Agenda and minutes

Venue: Civic Suite, North Warehouse, The Docks, Gloucester, GL1 2EP

Contact: Democratic and Electoral Services 

Items
No. Item

86.

Declarations of Interest

To receive from Members, declarations of the existence of any disclosable pecuniary, or non-pecuniary, interests and the nature of those interests in relation to any agenda item. Please see Agenda Notes.

Minutes:

Councillor Hudson declared a personal interest in Agenda Item 11 (Purple Flag Briefing) owing to his position as Chair of Gloucester LVA.

87.

Declaration of Party Whipping

To declare if any issues to be covered in the Agenda are under party whip.

 

Minutes:

There were no declarations of party whipping.

88.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 196 KB

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on Monday 9th January 2023.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

88.1    In response to a query from Councillor Wilson concerning 81.3 and the commitment to clarify when the City Council’s contract with West Mercia Energy was initially put in place and when a new contract would need to be negotiated, the Democratic and Electoral Services Officer confirmed that this information had been obtained and was provided in the Action Point updates in Agenda Item 7.

 

          RESOLVED – That the minutes of the meeting held on 9th January 2023 were approved and signed as a correct record by the Chair.

89.

Public Question Time (15 minutes)

To receive any questions from members of the public provided that a question does not relate to:

 

·       Matters which are the subject of current or pending legal proceedings or

·       Matters relating to employees or former employees of the Council or comments in respect of individual Council Officers.

 

To ask a question at this meeting, please submit it to democratic.services@gloucester.gov.uk by 12 noon on Wednesday 25th January 2023, or telephone 01452 396203 for support.

Minutes:

There were no public questions.

90.

Petitions and Deputations (15 minutes)

To receive any petitions and deputations provided that no such petition or deputation is in relation to:

 

·       Matters relating to individual Council Officers, or

·       Matters relating to current or pending legal proceedings.

 

To present a petition or deputation, please submit it to democratic.services@gloucester.gov.uk by 12 noon on Wednesday 25th January 2023, or telephone 01452 396203 for support.

 

Minutes:

There were no petitions nor deputations.

91.

Action Point Item pdf icon PDF 137 KB

To note the outcomes of action points arising from previous meetings.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

RESOLVED – That the Overview and Scrutiny Committee NOTE the updates.

92.

Overview and Scrutiny Committee Work Programme and Council Forward Plan pdf icon PDF 237 KB

To receive the latest version of the Committee’s work programme and the Council’s Forward Plan.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

92.1   The Chair, Councillor Pullen, introduced the latest version of the Council Forward Plan and invited suggestions as to any items Members wished to add to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee Work Programme.

 

92.2    Councillor Hilton noted that the City Council had been unsuccessful in its bid for Levelling Up Fund 2 grant funding and suggested that the Overview and Scrutiny Committee request a briefing on plans to deliver the Eastgate project despite the funding rejection. The Chair expressed the view that the City Council needed to receive feedback from Central Government on the bid prior to this item being brought before the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

 

92.3    The Leader of the Council, Councillor Richard Cook, noted that he had been disappointed to learn that all local authorities who had made second bids for Levelling Up Funding had been automatically turned down, despite having been encouraged by Central Government to make second bids if they were entitled to. Councillor Cook advised that the City Council would receive feedback in due course and that Officers were considering options.

 

92.4    Councillor Hilton reiterated that the Overview and Scrutiny Committee should have a discussion around next steps and proposals to deliver a similar project, The Chair emphasised that in his view this discussion could only take place after Officers received feedback.

 

92.5    Councillor Gravells noted that he was pleased that a report on the Here to Help reporting facility had been added to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee Work Programme and invited Members to bring forward any issues of areas of interest which they would like addressed in the report. Councillor Wilson noted his interest in this item, as it was his understanding that few other Councils operated a similar Here to Help system.

 

92.6    Councillors Ackroyd and Conder raised concerns about the Here to Help online contact forms. Councillor Conder commented that she found the refuse form particularly difficult to use.

 

          RESOLVED – That the Overview and Scrutiny Committee NOTE the Work Programme.

 

 

93.

Endorsement of a Five Year Vision for Gloucester City Centre pdf icon PDF 174 KB

To consider the report of the Leader of the Council informing Members of the work undertaken over the past 18 months by the Gloucester City Centre Commission, and outlining a five year vision for Gloucester City Centre produced in consultation with the City Centre Commission.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

93.1    The City Growth and Delivery Manager provided an overview of the Vision for Gloucester City Centre and explained that the document was not an action plan, but a vision to guide future strategies. He explained that the Vision was underpinned by six core principles and provided Members with a summary of the 5-Year Vision document, which outlined aspirations for a green and nature-rich city centre, a well designed and improving city, a growing local economy and workforce, thriving quarters and city which appeals to all ages.

 

93.2    The Chair noted that the public consultation through the University of Gloucester had taken place late in the process and asked whether the consultation data had had an impact on the 5-Year Vision document. He also asked if the City Council were to undertake the consultation again, whether it would be minded to do so earlier. The City Growth and Delivery Manager expressed the view that an earlier consultation would not have altered the outcome, and that the university research had acted as a form of scrutiny. He noted that if a similar exercise was undertaken in the future, consideration might be given to starting the consultation earlier.

 

93.3    Referring to the narrative in the Vision document concerning ‘measuring progress’ and the absence of figures, the Chair queried how the data would be decided. The City Growth and Delivery Manager clarified that when they were included, the figures would be indicators rather than targets and that his preference would be to steer away from a Key Performance Indicator (KPI) approach. The City Growth and Delivery Manager confirmed that he would be responsible for deciding the figures.

 

93.4    In response to a further question from the Chair regarding the missing figures, the City Growth and Delivery Manager confirmed that updated figures would be included in the final Cabinet report.

 

93.5    Councillor Hilton noted his disappointment that the Vision did not extend beyond 5 years. He raised concerns that the document did not detail the impact of a revitalised city centre on existing city centre residents and felt that more consideration could be given to creating more workspaces for existing residents. In response to these concerns, the City Growth and Delivery Manager accepted that a sense of community was needed and stated that more information would be published on the City Council website in due course.

 

93.6    In response to Councillor Hilton’s comment that the Vision was not ready for adoption and that further consultation was needed with residents, the City Growth and Delivery Manager highlighted that the initial plan was always for a 5-year Vision and that the Vision was deliberately optimistic in terms of regeneration plans. He noted that consideration could be given to making KPIs more explicit if this was needed to reflect a changing demographic.

 

93.7    Councillor Hilton expressed the view that a significant proportion of Gloucester city centre housing was substandard and that there was a need for more good quality homes. He reiterated his view that the document  ...  view the full minutes text for item 93.

94.

Gloucester City Commission to Review Race Relations - Year One Update pdf icon PDF 74 KB

To receive an update on progress in implementing the Calls to Action of the Gloucester City Commission to Review Race Relations.

Minutes:

94.1    The Leader of the Council, Councillor Richard Cook, advised Members that the briefing document provided a one-year update following the report of the Gloucester City Commission to Review Race Relations and their resulting ‘calls to action.’ In relation to the call to action to establish an independent legacy institution for Gloucestershire, Councillor Cook advised Members that the Gloucestershire Race Equality Action Group (GREAG) had been established. He noted that the City Council had held several meetings with GREAG and were building a relationship with the organisation to help progress its work collaboratively. He further confirmed that the council had agreed to second an Officer to the Black South West Network to support the work of GREAG.

 

94.2    Councillor Cook referred to the call to action to set out a Gloucestershire wide vision for workforce equality in the public sector and the delivery of a ‘stepping up programme’. He confirmed that engagement had started on the steps which could be taken to formalise workforce equality initiatives, however he noted that there were limitations in the role the City Council could play beyond its own remit.

 

94.3    In respect of the call to action to put measures in place to ensure the collection and use of high-quality ethnicity data in planning and delivering public services, Councillor Cook confirmed that strong progress had been made through equalities actions which had been embedded in the Council Plan and service plans. He noted that this had been further emphasised by equalities being a key overarching theme in the Council Plan. Councillor Cook highlighted the call to action to acknowledge the existence of racism, prejudice and micro-aggressions in Gloucester and confirmed that the City Council did acknowledge this.

 

94.3    The Chair queried whether all Gloucestershire District Councils would be assisting with funding the independent legacy institution. The Policy and Development Officer explained that the initial £100K funding to establish the organisation had been provided by the County Council and NHS, and that conversations regarding further funding with District Councils were ongoing.

 

94.4   The Chair asked whether the Terms of Reference could be made available to the Committee. The Policy and Development Officer explained that GREAG were taking some time to adapt and establish themselves and at the time of sharing, it was their view that the Terms of Reference produced by the City Council were too formal to be able to adopt at that stage in GREAG’s development.

 

94.5   In response to a further question from the Chair regarding staff appointments, the Policy and Development Officer confirmed that appointments were decided by GREAG with the City Council having assisted with the advertisement of two posts. He further stated that the former Chair of the Gloucester City Commission to Review Race Relations was involved in the group and that support was also being provided by Gloucestershire County Council and the Black South West Network.

 

94.6    In response to a query from Councillor Wilson as to whether the set of proposed goals had been agreed, the Policy  ...  view the full minutes text for item 94.

95.

Purple Flag Briefing pdf icon PDF 77 KB

To receive an overview of the process of achieving Purple Flag status and an update on next steps to renew Gloucester’s Purple Flag status for 2023.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

95.1   The Cabinet Member for Communities and Neighbourhoods, Councillor Raymond Padilla, provided an overview of the Purple Flag accolade, explaining that it was an international award aiming to raise standards and broaden the appeal of town and city centres during the evening and night-time.  He explained that accreditation of the award was run by the Association of Town and City Management (ATCM) and was the benchmark for good night-time destinations with a safer atmosphere. Councillor Padilla further informed Members that Gloucester City Council would be applying for its sixth consecutive Purple Flag award over the coming months.

 

95.2    Councillor Hilton stated that he was aware that there had been issues with knife carrying and drink spiking in the city. He noted that he was pleased with the work and wished Officers success for the Purple Flag application, however he raised concerns that some businesses in Gloucester were refusing to accept payment by cash. The City Centre Manager noted that this issue could not be addressed through Purple Flag due to its narrow terms of reference, however he agreed to take the matter up with street trading colleagues. A discussion ensued and Councillor Hudson suggested that this was an issue which could be taken up with Gloucester Business Improvement District (BID).

 

95.3    Councillor Wilson referred to the narrative in the update concerning the overnight 12-hour assessment and asked whether judges would stay for the full duration. The City Centre Manager confirmed that the judges would stay for the full duration as every element of the night-time economy would be assessed, including taxi martialling, dispersal, security cameras and street medic coordination. He noted that this assessment was undertaken twice annually, once through the City Council and subsequently Purple Flag. The Chair of the Purple Flag Working Group noted that interested Members were welcome to attend the overnight assessment.

 

95.4    The Chair of the Purple Flag Working Group explained that her role within the partnership was to convene stakeholders and noted that work on making the city safe during the evening and night-time went on throughout the year. She noted that safety was an ongoing issue which had improved over the years and that Purple Flag status would not have been achieved without input and investment from the City Council in the night-time economy, such as CCTV upgrades.

 

95.5    In response to a query from Councillor Radley as to awareness of the city’s Purple Flag status amongst night-time economy users, the City Centre Manager noted that work was ongoing following the latest City Council self-assessment to raise awareness. He explained that door staff wore badges promoting the city’s Purple Flag status and that the Purple Flag Working Group had attended a Freshers event at Hartpury University. The City Centre Manager noted that resource limitations were a challenge, but it was important that users, businesses and parents felt reassured.

 

95.6    In response to an additional query from Councillor Radley regarding the cost of a Purple Flag application, the City Centre Manager explained that this  ...  view the full minutes text for item 95.

96.

Date of Next Meeting

Monday 27th February 2023 at 6.30pm.

Minutes:

Monday 27th February 2023.