Minutes:
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:
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9
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2
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3 |
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22
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0
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0 |
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1 |
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 Paper published earlier this year.
These changes represent the next step in welfare reform, reflecting the rise of flexible and home working and better employer support for disabled people and people with health conditions. These changes also reflect that one in five of those with no work preparation requirements would like to work at some point in the future, with the right support. Does the council support these proposals?
Answer
The Chancellor’s Autumn Statement on 22 November 2023, included:
5.26 Work Capability Assessment (WCA) gateway reform – The Government is reforming the activities and descriptors in the Work Capability Assessment for new claimants in Great Britain, to support more people into employment, with implementation occurring from 2025.
The proposals were welcomed by some individuals and concerned from others. Disabilities and medical conditions varied greatly and there had been anxiety expressed that some conditions were more symptomatic on given days. Furthermore, concerns had been shared that the proposals would compel certain individuals to accept terms not appropriate for their condition, such as working from home.
Supporting our residents back into employment who were reasonably able to work was something the Council supported, and officers would continue to work closely with Department for Work and Pensions colleagues to help deliver this aspiration, wherever possible and appropriate.
The Portfolio Holder remained hopeful that Government proposals would enable individuals with disabilities or medical conditions, the positive impact of work.
Councillor Eddie Strengiel to Councillor Naomi Tweddle
Question
Can the Portfolio Holder update Council on the progress of the traffic light system at the junction of Birchwood Avenue and Doddington Road as a result of the Western Growth Corridor project?
Answer
The scheme to construct the new permanent signalised junction on Birchwood Avenue/ Skellingthorpe Road remained scheduled for completion in summer 2024, in accordance with the anticipated 52-week period. The programme was being monitored and the works to the junction were currently on programme.
Supplementary
Could the Portfolio Holder confirm how the scheme was funded?
Answer
The scheme was funded through City of Lincoln Council.
Councillor Thomas Dyer to Councillor Ric Metcalfe
Question
Does the Leader warmly welcome the recently announced Greater Lincolnshire Devolution Deal?
Answer
Councillor Ric Metcalfe, Leader of the Council confirmed he welcomed the recently announced Greater Lincolnshire Devolution Deal.
Supplementary
Given comments made by some of the District Council Leaders, what was the Leader’s view on the proposed governance arrangements for the mayoral combined authority?
Answer
Additional money and autonomy from an overcentralised Government was welcomed. The city would benefit from the ability to bid for projects; £28M in year one and £24M in the year thereafter. There would likely be a number of issues however there would be a public consultation in December/January.
An additional power included the levy of precept and residents would expect a fourth layer of Council tax. Democratic legitimacy was important especially given that district Council’s in Lincolnshire had experienced difficult conversations with regard to representation with upper tier colleagues which resulted in the securing of four places.
It was likely that speculation would arise in regard to the person appointed as Mayor. It was important that the successful individual recognised and accepted that they would have to run the combined authorities in a collegiate way. It would be a commissioned purchase holding body and there would be reliance on local partners which included local government partners, to ensure the aims of the deal were delivered. The Devolution Deal was welcomed and the city Council remained committed to its success.
Councillor Mark Storer to Councillor Ric Metcalfe
Question
What measures has the council put in place to address the growing number of crumbling walls, damaged and subsiding gravestones at Newport Cemetery?
Answer
For gravestones across all of the city Council’s cemeteries there is an inspection regime based on a rolling programme of inspections. Whilst individual gravestones are not the property of the city council, if as part of the inspection, minor repairs are required then the Council will undertake them. If the repairs are larger scale in nature, then the gravestones will simply be laid down on the plot and any surviving immediate family notified.
I can confirm that the programme continues and I will arrange for details of when Newport cemetery will next be inspected to be sent to you as soon as possible.
In terms of the walls in the cemetery, these again are inspected for safety but if there are sections of wall causing a particular concern over their safety, if details can be provided, I will ask officers to investigate further. Things changed between inspections.
Councillor Matthew Fido to Councillor Ric Metcalfe
Question
The City of Lincoln Council continue to use external agency staff to plug the significant holes in the council’s recruitment and retention failures. So far this financial year, how much has the council spent on paying for external agency staff?
Answer
Hard to fill vacancies remain an issue nationally within the public sector but we remained diligent and energetic. The national pay scales are impacting on recruitment and pay is lower than other organisations. Human Resources (HR) continues to review attraction strategies in line with best practice and local partners. In addition, HR work with recruiting managers to ensure the best routes are maximised to seek suitable candidates.
Councillor Ric Metcalfe confirmed that he shared concerns regarding the cost of external agency staff which totalled approximately £744,000 in the current year. It was important to note that such staff did not cover the work of day-to-day unfilled vacancies. It was often the case that agency staff were used for specific pieces of work for short periods of time. This approach allowed the Council to purchase expertise that they did not have and that would be more expensive on a longer-term basis.
For day-to-day unfilled vacancies, the use of agency staff remained only for essential work in order to maintain service delivery. Revenues and Benefits was a service that could not be interrupted; the continuation of benefits payments and successful performance targets were essential. It was possible to utilise overtime however it was not sustainable long term due to risk of staff burn out.
Councillor Metcalfe added that another consideration was that private sector conditions had caught up with local authority working conditions, and as such, the gap between public sector and private sector employment, had closed considerably. A full-time permanent establishment for the authority was preferred, but not always possible.
Councillor Rachel Storer to Councillor Naomi Tweddle
Question
What pedestrian safety measures have been put in place in relation to site traffic using Pig Lane whilst works on the Western Growth Corridor are in progress?
Answer
At present there is a segregated route for the construction traffic indicated by a white line on the top section of Pig Lane, which is being used for access. The contractor will be implementing a physical barrier to further demarcate the construction access, although in some instances, due to the size of the vehicles, the full width of the Pig Lane access will be needed. The contractor also operates a system whereby any large vehicles existing the site have a banksman in place. The site is being operated safely and we will continue to monitor in line with our Control of Contractors policy and our health & safety obligations.
Supplementary
Councillor Rachel Storer confirmed that a number of residents had contacted her and expressed that they had witnessed a number of near misses. Was it possible for the Council and contractor to conduct a safety review?
Answer
Councillor Naomi Tweddle offered her apologies for the reports of near misses and confirmed that it was important that feedback was received in a timely manner. She continued that work with Councillors and residents would continue in an attempt to keep works as unobstructive as possible. A safety review would be conducted.
(Councillor Martin Christopher wished it be noted that he had a family member who lived at the end of the lane).
Councillor Hilton Spratt to Councillor Naomi Tweddle
Question
How much extra private sector investment and extra jobs have been created as a result of the public sector investment in regenerating our city centre?
Answer
The City Centre Masterplan is being fundamentally reviewed in 2024 and this will include an evaluation of its effectiveness since coming into place in 2007. That evaluation will include an assessment of all the investment from public and private sector partners in the city during the past 15 years and will therefore provide a comprehensive response to this question.
The Transport Hub investment impact was assessed independently in May 2019 as having directly created/safeguarded 360 new jobs, 138.5 construction jobs during its development and created 3 new businesses. Indirectly, its impact on the Cornhill Quarter was 58 jobs created/safeguarded with 102 construction jobs with 8 new businesses coming to the city. A total of 76,204 sq ft of new commercial floorspace was also created which is positive for economic stimulus. We are just commissioning a 5-year review which will provide a full assessment of the investment and will be in the Portfolio Holder report next year.
Lincoln’s Town Deal programme has already delivered additional investment spend of nearly £3million, 28.67 new jobs (full-time equivalent permanent), a further 2 jobs safeguarded and 104 temporary jobs. A mid-programme independent assessment on the benefits of the programme is currently being completed and will be included in the end of year performance report.
Supplementary
Councillor Hilton Spratt offered thanks to the Portfolio Holder for the information provided. Was the Portfolio Holder in agreement that the amount of money the Government had invested into levelling up was foresight?
Answer
The Portfolio Holder confirmed that the investment in Lincoln was not only for the Towns fund but levelling up also. There had been significant investment and time by the city Council to deliver projects and it took considerable work in order to secure investment. The city Council continued to strive for investment and as a fantastic place to work and live, Lincoln should be on the national stage.
Councillor Martin Christopher to Councillor Donald Nannestad
Question
In light of the Council's dedication to fair and transparent procurement, could the Housing Portfolio Holder provide clarification on the deviation from established policy for direct approaches in the case of the £98,500 contract with Savilles Ltd, for work on the recent HRA 30-year plan?
Answer
There is no deviation from established policy for direct approaches in the case of the appointment of Savilles Ltd in relation to the HRA 30-year business plan. Whilst Contract Procedures Rules, which is the Council’s internal policy in relation to how procurement should be undertaken, sets out the processes that must be followed based on the relevant contract value banding (less than £25,000 a direct approach can be made), it also states that this is only relevant where a compliant framework arrangement is not being used. In respect of this appointment a compliant framework was utilised and to clarify, a compliant framework can therefore be more than £25,000.
Supplementary
Councillor Martin Christopher offered thanks to the Portfolio Holder for the information provided. Frameworks needed to go through a tendering process and as such, what processes were in place for the framework that was utilised for the process? The information had not been received further to a freedom of information request.
Answer
The Portfolio Holder confirmed that the framework was a provision that had been fully tendered, in accordance with public tender and as such, was legally fully complaint. Procedure rules had been followed.
Councillor Natasha Chapman to Councillor Donald Nannestad
Question
A year ago, Councillor Smalley raised concerns about the prevalence of mould in homes across our city. This issue has the potential to cause significant health problems for residents. Could the housing portfolio holder please provide an update on measures being taken to identify the extent of this problem and to address the issue?
Answer
As a result of a more effective way of working, tested during the pandemic, tenants in the private rented sector who are complaining about housing standards are asked to provide photographs of their disrepair concerns. In terms of damp and mould this gives good intelligence on the extent of the mould and damp that is present at the outset of the referral.
Damp mould and complaints are assessed based on a range of factors which include age of occupants (all persons aged 14 years or under), any known respiratory health conditions, seasonal variation, EPC of property (D or below), review of photographic evidence and compliance history of the landlord.
Consequently, damp and mould complaints will each be determined on an individual basis and higher risk cases will be given appropriate priority. The City Council prioritises service requests on a risk-based approach. High priority are classed as red, medium priority as amber and low priority as green. The level of work demand in the system means that greens and ambers are not currently being looked at until they become an escalated red (when the situation has got worse, or the referral has been waiting some time for allocation to an officer).
Our Enforcement Policy allows us to take action for what are termed ‘Category 2 Hazards’ as long as we take a tiered approach allowing the landlord an informal opportunity to remedy the Hazards before we take the appropriate formal action. If the case is deemed as low priority at the initial assessment stage, officers do send an advice leaflet to the tenant advising on how damp and mould is caused and how it can be managed.
Officers do work closely with a range of parties to promote good housing standards. We work closely with the University of Lincoln ensuring all student accommodation is safe. Additionally, we regularly attend landlord forums to educate and advise landlords.
We have advice on our website that provides both tenants and landlords information on all aspects of our service including damp and mould and officers are currently reviewing the website to insure it provides the most up to date and relevant information.
Departments within the City Council who will often refer cases to the private sector housing team regarding housing standards as well as outside bodies such as the Fire Service, Police and Social Services who also make referrals to us if they have concerns with conditions of any property they visit.
Finally, we are presently awaiting the results of a new stock condition survey providing more up to date modelling data. This data on the private rented stock will assist us in identifying private rented properties that may have a higher potential for excess cold, damp and mould.
Damp and mould affected all types of properties, both new and old and privately owned as well as rented and social housing. The city Council had two roles in respect of their own social housing stock and a regulatory role in the private rented sector. Robust practices were in place for social housing stock. Damp and mould was complicated and needed to be considered carefully and individually.
Supplementary
Councillor Natasha Chapman offered thanks to the Portfolio Holder for the information provided. Were there figures related to the number of incidents where further action had to be taken against landlords who had not complied in the correct way, to address mould in their properties?
Answer
The requested information would be circulated further to the meeting.
Councillor Clare Smalley to Councillor Donald Nannestad
Question
Can the portfolio holder explain why our drainage system is not properly maintained, resulting in a delayed resolution of a heavily blocked drain (with weeds growing in it) at Shuttleworth House carpark, reported in August, by myself, with a promised fix within three days, yet it was only addressed in October while the carpark was the flooded, following Storm Babet?
Answer
Councillor Donald Nannestad confirmed the reported repairs, since August, relating to the external drainage for Shuttleworth House:
Further to a number of reports of the same drainage issue, an assessment from the drainage contractor was awaited.
Supplementary
Councillor Clare Smalley requested a copy of the information once the assessment had been received.