Proposer: Councillor Wilkinson
Seconder: Councillor Sankey
Ward(s) affected: All
Notice of Motion
Labour Group
This council:
1. Notes the ongoing public dissatisfaction and high volume of complaints Councillors continue to receive from residents about basic council services to deliver since February 2022[1] - from missed refuse, recycling and garden waste collections; to overgrown weeds; to graffiti and litter on our streets, beaches and in our parks; to mismanagement of parking permits; and the general maintenance, upkeep and cleanliness of our city;
2. Acknowledges that over a decade of ideological and savage Government cuts have played a significant role in the ability of this Council to deliver key services to residents;
3. However, recognises that residents are right to expect the local authority to prioritise the delivery of basic services over vanity projects
4. Notes the request of Council in February 2022 to approve the establishment of a cross-party working group to get to grips with these long-running issues was rejected, but a year on and these problems persist
Therefore, this Council resolves to request officers to produce a report for Policy & Resources Committee to:
5. Consider the urgent establishment of a cross-party MWG consisting of six Members, two from each political party, with the remit to investigate, review and discuss solutions to the systemic management failures behind the delivery of basic council services, and provide recommendations to P&R and ETS.
6.
Explore initiatives
that bring our communities into the process of identifying and
tackling ‘grot spots’ and key problem-areas for street
cleanliness, including participatory forums such as citizens
assemblies, citywide clean up events, and meaningful
consultations.