Agenda item

Report of the Leader of the Council detailing the Executive Business, attached.

The report of the Leader of the Council was submitted 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 then submitted in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 11.1

 

1.  Townhill Park Regeneration Scheme

Question from Councillor Inglis to Councillor Payne

 

Could you please advise how many homes have been built and occupied on the Townhill Park Regeneration Scheme?

 

Answer

 

The Council approved the budgets for site preparation at Townhill Park in December 2012 and the decanting of tenants began in April 2013. This was carried out in 3 phases to reduce impact on the Council’s substantial waiting list. 121 Council tenants and 14 leaseholders have now vacated, with one leaseholder remaining with whom negotiations continue.  A demolition contract has commenced for the demolition of 7 of the 8 blocks in phase one and is programmed to conclude in September 2016.  A planning application has been lodged and is expected to go to Planning Panel on April 12^th 2016. The procurement process for commencing the first phase is underway.   

In the meantime 33 homes have been constructed and are occupied in the scheme known as Pond View, this scheme was completed in December 2014.

 

2.  Use of Consultants

Question from Councillor Inglis to Councillor Chaloner

 

Could you please advise how much the Council has spent on consultants in this financial year and provide details of the 5 largest projects?

 

Answer

 

So far this year the amount spent on Consultants from the General Fund budget is £870,751.30

 

The five largest projects are as follows:

Price Waterhouse Coopers for expertise and advice on the transformation project.

AECOM Infrastructure & Environment UK Ltd for a preliminary study for the River Itchen Flood Alleviation scheme.

Price Waterhouse Coopers for work on creating a development company to deliver housing stock.

Ricardo-AEA to write a draft low emissions strategy for the Council.

Ameo Professional Services Ltd for consultants working on the transformation project. Further information can be provided separately if required.

 

3.  Cash Payments

Question from Councillor Parnell to Councillor Chaloner

 

What procedures are in place for residents to pay cash for services required?

 

Answer

 

Most Council services can currently be paid for with cash. There is a central cash office next to Gateway in One Guildhall Square and currently two housing offices that take cash payments for most services (Council Tax, Rents, Rates, Parking Fines, Garden Waste etc). Other venues such as Registrars, Licensing, SeaCity and Schools take cash for the specific services they provide. There is also the option to pay Council Tax at the Post Office network using giro-slips and Housing tenants can pay for rent and council tax using Paypoint cards at the Paypoint network.

 

4.  “Stipples”

Question from Councillor Parnell to Councillor Rayment

 

Whilst good for the blind, is the Cabinet Member aware of the discomfort that “stipples” cause people in wheelchairs?

 

Answer

Tactile paving is designed to nationally defined standards and is installed to assist visually impaired pedestrians when crossing roads and it has been for many years standard practice to install it at controlled and uncontrolled pedestrian crossing points.

 

When laid correctly the pattern should ensure that the wheels of wheelchairs should be able to run between the raised dots, when aligned in a straight line across the crossing point.

 

5.  Council run services

Question from Councillor Pope to Councillor Letts

 

In total how many, and which, directly Council-run public services have stopped being directly-run since May 2012?

 

Answer

 

The following services have stopped being directly run by the Council:

The ROMANSE traffic centre

CCTV service

City Catering

Kennelling

Oaklands Pool

Nutfield

St Denys

Day services were consolidated and restructured and not closed.

Play services:

·  Sessions of open access play provision across three sites every week

Youth services:

·  Approx 30 sessions of open access youth provision (a further 30 sessions had been reduced in previous 2 years) – much of this work included: trips, residential activities, health education, crime diversion etc.

·  Daily targeted programmes to support Compass Centre

·  Support for Duke of Edinburgh Awards programme in city schools

·  Annual K2 music and arts festival in Hoglands park and support events

·  Youth Information Project (Web based information service for young people)

·  School based activity around themes, i.e knife crime, gangs, sexual health, hate crime

·  Breakout – (gay lesbian transgender project) (weekly)

·  Safe House programme – for young people with mental health (twice weekly)

·  Youth Engagement:

o  Southampton City Youth Parliament (monthly forum and spin off sub groups)

o  Support for the UK Youth MP programme and elections

o  Youth Access programme – team of young people (paid volunteers auditing the accessibility of services for children and young people) – 20 plus audits a year

·  Youth Achievement Awards programme for young people outside of / struggling to engage in formal education.

 

6.  Right to buy receipts

Question from Councillor Pope to Councillor Payne

 

Officers of the Council have confirmed to me that money from Right-To-Buy receipts has been lost back to Government. How much money has been lost, and why, in each year since May 2012? How much interest has been paid back in each year? Why did the Cabinet not know that Aster could not spend the money when the Cabinet decided to give it to Aster for their site at the former Bush Inn pub on Wimpson Lane?

 

Answer

 

Since 2012 the Council has been able to retain some Right-To-Buy (RTB) receipts from the sale of Council homes to existing tenants, provided it can demonstrate that it has spent a sufficient amount on replacement affordable housing, on at least a ‘one for one’ basis. The RTB receipts have to be spent within three years of receipt and can fund up to a maximum of 30% of the total cost of new build, with the Council, or partners, required to fund the remaining 70%. Any receipts not spent within three years must be repaid to Government with interest. In addition, strict rules have subsequently been put in place as to how the money can be spent.

 

No receipts were repaid to Government in 2012/13, 2013/14 or 2014/15 as the 3 year period had not elapsed on any RTB sales.

No receipts were repaid to Government in quarters 1 and 2 of 2015/16 as the Council were able to demonstrate sufficient spend on new affordable housing to meet the requirements of the retained RTB receipts agreement.

 

The plan for the latter part of 2015/16 included 30% grant funding to Aster Housing for the development at the site of the former Bush Inn. Aster were funding their 70% of this scheme using rent conversion funding.  On 2^nd February 2016 Aster contacted the Council to say that they has been subsequently advised by the Homes & Communities Agency that ‘one for one’ RTB funding cannot be used in conjunction with conversion capacity funding as the same new affordable homes will in effect be counted twice. In view of this, Aster declined the RTB funding and will rely on their own internal subsidy together with the conversion capacity to fund the scheme.  This information was not apparent when the Cabinet decision around funding for the Bush Inn was made in November 2015.

 

Crucially, while the Aster grant was made before the deadline for the funding to be used, it was handed back to the Council after the deadline had passed. The Council was able to transfer the majority of this funding to other projects already in progress (such as the Existing Satisfactory Purchase Scheme) which is allowable, but that left a residual sum of £189,411 of unallocated RTB receipts at the end of quarter 3, plus the calculated daily interest of £27,347, which the Council was left with no opportunity to spend due to the late return of the grant.

 

7.  Renovations for Blocks in Irving Road

Question from Councillor Galton to Councillor Payne

 

Why were the external renovations planned for the walk up blocks in Irving Road put back, especially after being advertised to tenants who have been waiting for years for them to be done? What assurances can the cabinet give to me, other local Councillors and the residents; all of who feel gravely let down by the Labour run Council’s decision to postpone this vital work.

 

Answer

 

The external renovations (painting etc) for these blocks are part of an overall cyclical decorating programme which is to be carried out across the city over a period of 5 years, these particular blocks were originally programmed to receive the “works” being carried out in the financial year of 2016/17.

 

With the confirmation of the substantial planned Energy Company Obligation (ECO) works at Sturminster House commencing shortly it was decided that it would be difficult to carry out any external decoration/renovations to surrounding blocks until the major scheme was complete. The wider project includes external cladding, new windows, new roof and a separately located micro boiler house providing a new heating solution for residents of Sturminster House.

 

The intended ECO works will mean a high level of activity within the area of Irving Road, including deliveries by lorries, site office/welfare set up, construction of the new boiler house, external scaffolding etc, all of which will cause some restrictions to access in some areas which will impact on local residents.

 

For SCC to then instruct another contractor to carry out works at the same time in the same location would further impact on any restrictions; potentially causing issues with our residents accessing their homes and their parking arrangements.  Therefore, the external renovations have been re-programmed to commence immediately upon completion of the ECO works which we anticipate to be early in 2017. It should be noted that the ECO works are being partially grant funded and have to be completed by Jan 2017 to receive the specific grant allowance.

 

8.  Millbrook / Maybush Regeneration

Question from Councillor Galton to Councillor Payne

 

Would the Cabinet Member confirm the earliest anticipated delivery date of any of the specific estate regeneration work for the Millbrook & Maybush area and which project element is most likely to be the first delivered by Labour?

 

Answer

 

The first project in the Millbrook & Maybush area will be the redevelopment of the Woodside Lodge/Wimpson Lane site. This will deliver 80 extra care units, similar to the Erskine Court scheme which is nearing completion and 15 general needs units. Work has commenced on the procurement of a contractor and work is programmed to start later this year.

 

Additional plans for Millbrook and Maybush are evolving in consultation with local residents and the stakeholder group. Once firmer proposals are agreed with residents and stakeholders, the Council will be able to set out a detailed timetable.

 

9.  Sports Centre Lake

Question from Councillor O’Neill to Councillor Kaur

 

Despite the fact the Council has a duty to provide suitable habitat under its biodiversity policy, in January 2016 the council decided to prevent the Sports Centre lake from filling which will have a disastrous impact on several critically endangered amphibians.  The Council/Active Nation's reason for this is “Due to the risk this poses of potential drowning”.  "It is a legal requirement law to conduct a suitable and sufficient risk assessment which has been done and concluded that a dry lake is safer, less hazardous and lower risk than a filled lake." 

Why were the complaints and comments of numerous residents and wildlife organisations ignored in this decision and when will this policy be logically extended to the emptying of every lake in the city?

 

Answer

 

The location and state of the boating lake and water that may be contained within it, is different to other bodies of water. Risk Assessments are specific to each situation. Whilst comments and complaints have been received from a limited number of people, these do not necessarily reflect the view of the majority, indeed the Friends group support the Council’s position. This view is supported by the broader consultation exercise carried out recently, the results of which will be presented to Cabinet on 19^th April.

 

10.Carbon Footprint

Question from Councillor O’Neill to Councillor Payne

 

More and more councils are embracing the use of green technology to reduce their carbon footprint. For example Epping Forest District Council, has installed solar panels on two of the roofs at their civic offices which is estimated to make an annual saving of £10,000 with the initial cost paid pack in just over six years.  What steps are SCC making to reduce our carbon footprint?

 

Answer

 

Southampton City Council has undertaken a wide ranging programme of energy efficiency works across the estate, some of which I will now outline:-

 

We have already installed 358kW of Photo Voltaic (Solar) Panels across the council housing estate, saving energy and generating feed in tariff (FIT) income of £75,000 per year;

We have delivered extensive programme to improve council housing energy efficiency, including biomass CHP and solid wall insulation;

We are now investigating a wood-chipping project for waste wood to use in biomass boilers across the estate;

We have delivered a programme of wide ranging energy efficiency improvements in council run buildings such as LED lighting, insulation and heating improvements;

We have installed solar panels on appropriate corporate buildings and schools;

We have delivered the replacement of lamps with LED in multi-storey car parks;

We have delivered in partnership with SSE the replacement of street lighting with higher efficiency lamps;

We are managing a programme to reduce schools’ energy consumption;

We are minimising fleet emissions by purchasing low emission vehicles and equipment.

 

Since 2012, buildings efficiency works undertaken on corporate sites, excluding PV panels, will pay back within 5 years and are expected to save the Council approximately £150,000 per year in avoided energy costs.

 

We continue to monitor advancements in energy efficiency technology and will include PV in new developments where appropriate alongside other cost and energy efficient measures to improve resident’s lives and reduce our carbon footprint.

 

11.Hanover Buildings/Bargate Street Traffic Restrictions

Question from Councillor Hecks to Councillor Rayment

 

The present ‘bus only’ restrictions from Hanover Buildings into Bargate Street prevent Blue Badge guides offering their passengers a decent, close up view of the Bargate and the town walls. Will the Cabinet Member undertake, as a matter of urgency, to review the current restrictions with a view to permitting coaches – which after all are no more than ‘private’ buses – to use this link?

 

Answer

 

There is currently a traffic order that applies to Bargate Street and a section of Hanover Buildings that intentionally restricts traffic to local buses and cycles. For this purpose “local bus” means a public service vehicle used for the provision of a local service not being an excursion or tour.

 

Any proposal to open the road to all buses would open the road to any vehicle with more than 8 passenger seats (e.g. minibuses) and there would then be similar claims from taxi’s to have permitted access which would create much un-needed congestion and conflict between vehicles and pedestrians in this area.  Parking and loading restrictions would be also required, with associated signing.

 

As with most traffic and parking regulations there are disadvantages as well as advantages. On balance given the importance of maintaining pedestrian flow to the Old Town, the principle of minimising traffic on Bargate Street would still be appropriate from a Highways viewpoint.

 

12.Kathleen Road Resurfacing

Question from Councillor Hecks to Councillor Rayment

 

Balfour Beatty has accepted that the eastern end of Kathleen Road requires urgent remedial drainage work and resurfacing but the current road programme says that drainage issues are under investigation and treatment considered in the next 4-5 years. The drainage scheme has been designed and is ready to implement. Will the Cabinet Member commit this Council to implementation of the whole scheme – drainage and resurfacing – within the next two months?

 

Answer

 

Yes, this work is programmed in.

The section of Kathleen Road from Bursledon Road to Cleethorpes Road is in poor condition and has deteriorated substantially in the last year. Because of the poor quality of the existing drainage, water is sitting in the channels rather than running away and this means it gets into the road construction and causes it to break up. This is compounded by the fact that it is a busy signalised junction so you have a lot of vehicles braking, pulling away and turning which causes further delamination of the road surface.

 

The proposed scheme start date is 3 May 2016, with initial work being the relaying of concrete channels and associated drainage improvements, once this has completed resurfacing will take place.

 

The remainder of Kathleen Road between Cleethorpes and Alfriston Gardens is in better condition and works are planned for 2018/19.

 

13.Millbrook Towers/maintenance on Council properties

Question from Councillor Pope to Councillor Payne

 

Following speculation from the public that Millbrook Towers would be demolished as part of Regeneration, you confirmed in writing to me in July 2015 "that the council has no existing plans to dismantle Millbrook Towers". Is this still the case, and can you confirm the total spent on maintenance since May 2012 to (i) Redbridge Towers, (ii) Millbrook Towers, (iii) in total on all Council-owned properties in Redbridge ward that are of non-standard (i.e. not brick) construction?

 

Answer

 

The Council has no plans to dismantle Millbrook Towers.

 

The following table represents the information available from the Housing system on repairs history for the Redbridge Ward since 1/5/2012 and includes repairs to individual properties and common parts of blocks.

 

PROPERTIES	NON_TRAD	TRAD	TOTAL
REDBRIDGE TOWERS	106
MILLBROOK TOWERS	133
OTHER	1676	765
TOTAL COUNCIL OWNED	1915	765	2680

 

REPAIR ORDER VAL	NON_TRAD	TRAD	TOTAL
MILLBROOK TOWERS	26,043		26,043
REDBRIDGE TOWERS	15,849		15,849
OTHER	3,354,376	1,371,416	4,725,792
			4,767,685

 

 

14.Millbrook/Maybush Regeneration

Question from Councillor Pope to Councillor Payne

 

At the recent public meeting on the Labour Administration's plans for Millbrook and Maybush Regeneration, in response to local resident's questions, I believe you stated that around 20 Council-owned homes have been built. Can you confirm this figure, and also state the total of Council-owned homes that have been built in each ward since May 2012?

 

Answer

Over the last two years the City Council has provided 27 new homes in the city.  These are made up of the following:

·  17 new properties at Selbourne Avenue in Harefield and Oatlands Housing in Shirley specifically to provide temporary accommodation for families and individuals threatened with Homelessness;

·  2 large properties acquired for additional family housing, in Coxford and Redbridge; and

·  8 individual properties that have been purchased through an Existing Satisfactory Purchase Scheme utilising retained Right to Buy Receipts.

 

15.Play equipment at Cedar Park Lodge

Question from Councillor Galton to Councillor Rayment

 

How much longer will residents need to wait for the replacement of the vandalised play equipment in cedar lodge park?

 

Answer

 

The works are on order and we have a start date of 11^th April, weather permitting. The Works will include replacing the vandalised/burnt basket round-a-bout and replacing the loose fill bark (which needs to be continually topped up) with a lower maintenance rubber safety surface.

 

16.Maintenance and safety of the public realm

Question from Councillor Galton to Councillor Rayment

 

What priority does the current administration place on maintaining a good and safe surface of our public realm spaces in the city and district centres?

 

Answer

 

This is a top priority for the Executive. 

 

The Council is investing more than it has ever spent before in maintaining and improving highways and pavements in the city. It is expected that this will turn around the historic under-investment which resulted in highways deteriorating year-on-year and will mean that the quality of the city’s highway network is improving. In particular, the administration has identified £500k to invest in pavements and paved areas in the city in 2016-17 – the largest investment of its sort for many years. This is on the back of additional investment in 2015-16 to repair areas such as the paving outside of the Civic Centre.

 

The Council operates to a regular inspection and repair regime – known as the intervention policy - which is consistent with national good practice and has resulted in a significant reduction in successful injury claims compared to the levels before our Highways Service Partnership began in 2010.

 

17.America’s Cup

Question from Councillor O’Neill to Councillor Letts

 

At the November Full Council I asked a question regarding the Council's lamentable failed bid for the America's Cup opportunity.  Following Cllr Letts' reply he was forced to make a public apology to Sir Ben Ainslie.  In light of this, why doesn't Cllr Letts also think it necessary to apologise to Members and the people of Southampton for his misleading answer?

 

Answer

 

Because it isn’t.

 

18.Albion Towers

Question from Councillor O’Neill to Councillor Payne

 

How can the Cabinet Member think it was acceptable to consult just 47 residents in a scheme to repaint Albion Towers red and white when hundreds if not thousands of local people would be affected and have to live with this every day?

 

Answer

 

All residents of Albion Towers were consulted on proposed designs for the cladding at Albion Towers including options regarding colours.  47 Residents from the block took part/responded to the consultation of which the majority chose the red and white colour scheme.

 

The proposed colour scheme was published in January’s Tenants Link and displayed at the Tenants’ Winter Conference in January.

 

19.Residential Room Standards Policy

Question from Councillor Hecks to Councillor Letts

 

The Planning and Rights of Way Panel has approved new residential developments where room sizes fall well short of reasonable space standards for modern, comfortable and healthy living since we have no policy in place against which to judge residential room sizes. Will the Cabinet Member commit to a very early review of domestic room size standards with a view to implementing, by way of Supplementary Planning Guidance or any other appropriate policy, standards for domestic room sizes against which applications can be assessed?

 

Answer

 

The Council currently has an adopted SPD – the Residential Design Guide, which doesn’t currently have internal space standards. To introduce these, would need to be through a change to our local plan policy, which we can start doing now as part of the ongoing local plan review.

 

20.Affordable Housing

Question from Councillor Claisse to Councillor Payne

 

In May last year Luton Borough Council and asset manager Cheyne Capital announced the successful start of a project to develop 80 affordable housing units in Luton. Luton Borough Council is working with Cheyne Capital, Lindum Group and QSH to develop a site which is one of the first instances of private capital replacing the funding for social housing previously provided by government grants.

Has the Cabinet Member approached Cheyne Capital about the possibility of being involved in a similar scheme in Southampton?

 

Answer

 

The Council’s Head of Capital Assets has been in contact with Cheyne Capital and has received details about their funding model. A meeting is now being set up to discuss the suitability of their model to the Council’s needs. We will also be speaking with Luton Council regarding their experiences of working with Cheyne.

 

 

21.Millbrook Library

Question from Councillor Pope to Councillor Kaur

 

At a recent OSMC meeting, Cllr Furnell stated that he was pleased that you had kept him fully informed of negotiations on the future of Millbrook Library. In contrast, I have confirmed that myself and other opposition councillors were not kept fully informed despite asking repeatedly for updates, with you and officers publicly claiming confidentiality for not doing so. Have you therefore breached confidentiality and therefore the Code of Conduct in informing Cllr Furnell in this way? Which other councillors did you keep informed with the same detail as Cllr Furnell on the Council stopping running their local libraries, and why?

 

Answer

 

At the OSMC meeting of 4^th February I provided a detailed update in a confidential session. I understand that officers advised you by e mail on 3^rd February that options for Millbrook library were being considered, and on 22^nd February you were offered a meeting with officers. At no point did you directly approach me as the Cabinet lead for an update.  In some circumstances members have been working directly with groups developing expressions of interest and would inevitably be party to details as part of this role. I do not believe any breach of the code of conduct has taken place.

 

22.Air Quality

Question from Councillor Galton to Councillor Rayment

 

What steps have actually been instigated to improve Southampton’s poor air quality since I last asked the same question?

 

Answer

 

A proposed implementation plan for the Low Emission Strategy/Clean Air Zone (CAZ) has now been drafted.  The plan, subject to approval, proposes a 4 year programme that will culminate in the introduction of a mandatory CAZ.  The intervening activities are intended to deliver the necessary improvements as quickly as possible and ensure sustained improvements in air quality beyond 2020.

 

A bid to Defra’s Capital Air Quality Grant Programme has been successful in securing £97k to assist with the implementation of this programme in 2016.  This was the largest individual award and represented 20% of the total fund available.

 

Discussions are currently being held with SCC, DfT and bus operators to divert existing grants and deliver new, CAZ compliant buses into Southampton as early as 2016/17.

 

A project plan and formal agreement has been established with DP World to identify and trial clean technologies on their straddle carrier fleet.  This will be completed by the end of this summer and identify opportunities to deliver tangible improvements within the port.

 

A new air monitoring station on the A33, Redbridge Road went live in the new year.

 

Suppliers of solid fuels in the city have been approached and reminded of their responsibility to provide only smokeless fuel in Smoke Control Areas in the city.

 

23.Safeguarding and Adult Social Care

Question from Councillor Galton to Councillor Shields

 

Has the Cabinet Member been made aware of my concerns around safeguarding and adults’ social care and the role that all the MASH participants play in highlighting and investigating concerns?

 

Answer

 

No. I have not been made aware of his concerns around safeguarding and adult social care. Neither have I been made aware of his (unspecified) concerns about the role that all the MASH participants play in highlighting and investigating concerns. Had he made the effort to contact me as Cabinet Member over these issues I am sure that I could have addressed any concerns that he might have.

 

24.Disturbance

Question from Councillor O’Neill to Rayment

 

In areas such as Portswood, residents suffer from repeated disturbance at night during term-time caused by students.  In the same way as Southampton Football Club contributes towards the cost of policing at football matches, do our universities make a contribution towards the cost of reducing the impact that thousands of students have on our communities?  If not why not?

 

Answer

 

Additional policing at Sports grounds is specifically provided for in law by an obligation on the stadium as a condition of its safety certificate, and a charging power for the police – under s. 25(1) of the Police Act 1996.  The police can charge for “special police services” in their area, provided at the request of any person.  Special police services are services over and above the general obligation to maintain law and order and keep the peace and there is clear guidance on what can be charged for.

 

There is no equivalent power for councils performing their duties under s79-83 the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to deal with noise nuisance.  Nor is there a similar obligation on the Universities to secure additional “policing” from the council for noise.  They can request special police services, which the police Authority could then consider, but the police do not have powers to deal with noise nuisance.