Agenda item - Formal Member Involvement

5a       Petitions

 

5.1      There were none.

 

5b      Written Questions

 

5.2      It was noted that four questions had been received from Councillor Bagaeen. The questions and the Chair’s responses to them are set out below.

 

          Unauthorised Traveller Encampment During Covid 19

 

5.3      “Over the week there has been a small unauthorised encampment of travelling families on the Patcham Place that has raised some pertinent health and well-being issues.

 

To help travelling families during the pandemic to access health and hygiene requirements such as water, sanitation and waste disposal facilities, Government guidance suggests making alternative stopping place available such as transit sites, providing suitable local authority land or using holiday campsites which may have closed and have established facilities. Government as we know, has provided the council with funding to deal with Covid 19 issues.

 

However, contrary to Government advice the council has decided to close the multi-million transit site we have at Horsdean (other councils are opening transit sites such as Canterbury) and leave transit families in a popular park where somehow these essential health and hygiene requirements will be provided aside from the fact the council hasn’t yet provided the scientific or medical advice to support closing the transit site. What plans have the council in place to support travelling families, what is happening at Patcham Place cannot be a sustainable and healthy solution across the whole city.

 

Surely, the plan isn’t to leave families in the parks and open spaces they initially pitch up onto not knowing how long the pandemic arrangements will be in place. Please could the Chair advise what better strategy and protocol is being put into place to support travelling families and the affected than just leaving travelling families in the parks where they initially turn up.

 

5.4      The Chair responded in the following terms:

 

“Thank you for your question. As you may be aware the Travellers have now moved off Patcham Place and we have secured and cleared the site. Current Government guidance is that we provide Travellers with access to essential facilities for the period of the pandemic.

 

We are unable to accept new households at the Horsdean Transit Site. This is because doing so would result in shared facilities and difficulties with social distancing for the Travellers already there and new arrivals. 15 pitches are currently occupied, 3 of these are on the transit site. The guidance we have used to make the decision to close sites is in line with current Government guidance regarding social distancing. Covid 19 infection spread would be extremely difficult to contain on the site and we need to be mindful of the close proximity of families and the number of residents who would be clinically vulnerable to Covid as well as the use of the shared facilities.

 

We have contacted Canterbury Council to see what their arrangements are. We are aware that our neighbouring authorities haven’t opened their transit sites, this in spite of pitches having access to independent facilities. We did consider how we could provide facilities at Patcham Place for the Travellers in situ. Without access to a water supply this is possible but a little complicated.

 

In liaison with the police and city parks police powers were used to direct Travellers who were on Patcham Place to Waterhall. They have access to water, toilets and refuse collection.

 

We will continue to assess newly arrived groups on a case by case basis. The assessment will take into account the Travellers welfare needs, the sensitivity and safety of the land and any issue regarding behaviours that could impact on the local community.

 

We will continue to work with Public Health to explore ways we can enable more Travellers to enter the Horsdean site without compromising the wellbeing of current residents or new arrivals.”

 

Closure of Madeira Drive During Covid 19 Outbreak

         

5.5      “The council to a great fanfare, closed Madeira Drive to general traffic and encouraged the space to be used for cycling and walking. Above Madeira Drive as we know, is the wide boulevard of Marine Parade. However, it seems that the consequence of not thinking this through is that thousands of people encouraged to this area are having to squeeze by each other on the only two staircases that link these locations. Obviously, there is the ramp and the extreme ends of Madeira Drive for people to safely use. Regardless, people will try to find the shortest route between two points and the staircases could now become areas of close contact between individuals.

 

          Please could the Chair advise what plans are being put into place to ensure that people can still use the staircases without the risk of spreading Covid 19. For example, could one stairway be up only and the other down only. It may require more physical marshalling but that would be better than the position that the stairs are ok to cross on.”

 

5.6      The Chair responded in the following terms:

“We are arranging for signage encouraging social distancing to be installed around the city, and we have added the two sets of stairs between Madeira Drive and Marine Parade to the list of locations for these signs. Unfortunately, it is not possible to make the stairs one-way for pedestrians, and therefore we do need to rely on people following the social distancing guidelines, as we do not have any enforcement powers relating to this.”

 

Supplementary question

 

5.7      Councillor Bagaeen asked whether consideration could be given to re-opening those staircases which were currently closed as that could ease the flow of pedestrian traffic and avoid pinch-points. It was confirmed that whilst this could be looked into this was unlikely to provide a solution as these stairways had been closed due to their current state of repair.

 

Closure/Continuing Closure of City Schools – Covid 19

 

5.8      “On Friday 20 May 2020, the council advised schools in the city not to open. Could the Chair and the Board share what health advice has the Health and Wellbeing Board and the Director of Public Health given to schools on the issue of health and safety and risk of infection around opening schools at this point in the pandemic response.

 

5.9      The Chair responded in the following terms:

 

          “During May 2020, the Public Health Team have worked alongside Public Health England, Families, Children and Learning Directorate and local schools to provide up to date information, advice and guidance on emerging issues related to Covid 19. This has included supporting:

 

-       Children, Families and Learning Covid 19, Cell Meetings;

-       Workstream meetings in response to widening school access;

-       Head Teacher consultation meetings

 

On 29 May, the Director of Public Health was asked by the Interim Executive Director of Families, Children and Learning to provide advice on whether the Government’s 5 tests on easing lockdown had been met locally to inform the formulation of advice by the Council to schools and early years settings regarding extending opening from 1 June. The advice provided was that as the Test and Trace programme had been established on 28 May and its ability to respond to outbreaks had not been tested and that it could not be confirmed whether all of the Government tests had been met. This informed the Council advice provided to schools and early years providers on 29 May.

 

On 4 June the Director of Public Health advised that there was evidence that local residents were accessing the programme and contacts were being traced and advised to self-isolate. However, the programme was clearly at an early stage of implementation and further understanding of its impact on the city was required. Given the specific context of the city he advised that it is very important that the city can rely on the Track and Trace Programme to respond to any potential local increases in case and outbreaks. The recommendation was made to continue to monitor implementation of Test and Trace and review in the following week.”

 

          Supplementary question:

 

5.10    Councillor Bagaeen referred to the fact that one school in Hollingbury had advised that they would not be opening following earlier advice that they would be. This had taken place with very little notice. The Acting Executive Director of Children’s Services explained that in this instance very little notice had been given of the precise arrangements to put into place as directed by Central Government. Public Health advice had been taken as much notice as possible had been given regarding arrangements. Schools had been re-opened when there was certainty that all necessary arrangements were in place.

 

          Discussions with GMB – Covid 19

 

5.11    “On Friday 29 May 2020, Mark Turner of the GMB union, wrote to all Councillors saying that his and the GMB’s information to date (29 May) is that the infection rate in Brighton and Hove is increasing not decreasing and the unions and Mr Turner had seen evidence indicating that the R value may be as high as 1.7.

 

          Mr Turner advised all councillors that he and the GMB Members need to see scientific evidence locally to demonstrate to us that the R value is truly reducing.

 

          Could the Chair and the Board share what information was shared with Mr Turner and the GMB and why this information was not shared with the other members of the Board if the decision to support the council’s position to advise schools to close was based on this information.”

 

5.12    The Chair responded in the following terms:

 

          “The Director of Public Health did not share any information with Mr Turner and the GMB.

 

The Director of Public Health’s advice to Families, Children and Learning regarding extending schools opening was not based on information about the local R level.

 

The Council has published a public response and clarification that explains why it is inappropriate to calculate an R number at City level, as well confirming what early warning indicators are used to track the virus in the City:”

 

Supplementary question

 

5.13    RESOLVED – That the questions put and the responses given to them be received and noted.

 

5c       Deputations

 

5.14    There were none.