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Sir Bob Russell attended and addressed Cabinet pursuant to the provisions of Meetings General Procedure Rule 5(1) about a recent portfolio holder decision to transfer land near Jumbo to North Essex Heritage. He was a member of the Balkerne Tower Trust but was speaking in a personal capacity. The Balkerne Tower Trust predated North Essex Heritage and had successfully defended Jumbo from inappropriate development in the past. The report accompanying the decision was not complete. The call in date was incorrect which could invalidate the decision and it might be prudent to run the decision making process again. One of the reasons given in the report was to save on annual maintenance costs, but the report was silent on what those costs were. It was also silent on the potential impact on the six mature trees and rose beds. There had been no consultation about this piece of land and it was not clear how North Essex Heritage would use it.
Councillor King, Leader of the Council and Portfolio Holder for Strategy responded and explained that he would seek advice from the Monitoring Officer on the issue of call in date. The Council was committed to supporting Jumbo and the Balkerne Tower Trust in their fundraising to secure the future restoration of the building. The pocket of land in question would be transferred on a leasehold basis for the same period as the Trust had a lease for the building. This would save the Council some maintenance costs but the primary purpose was to align the piece of land with the future of Jumbo. In terms of future use of the land, it was possible that the future development of Jumbo may involve some development, such as lifts, that could require the use of the land. Further information about the use of the land would be shared in due course.
The Mayor, Councillor Scott-Boutell, attended and addressed Cabinet pursuant to the provisions of Meetings General Procedure Rule 5(1). As Mayor she had become aware of the importance of the civic role and how it helped build relationships with strategic partners and other tiers of government. The Council’s administration gained a substantial benefit from this. The Oyster Feast was the highlight of the civic calendar. In October 2023 the Gazette had reported on the potential increase in ticket prices to £140 and also a commitment by the Leader to consult colleagues to ensure that it did not become unaffordable. What was the outcome of this consultation? The views of the Mayor and Deputy Mayor were not sought before the price increase was agreed. She had looked at ways of reducing the cost of the event, such as changes to the venue, but had not been able to identify any. Many Councillors who should attend were no longer able to do so. It was also wrong to ask those representing the Mayor’s charities to use charity funds to attend. Cabinet should help support those who should be able to attend. There was a danger of it becoming an elite event rather than being seen for the benefits it brought to the city in terms of networking and raising its profile. Tickets should be allocated to the Mayor’s Charity Committee and guests, to a ballot for staff and for councillors at the Mayor’s discretion. This would have a minor impact on the Council’s overall budget.
Councillor Smith, Portfolio for Housing, highlighted that under a previous administration, a public survey had been undertaken to ascertain the views of residents on which services the council should concentrate its resources on. This had highlighted services such as waste collection and homelessness and that the civic function was not a priority. The decision had therefore been taken that the Oyster Feast should be self-financing. This meant that the price had increased as costs had increased. There were several free tickets, but this drove up the price of the remaining tickets. Whilst there were over 300 families in temporary accommodation it would be wrong to spend taxpayers’ money supporting the Oyster Feast
Councillor Goss, Portfolio Holder for Waste, Neighbourhood Services and Leisure, indicated that this was not an issue that residents had ever raised with him. Despite it being self-funding, there was still some reputational damage to the council from the Oyster Feast. It would not be prudent to use taxpayers’ money to support the Oyster Feast. If it was becoming unsustainable it may be necessary to review the Feast and to look at what benefits it brought to Colchester and alternative ways in which it could be provided.
Councillor King, Leader of the Council and Portfolio Holder for Strategy, thanked the Mayor for raising the issue and highlighted the importance of the civic role. It was important that the Mayor was supported and that a wide range of civic events should be supported. The price of the tickets was proposed by officers based on the costs involved. Consideration did have to be given to the reputational impact of such events but generally members received very little support and there was no doubt that such events did bring a benefit although it was hard to quantify. Further consideration would be given to the concerns she had raised to see what marginal changes could be made to address them.
A statement from Councillor Law was read by the Democratic Services Manager pursuant to the provisions of Meetings General Procedure Rule 5(1) as follows:-
“Colchester, like other cities and towns is seeing an increase in residents aged 65 and over. Colchester has seen an increase in residents in this age group of 25.6% in the period between 2021 and the previous census. We should celebrate the fact that people are living and staying active longer.
However, this can also bring challenges. Age UK analysis in 2021 estimated that 42% of over 75s are digitally excluded. This can stem from lack of confidence in using digital devices, low income or a combination of both.
As more services, including those at our council, are delivered online, older, digitally excluded residents are at a real disadvantage. Like other councillors, I am concerned at the difficulty such residents face when trying to access some of our council services, where the emphasis can be on access via online application systems or forms. I know that the council undertakes valuable work in strengthening inclusion in our communities and helping raise the importance of being dementia friendly, for example.
I have assisted older residents, who feel frustrated and excluded when trying to access council services. There can be an assumption that these people will have someone on hand to help them. This is not always the case.
Like other councillors I do encourage such residents to access digital skills sessions, but there can be real difficulties for older, vulnerable residents in an urgent crisis, who may struggle to access council services. Is there a strategy in place to assess and monitor the impact of a digital first strategy on older, digitally excluded residents and to identify measures to assist this group of residents? If not, can this issue be addressed as a matter of urgency.”
Councillor Jay, Portfolio Holder for Economic Growth and Transformation, explained that the cohort of those unable to access services digitally was decreasing but the Council was committed to supporting them. The Council aimed to be inclusive. The focus on digital transformation did give time for officers to concentrate on those who needed support through other channels. A new customer contact system had been introduced. The digital potential was huge but it was appreciated that not all could access it and there was still an emphasis on phone lines. These were available through office hours and were staffed by well-trained experts, who could cover queries on all services. There was also a visually impaired line and a language line. A face to face service was provided two days a week at Greenstead Housing Office. An Equality Impact Assessment was completed when introducing new services which would address issues of accessibility and ensure impacts were mitigated. The Digital Access Support Team was hosted by Colchester City Council within the Community, Health and Wellbeing Teams and was funded through the Health Alliance. It worked across North East Essex and the primary aim of the team was to support communities and residents to help address the digital divide. A team of skilled staff delivered several different projects including workshops, tutorials and drop in sessions. It was also responsible for the installation, maintenance, and support of Fixed Digital Access Points located within key community venues. Further details would be sent to Councillor Law and would be copied to all councillors.
Councillor Çufoglu attended and addressed Cabinet pursuant to the provisions of Meetings General Procedure Rule 5(1) to explain that he had recently visited Colchester Caribbean Group who were collecting aid for those affected by Hurricane Beryl. The Green group were supporting them and wanted to store aid in their group room at the Town Hall. Other political groups on the Council should look at how they could support this initiative.
Councillor King, Leader of the Council and Portfolio Holder for Strategy, thanked Councillor Çufoglu for the work he was undertaking but reminded him of the need to consider practicalities and ensure he had consulted the relevant officers and had the necessary permissions in place. Councillor Sommers, Portfolio Holder for Communities, Heritage and Public Protection, undertook to provide him with further information and contacts that would help him organise the support for Colchester Caribbean Group.