Agenda item

Verbal Report of the Leader of the Council.

A verbal report of the Leader of the Council was given setting out the details of the business undertaken by the Executive.

 

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

 

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

 

1.  Council Transport Policies 

 

Councillor Moulton to Councillor Keogh

 

QUESTION: In light of the government's announcement in September of its new long term plan to back drivers, what changes are being considered to council transport policies or schemes in Southampton?

 

ANSWER: The Council has an adopted Local Transport Plan Connected Southampton which is our long term strategy to 2040 on how to improve our transport network. The Plan for Drivers is a policy statement from Government which we await for the Department for Transport to provide Local Transport Note updates which the Council will then follow /action.

 

2. Housing Voids

 

Councillor P Baillie to Councillor Fielker

 

QUESTION: We know that HRA housing is in a total mess but given that the excess time to sort out voids is costing over £3.5 million per year, plus over 600 families could have been living in a council home, then what is the rationale for not making the improvement in void time to the property?

 

ANSWER: I was confused by this question which suggests that Council is not looking improve the current void performance.  That is clearly not the case.  I do recall an email from you which asked about priorities.  I rightly replied that voids, repairs and decent homes have equal priority.  You can’t address voids in isolation of the other two.  It is the need to replace kitchens, bathrooms, boilers, windows and doors at the point properties become empty which is having a major impact on the length of time to prepare a property for reletting.  If we don’t give repairs and decent homes an equal priority this situation will continue. 

 

3.  Child Friendly City

 

Councillor J Baillie to Councillor Winning

 

QUESTION: With the city withdrawing from the Child Friendly City process, how are you ensuring that children remain a key focus for the authority?

 

ANSWER: There is a distinction between the UNICEF Child Friendly programme and Child Friendly Southampton – which continues to be our aspiration for children and young people in our city.

 

We have given formal notice to UNICEF and we will be working with them proactively until end-January 2024 to confirm local transition arrangements.

 

The work with UNICEF to date has elicited the views of over 3000 children, which we have used to shape our Child Friendly Plan moving forward.

 

The approach we are going to take is to use our Children and Young People’s Strategic Partnership Board to oversee progress. Officers will make sure that the child friendly initiatives we decide to take forward are linked to the strategic plans that Board monitors as part of its core functions.

 

Child friendly Southampton remains our ambition, building on the Good Ofsted rating with Outstanding leadership we received earlier in the year. The Children and Learning Scrutiny Panel would ensure progress on our plans and priorities is monitored.

 

4.  Upkeep of Public Spaces

 

Councillor Galton to Councillor Keogh

 

QUESTION:  I previously asked around the length of grass and you replied complaints were low and the service should be commended. I note in the two months since this, even local labour councillors have been using social media posts point out that grass cutting needs to be done. Do you still feel the upkeep of public spaces is of an acceptable standard in our city?

 

ANSWER: Complaint levels remain low. Since 1st April 2023 there have been 46 grass cutting requests received from members of the public. Some of these were requests for cutting in wildflower areas or areas that where grass is left long to encourage wildlife; these were not actioned.  In this time there were 15 complaints received via customer services.  All complaints will be monitored and reviewed.

 

5. Anti-social behaviour in Council accommodation

 

Councillor Powell-Vaughan to Councillor Fielker (Councillor Renyard to respond)

 

QUESTION: Why does Southampton City Council appear to turn a blind eye to tenants smoking and taking drugs in communal blocks and single dwellings. Will you promise to ensure any Southampton City Council tenant using drugs whether impacting on other tenants or not will be held to their lease terms?

 

ANSWER: Southampton City Council takes the management of antisocial behaviour and criminal activity seriously.  Illegal drug use in our properties is not permitted. The Housing Management Team support the police to investigate and prosecute crime taking place in all council properties. Once the Police have confirmed it is a criminal matter, the Council can take action. The Housing Team must follow the pre-action protocol and in the first instance consider options such as speaking to the individuals, mediation or neighbourhood agreements.

 

It is important that reports of illegal activity are made to both the Council and the Police so that investigation can take place to provide that evidence.

 

6.  Cruise Liner Pollution

 

Councillor Barbour to Councillor Keogh

 

QUESTION:  Given the recent report in the Observer about cruise liner pollution in Southampton and the impact on health of the next generation of young people in our city what steps is the council planning to take to address this issue and can you furnish me with a timeline of strategic and tactical steps that are in process and are planned. It would appear that all the work on getting Southampton a good rating from Ofsted may be in vain if children are having to breathe in methane, nitrogen dioxide and all the other pollutants from ships. One only has to look at the plume across the city to recognise that the pollution has to go somewhere and with the prevailing winds in the city this is likely to be Bargate, Freemantle, Shirley, Weston, Woolston and Netley. Nurses in Woolston have reported to me increasing rates of asthma diagnosis in their surgeries, this is unnecessary and will build up problems for many years ahead.

 

ANSWER: Southampton City Council’s Air Quality Action Plan 2023-2028 (https://www.southampton.gov.uk/media/zwjffm2u/scc-aqap-2023-2028-2023-update.pdf)  sets out the measures that Southampton City Council will deliver between 2023-2028 to improve air quality in the city. It also publishes annual air quality reports (https://www.southampton.gov.uk/our-green-city/council-commitments/clean-air/monitoring-and-reporting/air-quality-reports/ ) on its implementation. These include reference to addressing pollution from the cruise industry.  Associated British Ports (ABP) has adopted its own clean air strategy, "Cleaner Air for Southampton" (https://www.abports.co.uk/media/r0sjbo30/abp-southampton-clean-air-update-2022.pdf ), which sets out the actions they will take to reduce the impact of their operations on air quality, including implementing shore-side power.

 

To date, Associated British Ports (ABP) has installed two shore-side connections at the Horizon and Mayflower cruise terminals through Local Enterprise Funding. This allows compatible ships to ‘plug into’ mains power rather and using auxiliary engines while in port. This is estimated to result in the equivalent of £10.5 million in air quality benefits. ABP is continuing to investigate the potential for further shore-side power connections. It is expected that demand will increase over next few years as more ships are built with the required infrastructure.  Southampton City Council continues to explore opportunities with the port to support both their strategy and SCC’s Air Quality Action Plan

 

 

7. Transparent Decision Making

 

Councillor Blackman to Councillor Kaur

 

QUESTION: Could you outline the steps taken to ensure that decisions with significant impact, such as ending contracts for services to vulnerable user groups in the city, are made transparently and with the appropriate oversight?

 

ANSWER:  There are processes in place that can ensure our decision making can be efficient.  This includes are improved scheme of delegation which I support, however, I agree that decisions with significant impact must of course include necessary Equality and Impact Assessments which are part of our processes and appropriate scrutiny where this is needed.  I have already spoken to the Chief Executive about where processes and decision making have not been carried out as well as they should have been.  I know this has been the case with a lack of communication which we are resolving and all issues around that are being addressed. 

 

8.  Shore Power for Cruise Ships

 

Councillor Chapman to Councillor Keogh

 

QUESTION:  Portsmouth International Port has secured funding of £19.8M to implement ship to shore power simultaneously for 3 ships - significantly more than our city’s capacity. Can you confirm what funding has been applied for, or secured, to upgrade Southampton's to simultaneously charge multiple cruise ships and what steps are being made to ensure that where shore power is available it is being utilised regardless of cost to operators?

 

ANSWER: Associated British Ports (ABP) has adopted its own clean air strategy, "Cleaner Air for Southampton" (https://www.abports.co.uk/media/r0sjbo30/abp-southampton-clean-air-update-2022.pdf), which sets out the actions they will take to reduce the impact of their operations on air quality, including implementing shore-side power.

 

To date, Associated British Ports (ABP) has installed two shore-side connections at the Horizon and Mayflower cruise terminals through Local Enterprise Funding. This allows compatible ships to ‘plug into’ mains power rather and using auxiliary engines while in port. This is estimated to result in the equivalent of £10.5 million in air quality benefits. ABP is continuing to investigate the potential for further shore-side power connections. It is expected that demand will increase over next few years as more ships are built with the required infrastructure. 

 

The Council will continue to support ABP and other stakeholders, in securing more funding and lobbying to upgrade the power supply to the port area for more ship to shore powering and wider throughout the city. A bid to Government for funding on localised energy generation is currently submitted from the University of Southampton, supported by Southampton City Council.

 

9. Emergency Question tabled and approved by the Lord Mayor – Broken Lifts and lengthy repairs at Potters Court. 

 

Councillor Galton to Councillor Kaur (Councillor Fielker responded)

 

QUESTION:  Our tenants have been plagued by issues of broken lifts and lengthy repairs. Currently our most vulnerable residents within Potters Court, have had days with both lifts out of action; before a temporary repair has allowed 1 lift to work for x3 1 hour slots within 24 hours. Residents are being advised this may now be the situation for at least the next 7 to 10 days. Do you find this acceptable and what steps are being taken to ensure lifts remain working, and in the rare instance of a breakdown are fixed within a much shorter time period than what we have currently?

 

ANSWER: Councillor Fielker agreed to provide a written response on the new lift maintenance contract (noting Potters Court was not part of this contract).  With reference to Potters Court assurance was given, but we have been failed by the contractor putting those lifts in, I don’t know when we would move to putting in a different solution and looking at how that remedy is taken, but it is to be explored, it is something we would look at and consider.  They have promised us it will be 7 to 10 days.  There are alternatives being put in as well to make sure that residents won’t be trapped in their flats if both lifts break down. I don’t know the detail of that, but I am very happy for you to be provided with that information.