a) Leader and Cabinet Members’ Question Time (30 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:
78.1 Councillor Haigh asked if the Leader of the Council had been disappointed by the failure of the Growth Deal 3 funding bid for Gloucester Railway Station.
78.2 Councillor James confirmed that he had been disappointed by the decision but was looking at other ways of funding the improvements to the railway station.
78.3 Councillor Haigh asked if the Local Enterprise Partnership were working in the best interests of the County town.
78.4 Councillor James cited a number of schemes that would benefit the City including:-
The new Bus Station
Blackfriars
A40 Longford improvements
The Cheltenham Cyber Park which would benefit City residents who worked in Cheltenham.
78.5 Councillor Haigh asked if the Cabinet Member for Performance and Resources was confident that the Together Gloucester proposals had taken into account those staff members with protected characteristics.
78.6 Councillor David Norman stated that he was satisfied that due process had been followed
78.7 Councillor Haigh asked the Cabinet Member for Performance and Resources if legal advice had been sought.
78.8 Councillor David Norman stated that he was confident that due process had been followed.
78.9 Councillor Hilton noted that the new TK-Max store had opened and he asked the Leader of the Council if he would join him in wishing the store every success.
78.10 Councillor James stated that he would be happy to join Councillor Hilton in wishing the store every success. He noted that it was the first major store to open in the City centre for some time and he hoped that TK-Max would be a success in the City.
78.11 Councillor Hilton noted that the British Home Stores had closed and Argos had announced that their store in the City centre would be closing. He asked the Leader of the Council what the Council would be doing about these large empty buildings in the City centre.
78.12 Councillor James noted that the former British Home Stores premises were part of the King’s Walk development and on the market. He was awaiting a date for a meeting with the owners of the Argos building in order to offer what assistance the Council could provide.
78.13 Councillor Hilton noted the introduction of fixed penalty notices for fly tipping and asked the Cabinet Member for Environment how effective he thought they would be when there had been 2,400 incidents in Gloucester in 2015-16.
78.14 Councillor Cook responded that five fines had been issued and he hoped that the income from fixed penalties could be reinvested in further enforcement.
78.15 Councillor Hilton noted that Districts with free bulky goods collections suffered fewer incidents of fly tipping and he believed that fly tipping would reduce if the free bulky goods collection could be reinstated and funded by the income from fines.
78.16 Councillor Cook noted that Cheltenham had had 500 incidents of fly tipping in 2015-16. He would ask Officers to investigate the possibly of reinstating the free bulky goods collection as revenues increased.
78.17 Councillor Fearn asked the Cabinet Member for Performance and Resources if he thought it was appropriate to employ consultants in times of austerity.
78.18 Councillor David Norman stated that it was prudent to retain some resource and he noted that some consultants had specialised knowledge and that Council relied on the Managing Director to ensure that they were employed prudently. He also noted that full time posts were a continuing commitment while the engagement of consultants was time limited.
78.19 Councillor Fearn asked the Cabinet Member for Performance and Resources if he would provide a report on the cost of consultants since 2010.
78.20 Councillor David Norman replied that he would consult Officers and provide the Member with a written reply.
78.21 Councillor Pullen welcomed the introduction of Fixed Penalty Notices for fly tipping and asked the Cabinet Member for Environment if similar penalties could be introduced for abandoned vehicles.
78.22 Councillor Cook believed that such arrangements were already in place but he undertook to check with Officers and should that not be the case, he would endeavour to introduce such a scheme as soon as possible.
78.23 Councillor Lugg noted that the public toilets in the bus station were closed and this presented a problem for travellers using the bus station before City centre stores were open. She asked the Cabinet Member for Environment when this would be rectified,
78.24 Councillor Cook explained that the closure was temporary following incidents of threatening behaviour and hazardous detritus left on the premises. He was reviewing potential solutions with a view to resolving the issue fairly soon.
78.25 Councillor Tracey stated that the bus station toilets were in an appalling state and noted that there were now no public toilets in the City Centre. She asked the Cabinet Member for Environment if he would look into the matter tomorrow.
78.26 Councillor Cook stated that he would endeavour to progress this matter as soon as possible.
78.27 Councillor Wilson noted that the investment in Icelandic banks, which had been made following advice from the Audit Commission had been written off. He asked the Cabinet Member for Performance and Resources what measures had been taken to prevent a recurrence.
78.28 Councillor David Norman undertook to provide Councillor Wilson with a written response.
78.29 Councillor Patel thanked the Cabinet Member for Environment for the new policy to tackle fly tipping which was a major issue in Barton and Tredworth. He asked the Cabinet Member for an assurance that more resources would be dedicated to enforcement.
78.30 Councillor Cook stated that whatever resources possible would be dedicated to reducing fly tipping.
78.31 Councillor Coole asked in the Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning was disappointed that the Winnycroft development would not now deliver a single affordable home.
78.32 Councillor Organ, Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning, advised that the Officer recommendation for this application had been 10 per cent affordable homes and the Planning Committee had refused the application as Members required the application to deliver 20 per cent.
78.33 Councillor Coole asked if the Winnycroft application would set a precedent for the adjoining site at Winnycroft and other similar sites.
78.34 Councillor Organ noted that precedent was a difficult issue in housing developments and the Council wished to achieve a balanced housing portfolio. He noted that developments for the elderly were a missing component at the present time.
78.35 Councillor Haigh asked the Leader of the Council if he agreed with the comments of the Cabinet Member for Performance and Resources regarding risky and unwise investments.
78.36 Councillor James stated that the Cabinet Member for Performance and Resources had not been aware of the context of those decisions.
78.37 Councillor Haigh asked the Leader of the Council on what basis would he not have made the investments.
78.38 The Leader of the Council stated that he would probably not have made that investment as a private investor but the Council decision had been made on the advice available at the time.