In accordance with Standing Orders, the following motions have been received for consideration:
1. Bus Services in Stevenage
To be moved by the Labour Group
Bus services in Stevenage are vital to so many of our residents providing them with a vital link to work places, shops, medical services, social & leisure activity, access to education and so much more.
That is why it is so disappointing to see a deterioration in our bus services in town with residents reporting many bus services cut at short (or no) notice meaning they have long waits for their bus. For some time now we have experienced some areas left with no bus service from early evening or no service at all.
This Council is working towards our net zero carbon by 2030 target and with the County Council on our Sustainable Travel Town status. A key part of this will be to encourage more use of public transport rather than private cars. Our new bus interchange is part of building an integrated public transport system. However this depends on regular, reliable, sustainable and affordable bus services.
Therefore this Council resolves
1. To convene a bus summit with the bus operators to explore the opportunities and address the challenges of delivering better bus services
2. To lobby the County Council, as transport authority, to work with us and bus operators to ensure every area of Stevenage has a bus service
3. To seek reassurance from the County Council that there will be no further cuts to bus subsidies for Stevenage bus routes
4. To explore with the County Council better ways of providing up to date travel information to passengers
5. To ensure we do all we can through the planning process to ensure bus routes are planned with new neighbourhoods and maximum use is made of CIL & Section 106 to incentivise bus use.
6. To encourage the County Council as the Local Transport Authority and Arriva to continue to work with SBC concerning the ZEBRA (Zero Emission Bus Regional Area) bid for Stevenage
2. Council Meetings
To be moved by the Conservative Group.
Council notes that in the interests of democracy, it is important to continue to encourage and allow all political parties represented in Council to table motions but, to ensure all Council meetings are conducted in a timely fashion, thus facilitating the continued attention and interest of both our members and the public, there is a need to limit the time spent in debate. This can be achieved by limiting the number of motions and the time allowed for both debate and individual speakers.
Also, Council notes that the main debate has not taken place for some while, so could be regarded as no longer necessary. However, it is appreciated that members may benefit from presentations on matters of interest to the community, as appropriate and, therefore, we should provide for this in Standing Orders.
The Council therefore moves that Standing Orders, 19. Rules of Debate, is amended, as follows:
A new point c. (i) is added, 'Each political party is allowed 1 motion per Council meeting'.
Point c (i) becomes point c (ii).
Point c (ii) becomes point c (iii)
Point c (iii) now becomes point c (iv), and is amended thus;
'Time limits for speakers during debates, unless otherwise stated elsewhere in the Standing Orders are as follows:
· ??Mover of a motion - four minutes
· ??Seconder of a motion - four minutes
· ??Leader of the Council - four minutes
· ??Leader of the Opposition - four minutes
· ??All other speakers - two minutes
· ??Right of reply - two minutes'
?? Point c (iv) becomes point c (v).
A new point c (vi) is added, 'If debate on all motions exceeds 1 hour 30 minutes in total, the Chair shall guillotine such debate, and instruct Council to move straight to the vote on the motion then being debated'.
The Council also moves that Standing Orders, 9. Main Debate is re-written, as follows:
'At any ordinary meeting of the Council there may be a presentation on a matter of interest to the community.
a. Such presentation can be from a Councillor, officer and / or other invited person(s). If the presentation is from a Councillor or officer, it should last no longer than 10 minutes. If another person or persons are making the presentation, it should last no longer than 20 minutes. Collectively, no presentations should last longer than 30 minutes.
b. At the Mayor's discretion, Councillors and members of the public may ask questions, but the total period for such questions should be no longer than 20 minutes.??
3. Housing and Direct Services Departments
To be moved by the Liberal Democrat Group.
This Council calls for a thorough review of the
housing and direct services departments to focus particularly
on:
(a) Improving the response to tenants requesting attention to repairs and other property problems.
(b) Ensuring that all incoming calls are dealt with promptly, are recorded and tenants do not have to wait longer than 30 minutes maximum during normal working hours to speak to someone. Where this is impossible, a proper call-back system to tenants is initiated.
(c) Maintaining a detailed register of outstanding housing maintenance works and reporting same to councillors on a weekly basis.
(d) Ensuring that tenants are properly informed by phone, text or email when access to their properties is needed for work and visiting times are agreed.
(e) Compensating tenants when Council trade persons fail to turn up for previously agreed appointments.
(f) Ensuring that councillors are kept informed of the initiation and progress of refurbishment and upgrade programmes, especially in the wards they represent.?
4. Communications and Stevenage Chronicle
To be moved by the Liberal Democrat Group.
Calls upon Council to properly manage its
Communications & Media unit and those responsible for the
publication of Stevenage Chronicle and other publications from time
to time issued by the Council; particularly to ensure:
(a) That the Code of Recommended Practice on Local Authority Publicity published by the Department for Communities Local Government is properly observed.
(b) Editorial oversight is under the control of an Assistant Director.
(c) There is close attention to detail and checking of dates and other facts.
(d) That any featured events are to take place at least 14 days ahead of general publication and circulation.
(e) An editorial schedule of contents is published for circulation to councillors.
(f) A schedule of dates for potential contributors including copy dates, proofing and to press is published.
(g) That there is a balance of editorial material between wards and Council groups without party political favour.
(h) That photos are relevant and correctly captioned.
5. Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Policy
To be moved by the Liberal Democrat Group.
This Council commits to considering and in due course implementing a ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) policy to apply to the council’s financial investment counterparties.
Decision:
The Notice of Motion submitted by the Labour Group, the Motion from the Conservative Group and the three Motions from the Liberal Democrat Group would be deferred to the next Ordinary Meeting of the Council on 9 March 2022.