A period of up to 15 minutes is allowed for members of the public to make a comment, ask questions or present petitions. Each member of the public has up to 3 minutes to do this. A councillor may also present a petition on behalf of a member of the public.
Minutes:
The Chairman confirmed that three members of the public had asked to speak at this evening’s meeting.
From Martin Benbow
Mr Benbow commented on the Motion on Notice – The Motor Neurone Disease Charter to be considered later in the meeting. He explained that he was a campaign volunteer for the Motor Neurone Disease Association and was accompanied by Dr Anita Sharma-James, Chairman of Worcestershire Branch of MND Association and also a local Bromsgrove resident.
He thanked Councillor R. Jenkins for proposing the motion and also Councillors M. Sherrey and G. Denaro for being supportive when he had contacted them previously.
Mr Benbow went on to explain that he was a local resident living in Hagley and his personal interest in the motion was because his father died from Motor Neurone Disease. MND was a cruel disease, one that was rapidly progressing and always fatal. It attacked the nerve endings and made it impossible for the brain to send signals to the muscles. Sufferers ended up living in a shell of a body, unable to move, communicate or look after themselves and eventually unable to breathe. Life expectancy after diagnosis could be very short and one third of people died within 12 months. There was no cure.
He was currently aware of 3 cases of MND in Bromsgrove. The short life expectancy was one of the reasons that it was so important that all stakeholders had a clear understanding of MND and the role they could play to deliver speedy care and attention. When you only had one year to live, one week was a long time to wait for an assessment or a piece of equipment.
The MND Charter calls for 5 simple rights:
· Early diagnosis and information.
· Access to quality care and treatment.
· To be treated as individuals with dignity and respect.
· The right to maximise their quality of life.
· The right for carers to be valued, respected, listened to and well supported.
He believed that as a District Council Bromsgrove had an area of responsibility in relation to housing and Disabled Facilities Grants. Because the disease progresses so rapidly, it was essential that people living with MND get any adaptations to their homes made as quickly and easily as possible. He would also like to raise awareness of the disease within the Council and its staff, in order that support for sufferers and carers could be provided in a timely manner. Adoption of the Charter would send a message that the Council was supportive of the rights set out within it. Across the UK, 81 Councils had already adopted the Charter including Wyre Forest District Council and Worcestershire County Council.
The MND Association and its Worcestershire branch provided some local services and support which could complement the role of the Council. He would welcome the opportunity to work together with the Council in the future and asked the Council to support Councillor Jenkins’ Motion.
The Chairman thanked Mr. Benbow for his attendance.
From Kyle Daisley
Members were advised that Mr Daisley was unfortunately unavailable and therefore his question would not be considered.
From Peter Rendell
Question to the Portfolio Holder for Leisure and Cultural Services
“As it looks unlikely that the council will ever reach an agreement with BAM for the use of the school sports hall, isn’t it time to consider refurbishing our sports hall for badminton, football, military circuit training and other community activities?”
“Isn’t it worth replacing the lights and switching the heating back on, so that disability groups like Keep on Moving can continue to use it?”
The Portfolio Holder for Leisure and Cultural Services responded to Mr. Rendell’s question and in so doing advised that this was a matter which was well documented. The Council had agreed in 2014 that a sports hall would not be included as part of the plans for the new leisure centre. This decision was made following the Sports England report and the cost effectiveness of providing such a facility. Following a number of requested, the matter was reconsidered in 2018, with a number of options being placed before Members. After much debate within the Council Chamber it was agreed, that whilst it was disappointing, it was not financially viable to take the matter further and the decision was made to demolish the Sports Hall, as had been originally planned. The Portfolio Holder for Leisure and Cultural Services explained that repairs to the Sports Hall would be in excess of £15k and any works would be without guarantee or warranty and therefore was not an option. It was hoped that an agreement could be reached with BAM in respect of use of the Sports Hall at the School going forward.
Members made a number of comments on this matter:
· The length of time it was taking to reach an agreement with BAM.
· The impact on user groups and in particular the Keep on Moving group which currently used the Sports Hall.
· Whether it would be appropriate for the Overview and Scrutiny Board to look at this matter in more detail.
· That the situation would not have arisen if a Sports Hall had been included in the original design.
The Chairman thanked Mr Rendell for his question.