Agenda item

Motions on Notice (To Follow)

The Motions on Notice will be published in a supplementary pack for this meeting.

A period of up to one hour is allocated to consider the motions on notice. This may only be extended with the agreement of the Council.

Minutes:

The Chairman advised that four Motions on Notice had been received for consideration at the meeting. An hour had been allocated to the consideration of the Motions.

In advance of the meeting, group leaders had agreed that the Motion submitted by Councillor G. Denaro, on the subject of remote meetings, should be agreed without debate. That Motion would not therefore be discussed during the meeting.

Prior to the debate in respect of the Motions, a request was received for the Motion in respect of the 144 bus route to be the first to be debated, to ensure that it could be considered within the time available for the consideration of Motions. The Chairman advised that, out of respect for the Councillors who had submitted Motions on Notice, they would be considered in the order in which they had been received. However, should it be necessary, the time dedicated to the discussion of Motions could potentially be extended.

Televising Council Meetings

Council considered the following Motion on Notice that was submitted by Councillor P. McDonald:

"A great number of local authorities televise their council meetings allowing residents to watch local democracy from the comfort of their homes. This opens the council to full scrutinisation of its actions in the council chamber and shows local democracy at work. Therefore, we call upon officers to present options as to how meetings of full Council can be televised by the next Council meeting."

The Motion was proposed by Councillor McDonald and seconded by Councillor H. Rone-Clarke.

In proposing the Motion, Councillor McDonald commented that since the Covid-19 pandemic, Councils had undertaken a lot of remote working and had made use of far more technology than in previous years. Many local authorities were live streaming their Council and Committee meetings and this enabled their residents to access meetings in a range of ways as well as to engage with the local democratic process, which helped to hold Members to account. For many people, it was more convenient to watch a Committee meeting at home on their personal devices, rather than to attend a meeting in person at Parkside. Live streaming also enabled people who had work, caring and other commitments to learn about the decisions that the Council was making. By televising Council meetings, Bromsgrove District Council would be taking action suitable for local democracy in the twenty-first century.

In seconding the Motion, Councillor Rone-Clarke advised that he had raised the possibility of live streaming Council and Committee meetings in 2019. There were many Councils that already live streamed their meetings and the Council had managed to live stream remote meetings when these were held in the 2020-2021 municipal year. By live streaming Council meetings, Bromsgrove District Council would be in a better position to enable certain groups within the local community to engage in the democratic process, including people with physical disabilities and residents who worked shifts.

In response to the Motion, the Portfolio Holder for Finance and Enabling explained that Bromsgrove District Council had already had some success with the live streaming of some Committee meetings. Generally, the decision to live stream a meeting was based on the likelihood of there being significant public interest in the business due to be conducted at that meeting. In particular, this had meant that the Council had live streamed a number of Planning Committee meetings in recent years, which had tended to attract more public interest than other meetings. Bromsgrove District Council had also successfully live streamed a number of Council meetings, particularly during the pandemic, when public access was restricted for safety reasons.

However, it was recognised that there were a number of different systems available in the wider marketplace. To this end, officers had been tasked with investigating what options were available to the Council. This was to ensure that arrangements continued to offer best value for the authority and for the communities it served, as well as providing opportunities for members of the public to observe some meetings, should they choose to do so. As this work progressed, Members would be kept fully engaged in discussions about the available options through consideration at meetings of the Constitution Review Working Group.

Members were asked to note that there were financial implications to consider if the Council purchased a dedicated live streaming system. The costs entailed varied between suppliers and types of system, with different packages being available, depending on the needs of the authority and local community. On this basis, the Council would need to carefully consider the most efficient and cost-effective option for the authority.

The Portfolio Holder for Finance and Enabling concluded by explaining that, whilst he supported the general aim to live stream Council meetings moving forward, he had some reservations about the potential for the available options to be investigated in time to report back to the following meeting of Council in May 2022. In this context, an amendment was proposed to the last five words of the Motion, to read as follows:

The amendment was proposed by Councillor G. Denaro and seconded by Councillor K. May.

The extent to which the proposed changes to the wording of the Motion represented a legitimate amendment was briefly discussed. Officers clarified that the Council had previously agreed to refer the subject of a Motion for the consideration of another Council body. Therefore, the amendment was acceptable from a constitutional perspective.

Members subsequently debated the amendment in some detail and in doing so commented that the Constitution Review Working Group could only consider and debate the options available to the Council. A final decision on this subject would need to be taken by Council.

Consideration was given to the financial implications of the various options available. In order to achieve best value for the Council, Members suggested that consideration should be given to procuring a live streaming option jointly with Redditch Borough Council, in line with the two authorities’ existing shared service arrangements.

In responding to the proposed amendment, Councillor McDonald questioned the extent to which the arrangements for live streaming meetings would be financially expensive. Members were advised that residents could and had recorded Council meetings directly from their phones onto social media. Council was also asked to note that, given meetings had been live streamed when held remotely during the 2020 – 2021 municipal year, there would already be some familiarity amongst Officers with the options available.

On being put to the vote, the amendment was carried.

In concluding the discussions in respect of this Motion, Members discussed the extent to which it would be appropriate for the Constitution Review Working Group to review the options available to the Council in order to live stream meetings. Given the financial implications, the suggestion was made that it might be more appropriate for this matter to be considered further by the Finance and Budget Working Group. However, Members were advised that the Constitution Review Working Group had previously requested further investigation of this matter.

On being put to the vote the amended Motion was carried.

RESOLVED that a great number of local authorities televise their council meetings allowing residents to watch local democracy from the comfort of their homes. This opens the council to full scrutinisation of its actions in the council chamber and shows local democracy at work. Therefore, we call upon officers to present options as to how meetings of full Council can be televised and refer this to the Constitution Review Working Group.

Support for Ukraine

Council also considered the following Motion on Notice that was submitted by Councillor K. May:

“Bromsgrove District Council is saddened and disturbed by the aggression against Ukraine, which has caused horrific devastation, and created an escalating humanitarian crisis with millions displaced or affected. In light of this, and as a way of expressing support for the people of Ukraine and members of our communities who are from or who have ties with Ukraine this Council;

a. Condemns the invasion of Ukraine and stands in solidarity with the people of Ukraine and their families and friends.

b. Stands ready to provide support and assistance to innocent people displaced and affected.

c. Will work with and support the efforts of our local communities to provide help, support and comfort to those in need.”

The Motion was proposed by Councillor May and seconded by Councillor C. Hotham.

In proposing the Motion, Councillor May noted that on 24^th February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine. Councillor May expressed the view that it was important to demonstrate the Council’s support for the Ukrainian population at this time. The support was echoed by local residents, many of whom had offered their homes to temporarily rehouse Ukrainian refugees. In providing this support, Members would be recognising that Ukrainian refugees had been displaced from their homes and livelihoods as a result of the war.

In seconding the Motion, Councillor Hotham commented that he welcomed the fact that this was a Motion that had received cross party support. Ukraine was in a desperately sad predicament. Ukrainian citizens had moved in the period of a few weeks from peace and relative stability to war. Unfortunately, there were reports of civilians suffering due to instances of bombings, rape and murders perpetrated by members of the Russian Army. In this context, there was a need to do everything possible to support Ukrainians and to stand up to Russia.

Council subsequently discussed the Motion and there was agreement that it was important to demonstrate solidarity with the people of Ukraine. Members expressed sympathy for the situation in which Ukrainian citizens had been placed. It was noted that many people in the UK had contributed to the humanitarian aid offered to Ukraine. Unfortunately, there had been some delays in terms of the provision of this aid and Members expressed hopes that this would be rectified soon. Members noted that there would be economic consequences to the war and the sanctions imposed on Russia as a consequence, however, people would be willing to make sacrifices.

Members praised the work of families and individuals living in the District who had already offered accommodation to Ukrainian refugees. In some cases, Ukrainian families were waiting for visas to be issued in order to travel to the UK. Members noted that hosts would be committed to providing accommodation to Ukrainians for up to six months. After this point, there was the possibility that alternative housing options might be required and the Council would need to work closely with Bromsgrove District Housing Trust (BDHT) to support people accordingly.

On being put to the vote the Motion was carried.

RESOLVED that Bromsgrove District Council is saddened and disturbed by the aggression against Ukraine, which has caused horrific devastation, and created an escalating humanitarian crisis with millions displaced or affected. In light of this, and as a way of expressing support for the people of Ukraine and members of our communities who are from or who have ties with Ukraine this Council;

a. Condemns the invasion of Ukraine and stands in solidarity with the people of Ukraine and their families and friends.

b. Stands ready to provide support and assistance to innocent people displaced and affected.

c. Will work with and support the efforts of our local communities to provide help, support and comfort to those in need.

144 Bus Service

The following Motion on Notice was submitted by Councillor H. Rone-Clarke for consideration at the meeting.

“Bromsgrove District Council condemns the proposal to cut the 144 bus service.

Council acknowledges how vital this service is to many of our residents, who use it to commute to Worcester and Birmingham.

Council therefore resolves to make known our support for this service and commits to lobby the relevant authorities to ensure its survival.”

The Motion was proposed by Councillor Rone-Clarke and seconded by Councillor K. May.

In proposing the Motion, Councillor Rone-Clarke commented that the 144 bus service had been in operation since early in the twentieth century. Like many residents, Councillor Rone-Clarke had utilised the service in his youth. Many local residents relied on the service to travel to and from college, to provide care in the community and to travel to and from work. A petition had been launched on this subject which was receiving a lot of support. Without access to the service, many vulnerable residents would be required to pay for a taxi or to spend extra on fuel for their own vehicles.

In seconding the Motion, Councillor May advised that she, like other colleagues, had been actively lobbying Worcestershire County Council on this subject. The Worcestershire County Council Cabinet Member with responsibility for Highways and Transport had sent the Leader the following statement, that day, on this subject:

“Worcestershire County Council are engaged in talks with two operators to offer possible timetables and costings to replace the 144 service. The deadline for these operators to come back to us is 3pm Friday 22^nd and they will be discussed as priority on Monday 25^th when the Transport Network Development Manager at Worcestershire County Council returns from leave.

With regards to the school children that would normally use the 144 into Bromsgrove, First have confirmed they will operate their existing S45 school service along the route of the 144 from 2^nd May.”

The Leader expressed the view that this statement demonstrated that things were moving in the right direction. At a time when the Council was trying to encourage people to use their cars less frequently in order to reduce carbon emissions, it was important to ensure that public transport met the needs of local residents.

Members welcomed the cross-party support for the Motion and agreed that the action proposed in the Motion would benefit the local community. It was noted that Councillors needed to set an example in their communities and using public transport to travel around the District was a key element of this. The public transport options needed to be available to enable Members and the public to choose to travel in this way, rather than relying on personal vehicles.

Reference was made to the particular needs of elderly and vulnerable residents who might be unable to drive their own vehicles. Many residents in this position relied on public transport and it was therefore important to ensure they could access bus services at different times to attend hospital appointments, socialise and do essential shopping. Many Members noted that they had been contacted by local residents about this issue prior to the Council meeting, which had helped to raise awareness of the impact that the end of this service would have in the local community.

During consideration of this item, Members noted that there were parts of the District that were not served by a bus service. Residents living in these areas had limited incentives to encourage them to use public transport instead of their own vehicles. However, a reduction in car use would have a beneficial impact on carbon emissions. Members suggested that in order to achieve this, bus connectivity in rural areas needed to be addressed.

On being put to the vote the Motion was carried.

RESOLVED that Bromsgrove District Council condemns the proposal to cut the 144 bus service.

Council acknowledges how vital this service is to many of our residents, who use it to commute to Worcester and Birmingham.

Council therefore resolves to make known our support for this service and commits to lobby the relevant authorities to ensure its survival.

Supporting documents: