Agenda item

Report of the Leader of the Council, attached.

The report of the Leader of the Council was submitted, setting out the details of the business undertaken by the Executive (copy of report circulated with agenda and appended to signed minutes).

 

The Leader and the Cabinet made statements and responded to Questions.

 

The following questions were then submitted in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 11.1:

 

1. Street Promotions

 

Question from Councillor Vinson to Councillor Smith

 

Would the Leader please outline the procedure for approval of commercial promotions in the City Centre?

 

Answer:

 

I am advised that there is no legal requirement for approval of commercial promotions in the City Centre which do not involve the sale of goods or placing of objects on the highway.

 

The background is:

For street trading purposes, the Above Bar pedestrian precinct is a consent street (limited to flowers and newspapers only); Guildhall Square is a consent street, and the rest in the city centre, are prohibited streets. The City Centre Manager has encouraged activities, especially in the area by the Bargate, which have included the distribution of free samples; these are not classed as street trading.

 

Street trading is the sales of goods (selling or exposing or offering for sale of any article), unless exempt, which includes:

·  pedlars with pedlars certificates (from the Police)

·  statutory or charter markets or fairs

·  news vendors

·  trading at shop premises or in a street adjoining shop premises as part of their business

·  trading by roundsmen

·  anything authorised by Part VIIA of the Highways Act 1980 (objects, structures, recreation or refreshment on the highway)

·  authorised charitable collections

 

The promotional activities by the Bargate (together with the markets promoted by the city centre manager there and in Above Bar precinct) are subject to consent under Part VIIA of the Highways Act 1980, Other promotions, such as the distribution of free samples, don’t need permission. If the highway is obstructed, the Police would be able to take appropriate action. The distribution of handbills advertising businesses, entertainments etc “to the annoyance of passengers” is dealt with by a 1907 bye-law, a copy is available on request. Additionally, the Control of Pollution Act 1974 places a prohibition on the use of amplification for advertising purposes.

 

2. Council Rent

 

Question from Councillor Payne to Councillor Baillie

 

With the Government proposing Council Rents to rise to up to 80 per cent of full market rate, can the Cabinet Member tell Council what the average weekly Council rent in Southampton would be, and does he believe this is affordable for tenants?

 

Answer:

 

For 2011/12, the Council has recently been advised that the current rent restructuring arrangements that have applied since April 2002 will continue to apply for a further year.  It is expected that any longer term changes would be announced as part of the wider changes to council housing finance, which are expected to be published early in the new year.

 

Until we receive these details it remains to be clarified whether the higher rent levels will apply to council rents, whether the higher rents would apply to all tenants, or whether the change would be made when tenancies change, and the degree to which individual social landlords can make their own decisions on setting rents at “up to 80% of market rent.” It is not possible therefore to say what the future rent levels for Southampton City Council tenants will be.

 

3. Black History Month

 

Question from Councillor Dr R Williams to Councillor Smith

 

Will the Leader of the Council join with me in complimenting the achievements of this year’s Black History Month in Southampton?

 

Answer:

 

Yes

 

4. Traffic on Itchen Bridge

 

Question from Councillor Drake to Councillor Dean

 

What action is the Cabinet Member taking to help prevent traffic coming to an almost complete standstill across the Itchen Bridge and into the City Centre for hours on end, as happened on 8th November, when cruise liners are visiting the City?

 

 

Answer:

 

The Network Rail closure of Central Bridge for essential maintenance has had an impact on the flow of traffic in this area of the City with a number of motorists diverting along Canute Road past Dock Gate 4.

 

When there are liners in port, they traditionally discharge passengers between 09:00 and 11:00. At weekends this is not a problem, but during the week, these vehicles can extend the peak hour and create limited traffic congestion for traffic entering the City on the Itchen Bridge.

 

The 8th November was exceptional in so much as there were four liners in the port of which three are amongst the worlds biggest. One cruise liner was not able to depart the night before due to weather conditions resulting in the Queen Mary located in the wrong berth. There was confusion for arriving passengers with ABP having to stop and direct each vehicle to the correct Dock gate within their site. This created a back up onto the public highway that we were unable to clear through our traffic control computer, or by additional resources at the toll booths on the bridge.

 

When Central Bridge re-opens next year, the potential for this type of problem will reduce.

 

Cruise passenger growth is forecast to double within the next 10 to 20 years according to the Port Masterplan recently published by ABP.  In addition traffic growth from non port activity growth will see a 50% growth in trips into and out of the City Centre over the period of the Local Development Framework.  The City Council and ABP are currently undertaking a port Transport Assessment.  This is an extensive study looking at the scheme needed to alleviate the causes of congestion.  The City Council is also in discussion with ABP and the cruise industry leaders to identify how such scheme might be funded particularly in light of a reduced Local Transport Plan settlement.

 

Initial results from the study are showing that the Dock Gate 4 junction and the new Ocean Terminals processing capacity are areas that need detailed investigation. 

 

Last year when there was a particularly busy cruise weekend the City Council paid for all buses in the city to be free.  As a result 60,000 additional trips were made by local resident by bus over that weekend alone.  The result was that the network was able to cope.  This illustrates that part of the solution to this issue also involves needing to bring about a significant modal shift away from the private car.  The new Local Transport Plan will be seeking approval in March next year at which time the raft of measures currently being considered will be set out in a 4 year implementation plan.

 

5. Private Sector picking up Council jobs

 

Question from Councillor Bogle to Councillor Smith

 

Which areas of the private sector are expected to pick up the loss of Council jobs in Southampton over the next 4 years?

 

Answer:

 

The following areas of the private sector are expected to bring new jobs to the city:

 

6. Sharing Services with other Local Authorities

 

Question from Councillor Bogle to Councillor Smith

 

What services are being considered for 'sharing' with other local authorities like Portsmouth and what are the potential savings estimates at this stage?

 

Answer:

 

All opportunities for joint working with neighbouring local authorities and other partners are being systematically explored by this administration to ensure that all those who live, work, visit and study in Southampton receive the services they need in the most cost effective way.

 

7. Redundancy arrangements

 

Question from Councillor Bogle to Councillor Moulton

 

How will the Council hold on to its best staff in a redundancy situation?

 

Answer:

 

This will be a difficult period for everyone affected by the proposals. The Council is committed to reducing the impact of the 2011/12 budget proposals on staff wherever possible, and will take practical steps to avoid compulsory redundancies through the Council’s Employment Stability Policy and Guidelines.

 

Wherever possible the Council will seek to redeploy displaced staff, giving people the chance to take on a new role within the organisation. The Council will ensure that the associated selection processes are consistent, fair and transparent, ensuring that the right people are recruited to the right job.

 

Where it is not possible to provide a redeployment opportunity, there is the firm commitment to offer support and guidance at all stages of the process through:

 

 

8. Housing Waiting List

 

Question from Councillor Bogle to Councillor Baillie

 

How many people on the Council waiting list are under 35?

 

Answer:

 

As of November 2010 there are 3050 single people on the Council’s Housing List who are waiting for social housing who are 35 years of age or under.

 

 

9. Special Constables

 

Question from Councillor Vinson to Councillor Moulton

 

How many Special Constables are currently taking advantage of the Executive’s Council Tax Discount?  How many of these have signed up as Special Constables after the introduction of the discount?

 

Answer:

 

The first Council Tax Discounts for Special Constables were awarded in May 2010, when a total of 32 were granted.

 

By the end of the October 2010, the number Council Tax Discounts awarded to Special Constables had risen by 5 to 37.

 

10.  Neighbourhood Watch

 

Question from Councillor Vinson to Councillor P Williams

 

Can the Cabinet Member confirm that in order to establish a Neighbourhood Watch scheme one third of all the residents in a street are required to sign up?

 

Answer:

 

In advance of this question I have spoken to a number of residents involved with Neighbourhood Watch. There are lots of good examples of how residents across the City have got more people involved in Neighbourhood Watch. One such resident in Mayfield Road, just around the corner from you, was bustling with stories of how she has got people in her road signed up to Neighbourhood Watch. She wants to go further and get more students involved. 

 

The Council and its partners are working on being as flexible as possible with regards to the setting up of Neighbourhood Watch schemes. Some roads such as Hill Lane have more than one scheme in them. The Council also wants to help residents getting involved with setting up a scheme.

 

11. Closure of Whitehaven Lodge

 

Question from Councillor McEwing to Councillor White

 

Can the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Health advise full Council what is going to happen to Whitehaven Lodge when all the residents are forced out?

 

Answer:

 

Once residents have all been helped to move on from Whitehaven in a fully supported way, the building will be appropriately secured and arrangements made to dispose of the site.

 

 

12. Future use of Whitehaven Lodge

 

Question from Councillor McEwing to Councillor White

 

Can the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Health advise full Council if Solent University is still interested in using Whitehaven Lodge building for students based at their academy in Redbridge?

 

Answer:

 

I and my officers have, as already stated in Full Council in response to an earlier question, no knowledge of any interest in the site by Solent.

 

13. Primary School Places review

 

Question from Councillor Barnes-Andrews to Councillor Holmes

 

Can you please provide an update of the Primary School places review?

 

Answer:

 

Pre-statutory consultation on proposals to increase the number of primary school places in the city ended last year.  Further talks with schools have resulted in statutory proposals to add extra school places in 20 primary sector schools across Southampton between Sept 2011 and 2015.

 

These statutory proposals will be considered by Cabinet on 22 November. If approved they will be published shortly after this.