Agenda item - Notices of Motion.

The following Notices of Motion have been submitted by Members for consideration (copies attached):

 

(a)               2018 Gay Games.  Proposed by Councillor Randall.

 

(b)              Teachers’ Pay.  Proposed by Councillor Buckley.

 

(c)               Payday Lenders.  Proposed by Councillor Wilson.

 

(d)              Reform of Taxi and Private Hire Operation.  Proposed by Councillor Lepper.

 

(e)               Stimulating New House Building in Brighton and Hove.  Proposed by Councillor Peltzer Dunn.

 

(f)                 Traveller Encampments on Sensitive Sites in Brighton and Hove.  Proposed by Councillor G. Theobald.

(a)               2018 Gay Games

 

27.1         The Notice of Motion as detailed in the agenda was proposed by Councillor Randall on behalf of the Green Group and seconded by Councillor Powell.

 

27.2         The Mayor then put the following motion to the vote:

 

            “This council congratulates Sport London, a network of LGBT Sports Clubs in the Capital, which has successfully campaigned for London to be included in the final short list of three cities to host the 2018 Gay Games.  It is the first time the UK has put its hat in the ring for the Gay Games, and the bid is built on the excellent job done by London in hosting the 2012 Olympics and Paralympic Games.

 

            The Gay Games started in San Francisco in 1982 and is held every four years.  One of the world’s largest sporting and cultural events, it lasts seven days and covers up to 36 sports and cultural activities.  It attracts around 10,000 participants from more than 70 nations.  Paris and Limerick are the other two cities on the short list.  A decision is expected towards the end of the year.

 

            This council shares the founding principles of the Gay Games, which are inclusion, participation and personal best.  It believes Brighton and Hove can only benefit from the games coming to London, particularly through participants and spectators making the short trip to enjoy our city with its strong and vibrant LGBT community.  There is also the possibility that one of the national teams might use the city as its base.

 

            It therefore requests the Chief Executive to write to Sport London expressing the council’s formal support for the bid.”

 

27.3         The motion was carried.

 

 

(b)              Teacher’s Pay

 

27.4         The Notice of Motion as detailed in the agenda was proposed by Councillor Randall on behalf of the Green Group and seconded by Councillor Wakefield.

 

27.5         The Mayor then put the following motion to the vote.

 

            “This Council calls on the Government to abandon plans to introduce performance-related pay for teachers. We ask that the national pay structure and inflation-linked pay for teachers is reinstated, as there is little evidence to prove that teachers will work more productively or that children will learn better under these new proposals.

 

            Secretary of State for Education, Michael Gove, believes that the new measures, allowing schools to set salary levels will give schools greater freedom over teachers’ pay and help recruit the best staff.

 

            We remain convinced that teaching is an effort shared by staff, school leadership, children, parents, governors and the community. The Secretary of State’s measures undermine this practice by introducing a divisive element where teachers compete for pay increases at the expense of their colleagues. Further, potential new teachers will be put off from entering the profession, it will lead to decisions being made based on financial climate rather than performance, and it will generate more paperwork for schools

 

            This Council believes the government should be looking for ways to encourage and enable more teachers and schools to share good practice instead of being in constant competition with each other.

 

            We therefore call on the government to work with and consult with teachers rather than impose crude ideological schemes on them and ask the Chief Executive to refer the motion to the Secretary of State.”

 

27.6         The motion was carried.

 

 

(c)               Payday Lenders

 

126.1    The Notice of Motion as detailed in the agenda was proposed by Councillor Wilson on behalf of the Labour & Co-operative Group and seconded by Councillor Marsh.

 

126.2    Councillor Randall moved an amendment to the notice of motion on behalf of the Green Group which was seconded by Councillor Buckley.

 

126.3    The Mayor noted that the amendment had been accepted by Councillor Wilson and put it to the vote which was carried.

 

126.4    The Mayor then put the following motion as amended to the vote:

 

            “This council notes the increasing use of payday lenders charging interest rates of up to 5,800% by families in Brighton and Hove.

 

            This council notes that 20,000 people called the National Debtline last year with problems arising from payday loans, with typical debts of £1,500 on average.

 

            This council notes that the Office of Fair Trading has ordered the Competition Commission to investigate bad practices in the industry, worth £2.2billion in the UK, with 8.2 million loans taken out in 2011/12.

 

            This council resolves:

 

1)           To ask the Chief Executive to write to the Secretary of State for Business and the Chancellor of the Exchequer calling for a cap on loan rates imposed by payday lenders and other high interest lenders.

 

2)           To ask the Overview & Scrutiny Committee to establish a Scrutiny Panel to explore options on limiting the number of payday loan shops in the city using examples of best practice in other authorities and reporting to the relevant committees.

 

3)           That this authority continues to use every means available to promote the use of credit unions and other responsible lenders by residents.

 

4)           To continue with its work of creating a Community Banking Partnership that will include local lending and advice agencies and the high street banks.

 

126.5    The motion was carried.

 

 

(d)              Reform of Taxi and Private Hire Operation

 

27.7         The Notice of Motion as detailed in the agenda was proposed by Councillor Lepper on behalf of the Labour & Co-operative Group and seconded by Councillor Robins.

 

27.8         The Mayor then put the following motion to the vote:

 

            “For the past year, at the request of the government, the Law Commission has been consulting on changes to legislation governing taxi and private hire vehicle operation.  The government’s stated principals for the review are based on de-regulation and the imposition of national standards.

 

            Following thousands of submissions from taxi drivers, private hire operators, unions, local licensing authorities, disability groups and other stakeholders as to the effect that such de-regulation would have, the Law Commission has published an interim statement proposing that for Hackney Carriages local authorities would retain their powers to regulate numbers and exercise some quality control.

 

            However, concern remains as to the effect on the city’s local Private Hire trade from the government’s preference that only national standards will apply particularly in respect of;

 

·               Removing border restrictions

·               No requirement for a local ‘knowledge’ test

·               No mandatory requirement for disability awareness training

·               A ‘light-touch’ approach to accessibility issues

·               The loss of any locally agreed price structure and consumer protection

 

            Should these proposals be enacted, local companies and drivers will face fierce competition from larger companies, possibly from London, who could flood the city with cabs offering cut-price deals and drive the local trade out of the market.  Such de-regulation of the Private Hire trade could then also affect the Hackney trade leading to a general loss of local identity and service standards.

 

Further concerns relating to public safety with respect to enforcement have not been dealt with by the Law Commission. They have not explained how a car licensed in one part of the country but working in another will be managed.

 

            Our City with over 1000 licensed vehicles is already struggling to cope with enough rank spaces. Major concerns regarding the number of vehicles which might come to Brighton affecting the already high co2 emissions is also of great concern.

 

            Furthermore concerns relate to the service provision for wheelchair users who call for Private Hire Services. Currently under local authority control this provision is met by the Council working with local stakeholders. If this control is removed in favour of national standards this provision could disappear.

 

            Therefore this council,

 

·               Welcomes the interim proposals from the Law Commission relating to Hackney Carriages that will allow this council to continue with its policy of managed growth and quality control.

 

·               Expresses grave concern as to the potential effects of the de-regulation of the Private Hire trade with particular concern to Public Safety, a possible increase in Co2 levels, service provision to wheelchair users and further concerns that local operators and drivers could be driven out of the market.

 

·               Requests that the Chief Executive conveys these specific concerns in relation to the local Private Hire trade as set out in this motion to the relevant government minister and to the Law Commission.”

 

27.9         The motion was carried.

 

Note:

 

27.10    Councillor Wells having declared a pecuniary interest in the item, left the meeting and took no part in the discussion or decision thereon.

 

 

(e)               Stimulating New House Building in Brighton and Hove

 

27.1         The Notice of Motion as detailed in the agenda was proposed by Councillor Peltzer Dunn on behalf of the Conservative Group and seconded by Councillor Mears.

 

27.2         Councillor Randall moved an amendment to the notice of motion on behalf of the Green Group which was seconded by Councillor Kennedy.

 

27.3         The Mayor noted that the amendment had not been accepted by Councillor Peltzer Dunn and put it to the vote which was carried.

 

27.4         The Mayor then put the following motion as amended to the vote:

 

            “This Council welcomes progress with the regeneration of sites on council land and notes that an extra care scheme of 44 homes on the Brookmead site has been submitted for planning permission as the next stage of this work, which delivered 15 new council homes under the last administration.

 

            This council recognizes it has been necessary to revisit the previous administration’s Estates Masterplan, which was optimistic in identifying land for a potential 800 new homes in the city. The revised figure is 500 homes, a substantial number, and a new house building programme of this scale would not only help to reduce the growing waiting list but would also benefit the local economy by creating local jobs and apprenticeships.

 

            This Council notes the proactive and innovative approaches to financing new affordable housing being taken by other local authorities in recent years in response to the climate of reduced public funding. For example, The London Borough of Southwark, which has ambitious plans to build new council homes, Wealden District Council, directly funding new council housing; a growing number of councils – e.g. Thurrock and South Holland setting up stand alone housing companies; councils such as Hammersmith & Fulham who have made use of the value in their housing stock to lever in new funding; and councils such as Hastings and Warrington who have loaned money to Housing Associations to develop housing.

 

            Furthermore, this Council notes:

 

(a)    The administration’s plans to continue to build new council homes and involve housing co-ops and self-build groups in the provision of new homes on the council’s own sites and on other sites across the city.

 

(b)    The Government’s Affordable Rent model, which significantly reduces the amount of public subsidy required for new affordable housing. If adopted in Brighton & Hove, this could potentially increase the amount of affordable housing built by five and a half times.

 

(c)     The Government’s Affordable Housing Guarantee Scheme, which will help to reduce borrowing costs thereby increasing the number of new affordable homes that can be built.

 

            However, it expresses it deep concern on the question of affordability and believes that homes built under (b) and (c) will be beyond the pocket of many of those in the most critical housing need in the city.

 

            Therefore, this council requests that a report be brought to the next Housing Committee to

 

(a)         Look at how best practice from other councils could be applied in Brighton and Hove; Explore every housing avenue available to deal with the city’s housing crisis; and

 

(b)         Ask for a report to be brought to the next Housing Committee looking at all the options for speeding up the Estate Regeneration programme to provide more homes.

 

27.5         The motion was carried.

 

 

(a)               Traveller Encampments on Sensitive Sites in Brighton and Hove

 

27.6         The Notice of Motion as detailed in the agenda was proposed by Councillor G. Theobald on behalf of the Conservative Group and seconded by Councillor K. Norman.

 

27.7         The Mayor then put the following motion to the vote:

 

            “On 25^th October 2012, Full Council resolved to:

 

            “Request that the Environment & Sustainability Committee considers the adoption of a sensitive site protocol, in partnership with Sussex Police, as a matter of urgency and that any future incursions on sensitive sites be the subject of immediate eviction utilising the powers described above (Criminal Justice & Public Order Act 1994).”

 

            This Council regrets that, as of 18^th July 2013, the will of Full Council has not been carried out in respect of the above resolution and that unauthorised incursions on sensitive sites are still being tolerated by the Council and Police for significant periods of time, causing great disruption to local communities.

 

            Furthermore, this Council believes that appropriate measures are not being taken by the Council and the Police to ensure that sensitive sites are adequately protected from break in, especially immediately after travellers are moved on from another site in the city.

 

            Therefore, this Council resolves to request that the Chief Executive organise an urgent meeting between herself, the Chief Superintendent of Brighton & Hove and the Leaders of the 3 political groups on the Council to agree a robust action plan to ensure that, as the busy summer season unfolds, the city’s parks, gardens and playing fields are properly protected from further unlawful encampments.”

 

27.8         The motion was lost.