Agenda and minutes

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 25 July 2023 be confirmed.

Please note that, in accordance with the Members' Code of Conduct, when declaring interests members must disclose the existence and nature of the interest, and whether it is a disclosable pecuniary interest (DPI) or personal and/or pecuniary.

Councillor Pat Vaughan declared a Personal Interest with regard to the agenda item titled 'Statement of Accounts 2022/23'. Reason: His daughter worked within the Benefits Section and his grand daughter worked within the Finance Section of the City of Lincoln Council.

Question from Jessica Bunn, Member of the Public

The science is clear that meat and dairy are major contributors to the climate and ecological emergencies and other councils, for example Oxfordshire County, Oxford City, Cambridge City, Exeter City and Lewisham Borough, are ensuring that all food served at internal events is plant-based, and I’d like Lincoln to do the same. 

Therefore, my question is, given the climate emergency and Lincoln’s stated aim to reduce their emissions, will the City of Lincoln Council ensure that all food and drink provided at internal events is plant-based by default, as other councils have done?  Even if this only applies to refreshments at a very small number of events per year, it will be a small step that sends a powerful message and is the logical and necessary next step after having declared a climate emergency.

Reply from Bob Bushell, Portfolio Holder for Remarkable Place

Councillor Bob Bushell confirmed that all City Council internal and external events, as part of Climate Hope Lincoln and the Lincoln Climate Commission, throughout 2022 and 2023 had served only plant-based menus for lunch and light refreshments which would be continued in the future.

Councillor Bushell explained that Members were committed to working with other teams at the Council to encourage them to provide plant-based food and drink by default. The Council had signed up to Food for the Planet ‘Every Mouthful Counts’ campaign and had worked through the actions. Councillor Bushell referred to the Lincoln page: https://www.foodfortheplanet.org.uk/local/lincoln/.

Councillor Bushell continued that as part of our commitment to the campaign, we had worked with third party catering outlets that provided food and drink in Council owned buildings to increase the range of plant-based items on the menu. We encouraged local businesses that supplied plant-based food and drink to register on the ‘Every Mouthful Counts’ website to help promote them and encourage more businesses to do the same.

Supplementary

Would you be willing to meet with me to discuss the sustainable future you referenced?

Reply

Councillor Bushell confirmed he remained happy to meet with Jessica Bunn.

Councillor David Clarkson to Councillor Naomi Tweddle

Question

Can the executive member explain why the bus stop outside 26 Birchwood Avenue, heading towards the Western Growth Corridor roadworks, has been closed?

Answer

As the Councillor is well aware, this bus stop has been closed during the works on the Birchwood Avenue and Skellingthorpe Road junction to open up the Western Growth Corridor at the request of Stagecoach. City Council officers have been working to get to a position where the bus stop can be re-opened without causing further queuing time delays to traffic at the temporary lights. Officers are hopeful of reaching agreement soon.

Supplementary

Councillor Clarkson confirmed he had contacted the East Midlands Area Business Manager for Stagecoach who had confirmed he had visited the bus stop and there had been no other requests received. The issue of one bus stop within the Western Growth Corridor development was not insignificant for the individuals that had been affected. Would the Portfolio Holder be willing to meet with both myself and the residents of Hartsholme and Birchwood wards to reach a solution?

Answer

The Portfolio Holder would task the Major Developments Director with contacting Stagecoach as the bus stop was closed at their request. Councillor Tweddle confirmed that she remained happy to meet with residents and receive their views.

Councillor Alan Briggs to Councillor Sue Burke

Question

How many prosecutions have been brought in the last 12 months for fly tipping-littering or dog fouling which represent a significant ASB issue within Lincoln?

Answer

We have undertaken the following enforcement activity for these issues in the last 12 months:

No cases have escalated past a CPW to court action.

A Community Protection Warning (CPW) is the first stage of official enforcement action under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014.

A Community Protection Notice (CPN) is the second stage of official enforcement action under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014.

Both our Enforcement Policy and national guidance requires us to take a tiered and proportionate approach to enforcement. Government advice is that where it is appropriate to discharge an offence by issuing a fixed penalty notice then this should be done rather than taking a case to court.

Supplementary

Councillor Alan Briggs offered thanks and confirmed that there had been 42 evidenced incidents specifically related to fly tipping and it appeared that there had been successful movement against the issue.

Councillor Bill Mara to Councillor Sue Burke

Question

The Government have announced that as part of its mission to support more people into work, the Department for Work and Pensions has launched a consultation on changes to the Work Capability Assessment, following the landmark Health and Disability White  ...  view the full minutes text for item 17.

Councillor Thomas Dyer, Leader of the Opposition, proposed the following motion:

‘Earlier in 2023 the Labour City Council Executive took the decision to scrap the much-loved Lincoln Christmas Market – following a successful 2022 Christmas Market that attracted 320,000 people to our city. As we approach what would have been another Christmas Market, there continues to be significant public outcry for the return of our Christmas Market.The City Council’s alternative events program does not and will never replace the Christmas Market.

The City of Lincoln Council formally call upon the Labour Executive to reconsider their decision to cancel the market and make alternative plans for a safe and workable 2024 Lincoln Christmas Market’.

Councillor Thomas Dyer confirmed that Lincoln’s famous Christmas Market placed Lincoln on the national and global stage. He added that the motion had not disregarded the significant health and safety concerns of the Safety Advisory Group (SAG) and the requirement for change and modernisation. The issues that plagued the Christmas Market were not underestimated.

Councillor Thomas Dyer added that the motion requested the commencement of a process rather than the arrival to a conclusion or disregard of advice. The decision to cancel the Christmas Market continued to be highly debated on social media, despite the passing of many months since the decision was formally taken. Lincoln’s Christmas light were beautiful but they had not been a satisfactory replacement for the market which continued to be sorely missed. The budget for 2024 would not rise in line with inflation and as such, was essentially cut.

Councillor Rachel Storer, Deputy Leader of the Opposition, seconded the motion and reserved the right to speak.

Councillor Chris Burke highlighted the deep safety concerns received from the Safety Advisory Group; a multi-agency approach who spoke without ambiguity. He expressed concerns that the Leader of the Opposition had proposed a motion which considered a disregard for safety advice. Lincoln would discover a new way to enjoy Christmas.

Councillor Hilton Spratt confirmed that the city Council’s Executive took the decision to disperse of Lincoln’s famous Christmas Market, in February 2023 when Councillor Neil Murray was Portfolio Holder for Economic Growth. He highlighted that Councillor Murray, as relevant Portfolio Holder at the time, was not consulted with prior to the decision being made. He expressed disappointment that the decision appeared to have been made by a small number of individuals and his view was that it should have been taken on the basis of consultation.

Councillor Chris Burke, in response to Councillor Hilton Spratt, expressed a Point of Order. He confirmed that the decision was taken by the Executive, as a collective and highlighted that Councillor Hilton Spratt was not in attendance.

Councillor Gary Hewson confirmed that Councillors Thomas Dyer and Rachel Storer had expressed their concerns during the subsequent call in, presented to the Select Scrutiny Committee. He added that a detailed report had been received by officers which had considered alternative provisions such as an extension of the event and why that  ...  view the full minutes text for item 18.

Councillor Mark Storer proposed the following motion:

‘The Lincoln Central Car Park continues to be plagued with customer facing issues. The lifts are very rarely fully operational, the payment machines have recently had significant down time and on busy days, traffic can build up within the car park – resulting in motorists waiting for over half an hour to get from their parking bay to the exit.

Despite costing a significant amount of money, this car park does not perform in the way that its customers expect.

This Council requests that the City of Lincoln Council conduct a full review of the Lincoln Central Car Park providing a full detailed report to Council – this review must focus on completely resolving the issues that continue to plague the car park more than half a decade after its initial opening’.

Councillor Mark Storer confirmed that the car park was a new gateway to prosperity in Lincoln and had opened 6 years ago but had sadly not provided the high-quality experience for businesses, residents and visitors. A total of £150,000 had been ring fenced for the repair of the lifts which caused concern, given their age. The motion requested a full review which focussed on the issued that plagued the car park.

Councillor David Clarkson seconded the motion and reserved the right to speak.

Councillor Martin Christopher confirmed that he was pleased to see the motion. He advised that the city Council’s parking services team had not been in discussions of the design of the park. He referred to the payment machines and stated that a person was required overnight in the case of a lost parking ticket. Many of the car parks operated on a park and ride basis.

Councillor Chris Burke highlighted that every car park had issues and everything built could experience issues. He added that it would be unusual for all the lifts and stairs to fail. The car park was superbly built and well maintained. It was important to recognise successes and not to be overly critical.

Councillor Naomi Tweddle, Portfolio Holder for Economic Growth, commented that central car park had proved incredibly successful. Last year, a total of 181,427 cars visited the car park which far exceeded the volume of any other car park in the city. Customer satisfaction remained high and with such popularity, wear and tear became inevitable.

Equipment had to cope with thousands of transactions a month and there was an increased risk of failure in the cold and damp months. A number of individual payment machines were to be repaired and the oldest fault was from the end of October. Consideration had been given to why the machined had not worked properly. On Remembrance Saturday, there was a large volume of traffic. This circumstance was unique and therefore, not commonplace. Officers had worked on a mitigation plans in the run up to Christmas to alleviate the impact as much was possible. She confirmed that there was a desire to spread demand on  ...  view the full minutes text for item 19.

Councillor Naomi Tweddle, Portfolio Holder for Inclusive Economic Growth, presented her report to the Council, as detailed at pages 19 – 48 of the agenda.

The Council was provided with an opportunity to ask questions, where the following points were noted:

·         Recent filming of Napoleon in the City meant that so many people would get to see our beautiful Cathedral.

·         The portfolio holder would speak to the Highways Authority to request that workmen refrain from parking their vehicles along Burghley Road at the risk of obscuring the views of elderly residents whilst accessing and exiting the area in their own cars. We must do our best for city residents.

·         Thanks were given for the lovely comments regarding our City. Lincoln was a fantastic place to live with so much exciting work going on. The portfolio holder was proud to be a part of this City born and bred.

·         The portfolio holder agreed that further roll-out of the Residents Parking Scheme was good news for residents and the City.

·         The opening of the refurbished Central Market had been delayed due to a whole month of wet weather in July. Stall holders did not wish to start trading until after Christmas to give them time to prepare. It was important to listen to their wishes.

·         Some of the Prosperity Funding available had been awarded but not all. The portfolio holder was 100% in favour of transparency and would provide full information on the data once available.

The content of the report was noted.

Councillor Rebecca Longbottom, Portfolio Holder for Customer Experience and Review, presented her report to the Council, as detailed at pages 49 – 64 of the agenda.

The Council was provided with an opportunity to ask questions, where the following points were noted:

·         Members would be supplied with further information regarding the involvement of the Electoral Registration Team in an ongoing trial on behalf of the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. The trial invited electors taken from the open register in Birchwood, Boultham and Park Wards to participate in the trial of online absent vote applications before the system went live.

·         A new set of performance figures were now available since her report was published, The portfolio holder noted that CS3 ‘Average time taken to answer a call to Customer Services’ had improved. Thanks were given to staff and members for their continued support to ensure residents and customers received the best possible service.

The content of the report was noted.

Councillor Gary Hewson, Chair of Performance Scrutiny Committee, presented his report to the Council, as detailed at pages 65 – 68 of the agenda.

The Council was provided with an opportunity to ask questions, where the following points were noted:

·         Councillor Hewson gave thanks to officers and members for their passion on Performance Scrutiny Committee.

·         Special thanks were given to Emily Holmes, Assistant Director - Strategic Development and Michelle Hoyles, Corporate Policy Business Manager for their support.

·         Council had lasted longer tonight than Performance Scrutiny Committee which was a record to beat.

The content of the report was noted.

Councillor Joshua Wells, Chair of Equality and Diversity Advisory Panel, presented his report to the Council, as detailed at pages 69 – 76 of the agenda.

The Council was provided with an opportunity to ask questions, where the following points were noted:

·         Councillor Wells gave thanks to Graham Rose, Senior Strategic Policy Officer and the eight members of Equality and Diversity Advisory Panel for their support.

·         Councillor Wells would check further why residents having applied to be a member of the Citizen’s Panel had apparently been rejected as they were home owners and not Council tenants.

The content of the report was noted.

Councillor Emily Wood, Chair of Policy Scrutiny Committee, presented her report to the Council, as detailed at pages 77 – 80 of the agenda.

The Council was provided with an opportunity to ask questions, where the following points were noted:

·         Councillor Wood gave thanks to officers and members for their support resulting in all new policies having been scrutinised.

·         Councillor Wood confirmed her involvement in Health Scrutiny Committee work by attending all the meetings, together with a special meeting regarding GP’s and Lincoln Hospital Walk-In Centre.

The content of the report was noted.

It was moved by Councillor Ric Metcalfe and seconded by Councillor Donald Nannestad that the Equality Journal April 2022 to March 2023 be approved.

On being put to the meeting, the motion was declared carried.

RESOLVED

That the Equality Journal April 2022 to March 2023 be approved.

This item is scheduled to be considered by the Executive on 20 November 2023.

It was moved by Councillor Ric Metcalfe and seconded by Councillor Donald Nannestad that the Statement of Accounts 2022/23 be approved.

On being put to the meeting, the motion was declared carried.

RESOLVED

That the Statement of Accounts 2022/23 be approved.

Councillor Metcalfe referred to the re-issued supplementary report to be considered this evening which replaced the report issued as part of the original agenda bundle, circulated in error. He clarified that the only element of the Members’ Allowance Scheme to be considered this evening related to Schedule 2– Duties for Childcare and Dependant Carer’s Allowance.

It was moved by Councillor Ric Metcalfe and seconded by Councillor Donald Nannestad that the Members’ Allowance Scheme-Schedule 2-Duties for Childcare and Dependant Carer’s Allowance be approved.

On being put to the meeting, the motion was declared carried.

RESOLVED

That the Members’ Allowance Scheme-Schedule 2-Duties for Childcare and Dependant Carer’s Allowance be approved.

It was moved by Councillor Ric Metcalfe and seconded by Councillor Donald Nannestad that the Review of Polling Districts and Polling Places 2023 for future elections be approved.

On being put to the meeting, the motion was declared carried.

RESOLVED

That the Review of Polling Districts and Polling Places 2023 for future elections be approved.