GREEN GROUP AMENDMENT

GETTING COUNCIL SERVICES BACK TO WORK

That the motion be amended as shown in bold italics.

This Council:

1.      Notes the high volume of complaints that Councillors receive from residents rightly angry about basic council services failing to deliver – from missed refuse, recycling and garden waste collections; to overgrown weeds; to graffiti and litter on our streets, beaches and in our parks; to mismanagement of parking permits; and the general maintenance, upkeep and cleanliness of our city;

2.      Notes that the Council’s own 2020-21 year-end Corporate KPI results reflect the complaints from residents, and show the Council is performing below-target on the delivery of some essential services, and that some of these failures are systemic and long-running but also reflect a council working hard to help the city recover from the pandemic

3.      Recognises the challenges the pandemic has presented, and thanks and acknowledges the hard work council staff have undertaken over the past year to keep essential services running, noting less than 10% were furloughed

4.      However, also recognises that while lockdown is over the pandemic is not, with cases and hospitalisations increasing, plus Brexit-related worker shortages and we need to urgently put our Council services back to work and start meeting the expectations of our residents; believes implied accusations staff are not ‘back to work’ insults the tireless efforts of public sector staff who continue            to work despite these pressures;

5.      Notes the staff survey feedback, e.g benefits of flexible working to work/life balance; that over 40% staff have new caring responsibilities since Covid-19, and the efforts taken by teams to support wellbeing  

This Council resolves to ask the Policy & Resources Committee to:

1.      Consider whether to establish a cross-party Member led Working Group consisting of six Members, two from each political party, and chaired by a Member of the official opposition on the Council or to review whether issues can be reviewed under existing working groups and committees. It would have the remit to investigate, review and discuss solutions to the systemic management failures behind the delivery of basic council services, namely waste and refuse collection, parking permits and street cleanliness, and provide recommendations to the Policy & Resources Committee and the Environment, Transport & Sustainability Committee on ways to improve these services.

          Proposed by: Cllr Deane                                Seconded by:  Cllr Davis

Motion if carried to read:

This Council:

1. Notes the high volume of complaints that Councillors receive from residents rightly angry about basic council services failing to deliver – from missed refuse, recycling and garden waste collections; to overgrown weeds; to graffiti and litter on our streets, beaches and in our parks; to mismanagement of parking permits; and the general maintenance, upkeep and cleanliness of our city;

2. Notes that the Council’s own 2020-21 year-end Corporate KPI results reflect the complaints from residents, and show the Council is performing below-target on the delivery of some essential services, and that some of these failures are systemic and long-running but also reflect a council working hard to help the city recover from the pandemic

3.      Recognises the challenges the pandemic has presented, and thanks and acknowledges the hard work council staff have undertaken over the past year to keep essential services running, noting less than 10% were furloughed

4.      However, also recognises that while lockdown is over the pandemic is not, with cases and hospitalisations increasing, plus Brexit-related worker shortages and believes implied accusations staff are not ‘back to work’ insults the tireless efforts of public sector staff who continue to work despite these pressures;

5. Notes the staff survey feedback, e.g. benefits of flexible working to work/life balance; that over 40% staff have new caring responsibilities since Covid-19, and the efforts taken by teams to support wellbeing  

This Council resolves to ask the Policy & Resources Committee to:

1.      Consider whether to establish a cross-party Member led Working Group consisting of six Members, two from each political party, and chaired by a Member of the official opposition on the Council or to review whether issues can be reviewed under existing working groups and committees.