Agenda item - Written questions from members of the public.

A list of public questions received by the due date of the 23 April 2009 will be circulated separately as part of an addendum at the meeting.

78.1       The Mayor reported that two written questions had been received from members of the public and invited Mr. Hawtree to come forward and address the council.

78.2       Mr. Hawtree asked the following question:

"Would Councillor Mears please tell us what steps she will be taking to increase the administrative support for this authority's Overview and Scrutiny function?"

78.3       Councillor Mears stated that, “the overview and scrutiny function is an important part of the council's constitutional arrangements and one we are committed to supporting and developing.  Overview and scrutiny plays a key role in scrutinising the work of the Cabinet, as can be seen in the Call-ins we have had this year, and is undertaking some good policy development work.  The overview and scrutiny function is resourced sufficiently to support six committees with six officers and additional designated support available in each of the council’s directorates.  This level of resource has allowed for nine ad-hoc panels to be run during 2008-2009, the first year of the new constitutional arrangements, to conduct in-depth reviews of:

-      Older people and community safety

-      Dignity at work

-      Young people and alcohol related harm

-      Climate change adaptation

-      Street furniture

-      Environmental Industries

-      Students in the Community

-      GP led health centres

Additionally a select committee investigating dementia issues was established at the last meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Commission.  From the number and range of issues being looked at you can see that the overview and scrutiny function is taken very seriously and is provided with adequate support.  There are therefore no specific plans to increase the level of support available.”

78.4       Mr. Hawtree asked the following supplementary question:

“Although some might think of Scrutiny as a dry subject we were, in fact, assured that with the current set-up, the Cabinet system, it would act in anticipation as a form of the much missed committee system which certainly made for some cogent discussion: one might remember the Carnegie Library. 

It has been generally recognised that scrutiny, in fact, contrary to what you say is under powered.  Indeed as the six monthly review documents have lamented in some detail, we have debateless Cabinet meetings and fifteen minute Culture meetings for example.  Yet, as you will doubtless be addressing these when the subject has further discussion later on in this meeting, could you now tell us whether more basically it will be a matter for scrutiny or whether you will, in fact, be calling a by-election in Goldsmid Ward, where by their own admission a current incumbent foregoes his allowance owing to other pressures and I must say that is perfectly understandable, as happened in Regency Ward.

I am asking, even more fundamentally than scrutiny, whether you will be calling a bye-election so that residents can have a full complement of Councillors?”

78.5       The Mayor stated that the reference to the position of the Member for Goldsmid Ward and whether there would be a by-election was out of order as it did not relate to the original question.  However, he noted that Councillor Mears may wish to comment further on the position of Overview & Scrutiny.

78.6       Councillor Mears thanked the Mayor and responded, “the question of scrutiny, as you know we have gone into new constitutional arrangements and I am sure you are aware that with the Cabinet system and the Cabinet Members Committees we do have an opportunity there for members of the public to come forward and ask their questions.  Unfortunately, we don’t get those, which is very unfortunate but I am sure as the system progresses hopefully it will happen.  Overview and Scrutiny, as you know, is going to be debated further this evening so I am sure it will be debated there and if you have any other issues, Mr Hawtree, I am more than happy to write to you.”

78.7       The Mayor thanked Mr. Hawtree for his questions and invited Mr. Beatty to come forward and address the council.

78.8       Mr. Beatty asked the following question:

“If the Leader of the Council will update the city on the progress regarding the study into the impact of the introduction of major supermarkets on local neighbourhood shopping centres such as Portland Road, Hove?”

78.9       Councillor Mears stated, “Welcome to the Council meeting Mr Beatty.  It is very good to see you again and you gave an excellent presentation to the Cabinet meeting a few weeks ago.  

I believe it is important that the traders in Portland Road come together on this issue and I understand that you have just recently formed a new Portland Road Traders’ Association.  I am sure that this will really help you put your case on issues like this and I think it is also important that this has support from across the political spectrum.

To turn to the substance of your question, officers have looked at a number of pieces of research on businesses and employment both nationally and in Brighton and Hove and I would just like to highlight the following findings:

Nationally, the seven main supermarkets now have an 87% share of the market while independents have just 3%.  However, over the last ten years in Brighton and Hove, there has actually been a rise in employment in smaller shops and a drop in employment in larger stores.  

Nationally, there has also been a shift in district centres from traditional food stores and shops towards a wider range of uses such as coffee shops, restaurants and estate agents occupying the smaller retail premises.  This expansion and diversification of usage can be seen in the Portland Road area and I think that the local community benefits from the variety. 

Officers undertook a research trip to the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, where measures are being developed to protect the independent retail sector.  As a result of this and our broader understanding of the importance of the independent shops in the city, we are aiming to incorporate such policies into our emerging Local Development Framework (our most important piece of planning strategy).  The purpose of these is to retain small retail units and maintain balance in district centres.  We also carried out surveys into vacancy rates and potential use types across the city’s district centres, to measure any trends.

What is also very important to highlight – and is one of the key findings from the work from Kensington and Chelsea – is the power of residents and visitors.  Marketing has its own success with customers as key to the future of the small retail sector.  We are doing as much as we can to support local businesses through our Be Local, Buy Local Campaign, and this has proven to be a real success so far.

In summary – we are continuing to look at the impact of the larger food retail shops on the smaller ones, and of other trends and policies on the health of our independent retail sector and our district centres.  In Brighton and Hove we do not want to damage or lose our independent traders, in terms of food stores or any other types of retail.  Whilst we must operate within our planning policy constraints, we are doing as much as we can to protect independent stores – both through planning and the support to businesses with our own marketing.  

I hope that this is helpful and I would be happy to take any questions.  I would also like to add as well, particularly in areas like Portland Road and many other districts in the city, what makes Brighton and Hove so unique is our diversity.  I think it’s key to Brighton and Hove, it’s one of the things that makes us so special and it really is important for any local council to ensure that we protect it.” 

78.10    Mr. Beatty asked the following supplementary question:

“Given that the adopted carpet strategy used by some of the major food retailers appears to be wide-spread across our city, would it be prudent to make a request of the Leader of the Cabinet and Council to appoint a cross-party study group that would be aided by key officers of the council to promote a route in order to resist the monopolisation by the few and to support the inventiveness and diversity brought ahead and about by the city’s home grown businesses?”

78.11    Councillor Mears responded, “I am more than happy to look into that.  We are taking a paper that will be going to the Cabinet Members Committee to look at the information that we have had on the research that we have carried forward and any other figures that we have.  I will make sure that you have the date of that meeting and I hope that traders will be able to come along.  I am sure that we can look into any other issues that you would like about working parties.  The officers can look into it at the same time they present the paper.”

78.12    The Mayor thanked Mr. Beatty for his questions.