Agenda item - Member Involvement

To consider the following matters raised by councillors:

(a)      Petitions: to receive any petitions submitted to the full Council or at the meeting itself;

(b)      Written Questions: to consider any written questions;

(c)      Letters: to consider any letters;

(d)      Notices of Motion: to consider any Notices of Motion referred from Council or submitted directly to the Committee.

24(a) Petitions

24.1   There were none

24(b)  Written Questions

24.2   There were none

24(c)  Letters

24.3   There were none

24(d)   Notices of Motion

24.4    Councillor Mac Cafferty presented a Notice of Motion from the Green Group, which stated:           

Committee notes the damaging impact of water privatisation on the environment and on residents’ fuel bills, and resolves to:

-       commission a report exploring the options for the City Council to apply for a water ‘self-supply’ licence from Ofwat, in order to manage its own water supply;

-       such a report will explore: potential cost benefit analysis of this approach, including a reduction in residents’ water bills and improved environmental outcomes.        

Councillor Mac Cafferty said that a number of councils already had their own licence, including Blackpool and Nottingham, and Blackpool Council had stated that they expected to save a considerable amount of money.  He said that having a ‘self-supply’ licence would allow the Council to cut out the middle man and become a purchaser in the market. This would enable the Council to have more scrutiny over the provision, be able to consider the environmental outcomes of what happens with the water, would lower water bills and give more democratic oversight to residents of the City.

24.5    RESOLVED: That the Committee agreed to call for a report