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Questioner
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Subject
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Response
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Pre-notified questions
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Councillor Smithson
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Could the Portfolio Holder for Neighbourhood Services and Waste please advise Council:-
What contingency plans have been put into place to ensure waste collections are maintained should waste operatives be laid low by Covid and/or seasonal colds/flu?
What contingency plans have been put in place to ensure the continuation of waste collection should waste operatives take industrial action resulting in withdrawal of their labour?
What is the estimated cost of these plans should they need to be invoked?
If the contingency plans could be met from the existing budget, did that mean there was surplus in the existing budget?
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Councillor Goss, Portfolio Holder for Neighbourhood Services and Waste explained that the service would always try to deliver a full service. Staff communications included reminders on the need to ensure personal hygiene and a clean office environment. A contingency plan was in place which included detailed reviews of the service daily, or hourly if necessary, taking account of staffing and weather. Decisions to pause services would be a last resort and would be for as short a time as possible. Any revised services would take account of the waste hierarchy. Pre-prepared public communications were in place and Councillors would be kept informed.
In terms of industrial action, priority would be given to black bag waste and food waste. Detailed reviews would be undertaken considering staffing levels. Any decision to pause services would be for the shortest time and would take account of the waste hierarchy. Again, pre-prepared public communications were in place and Councillors would be kept informed. Agency staff could be employed if necessary.
The service would be delivered within the existing forecasted budget. As with all Council budgets there was pressure on the budget and it was being managed accordingly.
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Councillor Sunnucks
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Does the administration appreciate the importance of the scoping consultation for the East Anglia Green Environment Statement which has to be submitted by 5th December? This is about the proposed line of giant pylons from Norwich to Tilbury, cutting across the East Anglian countryside.
As a statutory consultee will the Council provide a dry technical response, or will it insist that the reasonable alternative of a full offshore grid is properly explained?
Would the administration give officers the confidence to move away from traditional modes of response to provide the type of response that was required?
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Councillor King, Leader of the Council and Portfolio Holder for Strategy, welcomed the question and stressed that the importance and significance of the issue was understood by Councillors and officers. The administration was opposed to the proposal and the way in which it had been brought forward. It was important that members were briefed and kept informed.
The Council’s response would need to be technical to a degree because it had to respond to the nature of the issues put forward. The response needed to be professional and evidenced so it would be taken seriously and have an impact.
The Council was working together with other authorities across East Anglia to oppose the proposals. The emotional impact of what could happen was understood, but the Council had to respond within the scope of what the consultation asked. Officers would be given the space to do their professional duty. The administration would continue to work together with others to give the response that was required.
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Oral questions
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Councillor Barber
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Did the administration have any plans to devolve services or responsibilities to Parish and Town Councils?
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Councillor Cory, Portfolio Holder for Resources, explained this was subject to ongoing discussions. In view of budget pressures, it was necessary to look at partnership working. Whilst there were no direct plans to devolve services, the door was open and he ws happy to discuss options and possibilities, perhaps utilising the Rural Prosperity Fund, with Town, Parish and Community Councils.
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Councillor Harris
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Did the administration have a view on the potential merits of reinstituting Neighbourhood Action Panels, where there was an appetite to do so, if they could be introduced at no cost, perhaps using remote technology?
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Councillor King, Leader of the Council and Portfolio Holder for Strategy, explained that the Portfolio Holder for Housing and Communities would respond, but the Council was seeking to address its current challenges by working in partnership. Partnership working shared costs and brought in experience. This proposal was in line with that ethos and it could perhaps be explored through the ONE Colchester Partnership.
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Councillor Harris
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Being in mind the need to act in a respectful manner, he had been pleased to under the training on the new Code of Conduct. Could the Leader of the Council confirm the numbers who had attended one of the sessions?
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Councillor King, Leader of the Council and Portfolio Holder for Strategy, explained that 29 Councillors had attended one of the sessions. A recording of the session had been circulated and Democratic Services would be monitoring uptake by those who not attended one of the sessions.
He agreed with the need for respect which began and ended with courtesy.
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Councillor Harris
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Given the number and profile of the civic events in current municipal year, could the Portfolio Holder for Culture and Heritage provide an update on how the Mayoralty had coped with this period?
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Councillor Cox, Portfolio Holder for Culture and Heritage, explained that whilst all Mayoral years were eventful, this year had been particularly so. The Mayor and Mayoress had represented the Council very well at a number of community and civic events, culminating in the meeting for the conferment of City Status on 23 November. Thanks were also due to the officers who supported these functions.
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Councillor Smith
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Did the Portfolio Holder for Neighbourhood Services and Waste consider that it was right that not for profit organisations doing work that was in line with the Council’s priorities were charged at the same rate as commercial organisations for the collection of waste and recycling?
Would the Portfolio Holder congratulate Welshwood Park Residents Association for recycling so much material?
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Councillor Goss, Portfolio Holder for Neighbourhood Services and Waste, explained that the Council needed to be prudent with its finances and could not make a profit from any organisation through over recovery of costs. He would continue to look at these rates, and ensure they were appropriately set to be cost effective both for the Council and Residents Associations, so that they could afford to continue to provide valuable services. It was hoped that recycling credits would cover most of the cost.
He was happy to congratulate Welshwood Park Residents Association for their work in the collection and recycling of copious quantities of leaves.
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Councillor Pearson
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In view of the damage the last Prime Minister had done to the national economy, could the Portfolio Holder for Local Economy and Transformation provide an update on any initiatives he had introduced to help the local economy?
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Councillor Fox, Portfolio Holder for Local Economy and Transformation explained that the local economy was suffering from the impact of inflation and the mini budget. However, it was necessary to remain positive.
Town Deal Funding worth £20 million was being invested, which would unlock further investment. This would drive economic activity in the city centre.
There was a drive to improve digital skills and ultra-fast broadband would be rolled out. In addition, the green energy system at Northern Gateway was being developed as was the new business centre in Queen Street.
Local businesses were being supported through organisations such as the North Essex Economic Board, Colbea, BID and the Federation of Small Businesses.
The Women’s Tour Cycle Race had showcased the wider region on national television and had brought in £1 million to the local economy. This had brought benefits across the city, not just the centre.
Small Business Saturday would be held on 3 December. 93% of businesses in Colchester were small or micro businesses and Council was encouraged to support them.
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Councillor Law
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Could the Portfolio Holder for Culture and Heritage provide an update on planning for the year of events to mark City Status and how the Council would engage with residents across the city.
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Councillor Cox, Portfolio Holder for Culture and Heritage explained that in terms of the Year of Celebration, a tourist facing suite of activities would be published shortly. These played to Colchester’s heritage strengths. There also be community focussed events. Ideas were bubbling up constantly. These included the unveiling of a plaque to mark the Berechurch Dyke and commemoration of the siege of Colchester. She was happy to receive further ideas.
In terms of legacy planning, Lindsay Barker, Executive Director, Place, was leading a group looking at this issue and further details would follow. It was appreciated that this was challenging time to undertake such work and that there were serious financial decisions that needed to be taken, but she was confident the Council could do both.
In terms of public engagement, the Council had recently conducted a survey to which it had received 1100 responses, which had been looked at in detail by Policy Panel. This had demonstrated the themes that residents were interested in, which included improvements to the historic city centre, sharpening the sense of place and making the most of the Colchester’s cultural facilities.
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