Agenda item

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.

 

The Chairman reported that 7 Motions on Notice had been submitted for this meeting. In advance of the meeting, the proposer of the last Motion, Councillor Hunter, had discussed his Motion with the Leader, and had agreed to withdraw it, on the basis that work was already ongoing and it had been agreed it would be prioritised going forwards.

 

Candy and Vape Stores

 

Council considered the following Motion on Notice submitted by Councillor E. Gray:

 

This Council calls upon the Bromsgrove MP to lobby Government to call a halt to American-style candy and vape stores opening up on high streets. These entice young people to take up dangerous habits which cause significant risk to young people/children’s health and well-being.

 

Councillor P. McDonald seconded the motion.  He referred to the emergence of shops selling sweets and e-cigarettes on local high streets and promoting their wares to children of all ages.  The lack of legislation about advertising vapes and powers of enforcement meant that local regulatory services had not been able to take action.

 

Councillor J. Robinson proposed an amendment as follows:

 

To remove the wording ‘call a halt to American style candy and vape stores opening up on high streets’ and replace with ‘limit the sale of disposable vapes’.

At the end of the Motion to add ‘Furthermore this Council agrees with the cross party LGA view that disposable vapes should be banned and the Leader of the Council agrees to write to Worcestershire County Council to ensure the Trading Standards Team that polices activity has a full complement of officers in place in Bromsgrove to ensure that we crack down on any illegal sales of vapes in our District’.

 

The Council was adjourned between 8.43 and 8.48pm whilst the Chairman sought procedural advice and subsequently advised that the Motion on Notice was very specific and as such the amendment was not accepted.

 

During debate on the Motion on Notice the following points were raised:

 

·       That the motion related to the risks associated with the sale of disposable vapes and sweets.  Some shops such as supermarkets sold vapes and sweets.  5 million vapes were sold each week across the country.  Whilst members agreed there was an impact on children from their availability and sale and understood the sentiment behind the Motion, some considered that it was impractical.

·       The motion addressed a specific issue in a councillor’s ward and also concerned other wards and sought to support members in their ward role.

·       The action proposed by the motion did not address the issue sufficiently and approaching the MP was not likely to have an impact in practical terms.

·       The limitations of the planning system in addressing the concerns raised in the Motion.  There was no route in the planning regime to prevent vapes being sold in shops. 

·       The Government was currently consulting on changes to the controls on vapes as part of its policy to create a smoke free generation.  The Council could consider the issue of vaping in a Cabinet Working Group as a vehicle to agreeing a response to the Government consultation.

·       The Motion sought to prevent young people trying vapes; this was an objective of PHSE classes in schools which focused on building resilience so that children did not try vapes or cigarettes.  Councillors could encourage the delivery of these sessions in schools in their wards.

·       The Motion was seeking a statement by the Council to Parliament about concerns of the impact of the specific shops on the health and wellbeing of children and young people.

·       The Motion did not address the root cause of the issue and risked undermining legitimate businesses and livelihoods.

 

At the conclusion of the debate the proposer and seconder withdrew the motion on the basis that the Leader of the Council offered to establish a Cabinet Working Group to submit a response to the Government consultation on changes to the controls on vapes as part of its policy to create a smoke free generation.  Any Councillor with an interest in this topic would be able to participate in the work of the Working Group.

 

 

Funds to Develop Parks and Recreation Grounds

 

Council considered a Motion on Notice submitted by Councillor J. Elledge:

 

"We call upon officers to immediately meet with all members of the council who want council staff to submit bids for funds to develop Bromsgrove's parks and recreation grounds”.

 

The Motion was seconded by Councillor D. Hopkins.

 

Councillor R.J. Hunter proposed an amendment to insert after ‘We call upon officers’ the words ‘to conclude the existing play audit as soon as possible and then’.

 

Councillor Hunter explained he was keen to see investment in parks and recreation facilities.   However, he understood that a play audit was being undertaken on behalf of the Council by independent experts in order to prioritise work and future investment.  Whilst he agreed with the thrust of the motion, he considered that the result of the independent review should be obtained as evidence and a context for consideration of bids for funding. 

 

On the basis that officers had advised that the play audit should be concluded within the next two months, Councillor J. Elledge accepted the amendment.

During consideration of the motion, the following points were made:

 

·       a councillor sought clarification whether the funding being sought would be internal to the Council or from external sources.  The Council was not able to bid for sources of funding such as the Lottery, but community groups could do so.  The Council should consider how it wished to proceed once the outcome of the play audit was known.

·       A Councillor suggested that the Council would be able to put in bids for certain external funds.

·       The Cabinet member responded that a report on the outcome of the play audit would be presented to councillors in the new year, at which point members could consider the order of spend for new and/or improved play equipment.

·       The Cabinet member would hold a portfolio drop-in session for members about the outcome of the audit and there would be informal briefings for all members about the audit before Christmas.

·       The emerging Medium Term Financial Plan 2024/25 – 2026/27 tranche 1 report would be presented by the s151 officer on 22 November and would include bids for capital funding for improving play areas.  Some of these would be specific and others would seek authority to set money aside for play areas, so they could be allocated once the audit was complete and priorities known. 

 

RESOLVED that

 

We call upon officers to conclude the existing play audit as soon as possible and then immediately meet with all members of the council who want council staff to submit bids for funds to develop Bromsgrove's parks and recreation grounds.

 

 

144 Bus Service

 

Council considered a Motion on Notice proposed by Councillor D. Hopkins:

 

“The Council calls upon the Leader of the Council to lobby the County Council to ensure that the full route previously covered by the 144 bus is restored as whilst the 20 bus route has been in place for some time it is currently failing to meet the needs of residents”.

 

In proposing the motion Councillor Hopkins referred to residents who worked in Birmingham who faced more complicated and expensive journeys to work as the service no longer went into the city.  The alternative of using a train was not always straightforward.

 

The motion was seconded by Councillor E.M.S. Gray.

 

Councillor K. May proposed an amendment, to insert the words ‘continue to’ after ‘The Council calls upon the Leader to….’.  She explained that the Council had been lobbying on this issue for some time.  The amendment was accepted by the proposer.

 

RESOLVED that

 

The Council calls upon the Leader of the Council to continue to lobby the County Council to ensure that the full route previously covered by the 144 bus is restored as whilst the 20 bus route has been in place for some time it is currently failing to meet the needs of residents.

 

 

As the Council was close to reaching the one hour time limit for consideration of Motions on Notice, it was agreed that the Motion on Notice about Fairer Funding for Canals would be deferred for consideration at the next meeting of the Council.