Agenda item

Statements were made by the following people;

Vicky Drew made a statement regarding the Curo pilot credit checking scheme and the effect this was having on low income tenants.  In response to a question from Councillor Steve Hedges enquiring whether Ms Drew considered the word ‘social’ should be taken out of the Curo name, Ms Drew responded that it seemed to be the way they were going.  In response to a question from Councillor Robin Moss about whether investing money in debt advice was a good model to adopt, Ms Drew responded that debt advice was beyond the remit of providers. The Chairman thanked Ms Drew for her statement and referred the issues to the Cabinet member for Homes and Planning.

Vicky Drew made a statement regarding child poverty figures in B&NES.  She referred to rising rents and properties being used as HMOs meaning a limited supply.  She considered that arrangements favoured landlords, not tenants and yet everyone had a basic right to shelter. The Chairman thanked Ms Drew for her statement and referred the issues to the Cabinet member for Early Years, Children and Youth.

Vicky Drew made a statement regarding the junction outside St Saviour’s school and referred to a petition that is gathering signatures calling for a pedestrian crossing to guarantee safe passage for parents and children.  In response to a question from Councillor Rob Appleyard about whether Ms Drew was aware of the work Councillor Bryan Chalker had been doing in addressing this, Ms Drew responded that she was aware, but that it was still subject to a safety audit and earmarked for the 2015/16 budget, which was not soon enough.  In response to a further question from Councillor Bryan Chalker about whether Ms Drew was aware of the work both ward councillors had put into this, Ms Drew responded that she had seen various stories in the press and knew they were supportive; she was keen to see it move forward.  Councillor Liz Hardman asked a question about whether Ms Drew considered it was worth spending the money needed for ensuring a safer environment, she responded that it definitely was and she thought the amount would be  ‘peanuts’. The Chairman thanked Ms Drew for her statement and referred it the issues to the Cabinet member for Transport.

Richard Young made a statement also calling for measures to address road safety issues outside St Saviour’s school.  He listed the problems caused and referred to an accident in 2013.  He made reference to a petition of over 1000 signatures which they would shortly be submitting to Council.  Whilst applauding the medium and long terms solutions that had been proposed, he called on the Council to take immediate steps by visiting St Saviours in the morning, installing a pedestrian crossing within 6 months and working with the community in 2015 to identify measures to reduce the rat run.  In response to a question from Councillor Rob Appleyard enquiring if Mr Young was aware that the process for identifying a site for a safe crossing was now finished and approximately £40k had been allocated for this next year, Mr Young responded that he now knew about it.  He asked that any work could be done in collaboration with the local community.  In response to a question from Councillor Tim Warren about how long they had been campaigning for this, Mr Young responded that he personally had been involved for about 3 years, but the campaign itself had been going for about 11 years.  In response to a question from Councillor Dave Laming asking about how much support they had received from the administration so far, Mr Young responded that Councillor Bryan Chalker had been supportive but that more action was needed.  In response to a question from Councillor Liz Hardman about how much support there was locally, Mr Young responded that his assessment was that about 20 – 25% of the Lambridge electorate were in favour.  The Chairman thanked Mr Young for his statement and referred the issues to the Cabinet member for Transport.

Dionne Noonan also made a statement regarding the junction outside St Saviour’s school. She echoed the comments already made and made specific reference to the accident that had occurred last year when a mother taking children to school had been knocked down.  She urged the Council to take steps to ensure that people could travel safely to and from school. In response to a question from Councillor Rob Appleyard about whether there was a school travel plan, Ms Noonan responded that she wasn’t aware of one.  She acknowledged the school was currently coping with 2 additional classes, so there were approximately 60 more children.  In response to a question from Councillor Liz Hardman as to whether Ms Noonan considered that the accident and the near misses justified installing a pedestrian crossing immediately, Ms Noonan responded that it was definitely justified. The Chairman thanked Ms Noonan for her statement and referred the issues to the Cabinet member for Transport.

David Redgewell made a statement regarding bus service and integration. A copy of the statement has been linked to the online minutes and placed on the Council’s Minute book. The Chairman thanked Mr Redgewell for his statement and referred it to the Cabinet member for Transport. 

Peter Marsh presented a petition of 312 local traders and residents regarding the growing number of charity shops in Moorland Road and calling on the Council to take steps to stop this increase.  The wording of the petition is;

“Ask Banes Council to pledge that no more charity shops will be allowed on Moorland Road.  While lots of people enjoy using the charity shops on Moorland Road, there are now 6 and this is affecting the business of other traders in the area.”  In response to a question from Councillor Dave Dixon about the nature of Mr Marsh’s objection to charity shops, Mr Marsh responded that he had nothing against them per se but it was a question of balance with other shops and maintaining a vibrant community.  In response to a question from Councillor Dave Laming about whether Mr Marsh had a list of retailers wanting to move into Moorland road, Mr Marsh responded that he didn’t have a list, but was aware of shops that hadn’t been able to move in, and that paying more than charity shops due to their exemption from business rates was a deterrent.  In response to a question from Councillor John Bull about what else Mr Marsh considered the Council could do, he responded that the Council could make it more of a business proposition to open a business there by improving the parking, signage, having cleaner streets etc.  The Chairman thanked Mr Marsh for his statement and petition and referred it to the Cabinet member for Sustainable Development.

Ollie Middleton made a statement regarding the Living wage motion later on this agenda.  He referred to the number of people below the poverty line who are working and listed the organisations and local authorities who have adopted the living wage.  He called on the Council to take the lead and urged them to adopt the motion.  In response to a question from Councillor John Bull about whether there were advantages to employers in adopting the living wage, Mr Middleton explained that the benefits were significant and evidence pointed to lower absenteeism, increased productivity, enhanced reputation and a general boost to the economy.  The Chairman thanked Mr Middleton for his statement and explained that his comments would be taken into account during consideration of the item.

Todd Foreman made a statement in support of the living wage motion.  He said that 1 in 5 children in Bath lived in poverty and that work should be a way of lifting people out of poverty. In response to a question from Councillor Tim Warren about whether Mr Foreman considered the lower paid were better off with the tax reductions from the coalition government than they had been when paying higher taxes under the Labour government, Mr Foreman responded that the average family was worse off under this government and his view was that most people in Bath & North East Somerset would say that they felt worse off.  In response to a question from Councillor Dave Laming about whether the Labour party or supporting unions had any unpaid interns in this area, Mr Foreman responded that he was proud to say that North East Somerset Labour party was a living wage employer.  Councillor John Bull asked whether it was the case that some employers were ruled out due to contracts containing relevant clauses not being in place with suppliers and contractors. Mr Foreman responded that was in fact not a reason for employers to be disqualified as this could be phased in.  Guidance he had seen outlined the flexibility that existed for contracts to be phased in.  The Chairman thanked Mr Foreman for his statement and explained that his comments would be taken into account during consideration of the item.