Agenda item
Notices of Motion
i) Councillor Joyce to propose and Councillor Smith to second:
“We are concerned that the borough council, local organisations and residents are, generally speaking, using non-renewable energy suppliers, incurring high bills, and using up precious resources.
We agree that a Big Switch to a green energy company would be much better for the environment and help reduce bills.
We therefore commit the Borough Council to a BIG SWITCH. We will research the best green company using renewable energy sources, and lead a campaign asking local organisations and residents to switch with us.”
ii) Councillor Roberts to propose and Russell to second:
“This council is aware of the Government proposal to create a Children’s Trust for the provision of Children’s Services in the Northamptonshire area, serving two Unitary Authorities.
For Children’s Services to improve there needs to be a return to multi agency locality working.
There needs to be a focus on early help and prevention.
We therefore commit to modelling how this could work in two areas of Northampton, Briar Hill and St David’s.
The modelling will involve a needs analysis of the families and young people in the area. This will be a desk top exercise looking at income, health, housing, education, employment, life expectancy, crime rates and other influencing factors.
The modelling will look at community and voluntary sector resources that can be utilised to provide the network of support needed in conjunction with statutory services, particularly housing, adult social care, and health.
The modelling will identify gaps in provision.
The results will go to the West Northants joint committee and the West Northants Shadow Board.”
iii) Councillor Hallam to propose and Councillor Kilby-Shaw to second:
“Council notes the excellent work of the "Save our Street Trees" Group in Far Cotton and the work they have done in bringing both NBC and NCC together with the Woodland Trust to look at a trial project for re-instating street trees in Northampton.
Council notes the work of the former Mayor of London Boris Johnson in re-instating 20,000 of street trees to our Capital during his time as the Mayor and the benefit that can give to the wider environment and efforts to combat climate change. He also delivered his pledge to create 100 rejuvenated spaces as part of his pocket parks programme in 26 London boroughs, with more than 25 hectares of community land across the capital having been converted into new enhanced green areas.
Northampton Borough Council calls for a transformation of underused urban spaces across our town. Trees deliver huge benefits such as cleaning the air and storing carbon. To ensure future generations receive these benefits and Northampton grows sustainably, we all need to protect existing trees and plant new trees.
Therefore, this Council requests on the initial work to form a joint plan for wider scale re-instatement of street trees as part of the move to Unitary.”
iv) Councillor B Markham to propose and Councillor Meredith to second:
“This Council discussed “Declare a Climate Emergency” at its meeting on the 3rd June 2019.
Over the August Bank Holiday weekend DEFRA declared at their Northampton Monitoring Station the Highest Pollution figures across the country had been recorded.
This Council has yet to publish “the adjusted Air Quality Readings for 2018” which the administration has said are the only figures that it is prepared to use to initiate correct action to protect the health of Northampton residents.
Councillors are concerned that adhering to this approach will result in a similar delay in 2020 waiting for the 2019 adjusted Air Quality Figures to be verified by the DEFRA.
In support of the declared Climate Emergency this Council calls upon the administration to publish “provisional adjusted Air Quality Readings”as soon as adjustments have been applied by NBC Environmental Health Department and to take action to address any areas of concern.
The Council believes that this approach will demonstrate that it is taking action at the earliest possible time to protect the Health of Northampton residents.”
v) Councillor Meredith to propose and Councillor Beardsworth to second:
“This Council has expressed its concern in debates in this chamber at the growing signs of poverty across Northampton but it has also recognised that local action requires a multi-agency approach.
Councillors believe that the Borough Council is in a unique leadership position to bring about multi-agency working to improve the distribution of collection points across the town to help the voluntary organisations maintain the flow of stock that is vital to help struggling families.
The Council requests that the Portfolio Holder for Community Development approaches the Business Improvement District and the local Voluntary sector organisations, to encourage a joint initiative to develop an enhanced network of collection points for food donation across the town centre.”
vi) Councillor Beardsworth to propose and Councillor B Markham to second:
“The County Council is responsible for on street parking charges in the Town Centre and the Borough Council is responsible for the parking charges in the car parks that it operates.
This Council believes that Car Parking charges are a factor in the vitality and prosperity of the Town Centre.
The County Council has initiated consultation with the Public and Stakeholders regarding the increases that it is proposing but it unfortunately ends on the 5th September.
This council believes that it should formally respond to the County Council consultation and request that they accept a late submission from the Borough Council.
The council agrees that it wishes to express concern and opposition to the proposed increases as it believes that it will have a detrimental effect on the Town Centre economy at a time when this council is trying to address the downturn in footfall and look for ways of investing in the Town Centre in support of its long term prosperity.”
Minutes:
i) Councillor Joyce accepted an alteration to the original motion as published on the agenda. The altered motion was seconded by Councillor Stone.
Council agreed to the altered motion below:
“We are concerned that the borough council, local organisations and residents are, generally speaking, using non-renewable energy suppliers, incurring high bills, and using up precious resources.
We agree that a Big Switch to a green energy company would be much better for the environment and help reduce bills.
Noting that the value of a new contract to provide energy to this Council will be in excess of £0.5M per annum, Council notes that this will require a full procurement exercise to be undertaken, and that such an exercise will take up to 18 months, by which time the Council will no longer exist. Northampton Borough Council therefore resolves to propose to the future Unitary Council that it makes the big switch to a green energy company, lead from the front and show its commitment to renewable future.
While this Council can only operate within its own scope of control and influence, it resolves that as a key place leader, it commits to searching for best ways to encourage and work with local organisations, residents and businesses across the borough to see how they can make a difference to the environment through all relevant technologies, including options to switch to green energy companies. Therefore, this Council resolves to ask the Air Quality and Management Change Working Group to pursue this.”
Council debated the motion.
Upon a vote, the motion was carried.
ii) Councillor Roberts proposed and Councillor Russell seconded:
“This council is aware of the Government proposal to create a Children’s Trust for the provision of Children’s Services in the Northamptonshire area, serving two Unitary Authorities.
For Children’s Services to improve there needs to be a return to multi agency locality working.
There needs to be a focus on early help and prevention.
We therefore commit to modelling how this could work in two areas of Northampton, Briar Hill and St David’s.
The modelling will involve a needs analysis of the families and young people in the area.
This will be a desk top exercise looking at income, health, housing, education, employment, life expectancy, crime rates and other influencing factors.
The modelling will look at community and voluntary sector resources that can be utilised to provide the network of support needed in conjunction with statutory services, particularly housing, adult social care, and health.
The modelling will identify gaps in provision.
The results will go to the West Northants joint committee and the West Northants Shadow Board.”
Council debated the motion.
Upon a vote, the motion was lost.
iii) Councillor Hallam accepted an alteration to the original motion as published on the agenda. The altered motion was seconded by Councillor Kilby-Shaw.
Council agreed to the altered motion below.
“Council notes the excellent work of the "Save our Street Trees" Group in Far Cotton and the work they have done in bringing both NBC and NCC together with the Woodland Trust to look at a trial project for re-instating street trees in Northampton.
Council notes the work of the former Mayor of London Boris Johnson in re-instating 20,000 of street trees to our Capital during his time as the Mayor and the benefit that can give to the wider environment and efforts to combat climate change. He also delivered his pledge to create 100 rejuvenated spaces as part of his pocket parks programme in 26 London boroughs, with more than 25 hectares of community land across the capital having been converted into new enhanced green areas.
Northampton Borough Council calls for a transformation of underused urban spaces across our town. Trees deliver huge benefits such as cleaning the air and storing carbon. To ensure future generations receive these benefits and Northampton grows sustainably, we all need to protect existing trees and plant new trees.
This council agrees to:
1. Develop a tree planting strategy that will replace the number of trees that are being felled or have died.
2. To increase the number of trees in the town to create a cleaner greener Northampton”
Council debated the motion.
Upon a requisition for a recorded vote:
There voted for the motion: Councillors Ansell, Ashraf, Aziz, Beardsworth, Birch, Bottwood, Cali, Chunga, Davenport, Duffy, G Eales, T Eales, Flavell, Golby, Joyce, Hallam, Haque, Hibbert, Hill, Graystone, Kilbride, King, Lane, Larratt, Malpas, B Markham, M Markham, Marriott, McCutcheon, Nunn, Oldham, Parekh, Patel, Russell, Sargeant, Kilby-Shaw, Smith, Stone, Walker.
There voted against the motion: Councillor Meredith.
There abstained: Councillor Choudary.
The motion was carried.
iv) Councillor B Markham accepted an alteration to the original motion as published on the agenda. The altered motion was seconded by Councillor Meredith.
Council agreed to the altered motion below:
“This Council discussed “Declare a Climate Emergency” at its meeting on the 3rd June 2019.
Over the August Bank Holiday weekend DEFRA declared at their Northampton
Monitoring Station the Highest Pollution figures across the country had been recorded.
This Council has yet to publish “the adjusted Air Quality Readings for 2018” which the administration has said are the only figures that it is prepared to use to initiate correct action to protect the health of Northampton residents.
Councillors are concerned that adhering to this approach will result in a similar delay in 2020 waiting for the 2019 adjusted Air Quality Figures to be verified by the DEFRA.
In support of the declared Climate Emergency this Council calls upon the administration to publish “provisional adjusted Air Quality Readings” as soon as adjustments have been applied by NBC Environmental Health Department and to take action to address any areas of concern.
The Council believes that this approach will demonstrate that it is taking action at the earliest possible time to protect the Health of Northampton residents.”
Council debated the motion.
Upon a vote, the motion was carried.
v) Councillor Meredith proposed and Councillor Beardsworth seconded:
“This Council has expressed its concern in debates in this chamber at the growing signs of poverty across Northampton but it has also recognised that local action requires a multiagency approach.
Councillors believe that the Borough Council is in a unique leadership position to bring about multi-agency working to improve the distribution of collection points across the town to help the voluntary organisations maintain the flow of stock that is vital to help struggling families.
The Council requests that the Portfolio Holder for Community Development approaches the Business Improvement District and the local Voluntary sector organisations, to encourage a joint initiative to develop an enhanced network of collection points for food donation across the town centre.”
Council debated the motion.
Upon a vote, the motion was lost.
vi) Councillor Beardsworth accepted an alteration to the original motion as published on the agenda. The altered motion was seconded by Councillor B Markham.
Council agreed to the altered motion below:
“The County Council is responsible for on street parking charges in the Town Centre and the Borough Council is responsible for the parking charges in the car parks that it operates.
This Council believes that Car Parking charges are a factor in the vitality and prosperity of the Town Centre.
The County Council has initiated consultation with the Public and Stakeholders regarding the increases that it is proposing but it unfortunately ends on the 5th September.
This council believes that it should formally respond to the County Council consultation and request that they accept a late submission from the Borough Council.
The council agrees that it wishes to express concern and opposition to the proposed increases as it believes that it will have a detrimental effect on the Town Centre economy at a time when this council is trying to address the downturn in footfall and look for ways of investing in the Town Centre in support of its long term prosperity.”
Council debated the motion.
Upon a vote, the motion was carried.
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