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Contact: Mr G Lelliott 

Items
No. Item

382.

Mayor's Announcements

Minutes:

The Mayor provided an update on the events and engagements that she had attended since the last Council.  Councillors were wished a happy and restful Christmas and New Year.

383.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 184 KB

To confirm and sign, as a correct record, the minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 20 October 2022 (attached).

Minutes:

The Minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 20 October 2022 were confirmed and signed as a correct record, subject to amending motion 4 on item 298 (keeping Runnymede and Surrey frack free) to include the outcome of the vote i.e. “The motion was lost”.

384.

Apologies for Absence

Minutes:

Apologies were received from Councillors J. Broadhead, D. Clarke, D. Coen, M. Cressy, J. Furey, N. King, D. Whyte and J. Wilson.

385.

Declarations of Interest

If Members have an interest in an item, please complete a Member Interest Form and email it to Democratic.Services@runnymede.gov.uk by 5pm on the day of the meeting. Members are advised to contact the Corporate Head of Law and Governance prior to the meeting if they wish to seek advice on a potential interest.

Minutes:

There were none.

386.

Speaking or Questions from Members of the Public under Standing Order 12

a) Aileen Owen Davies, a Runnymede resident, asks:

 

“Tree planting and increasing vegetation is now being undertaken around the country.   Surrey has just committed to 57,500 new trees this year.

 

What policies and targets has Runnymede committed to?”

 

b) Deb Long, a Runnymede resident, asks:

 

An integral part of the Council's Climate Change strategy is to convene a Citizens Panel to regularly consult with stakeholders to exchange updates on the community and councils actions and initiatives also to track the Council’s progress to its Net Zero 2030 target and Runnymede’s progress towards the national target of Net Zero 2050. When will this Citizen Panel be established and what is the process for participant selection?

Minutes:

a) Aileen Owen Davies, a local resident, asked the following question:

 

“Tree planting and increasing vegetation is now being undertaken around the country.   Surrey has just committed to 57,500 new trees this year.

 

What policies and targets has Runnymede committed to?”

 

The Leader of the Council replied in the following terms:

 

“Runnymede Borough Council has now approved its Corporate Plan. A central element of that is our Climate Change Strategy. In line with that strategy, our Environment and Sustainability Committee has now approved our Sustainable Planting Policy, with all future planting to be in line with the principles set out within that policy.

 

These principles include amongst others:

 

1.     Planting to be planned to encourage biodiversity and support for native wildlife;

2.     Maximising the use of native species with near native species being used to lengthen the flowering season, and;

3.     The re-naturalisation and development of wildflower meadows where appropriate.

 

In respect of targets for planting, we have not yet adopted any target and that is deliberate. I believe that centrally imposed targets are an inefficient mechanism for delivering the outcomes we need and want locally. Look at central targets for Housing to see how well they work.

 

Instead, as a stated part of our policy, we look to encourage and support local community initiatives, including those of residents’ groups and businesses who wish to participate within their local communities. As an example, I have supported residents with tree planting on public land at two locations within Woodham and Row Town over this last planting season. I am aware of similar work by numerous other councillors as well.

 

To help local initiatives we will, subject to approval of the budget, be undertaking a survey of all our trees starting in 2023. We estimate that there are 35,000 trees in Runnymede, many of which are in good condition.  Some will however need support or removal to ensure the safety of residents and visitors to the borough.  Where trees have to be removed we plan to reinstate at alternative suitable locations.  Once this work is completed we will know how many trees we have and how much land we have available for further planting and we will look to develop a separate tree strategy in line with the planting principles I mentioned earlier.”

 

Aileen Owen Davies asked, as a supplementary question, whether there would be targets for replacing lost trees.  The Leader reiterated his earlier comments about target setting, adding that a tree survey needed to be carried out before policy development on the replacement of lost trees took place.

 

b) Deb Long, a local resident, asked the following question:

 

“An integral part of the Council's Climate Change strategy is to convene a Citizens Panel to regularly consult with stakeholders to exchange updates on the community and councils actions and initiatives also to track the Council’s progress to its Net Zero 2030 target and Runnymede’s progress towards the national target of Net Zero 2050. When will this Citizen Panel be established  ...  view the full minutes text for item 386.

387.

Petitions

To receive any petitions from members of the Council under Standing Order No 19.

Minutes:

There were none.

388.

Questions from Members of the Council under Standing Order 13

a. Question from Councillor Carl Mann to the Leader of the Council

 

Can we please have an update on the A320 Ottershaw roundabout and whether the HIF money is protected?

 

b. Question from Councillor Sylvia Whyte to the Leader of the Council

 

Following the death of 2 year old Awaab Ishak, caused by mould in the family’s flat in Rochdale,  the social housing regulator has ordered all landlords with more than 1,000 homes to report their most recent assessment of the extent of damp and mould hazards, the action they are taking to remedy them and to detail the process they have to identify and deal promptly with damp and mould cases, when they are raised by tenants. Can the leader of the Council assure me that Runnymede Borough Council’s housing stock is inspected regularly to ensure that tragedies like this will never happen in Runnymede?

 

c. Question from Councillor Isabel Mullins to the Leader of the Council

 

Given that the original Climate Change Strategy approved by the Corporate Management Committee in April of this year included an Action Plan, and in order to give transparency to the council’s actions and plans for carbon emission reductions, could the Leader of the Council ensure that this Climate Change Action Plan, or an up to date version of it, be published on the RBC website with high visibility alongside the council’s Climate Change Strategy, as a matter of urgency?

 

d. Question from Councillor Rhys Davies to the Leader of the Council

 

Is the Leader aware of the chronic delays this Council’s housing department is facing in assessing medical and disability submissions forms from residents applying to our housing register, does he think waiting months for these forms to be reviewed and a decision taken is acceptable?

 

e. Question from Councillor Robert King to the Leader of the Council

 

Is the Leader aware that hundreds of residents, already struggling to get a GP appointment, have had a further blow with numerous GP practices in recent months withdrawing online app services, such as Livi, making it nearly impossible to get even a telephone or online appointment. What is Runnymede doing to lobby GP practices and Surrey Heartlands to reintroduce such services?

 

f. Question from Councillor Abby King to the Leader of the Council

 

What is the Council doing to enhance street cleaning in Runnymede and is the Leader exploring a timetabling of streets, in collaboration with Surrey Highways after they carry out gully cleaning?

Minutes:

a) Councillor Carl Mann asked the Leader of the Council the following question:

 

“Can we please have an update on the A320 Ottershaw roundabout and whether the HIF money is protected?”

 

The Leader responded in the following terms:

 

“With regard to the planning application for the A320 (RU.21/2018), reviewed on Wednesday 27 July 2022, Surrey County Council’s Planning and Regulatory Committee resolved:

 

That, subject to referral to the Secretary of State under paragraph 10 of the Town and Country Planning (Consultation) (England) Direction 2021, and in the absence of any direction by the Secretary of State, to PERMIT subject to amended conditions and informatives agreed by the Chairman and Vice-Chairman and within these minutes, and the remaining unamended conditions and informatives set out within the report and update sheet.

 

I can confirm that, on 7 December 2022, we received an update stating that the Secretary of State will not be calling in the decision.  This means that the scheme can go ahead in the New Year.

 

There will be a further round of public consultation held looking at landscaping, hardstanding and traffic management plans, with the outcome of this consultation informing the final conditions.

 

With regard to the Housing Infrastructure Fund, a general development agreement was signed by Surrey County Council and Homes England, with a side agreement signed by Surrey County Council and Runnymede Borough Council.  The contents of the general development agreement are subject to a non-disclosure agreement.”

 

Councillor Hulley asked whether members for Ottershaw should be thanked for their work on this matter?  The Leader agreed that they should.

 

b) Councillor Sylvia Whyte asked the Leader of the Council the following question:

 

“Following the death of 2 year old Awaab Ishak, caused by mould in the family’s flat in Rochdale,  the social housing regulator has ordered all landlords with more than 1,000 homes to report their most recent assessment of the extent of damp and mould hazards, the action they are taking to remedy them and to detail the process they have to identify and deal promptly with damp and mould cases, when they are raised by tenants. Can the leader of the Council assure me that Runnymede Borough Council’s housing stock is inspected regularly to ensure that tragedies like this will never happen in Runnymede?”

 

The Leader responded in the following terms:

 

“The death of Awaab Ishak is a tragedy.

 

As a landlord we take our responsibilities very seriously, and I wish to assure members and residents that we do have robust processes in place to address issues that arise within our properties, including problems with mould or damp.

 

In 2019 we commissioned a full stock condition survey on all our housing to ensure that we have comprehensive data on the condition of our properties.  This is kept up to date by visiting at least 10% of our properties annually.

 

We also have contracts in place to ensure that resource is available to address issues if and when they arise.  It is of course not  ...  view the full minutes text for item 388.

389.

Recommendations from Committees

389a

Council Tax Support Scheme pdf icon PDF 113 KB

The Corporate Management Committee agreed the following resolution at its meeting on Thursday 24 November 2022:

 

That the preferred option for a revised Runnymede Council Tax Support scheme be recommended for adoption by Council, for implementation from 1 April 2023.

 

The report and appendices are attached.  An addendum providing additional information that was requested by the Corporate Management Committee is also attached.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Resolved that:

 

The preferred option for a revised Runnymede Council Tax Support scheme, as set out in the report considered by the Corporate Management Committee on 24 November 2022, be adopted for implementation from 1 April 2023.

390.

Notices of Motion from Members of the Council under Standing Order 15

To receive and consider any notices of motion from members of the Council under standing order 15.


From Councillor Robert King

 

This Council notes:

 

(1) With rents soaring out of control, thousands of families are left buried in debt and under the threat of losing their home.

 

(2) Many remain stuck on the Council housing list with little or no chance of an affordable secure home.

 

(3) That the problem is made worse by a huge increase in the use of section 21 notices (issued under the Housing Act 1988) to secure ‘no fault evictions’ of tenants, destroying family homes as landlords look to take advantage of unprecedented price rises and sell up or they themselves are being impacted by the unprecedented rise in interest rates.

 

(4) The East Thames Valley and Walton Local Housing Allowances (which determines the maximum level of Housing Benefit that can be paid) now is at least 30% below the market value of most rented properties, once again driving families into debt, with rent arrears blocking them from seeking another home when they’re evicted.

 

(5) The government has announced that LHA rates are to be frozen for another year, while the rents tenants have to pay continue to escalate with no controls on the level of rents landlords can charge.

 

(6) The shortage of genuinely affordable rented homes is causing a long-term problem too. But significant numbers of empty homes and unidentified housing sites, particularly brownfield sites, remaining undeveloped, ‘land banked’ by property speculators who prefer to wait for local housing values to increase still further or waiting for over ambiguous planning proposal to be granted. Councils can do little about this, as they lack the cost-neutral CPO powers to bring empty homes and land-banked land back into use for genuinely affordable social rented housing.

 

(7) All these factors have led to a huge escalation in homelessness and particularly hidden homelessness, with hundreds of millions of pounds wasted each year across the country providing unsatisfactory temporary accommodation or by residents facing continued expense when moving between insecure homes.

 

The Council Believes That:

 

(1) All these factors combine to precipitate a real housing crisis. We are only at the very start of this perfect storm which will condemn current and future generations of Runnymede residents to insecure, unaffordable and substandard housing.

 

(2) A safe, secure and affordable home is a basic human right.

 

The Council resolves that:

 

(1) The Leader of Runnymede Council with other group leaders as they see fit write to Runnymede and Weybridge’s MP and the Secretary of state for Department for Levelling Up, Communities and Housing Michael Gove demanding that he:

 

a. abolishes section 21 notices

 

b. reverses the decision to freeze LHA and increase it so it reflects the true level of private sector rents

 

c. allows Councils to charge up to 300% Council tax on second homes.

 

d. reinstates the fair rent review system to cap housing rents at a realistic level.

 

e. grants councils ‘cost neutral’ compulsory purchase powers  ...  view the full agenda text for item 390.

Minutes:

The motion, as set out in the summons, was moved by Councillor R. King, subject to a referral being made to the Environment and Sustainability Committee.

 

The motion was seconded by Councillor Berardi.

 

The motion was debated by the Council.

 

A named vote was requested on the motion and the voting was as follows:

 

For the motion (12)

 

Councillors Berardi, Burton, Davies, Gill, Gillham, Jenkins, A. King, R. King, Mullens, Ringham, S. Whyte and Williams.

 

Against the motion (18)

 

Councillors Saise-Marshall, Balkan, Bromley, Cotty, Cunningham, Darby, Dennett, J. Gracey, T. Gracey, Heath, Howorth, Hulley, Lewis, Nuti, Olorenshaw, Prescot, Walsh and Willingale.

 

Abstentions (2)

 

Councillors Harnden and Mann.

 

The motion was lost.

391.

Minority Group Priority Business

No items of minority group priority business have been registered under Standing Order 23.

Minutes:

There was none.