a) Written questions to Cabinet Members
No written questions have been received.
b) Leader and Cabinet Members’ Question Time (45 minutes)
Any member of the Council may ask the Leader of the Council or any Cabinet Member any question without prior notice, upon:
· Any matter relating to the Council’s administration
· Any matter relating to any report of the Cabinet appearing on the Council’s summons
· A matter coming within their portfolio of responsibilities
Only one supplementary question is allowed per question.
c) Questions to Chairs of Meetings (15 Minutes)
Minutes:
Written Questions to Cabinet Members
77a.1 No written questions had been received.
Leader and Cabinet Members’ Question Time
77b.1 Councillor Hilton asked the Leader of the Council what he thought of Pure Bargains occupying the former Marks and Spencer store.
77b.2 Councillor James believed that it was better for the premises to be occupied and trading than not. He advised that it was a temporary letting and was something over which the Council had no control.
77b.3 Councillor Hilton believed that the Council had systematically failed to find a quality retailer for the premises and asked if the Leader agreed that there were already enough discount stores in the City centre.
77b.4 Councillor James noted that the number of empty units in the City centre had fallen from 53 to 26 in the last year. He stated that he endeavoured to influence such matters and was in regular contact with the Head of Property at Marks and Spencer, although there were a number of legacy issues related to the age of those premises.
77b.5 Councillor Haigh referred to the Centre for Cities report ‘Cities Outlook 2015’, which showed that Gloucester had the lowest job growth at -12.6% and asked the Leader of the Council to explain the poor performance.
77b.6 Councillor James responded that there had been significant investment in regeneration in the City which had the 7th highest employment rate, 9th highest housing stock growth and the 2nd highest number of patents granted per 100,000 head of population. He noted that Javelin Group had identified the City as the 2nd fastest growing retail destination and there had been 875 business start-ups in 2013. He advised that the highest fall in unemployment had been announced on 21 January, following the recent trend and noted that the statistics did not take account of self-employment. He noted that several large employers had moved to the fringes of the City and were therefore not counted in City centre figures.
77b.7 Councillor Haigh asked if the Leader agreed that more pound shops and tattoo parlours were not what the City needed.
77b.8 Councillor James responded that the City had ambitious plans for regeneration including Kings Quarter, Bakers Quay and Blackfriars.
77b.9 Councillor Hilton noted that The Citizen had reported that the City had been short-listed for housing zone status and asked for the Leader of the Council’s views.
77b.10 Councillor James responded that housing zone status would help to lever in £110 million of private sector investment and that sites being considered included Bakers Quay, Monks Meadow, the former prison and the Kwik Save site. He noted that housing zone status would provide cheaper access to funding and that the Council would have to commit to streamlining the planning process. The Council was on a short-list of 29 and it would be beneficial for the City to develop brown-field sites.
77b.11 Councillor Hilton noted that the Kwik Save site had been granted planning permission but the issue was the affordability of development and there was a need for public sector investment.
77b.12 Councillor James responded that housing zone status would not provide access to cash or provide a magic wand for brown field sites. Officers were in regular contact with regard to the site, where there were decontamination and archaeological issues.
77b.13 Councillor Haigh referred to reports in The Citizen regarding ‘legal highs’ and asked the Cabinet Member for Communities and Neighbourhoods what action the Council was taking.
77b.14 Councillor Dallimore stated that the Community Safety Team did not consider that legal highs were an issue in the City. She noted that Safer Gloucester maintained good working relationships with partners and with licensed premises in the City and she did not believe that any further action was necessary at the present time.
77b.15 Councillor Haigh asked if sales of legal highs in the City had been assessed.
77b.16 Councillor Dallimore responded that the Police and the Licensing Team met each month and undertook a number of joint operations for other initiatives that included opportunities to check sales of legal highs.
77b.17 Councillor Toleman referred to the improvement works undertaken at 57 Southgate Street as part of the Southgate Street Townscape Heritage Initiative and asked the Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Culture how many other properties would undergo similar improvement work.
77b.18 Councillor James reported that two more properties had been approved and that a further two were awaiting approval. He advised that the Initiative would deliver a significant transformation to an important corridor into the City.
77b.19 Councillor Lugg referred to the Members Allocation Fund and asked the Cbainet Member for Communities and Neighbourhoods if it would be repeated in 2015/16 as she had hoped to fund a trip to the Skillszone for the Junior Wardens, but as they had been unable to make the trip before 31 March the funding had been refused.
77b.20 Councillor Dallimore responded that the funding was only available during the current financial year and that only 15 Members had spent their allocation to date, although she was aware that other Members had plans for their allocations. She hoped that, subject to the approval of the Council Budget for 2015/16, the scheme would be repeated. She suggested Councillor Lugg made an application for the present year and undertook to see if there was any discretion available.
77b.21 Councillor Randle noted the demolition of property by Gloucester City Homes prior to the stock transfer and asked the Cabinet Member for Housing, Health and Leisure for an explanation.
77b.22 Councillor Organ replied that the initiative was running parallel to Stage 3 of the Stock Transfer Process.
77b.23 Councillor Mozol asked the Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Culture why local traders were not invited to events at Gloucester Quays.
77b.24 Councillor James responded that the events were organised by Gloucester Quays. He noted that the Council’s Tourist Information Centre had a stall at the Victorian Market. He suggested that local traders contacted Gloucester Quays and noted that the City Centre Partnership had organised street markets to coincide with events at the Quays.
77b.25 Councillor Beeley asked the Leader of the Council what the long term legacy of the Rugby World Cup would be for the City.
77b.26 Councillor James replied that Ernst and Young had estimated that the World Cup events would bring £48million of spending to the City. There would be benefits associated with increased participation and improved facilities for local clubs. There would be opportunities for volunteering at the ground, at the Fanzone and many other opportunities.
77b.27 Councillor Beeley noted that two all-weather pitches were planned; one in Bristol and one at Oxstalls and asked if the City was being denied benefits of hosting the matches.
77b.28 Councillor James undertook to make enquiries regarding the pitch at Bristol, but noted that Gloucestershire Rugby Union included Bristol.
77b.29 Councillor Hansdot noted that Barton and Tredworth had been reported as the ninth worst area locally for flytipping and he asked the Cabinet Member for Environment what was being done to address this.
77b.30 Councillor Porter replied that a large amount of work was undertaken in the ward, although he believed that much of the flytipping was done by local traders and residents. He believed that the Council’s response to flytipping incidents was exemplary and would continue to be so, however, he requested Ward Councillors’ co-operation in reporting incidents. He reported that Officers were actively checking that local traders had agreements in place to dispose of their trade waste.
77b.31 Councillor Tracey asked the Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Culture about the perceived lack of decorations in Kings Square.
77b.32 Councillor James stated that an additional Christmas tree had been placed in the Square, which was visited by the Coca-Cola Christmas lorry. He stated that there used to be a budget of £100,000 for Christmas activities and the provision of a seasonal ice rink, but that funding was no longer available and if traders wanted more they would have to contribute to the cost. He noted that in some areas traders were required to pay towards the costs of Christmas decorations. He had asked the City Centre Manager to investigate the possibility of introducing a Kissing Tree for Christmas 2015.
77b.33 Councillor Haigh noted that she had recently had cause to report a full litter bin by the tunnel near the railway station and had to wait for five minutes for her call to be answered by the Contact Centre; she asked the Cabinet Member for Environment what could be done to prevent people having to wait so long to report such matters.
77b.34 Councillor Porter stated that the Contact Centre was not within his portfolio, but reported he had seen the full bin himself together with rubbish in Oxford Street and advised that he would be discussing the matter with Officers.
77b.35 The Mayor ruled that the time allotted for Members’ Questions had expired.