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.  Woolston Wastewater Treatment Works

Question from Councillor Vinson to Councillor Fitzhenry

 

In view of recent adverse publicity regarding the capacity of Woolston Wastewater Treatment Works to cope with current demand, and the additional pressures that will come from increased housing under the Centenary Quay development, can the Cabinet Member advise Council of any steps he has taken to facilitate resolution of these issues by Southern Water?

 

Answer

 

Southern Water has for some time been considering how to resolve the issues associated with discharge standards to the River Itchen set by the Environment Agency, also capacity and odour levels which will in particular impact on the Centenary Quay development.

 

There have been repeated interventions with Southern Water by the City Council along with SEEDA (now HCA) and Crest Nicholson and there is an emerging approach which is to upgrade (rebuild) the existing works to “state of the art” within the existing site. This will incorporate new technology to make the works virtually odour free, provide further capacity as well as meeting all discharge standards. The scheme will also incorporate attractive cladding and landscaping.

 

The alternative option of diverting to elsewhere in South Hampshire would be problematical in terms of delivery and is unlikely to be agreed by Ofwat, the water industry regulator, because of the considerable cost involved in comparison to upgrading the existing works.

 

Southern Water is currently seeking agreement with Ofwat on how the upgrade scheme is to be funded.

 

Southern Water intends to consult with the City Council and the local community on their proposals when they have firmed up on their proposals and programme. This is expected during next year.

 

2.  Recycling in Southampton

Question from Councillor Vinson to Councillor Fitzhenry

 

Is the Cabinet member satisfied with the current level of recycling in Southampton?

 

Answer

 

Between April and the end of September 2011, 24.78% of domestic waste collected in Southampton was sent for recycling, composting or reuse which compares favourably with the other two areas of dense population in Hampshire, namely Portsmouth and Basingstoke.  The Council only sent 12.32 % of its waste to landfill during the corresponding period; one of the lowest figures in the country.

 

3.  Cycling on Pavements

Question from Councillor Vinson to Councillor Fitzhenry

 

Does the Cabinet Member accept that current strategies have proved inadequate to deal with an increase in cycling on Southampton’s pavements which constitutes a danger to pedestrians?

 

Answer

 

The enforcement of inappropriate or nuisance cycling in pedestrian areas including footways is enforceable by the Police.  They regularly undertake enforcement activity in the city.

 

The Council have no powers to undertake enforcement activity though we do provide cycle facilities where there is a high demand.  Our influence is limited to the provision of infrastructure and awareness raising.  On occasions we provide shared use or segregated routes on footways but this is only a last resort where we have considered the relative vulnerability of different road user groups and concluded that putting in cycle facilities in close proximity to pedestrians is the safest solution when considering all other factors.  There is a complex legal process for designating such routes which means that they normally require public opinion to be strongly in favour before they are designated.

 

The Council also work closely with cycle user groups and the Police to raise awareness about nuisance cycling on pavements.  We also have extensive cycle training programmes in schools and adult cycle training which all actively promote using the road for cycling.

 

4. ‘Rogue’ Landlords

Question from Councillor Vinson to Councillor Baillie

 

What steps has the Cabinet Member taken to address problems caused for tenants and neighbourhoods by ‘rogue’ landlords?

 

Answer

 

This Executive has reconfigured services to deal with the worst properties managed by the worst landlords and has a clear policy to tackle rogues, made explicit in the Private Housing Renewal Strategy 2011-2015 adopted on 13 July 2011.

 

Calls about poor housing conditions are now screened and prioritised. Wherever appropriate, landlords are contacted and given an opportunity to put things right and the best invariably do this. Less serious issues are dealt with by advising the landlord and tenants. This frees resources to tackle properties with serious problems.

 

Officers inspect properties with serious hazards, those occupied by vulnerable people and those let by landlords with a poor track record of compliance, determined by analysing service requests received over the last year. Officers deal with a comprehensive list of hazards, including cold and falls.

 

Whenever officers find a particularly poor property, other properties owned by the same landlord are programmed in for an inspection.

 

There is a programme for finding unlicensed houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) and 72 licences were issued for high risk HMOs between April and September 2011, which improves standards and helps reduce community impacts.

 

The Council is currently prosecuting a landlord for a persistent failure to comply with an Improvement Notice and the hearing is scheduled for December.

 

5. Spitfire Memorial

 

Question from Councillor Noon to Councillor Hannides

 

As the Cabinet member involved in the Southampton Spitfire Memorial development, can he update Council as to how much of the money targeted to be raised by private sponsors has been obtained to date (by the end of the third quarter 2011)?

 

Answer

 

This is not a Council project and therefore, in my capacity as a Cabinet Member, I am not in a position to answer the question regarding the Spitfire.

 

6. Music Service

 

Question from Councillor Stevens to Councillor Moulton

 

Please can the Cabinet Member explain how the re-structured music service will work/operate in Southampton?

 

Answer

 

Currently the Authority is carrying out consultation procedures with Southampton Music Service in line with proposed Council budget reductions.

 

The Southampton Music Service will function as a self financing service receiving revenue from; schools, parents, National Music funding and other sources such as The Arts Council of England, Youth Music, charities and Regional Funded Organisations such as Arts Work. The structure, whilst currently being consulted on, will manage the two main strands of work: schools and musical enrichment activities such as; ensembles, orchestras and choirs.

 

7. Primary School Funding

 

Question from Councillor Stevens to Councillor Moulton

 

How will the extra funding (as announced recently from central Government) for primary school capital programme be allocated?

 

Answer

 

The recently announced Government funding of just over £3.1 million was allocated to Southampton City Council specifically on the basis of the need to provide additional places in primary schools in the City (and in recognition of the fact that this will require a significant amount of building work to provide the necessary space).  Since the Council has already published its proposals for addressing this need (in the Cabinet Report of 14 March 2011 and subsequent decision) it is the Council’s intention that this funding should be directed towards the fulfilment of the proposals contained therein.

 

The adoption of the above approach will enable the Council to more swiftly progress with the agreed schemes, on the basis of confirmed funding.

 

8. Academy Funding

 

Question from Councillor Stevens to Councillor Moulton

 

Based on a statement from an Ofsted report - “The inadequate academy is making satisfactory progress. Persistent school absence rates remain above the average for similar areas.” 

 

What are the Cabinet Member’s plans to drive progress on both these issues considering the financial constraints of the coming years?

 

Answer

 

The Local Authority continues to drive up progress on standards and attendance through retaining:

·  A school improvement/standards team to support all schools to improve leadership and management, teaching and learning attainment levels.  This work is being supported through the development of ‘Strategic Partnership Reviews’ with all schools, including academies.

·  A team of Education Welfare Officers to work with schools to deliver our statutory responsibility to instigate legal proceedings against parents regarding pupil absence.

 

9. Primary School Places

 

Question from Councillor Dr Paffey to Councillor Moulton

 

Will the Cabinet Member confirm how many children of primary school age still do not have a school place?

 

Answer

 

As of Monday 14 November:-

 

·  there are 22 children of Primary school age (i.e., aged 4-11) without a school place.

·  Of these:

13 are from abroad

9 are from out of city but within UK.

·  All 22 children are on waiting lists for places at the parents’ choice of school.  The average wait for a place is 2.75 school weeks.

 

10. South Hampshire Deaf Children’s Society

 

Question from Councillor Dr Paffey to Councillor Moulton

 

Following the deputation presented by South Hampshire Deaf Children’s Society at last Full Council, will the Cabinet Member provide an update on his subsequent discussions with representatives of SHDCS?

 

Answer

 

Cllr Moulton and Dr Julia Katherine, Principal Educational Psychologist, met with representatives from SHDCS and the NDCS on 17^th October 2011.  The following were discussed:-

·  Individual cases.

·  Additional HI support that Southampton City Council (SCC) has accessed through partnership agreement with the Isle of Wight.

·  The assessment of need for HI support.

·  The review of HI provision being carried out by SCC.

·  The need to improve communication with parents.

·  Links between HI provision and Southampton’s successful bid to become a pathfinder for the SEN green paper.

At this meeting the following key actions were agreed:

1. Parents to notify SCC of issues related to support for their deaf child.  SCC to investigate any such issues raised.
2. SCC to keep the NDCS updated on the review of HI provision and the SEN pathfinder project, including formal consultation with parents.
3. SCC to send out a letter to parents detailing support arrangements for their child.
4. SCC to send out an evaluation form for parents to complete on the support they have received.
5. SHDCS and the NDCS to work with SCC press office to promote the positive story on HI provision in Southampton.

 

11. Sea City

 

Question from Councillor Barnes-Andrews to Councillor Hannides

 

How much has been raised by the private fundraising for Sea City?

 

Answer

 

The Cultural Development Trust had developed applications to a variety of Trusts and Foundations, some of which will be submitted week beginning 14th November, others shortly after.

These applications are currently confidential and thereforeI am happy to offer a confidential briefing to Councillor Barnes-Andrews.

 

12. Budget Proposals

 

Question from Councillor Barnes-Andrews to Councillor Hannides

 

Did the Cabinet Member find the equality and safety impact assessment of value when reaching his budget proposals?

 

Answer

 

Yes.

 

 

 

13. Photoelectric Generation

 

Question from Councillor Letts to Councillor Fitzhenry

 

How has the recent announcement to halve the buy in tariff for photoelectric generation affected our plans in this area?

 

Answer

 

The City Council is committed to delivering its Solar PV Programme, regardless of the recent proposal by DECC to bring forward the date by which Feed in Tariff (FiT) rates are cut.  SCC’s programme was already at an advanced stage when DECC made its announcement and because of this the team was well placed to react.  SCC’s revised programme now includes a proportion of works which will be delivered before the proposed December review date with the remaining installations to follow no later than 31 March 2012.  The advantages of this approach are that a proportion of the programme will be delivered at the higher FiT should the Government implement its proposal. However, in the event that the Government does not implement its proposal and reverts back to its original April review rate; then SCC will have delivered all of its programme at the higher rate.  Finally, because SCC is investing its own capital in this scheme (rather than the alternative leasing or rental options that most public sector institutions pursue) it will still benefit from returns of between 7% and 15% on investment.

 

14. Green Waste

 

Question from Councillor Letts to Councillor Fitzhenry

 

When will the collection of Green Waste start again?

 

Answer

 

It is proposed to commence collections of green garden waste from Monday 21 November 2011.

 

15. Post-16 Education

 

Question from Councillor Dr Paffey to Councillor Moulton

 

Assuming that the activity survey for Southampton school leavers has now been completed; can the Cabinet Member now say what the current 2011 recruitment numbers are for post-16 education in Southampton per institution, and how many surplus places there are per institution?

 

Answer

 

The activity survey for Southampton school leavers reports on the destinations of year 11 leavers only and will give numbers entering post-16 education from each school, it does not report on local college enrolment numbers and available spaces.

 

The activity survey is not validated by the Department of Education until 28^th November 2011.  Information about the progression of 2011 Year 11 pupils to local colleges will be available during December.

 

The information requested will be shared with Members once it becomes available.  At this point it will also become possible to share how these compare with the numbers of places funded in each of the City’s Further Education Colleges and its other sixth form provision in schools.

 

16. Youth Unemployment

 

Question from Councillor Dr Paffey to Councillor Moulton

 

With youth unemployment reaching crisis levels nationally, will the Cabinet Member provide the latest figures for NEETs in Southampton?

 

Answer

 

The most recently published Department for Education NEET data (academic age 16-18) was for August 2011 and Southampton had a percentage of 7.3% compared with a national figure of 7.6%.  At that time, Southampton’s percentage was ranked 2^nd best of our 11 statistical neighbours and best of the 9 ‘core city’ comparators, so on this key measure we are currently bucking the unfortunate national trend.

 

The most recent data from the Department for Work and Pensions for September 2011 (published by the Office for National Statistics) shows that 3.9% (1705) of Southampton’s 18-24 year olds are currently claiming Job Seekers Allowance, compared to 5.5% in the South East region and 8.1% in Great Britain.

 

17. National Planning Policy Framework

 

Question from Councillor Vinson to Councillor Fitzhenry

 

What representations has the Cabinet or Cabinet Member made to Government regarding their proposed National Planning Policy Framework?

 

Answer

 

The Council did make a submission to Communities and Local Government as part of the national consultation on the draft National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). The full response is available on the Council’s web site and has been the subject of briefings to all three political groups.

http://www.southampton.gov.uk/council-partners/consult/nationalconsult/responsetonppf.aspx

 

Our response welcomes the concise approach in the draft NPPF and the strong support for sustainable economic growth. The Council’s response comments in detail in numerous areas.

 

These include:-

•  the need to provide more clarity on the sustainable development principles that are referred to;

•  support for the proposed ‘duty to cooperate’ with neighbouring authorities;

•  a request to include commercial development in the town centre policy; and

•  the need to protect some categories of employment land for the long term.