Agenda item - Petitions for Council Debate

Petitions to be debated at full Council. Reports of the Monitoring Officer (copies attached).

 

(a)          Reintroduce Scratch Card Voucher Parking. Lead petitioner Councillor Brown

 

(b)          Rottingdean Air Quality & Traffic Petition. Lead petitioner Nigel Smith

 

(c)          Designate St Aubyns Playing Field, Rottingdean as Local Green Space. Lead petitioner Lynne Moss

 

(d)          Brighton Kids Not Commuters, Lead petitioner Naomi Reilly.

18.1    The Mayor stated that the council’s petition scheme provided that where a petition secured 1,250 or more signatures it could be debated at a Council meeting. He had been notified of four such petitions which had sufficient signatures to warrant a debate and therefore would call on the lead petitioner to present their petition before opening the matter up for debate.

 

(a)          Reintroduce Scratch Card Voucher Parking

 

18.1    The Mayor invited Councillor Brown to present the petition calling on the Council to reintroduce scratch card voucher parking across the city.

 

18.2    Councillor Brown stated that the petition had received a large number of signatures which demonstrated the strength of feelings across the city. Many people did not have a mobile phone and found the current system to be confusing. It was also more difficult for the elderly, and when the weather was bad; the introduction of more debit/credit card machines would help, but some people still would have problems actually finding the machines. The current system also caused problems for shopkeepers, and it was felt that scratch card parking would be a cheaper solution.

 

18.3    Councillor Mitchell responded to the petition and stated that the previous scratch card parking system had covered a small area of the city until 2008 and had been stopped at that time as it was too expensive to operate, as well as mistakes which lead to fines. The reintroduction would also need to be accompanied by new signage that would be costly to provide. The Policy, Resources & Growth Committee had agreed, the previous week, to retaining 150 cash machines as well ‘pay by cash’ points and well as an increased number of debit/credit card machines. It was highlighted that 92% of people now used bank cards.

 

18.4    Councillor Gibson moved the amendment on behalf of the Green Group and stated that there was concern some people were struggling and many residents would welcome the reintroduction of scratch card parking vouchers; the amendment sought to ensure the matter was properly considered.

 

18.5    Councillor Greenbaum formally seconded the amendment.

 

18.6    Councillor Bennett noted that the Conservative Group were supportive of the amendment.

 

18.7    In response to the debate Councillor Mitchell highlighted the recent awards that the Council had achieved for its parking services, and noted her faith in the contactless card payment system, as well as the advantage of having less money physically in machines on the streets which had historically been a target for thefts.

 

18.8    The Mayor then put the proposed amendment from the Green Group to the vote; this was carried by 30 votes to 23.

 

18.9    The Mayor then put the recommendation, as amended, to the vote and these were carried unanimously.

 

18.10  RESOLVED:

 

1)        That the petition is noted and referred to the Environment, Transport & Sustainability Committee for consideration at its meeting on 11 October 2016.

 

2)        That the Environment, Transport & Sustainability Committee in response to this petition are requested to investigate difficulties faced by people without access to mobile phones and with mobility constraints (which are not necessarily sufficient to qualify for a blue badge) when using existing parking payment systems and recommend appropriate action to remedy any inequities of access to service for these groups.

 

(b)         Rottingdean Air Quality & Traffic Petition

 

18.11  The Mayor invited Nigel Smith to present calling upon the Council to take action to address air quality and traffic in Rottingdean. The Mayor also explained that Item 23(d) – Notices of Motion: Rottingdean Air Quality would be considered with this item.

 

18.12  Mr Smith thanked the Mayor and explained that due to traffic congestion Rottingdean High Street was designated as an air quality management area (AQMA) and it exceeded EU air quality limits; the effects of prolonged exposure to pollution were also highlighted. The level of traffic passing through the village also increased the potential for accidents. The Parish Council were supportive of actions to address the problem, and it was argued that preference had been given to air quality management schemes in the west of the city. Council were asked to address the issues in relation to air quality at the earliest opportunity, and the specific actions requested were outlined in the body of the petition.

 

18.13  Councillor Hyde moved the Notice of Motion listed in the agenda on behalf of the Conservative Group. She stated that the impetus for the Notice of Motion had been a previous deputation to the Environment, Transport & Sustainability Committee, calling for traffic modelling as a means to reduce pollution; the deputation had been noted. Children and the elderly were most affected by the pollution and there were two primary schools just off the High Street in Rottingdean. There were also a number of residential properties in the High Street, and the vehicles could be as close as 1 metre from people’s living room windows. Councillor Hyde noted comments made by Councillor Mitchell in relation to Labour Party Support for a clean air act; which stated that improvements had been made in Rottingdean, but there was still much to do. It was hoped that the request to bring a report to would receive the support of Council.

 

18.14  Councillor Miller formally seconded to motion and stated that the Notice of Motion was in response to the disappointing receipt of the Parish Council’s deputation, namely that there was not sufficient LTP funding. Some of the issues and the impact were highlighted, and it was stated that this traffic build up in the east of city had a knock on effect. Councillor also noted that the City Plan had identified additional housing in the ward and this would only seek to add to the existing problems.

 

18.15  Councillor Page proposed an amendment on behalf of the Green Group and thanked the petitioners and the ward Councillors for bringing attention to the issue; he noted that Portslade was also in an AQMA and there were a number of other hotspots in the city that had issues with air quality management. He noted that the Environment, Transport & Sustainability Committee needed to consider carefully what could be done in these areas and some funded should be found to address this. Councillor Page went on to highlight that the Conservative Chair of the Environment, Food & Rural Affairs Select Committee had stated that poor air quality was harming health nationally and figures suggested that it accounted for 40,000 to 50,000 premature deaths each year; this equated to approximately 200 within the city.

 

18.16  Councillor Deane formally seconded the amendment and stated that the Green Group were in support of the motion, but were proposing an amendment on the basis that it was important to seek to reduce traffic wherever possible. Councillor Deane highlighted proposed measures that the previous Green Administration had undertaken; she highlighted her sympathy with residents in Rottingdean and noted that the Green Group were seeking to encourage the use of alternative means of transportation to the car where possible.

 

18.17  Councillor Mears highlighted that this was not a new problem for the city and noted that some steps had been taken by the previous Green Administration. Council had already heard a deputation from residents in Woodingdean as many of these problems started from traffic on the Falmer Road into Rottingdean. The area was semi-rural and hilly, and, whilst many residents relied on it, the bus service was not good in the area forcing many to use cars as the only means of transportation. Councillor Mears urged the administration to look carefully at residents’ concerns and requests.

 

18.18  Councillor Mitchell responded to the debate and stated that the Administration supported the Notice of Motion, and highlighted that the principle cause of harmful emissions was cars and vans. Air quality in Rottingdean High Street had been measured regularly since 2013, whilst it had improved, this had now stalled. Options around parking and redirecting traffic were not necessarily suitable as they could create block backs elsewhere in the city. It was noted that the spending in the LTP was already committed, but other funding methods could be potentially considered. Councillor Mitchell noted that the work the Green Group amendment proposed would already be undertaken by the LTP and therefore the amendment was unnecessary. It was important to look at how funding could be used to unlock housing and provide jobs, which had to be the basis on any transport bid to Central Government. Councillor Mitchell concluded by stating she would be happy to receive a report to the Environment, Transport & Sustainability Committee to consider all of these issues.

 

18.19  Councillor Hyde spoke in response to the debate and stated that that the proposed amendment to the Notice of Motion would not be accepted. She thanked Councillor Mitchell’s for her positive contributions. In response to comments from Councillor Deane she noted that the bus on the seafront A259 had made traffic problems much worse in that area, and the pollution had increased since the opening of the bus lane on the Lewes Road.

 

18.20  The Mayor then put the recommendations in the petition report to the vote, these were carried.

 

18.21  RESOLVED – That the petition is noted and referred to the Environment, Transport & Sustainability Committee for consideration at its meeting on 11 October 2016.

 

18.22  The Mayor then put the proposed Green Amendment to the Conservative Notice of Motion, this was lost 11 to 42 as set out below:

 

		For	Against	Abstain			For	Against	Abstain
1	Allen		X			Marsh		X
2	Atkinson		X			Meadows		X
3	Barford		X			Mears		X
4	Barnett		X			Miller		X
5	Bell		X			Mitchell		X
6	Bennett		X			Moonan		X
7	Bewick		X			Morgan		X
8	Brown		X			Morris		X
9	Cattell		X			Nemeth		X
10	Chapman		X			Norman A		X
11	Cobb		X			Norman K		X
12	Daniel		X			O’Quinn		X
13	Deane	ü				Page	ü
14	Druitt	ü				Peltzer Dunn	ü	X
15	Gibson	ü				Penn		X
16	Gilbey		X			Phillips	ü
17	Greenbaum	ü				Robins		X
18	Hamilton		X			Simson		X
19	Hill		X			Sykes	ü
20	Horan		X			Taylor		X
21	Hyde		X			Theobald C		X
22	Inkpin-Leissner		X			Theobald G		X
23	Janio		X			Wares		X
24	Knight	ü				Wealls		X
25	Lewry		X			West	ü
26	Littman	ü				Yates		X
27	Mac Cafferty	ü
						Total	11	42

 

18.22  The Mayor then put the Notice of Motion as listed to the vote this was carried unanimously.

 

(c)          Designate St Aubyns Playing Field, Rottingdean as Local Green Space

 

18.23  The Mayor invited Lynne Moss to present the petition calling upon the Council to designate St Aubyns Playing Field Rottingdean as Local Green Space at the earliest opportunity.

 

18.23  Lynne Moss thanked the Mayor and stated the same petition had been submitted to the Council a year ago, at which time the Council had agreed to the designation; however, when the petition was considered at the subsequent meeting of the Economic Development & Culture Committee the resolution of Council was changed by way of an amendment from Officers. The site met all the criteria in the NPPF to be a green space. It was noted that the petition was accompanied by a barrister’s letter which argued that the decision of the Economic Development & Culture Committee was unlawful. The group were also asking that Council’s constitution be reviewed to prevent Officer amendments in future. Lynne Moss, finished by highlighting the group’s lack of confidence in the Council’s Planning Department.

 

18.24  Councillor Robins responded to the petition and stated that the Administration recognised the value of the space and wished to see it retained and funding provided for its maintenance. The land currently had some protection under local and national policies, and any future planning application would need to be considered against these tests. In terms of a designation as a local green space, this could only be done with a development plan and would need to meet the set criteria. It was added that the City Plan Part Two, would soon be out for consultation, and it was at these early stages that the case could be made for local green spaces designations. In relation to the Officer amendment that had been agreed by the Economic Development & Culture Committee, there was an accepted working practice for Officer’s to proposed amendments (usually for technical reasons). In this case the amendment had been a means to enable the recommendation of Council to be implemented; any proposed amendment still had to be agreed by the Members on the Committee in the usual manner.

 

18.25  Councillor Mears thanked Councillor Robins for his comments, and went on to highlight the amendment that had been agreed to the previous petition by Council before it was referred to the Economic Development & Culture Committee. Councillor Mears noted that a lot of work had been undertaken around this issue and urged the Council to resolve this at the earliest opportunity; she noted that the barrister’s opinion was ‘damming’ and suggested that a working group could be the means to resolve the matter.

 

18.26  Councillor Druitt noted his support for green spaces across the city, and, whilst the city needed housing, building on green spaces was not the solution. Councillor Druitt noted that the amendment had been a practical means to implement the petition, but he argued that he was unsure if we would act the same way again if he knew the amendment would undermine the material nature of the petition.

 

18.27  The Monitoring Officer clarified that he was satisfied the advice of Officers and the agreement of the amendment at the Economic Development & Culture Committee had all been appropriate and in accordance with the Council’s procedures.

 

18.28  RESOLVED – That the petition is noted and referred to the Economic Development & Culture Committee for consideration at its meeting on 22 September 2016.

 

(d)          Brighton Kids Not Commuters

18.29  The Mayor invited Chris Arulanandam to present calling upon the Council to ensure all children in the city could attend their local school without having to travel long distances.

 

18.29  Chris Arulanandam thanked the Mayor and stated that he was attending on behalf of the group ‘Brighton Kids Not Commuters’. The group believed that every child in the city should have access to quality education; the most impactful way to do this would be to create single school catchment areas. It was argued that keeping friendship groups together was highly impactful as children transitioned from primary to secondary school. The group were suggesting that admissions priority should be given to those with SEN, and schools should have a quota for those on free school meals that needed to be in attendance. There should be minimal distances to schools so that children could walk to school without placing additional burden on the traffic flow in the city.

 

18.30  Councillor Bewick responded to the petition and stated that the Council had a statutory duty to regularly review its admissions policy. The population of the city was growing and by 2018 the city would need to accommodate a new secondary school and the current catchment areas would no longer be fit for purpose. There was already a review group of Members that had met over the last year to review options, and 24 public meetings had been held and 644 consultation responses received. The working group would look at all of these responses and would consider them at the meeting of the Children, Young People & Skills Committee in September. The priority for the Administration was to achieve the best outcomes for children in the city, but also to draw fairer catchment areas that would minimise disruption. 

 

18.31  Councillor Littman thanked the petitioner and commended the work to obtain so many signatures. He noted that parents within his own Ward were concerned that any changes could impact on friendship groups and force children to travel long distances to school. Councillor Littman noted the importance of children being able to attend after school clubs and activities. Increased travel created costs and for the Council as well as increased pollution for the city generally. The varied costs of housing in parts of the city also meant that low incomes households were disproportionately affected and the Council should be working to ensure that all children, regardless of background, were able to attend a good school.

 

18.32  Councillor Wealls thanked the petitioner, as well as Councillor Chapman for chairing the cross-party working group. He highlighted how the working-party had approached the matter and noted that all options had been considered in full, with the aim being that the process be fair and transparent. It was important that community cohesion be protected and children be able to transition between schools with their established peers. Councillor Wealls asked that as people as possible contribute to the formal consultation in the autumn.

 

18.33  In response to the debate Councillor Bewick emphasised the amount of work that had already been undertaken. He welcomed the comments made by Councillor Littman and noted that this would be an opportunity to ensure the Council made decisions that promoted fairness and he hoped that the consultations options would demonstrate that the working group had listened carefully.

 

18.34  RESOLVED – That the petition is noted and referred to the Children, Young People & Skills Committee for consideration at its meeting on 3 October 2016.