Agenda item

i)             Councillor B Markham  to propose and Councillor Beardsworth to second:

“Council agrees to the setting up of a cross-party panel to look at the business case for the creation of a wholly-owned Housing Development Company, either as a joint venture with Northampton Partnership Homes or as a stand-alone concern.

The aim of such a company would be to increase the availability of affordable housing and to unlock value from under-used Council land.

To use permitted borrowing, capital receipts from completed developments and right to buy to fund a rolling programme of house building and improvements to existing Council stock.

Council asks that the composition of such a panel be delegated to party leaders and if possible be set up before the next meeting of this Council with the aim of reporting to Cabinet before Annual Council.”

ii)            Councillor Davenport to propose and Councillor Haque to second:

“This Council recognises the importance of a tidy neighbourhood. Excessive untidiness over a period of time in a neighbourhood reduces pride in the area and ultimately attracts litter and rubbish.

This Council believes that tenancy agreements should ultimately be enforced to ensure gardens and landscaping is kept tidy and free of rubbish. This helps to increase pride in the neighbourhood.

Where people are unable to maintain their gardens (such as the very elderly and the disabled) they need to be given the appropriate support.” 

iii)           Councillor Ashraf to propose and Councillor Davenport to second:

“We firmly believe that we must reduce waste, reuse waste where we can but recycle what can’t be reused.

As the Council responsible for waste collection we will ask the County Council for a firm and detailed business case to have a waste to energy plant in Northampton.  

We need a firm business case to explain why there needs to be a waste disposal plant in Northampton.

This Council will work with the County Council to try and find a site for waste disposal that is both suitable and has the support of residents. The solution should not be landfill. 

This Council welcomes the fact that Northamptonshire County Council does not want to put a Waste to Energy Plant at the Westbridge Depot in St James.  This is a victory for common sense and local people.

Going forward this Council needs to consider how it would dispose of waste when it becomes a unitary authority.”  

iv)           Councillor Stone to propose and Councillor M Markham to second:

“This Council has a great sympathy for the plight of refugees and notes the concerns of many local residents who may wish us to be a town that welcomes Syrian refugees fleeing civil war, extremism and brutality. Northampton could be a place of sanctuary.  Whilst we have many local organisations willing to offer assistance, NCC and NBC cannot provide all the support services needed to accommodate refugees in Northampton.

This Council also recognises that there are genuine concerns from local residents over housing and school places. These need to be acknowledged and addressed, for example, we are in the process of setting up a facility for homeless people and are tackling pressures on housing.

This Council will work with Northamptonshire County Council and other local organisations and review our capacity to deliver on a regular basis. In the meantime other areas within Northamptonshire will continue to provide places while they are able to accommodate the specific needs”.

The Mayor reported that Motion i) had been withdrawn.

Mr Adams explained that he considered the motion to insinuate that tenants are to blame for the poor upkeep of some properties and noted that some tenants were already paying a service charge as part of their tenancy agreement to have their litter picking done and therefore should not be expected to pay twice.

ii)            Councillor Davenport proposed and Councillor Haque seconded:

“This Council recognises the importance of a tidy neighbourhood. Excessive untidiness over a period of time in a neighbourhood reduces pride in the area and ultimately attracts litter and rubbish.

This Council believes that tenancy agreements should ultimately be enforced to ensure gardens and landscaping is kept tidy and free of rubbish. This helps to increase pride in the neighbourhood.

Where people are unable to maintain their gardens (such as the very elderly and the disabled) they need to be given the appropriate support.” 

Councillor Hibbert proposed and Councillor M Markham seconded an amendment:

Amended motion to read:

“This Council recognises the importance of a tidy neighbourhood. Excessive untidiness over a period of time in a neighbourhood reduces pride in the area and ultimately attracts litter and rubbish.

This Council believes that tenants are responsible for keeping the gardens and landscaping tidy and free of rubbish. However, if issues are reported or raised during walkabouts, they will be forwarded and actioned.

This Council will continue to challenge residents under the tenancy agreement as problems arise.” 

Council debated the amendment.

Upon a vote, the amendment was carried and became the substantive motion.

Upon a vote, the motion was carried.

Mr Clarke addressed Motion iii) and stated that only recently had Cabinet withdrawn a report with proposed developers of the Waste to Energy Plant due to a lack of consultation and that since then, there had been no further consultation or communication with residents by the developers. He further reported that a Waste to Energy Plant was not a recyclable option and is would still add to the carbon footprint. He urged the Council to reconsider the motion and requested that it be withdrawn as to debate it would disallow any further motion to be put forward for debate for another 6 months in accordance with the Constitution.

Mr Croucher stated that he was very much against the motion and stated that there need to be more communication with residents who potentially could be affected by the proposal. He reported that it had become clear that Northamptonshire County Council were not against a Waste to Energy Plant and said that many people had written and protested in opposition to the proposal. He thanked Councillor G Eales and the Leader of the Council for having met with residents to discuss concerns and thanked them both for their pragmatic approach.

Mr M Sawyer explained that having referred to the original Cabinet report that had been withdrawn and explained that there had been a failure to address air quality issues and the impact of these on Northampton should an incinerator be allowed. He explained that the potential toxic emissions released by a gasification plant were know cacogenics’ and highlighted the recent air quality censor undertaken that had shown Northampton as the worst in the UK and that a gasification plant would further exacerbate the poor air quality.

Mr Badharee spoke a s resident of St James and stated that the current air quality was chronically bad in the Town and that 300-400 deaths a year in Northampton could be attributed to pollution and poor air quality and commented that Councillors had a duty of care for its residents and therefore should oppose the motion.

Mr Adams congratulated the action groups for their recent participation in opposing the Waste to Energy plant and thanked the Councillors who had spoken against it. He questioned the consequences if something were to go wrong at the plant and the potential danger to residents.

Mr Calder question why some of the Labour Group were not engaging with residents and suggested that the motion looked like a disguised support for the Waste to Energy Plant. He stated that whilst researching the topic, he could not find one example of a similar proposal working and stated that he supported the views of the residents unless someone was able to present him with evidence and proof to the contrary. 

Councillor Ashraf indicated that she wanted to withdraw the motion.

Council debated the consent to withdraw.

Council agreed to withdraw Motion iii)

Ms Nina Kerrou addressed motion iv) and stated that she had volunteered to work alongside refugees and stated her appreciation of donations received from the people of Northampton and stated that many of the recent news images had awoken the conscience of people and asked that members support the Motion.

Mr J Alwahabi reported that the increased number of asylum seekers and refugees seeking safety was increasing due to conflict and conditions primarily in countries such as Eritrea, Ethiopia, Syria and Afghanistan and spoke of the plight of unaccompanied child refugees and urged Members to vote in favour of the motion which would show that Northampton welcomed the vulnerable children and help them to feel safe and secure.

Mr Isherwood spoke against the motion and stated that those coming in were economic migrants and not refugees. He commented that the Government had said they would offer rent for those housing refugees, but questioned what pressures would be put on other local amenities such as local hospitals and schools.

iv)           Councillor Stone to propose and Councillor M Markham to second:

“This Council has a great sympathy for the plight of refugees and notes the concerns of many local residents who may wish us to be a town that welcomes Syrian refugees fleeing civil war, extremism and brutality. Northampton could be a place of sanctuary.  Whilst we have many local organisations willing to offer assistance, NCC and NBC cannot provide all the support services needed to accommodate refugees in Northampton.

This Council also recognises that there are genuine concerns from local residents over housing and school places. These need to be acknowledged and addressed, for example, we are in the process of setting up a facility for homeless people and are tackling pressures on housing.

This Council will work with Northamptonshire County Council and other local organisations and review our capacity to deliver on a regular basis. In the meantime other areas within Northamptonshire will continue to provide places while they are able to accommodate the specific needs”.

Council debated the motion.

Upon a vote, the motion was carried.