies.
We are, however, alarmed that Gloucestershire has recently been identified as the top county in England and Wales for suspected illegal hunting, with reports that illegal hunting with dogs by organised hunts is common, while there are few
prosecutions.
We note that most registered hunts now claim to be ‘trail’ hunting. This has proven to be a loophole in the Hunting Act 2004 and in effect allows hunts to claim that any chase of a wild animal is an accident rather than intentional.
We note that there have been distressing local incidents reported in the media which have caused widespread public concern. We are ashamed that Gloucestershire has been identified nationally as having the largest number of suspected illegal hunts and incidents of ‘hunt havoc’ in the recent hunting season.
Council is opposed to the use of Gloucestershire County Council land for trail
hunting, exempt hunting, as defined in Section 2 and Schedule 1 of the Hunting Act 2004, hound exercise and hunt meets and asks Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee to establish a cross party working group to consider, and make recommendations to Council, on any actions that could be taken in respect of this matter.
8.15 In proposing the motion, Cllr Thomas stated that the hunting of wild animals with dogs had been illegal since the introduction of the Hunting Act in 2004 but whilst the support for the Act remained strong, the overall enforcement of it was seen as weak and its loopholes well known. Between November 2022 and April this year, there were 361 incidents of illegal hunting. Another growing issue was known as ‘hunt havoc’ which was described as hunts that were trespassing on private land, causing issues on roads, chasing livestock and people’s pets, damaging badger sets and intimating people.
8.16 The member noted that across England and Wales, Gloucestershire had been identified as having the largest number of illegal hunts and hunt havoc incidents. The League Against Cruel Sports had recorded 90 incidents in the county over the last season, and this had been referred to as a rural crime wave. It was suggested that GCC could take a small step in turning the tide on this issue by opposing not only illegal hunting, but also the use of GCC owned land for such activities. Acknowledging there would need to be further work and understanding to correctly implement this, the motion called on the Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee to establish a working group to consider and make recommendations to council on any actions that could be taken.
8.17 Cllr Robinson seconded the motion by stating he felt strongly that there should not be any kind of trail hunting or other loophole activities on county land. He referenced the fact that the Cotswold Hunt was suspended in March this year following allegations of illegality. He asked members to please support this motion and ask scrutiny to consider this issue further.
8.18 Members spoke in favour of the motion. A member shared his gratitude that hunting was a thing of the past and supported anything that could be done by councillors to result in a better implementation of the existing law. Another member referenced the requirement on all human beings to protect, rather than destroy, our planet and all that lived within it, particularly in the current climate emergency. They were disappointed however that the motion resolution was for a future working group, rather than immediate action being taken today.
8.19 Cllr Mark Hawthorne, Leader of the Council, acknowledged that hunting was a very emotive subject, but the crux of this motion was not about hunting, but rather about whether members had the right to impose their will on GCC farm tenants. He felt very strongly that tenants on our farms should be treated no differently to residents who resided in council housing, and not be used as a political football or imposed upon by members on how they should live their lives. Cllr Hawthorne stated that he fundamentally disagreed with a motion that was seeking to do this.
8.20 The Leader therefore proposed that, under Procedural Standing Order 10.6.2 of the Council’s Constitution, the motion be referred to the Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee for further consideration. This was seconded by Cllr Lynden Stowe, Deputy Leader and Cabinet member for Finance and Change.
8.21 Whilst acknowledging that the original motion resolved for this debate to be continued at scrutiny, Cllr Hawthorne did not believe it appropriate to impose the wording of the motion on members of scrutiny, but rather allow a full and thorough debate, led by scrutiny, on all of the issue at hand.
8.22 The Monitoring Officer clarified that Procedural Standing Order 10.6.2 did not carry any automatic right for the debate to return to Council after its consideration by scrutiny.
8.23 On being put to the vote, Council
RESOLVED that:
Motion 926 is referred to Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee.
Motion 927: Fostering motion
8.24 Cllr Stephen Davies proposed, and Cllr Andrew Miller seconded the following motion:
Council notes:
· There are over 800 children in the care of Gloucestershire County Council.
· We have approximately 250 in house foster carers, but we need many more to meet growing demand.
· Nationally and locally, recruiting and retaining sufficient foster carers is an enormous challenge.
· That all elected members, as corporate parents, have a responsibility to help us recruit new foster carers so that we can create a resilient, diverse and caring foster parent network that can meet the needs of all children in our care.
Whilst Council accepts that the responsibility for recruiting and retaining Foster Carers sits with Officers within the Council, that Councillors (as corporate parents) can assist by:
· Sharing information on foster carer recruitment across all of our networks so that we can ensure the message gets out countywide across variety of platforms. This can include:
o Sharing information about foster recruitment on social media
o Adding a link to https://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/fostering/ onto email signatures
o Adding a section on foster recruitment to our local newsletters/ updates if this is appropriate, and not attached to any party political messaging
o Sharing information on foster recruitment with parish and town councils, local schools and religious venues so that these groups can also help to disseminate information. Writing to our district councillor colleagues and members of parliament to ask them to share this information on their social media too to ensure that the message gets out as wide as possible
8.25 The proposer, Cllr Stephen Davies, stated that this was an important motion for a number of reasons. Fostering provided the best outcome for a child or young person after being removed from their birth parents. The huge benefits of them being cared for in a family home environment as opposed to an institution were obvious. It was also the most cost-efficient way of looking after a child or young person and in a service where cost was always a challenge, its importance was clear. At a recent Corporate Parenting workshop, the member witnessed a young girl describing her foster parent as ‘the best in the world’. There was no doubt she was happy and felt loved and safe.
8.26 The Council was always competing with private providers in this area, but the Member highlighted that resident interest in fostering, if done so through the Council, would be supported by the full Children’s Services offering. A recent development of the Service was grouping up new and experienced foster carers to share mutual support and advice. Members were encouraged to use this motion as a platform to talk about fostering more openly in their local updates or in discussions with town and parish councils. It was not asking members to take sole responsibility for promoting fostering but asking for their help.
8.29 In seconding the motion, Cllr Andrew Miller shared his personal experience of becoming a new foster parent and the process which led to his and his wife’s approval. They had now been approved for short breaks, respite, and short-term placements and shared that whether or not you had been a parent yourself, being a foster carer would completely open your eyes to a new world and challenge you in ways you would never expect. There were of course highs and lows of the experience but one thing you could be sure of was you were making a difference to the child or young person’s life. He summarised that even though they were very early on their journey, their lives had been enriched and they would have no hesitation in recommending it to others.
8.30 Members paid a massive thank you to all foster carers in the county for the very considerable and amazing work they did, recognising that it was difficult to give more than opening up your whole life to child or young people in need and for that the county owed carers a debt of gratitude. They fully supported this motion and found one of its real benefits was that fostering was now being discussed in new forums, such as at parish council meetings. It was important for members to keep up this momentum, to keep pushing the message and encourage more brilliant people into this vocation.
8.31 A member shared their experience of being a foster child and finding being with a foster carer a valuable and life enhancing personal experience. They recognised the positive role of carers and how their impeccable generosity to open their homes to strangers could not be underestimated.
8.32 A member raised that, in order to do the very best as a service and as Corporate Parents, there needed to be a proper action and delivery plan to tackle the challenge around find caring and stable homes, whilst also in competition with other private agencies. The use of communications was vital in engaging people and to help them understand the difference that can be made by becoming a foster carer through the Council. For members to effectively action these resolutions, communication materials needed to be provided to ensure correct and coherent messages.
8.33 In summing up, the prosper of the motion paid tribute to members for always feeling able to share their personal experiences in the chamber and felt proud of the role members could play as Corporate Parents. He recognised comments around improving communications across all of Children’s Services and having materials ready for members to share.
8.34 On being put to the vote, it was unanimously
RESOLVED that
Council notes:
· There are over 800 children in the care of Gloucestershire County Council.
· We have approximately 250 in house foster carers, but we need many more to meet growing demand.
· Nationally and locally, recruiting and retaining sufficient foster carers is an enormous challenge.
· That all elected members, as corporate parents, have a responsibility to help us recruit new foster carers so that we can create a resilient, diverse and caring foster parent network that can meet the needs of all children in our care.
Whilst Council accepts that the responsibility for recruiting and retaining Foster Carers sits with Officers within the Council, that Councillors (as corporate parents) can assist by:
· Sharing information on foster carer recruitment across all of our networks so that we can ensure the message gets out countywide across variety of platforms. This can include:
o Sharing information about foster recruitment on social media
o Adding a link to https://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/fostering/ onto email signatures
o Adding a section on foster recruitment to our local newsletters/ updates if this is appropriate, and not attached to any party political messaging
o Sharing information on foster recruitment with parish and town councils, local schools and religious venues so that these groups can also help to disseminate information. Writing to our district councillor colleagues and members of parliament to ask them to share this information on their social media too to ensure that the message gets out as wide as possible
8.35 The following motion was proposed by Cllr Stephan Fifield and seconded by Cllr Mark Hawthorne:
o Since 1 April 2022, 1528 Ukrainian guests have arrived in Gloucestershire under the Homes for Ukraine scheme (HFU). These guests have been welcomed into the homes of 793 generous host families. Originally, HFU was designed to last 6- 12 months. However, it has now been extended beyond the originally conceived timescales due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Currently there are 355 households still hosting Ukrainian guests in Gloucestershire.
o There are also a further 300 Ukrainians living with other family members in Gloucestershire under the Ukrainian Family Scheme.
o In April 2021, the government launched the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) and the Afghan citizen Resettlement Scheme (ACRS). We have committed to resettling 35 Afghan families under the ARAP/ACRS with 31 families currently resettled in the county. We have welcomed 127 Afghan individuals in County across these two schemes.
The Syrian Resettlement Programme was announced by the government in September 2015 and converted to the UK resettlement scheme in April 2021. So
far, 93 families (379 people) from Syria and other countries have been supported to resettle in the county under the Gloucestershire Refugee Resettlement Programme (GRRP).
We are proud to be such a welcoming county and pay tribute to all the people in our communities who have helped make Gloucestershire home to so many people in their time of greatest need. In particular, council would like to thank:
o The hosts on the HFU scheme who have opened their family homes to welcome those displaced by war.
o Gloucestershire Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers (GARAS) who provide critical support to refugees and asylum seekers living in Gloucestershire, including casework, education and employment support, coordination of activities and advocacy.
o Gloucestershire’s Strategic Migration Partnership who oversee all of this work and liaise with the Home Office.
o GCC’s Public Health and Communities team who have worked incredibly hard on all these schemes but especially the HFU rapid response team who coordinate all the required checks for hosts and welcome visits for guests.
o All other groups and individuals who work tirelessly across the county to support and provide comfort to refugees, many of whom are suffering from severe trauma. This includes religious groups, volunteers, and the charity sector.
As a thank you to all of these groups and individuals, council calls on cabinet to host a 'thank you' event to demonstrate our gratitude to everyone who has worked to make Gloucestershire a welcoming and hospitable county to those fleeing war, conflict, and persecution.
And furthermore
o Council commits to marking UK Refugee Week annually to reflect on the experiences of refugees worldwide and to acknowledge and thank the many community and voluntary groups across Gloucestershire who have supported those fleeing persecution to find a new home in our county.
8.36 In proposing the motion, Cllr Stephan Fifield referenced the horrific conflicts that had displaced millions of people across the world and recalled the debate at a previous Council condemning the illegal invasion of the Ukraine. The world was living in a period of destabilisation and in response, this county’s residents had repeatedly come together to make a difference where they could.
8.37 There were over 1500 refugees that called Gloucestershire their home, and this was only possible due to the hard work and generosity of many residents, communities, and organisations. This motion was aimed at saying thank you to all those who had made Gloucestershire feel so welcoming and continued to support refugees to build a good life here. It was a small token in comparison but was an important statement from the Council that these efforts, hard work, sacrifice, and generosity were recognised and appreciated.
8.38 Cllr Mark Hawthorne seconded the motion, but reserved his right to speak.
8.39 An example was shared of the Ukrainian refugee support Hub that had been set up in the Forest of Dean in May 2022, the object of which was to provide a critical support network for refugees arriving in Gloucestershire and their sponsors. 16 months on, the group had expanded to almost 300 members which included refugees, sponsors, supporters, and volunteers. The Hub provided opportunities for social events, practical support which things such as job searching and access to transport and it promoted physical and social wellbeing. Members of the Hub had expressed a strong feeling of belonging in the county and were making their journey from displaced refugees to Gloucestershire residents.
8.40 A member shared that the work done by GARAS that was so fundamental to the way refugees and asylum seekers were treated in our community. The organisation had achieved huge growth over a number of years and continued to do everything they could to find the best ways to support people who were in desperate need of its help.
8.41 It was raised that whilst they respected the intention of the motion and welcomed its spirit, a member had concern around hosting an event in an area where every penny counted. They hoped that thought would be given to make sure the event was as economic as possible, and that the Council continued to financially support these organisations where possible.
8.42 Cllr John Bloxsom moved the following amendment, seconded by Cllr David Drew:
The conflicts and unrest in Ukraine, Syria and Afghanistan have forced many people, to make Gloucestershire their home – often leaving suddenly and without loved ones. Across our county, our communities have welcomed and supported these refugees. Many people including teachers, healthcare professionals, religious groups, charities, and council staff have worked incredibly hard to ensure we are able to provide essential support to those who have come to Gloucestershire after fleeing conflict in their own countries. Currently, there are around 1500 refugees resettled in Gloucestershire under the several government resettlement schemes:
· Since 1 April 2022, 1528 Ukrainian guests have arrived in Gloucestershire under the Homes for Ukraine scheme (HFU). These guests have been welcomed into the homes of 793 generous host families. Originally, HFU was designed to last 6-12 months. However, it has now been extended beyond the originally conceived timescales due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Currently there are 355 households still hosting Ukrainian guests in Gloucestershire.
· There are also a further 300 Ukrainians living with other family members in Gloucestershire under the Ukrainian Family Scheme.
· In April 2021, the government launched the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) and the Afghan citizen Resettlement Scheme (ACRS). We have committed to resettling 35 Afghan families under the ARAP/ACRS with 31 families currently resettled in the county. We have welcomed 127 Afghan individuals in County across these two schemes.
The Syrian Resettlement Programme was announced by the government in September 2015 and converted to the UK resettlement scheme in April 2021. So far, 93 families (379 people) from Syria and other countries have been supported to resettle in the county under the Gloucestershire Refugee Resettlement Programme (GRRP).
Council notes that, in addition to the arrival of people through these Government programmes, relating specifically to eligible persons from designated countries mentioned:
- The county has also received asylum seekers and other refugees from Eritrea, Somalia, Iraq and other areas of war, conflict and unrest.
- Some Afghan refugees settled in the county have no means of family reunification, and through lack of legal or safe routes, have family members left at the mercy of agents or smugglers and terrifying journeys and boat crossings.
- There are approximately 1,000 asylum seekers in the county of whom half have been placed in hotels by the Home Office, at short notice, and without local control, and that there are also over 100 unaccompanied asylum-seeking children in the county.
- The number of people seeking refugee status has grown due to claims not being assessed and that numbers in the county will rise further as a result of multiple occupation of hotel rooms as a result of a recent Home Office directive.
- This is taking place against a background of anti-asylum seeker rhetoric with claims made by those using irregular routes deemed to be inadmissible, and liable to detention and deportation.
We are proud to be such a welcoming county and pay tribute to all the people in our communities who have helped make Gloucestershire home to so many people in their time of greatest need. In particular, council would like to thank:
- The hosts on the HFU scheme who have opened their family homes to welcome those displaced by war.
- Gloucestershire Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers (GARAS) who provide critical support to refugees and asylum seekers living in Gloucestershire, including casework, education and employment support, coordination of activities and advocacy.
- Gloucestershire’s Strategic Migration Partnership who oversee all of this work and liaise with the Home Office.
- GCC’s Public Health and Communities team who have worked incredibly hard on all these schemes but especially the HFU rapid response team who coordinate all the required checks for hosts and welcome visits for guests.
- All other groups and individuals who work tirelessly across the county to support and provide comfort to refugees, many of whom are suffering from severe trauma. This includes religious groups, volunteers and the charity sector.
As a thank you to all of these groups and individuals, council calls on cabinet to host a 'thank you' event to demonstrate our gratitude to everyone who has worked to make Gloucestershire a welcoming and hospitable county to those fleeing war, conflict and persecution.
And furthermore
· Council commits to marking UK Refugee Week annually to reflect on the experiences of refugees worldwide and to acknowledge and thank the many community and voluntary groups across Gloucestershire who have supported those fleeing persecution to find a new home in our county.
In addition, further resolves to:
· Recognise and continue ongoing support to asylum seekers and refugees in our midst and to increase our capacity to do so.
· Identify best practice learning from experience of county and district cooperation generated by the settlement schemes relating people from Ukraine, Syria and Afghanistan.
· Take action, together with our partners, stakeholders, and the voluntary and community sector, for wider outreach and community inclusion for all refugees.
· Call for full Government funding to ensure that those accommodated by the Home Office can access health and other essential services and that any impact on existing local service provision is minimal.
8.43 In proposing the amendment, Cllr Bloxsom welcomed the wording of motion, echoing the importance of acknowledging the role local organisations and communities had played in providing homes for refugees, but felt it was equally as important to acknowledge the wider context and that’s what the amendment sought to do.
8.44 The member questioned why all these efforts from volunteers and organisation were necessary and felt there was something not right in a system that was producing such outcomes. Many people who sought asylum in the UK were not eligible for assistance under the programmes cited in the motion, as these only covered particular groups and had eligibility rules. Members needed to acknowledge that there were other areas of conflict, and people who needed assistance that were not covered by the set criteria. He added that there was approximately 1000 people across the county being homed in hotels, a number which was likely to increase due to Home Office policy changes.
8.45 He summarised that whilst the efforts of GARAS, residents and other organisations should be celebrated, there was a need to take further action to see where improvements were needed and to address this wider context. He hoped this amendment would be viewed as constructive.
8.46 The Chair adjourned the meeting for 15 minutes for members to consider the amendment, following which, the debate continued on the amendment.
8.47 Members recognised the spirit of the original motion and wanted to put on record their thanks to everybody who had played their part in welcoming refugees into our county and supporting them to become an integral part of our communities. They did however feel that the amendment painted a more accurate and realistic picture of people fleeing war and prosecution across the world, and adding reference to asylum seekers was a positive step. Examples were highlighted in Gloucestershire where asylum seekers had been here for a number of years, living in a single room with no access to services and were still awaiting their first visit from the Home Office, having already experienced massive trauma. This was the reality for many who arrived in the country and in Gloucestershire and that these were people who could contribute and make a real difference to our society.
8.48 As seconder of the original motion, the Leader expressed his disappointment with the amendment, which he referred to as a wrecking amendment as it effectively changed the debate from one about refugees, where the council had a clear responsibility, to one about asylum seekers which was a national responsibility and one which local authorities had no funding to provide for. Cllr Hawthorne wanted to get back to thanking Gloucestershire’s unsung heroes and reflected sadly that this had now been a lost opportunity to speak as one voice as a council.
8.49 Cllr Bloxsom stressed that this was not a wrecking amendment, it did not delete a single word of the original motion but sought to add reference to the wider context, seek to resolve wider actions and enhance the motion.
8.50 In responding to the amendment, as proposer of the original motion, Cllr Fifield expressed his disappointment at the wider debate which had ensued today, not being the purpose of the original motion, which had been very specifically worded to focus on the scope of council and efforts of those within it.
8.51 The amendment was put to the vote and was lost. The debate returned to the substantive motion.
8.52 The proposer of the original motion summed up by thanking members for their contributions today. He would ensure that the thank you event was the right sort of thank you and ensure as many organisations and charities were invited, he urged members to highlight if they felt any were missed off the original list. He finalised by reiterating that the purpose of this motion was to send a huge thank you to the volunteers, organisations, officers, charities for their continued efforts. Members gave a round of applause.
8.53 On being put to the vote, it was unanimously
RESOLVED that
The conflicts and unrest in Ukraine, Syria and Afghanistan have forced many people to make Gloucestershire their home – often leaving suddenly and without loved ones. Across our county, our communities have welcomed and supported these refugees. Many people including teachers, healthcare professionals, religious groups, charities, and council staff have worked incredibly hard to ensure we are able to provide essential support to those who have come to Gloucestershire after fleeing conflict in their own countries. Currently, there are around 1500 refugees resettled in Gloucestershire under the several government resettlement schemes:
o Since 1 April 2022, 1528 Ukrainian guests have arrived in Gloucestershire under the Homes for Ukraine scheme (HFU). These guests have been welcomed into the homes of 793 generous host families. Originally, HFU was designed to last 6- 12 months. However, it has now been extended beyond the originally conceived timescales due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Currently there are 355 households still hosting Ukrainian guests in Gloucestershire.
o There are also a further 300 Ukrainians living with other family members in Gloucestershire under the Ukrainian Family Scheme.
o In April 2021, the government launched the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) and the Afghan citizen Resettlement Scheme (ACRS). We have committed to resettling 35 Afghan families under the ARAP/ACRS with 31 families currently resettled in the county. We have welcomed 127 Afghan individuals in County across these two schemes.
The Syrian Resettlement Programme was announced by the government in September 2015 and converted to the UK resettlement scheme in April 2021. So
far, 93 families (379 people) from Syria and other countries have been supported to resettle in the county under the Gloucestershire Refugee Resettlement Programme (GRRP).
We are proud to be such a welcoming county and pay tribute to all the people in our communities who have helped make Gloucestershire home to so many people in their time of greatest need. In particular, council would like to thank:
o The hosts on the HFU scheme who have opened their family homes to welcome those displaced by war.
o Gloucestershire Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers (GARAS) who provide critical support to refugees and asylum seekers living in Gloucestershire, including casework, education and employment support, coordination of activities and advocacy.
o Gloucestershire’s Strategic Migration Partnership who oversee all of this work and liaise with the Home Office.
o GCC’s Public Health and Communities team who have worked incredibly hard on all these schemes but especially the HFU rapid response team who coordinate all the required checks for hosts and welcome visits for guests.
o All other groups and individuals who work tirelessly across the county to support and provide comfort to refugees, many of whom are suffering from severe trauma. This includes religious groups, volunteers, and the charity sector.
As a thank you to all of these groups and individuals, council calls on cabinet to host a 'thank you' event to demonstrate our gratitude to everyone who has worked to make Gloucestershire a welcoming and hospitable county to those fleeing war, conflict, and persecution.
And furthermore
o Council commits to marking UK Refugee Week annually to reflect on the experiences of refugees worldwide and to acknowledge and thank the many community and voluntary groups across Gloucestershire who have supported those fleeing persecution to find a new home in our county.
Supporting documents:
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CEX notes September 2023 Final, item 8.
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Hunting with dogs on Council landv070923(2), item 8.
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