A. To consider the following motion submitted by Councillor Sharon Taylor OBE CC:
‘That this Council notes that analysis of the 2018 Local Election results by the Fawcett Society found that only 34% of councillors in England are women, up 1% since 2017. Of the seats that were up for election in 2018, 38% went to women, up just 3 percentage points on 2014 when these seats were last contested; That across England, Labour has improved its representation since seats were last up for grabs, with 45% women compared with 40% in 2014, Liberal Democrat representation up from 34% to 36% whilst the Conservative Party saw a fall from 31% to 29% in the share of its councillors who are female; That as of the 2018 local elections, only 26 out of 119 Labour councils and only 33 out of 130 opposition Labour Groups are led by women; As of summer 2017, only 4% of councils in England and Wales have parental leave policies, according to research by the Fawcett Society; That the role of a councillor should be open to all, regardless of their background, and that introducing a parental leave policy is a step towards encouraging a wider range of people to become councillors, and is also a step to encourage existing councillors who may want to start a family to remain as councillors; That parental leave must apply to parents regardless of their gender, and that it should also cover adoption leave to support those parents who choose to adopt.
Accordingly, this Council resolves to adopt the parental leave policy drafted by the LGA Labour Group’s Women’s Taskforce to give all councillors an entitlement to parental leave after giving birth or adopting; To ensure that councillors with children and other caring commitments are supported as appropriate; To notify the LGA Labour Group that this council has passed a motion at full council to adopt the parental leave policy.’
B. To consider the following motion submitted by Councillor Robin Parker CC:
‘That Stevenage Borough Council notes its firm objections to the planning development known as Gresley Park.
It is regrettable that Pigeon Land have submitted a planning application to East Herts District Council on what was once, and remained until very recently, a formerly designated and much used green belt site adjoining Stevenage. The application includes 618 homes, an 80 bed care home, 50 assisted living homes, a neighbourhood hub and a Travelling Showpersons’ site.
As a consultee, Stevenage Borough Council believes that the scheme will have a detrimental effect on many Stevenage residents and will place an unnecessary additional strain on the infrastructure and services of our town.
Major objections include:
Stevenage Borough Council is supportive of house building where it is suitable and where plans provide the necessary infrastructure and alleviative measures to cope with any additional demands on our town’s services. This Council believes that the Gresley Park development does not adhere to this and so calls on Officers of the Council to submit this Council’s firm objections to this development.’
Decision:
10A Parental Leave Policy for Members
After a full debate, including a request for the LGA Policy to be circulated to all Members of the Council, it was moved, seconded and RESOLVED:
‘That this Council notes that analysis of the 2018 Local Election results by the Fawcett Society found that only 34% of councillors in England are women, up 1% since 2017. Of the seats that were up for election in 2018, 38% went to women, up just 3 percentage points on 2014 when these seats were last contested; That across England, Labour has improved its representation since seats were last up for grabs, with 45% women compared with 40% in 2014, Liberal Democrat representation up from 34% to 36% whilst the Conservative Party saw a fall from 31% to 29% in the share of its councillors who are female; That as of the 2018 local elections, only 26 out of 119 Labour councils and only 33 out of 130 opposition Labour Groups are led by women; As of summer 2017, only 4% of councils in England and Wales have parental leave policies, according to research by the Fawcett Society; That the role of a councillor should be open to all, regardless of their background, and that introducing a parental leave policy is a step towards encouraging a wider range of people to become councillors, and is also a step to encourage existing councillors who may want to start a family to remain as councillors; That parental leave must apply to parents regardless of their gender, and that it should also cover adoption leave to support those parents who choose to adopt.
Accordingly, this Council resolves to adopt the parental leave policy drafted by the LGA Labour Group’s Women’s Taskforce to give all councillors an entitlement to parental leave after giving birth or adopting; To ensure that councillors with children and other caring commitments are supported as appropriate; To notify the LGA Labour Group that this council has passed a motion at full council to adopt the parental leave policy.’
10B GRESLEY PARK, STEVENAGE
At this juncture, the Chief Executive advised the Council that the recommendations in the officer report at item 13 on this matter were approved earlier in the meeting and that as such, much of the content of this Motion was incompatible with that decision and therefore, as it stood, the Motion was now void and could not be moved.