Agenda item

In accordance with Standing Orders, the following motions have been received for consideration:

 

(1)        Education provision in Hertfordshire

 

To be moved by the Labour Group.

 

“In view of the difficulties being experienced by schools in Hertfordshire due to reductions in education funding, including:

  

·         That Hertfordshire schools are running at a combined deficit of £1.8 million;

 

·         That the equivalent of one in 22 (4.6 per cent) LA-maintained schools in Herts are now spending more than their income;

 

·         That with the lack of Pupil Premium Grant since 2020, Hertfordshire schools are missing out on £1.9million of vital funding;

  

·         That Hertfordshire’s education department are glossing over the 800 children already awaiting special school's provision and cutting mainstream budgets to prop up special school places; and

 

·         The worrying rate of teachers leaving the state sector for reasons other than retirement grew to a record high last year,

 

We as a Council have a duty of care to put pressure on the government to properly fund our state education system.

 

In recognition of the above stated points, this Council instructs the Portfolio Holder for Co-operative Council and Neighbourhood Communities to write to the Secretary of State for Education and Hertfordshire County Council to ask the Government to properly fund the state education system, and to challenge the County Council to cease formulating budgets that attempted to camouflage what is, in reality, an educational crisis.”

 

(2)        Consultation on planning applications

 

To be moved by Councillor Stephen Booth and seconded by Councillor Robin Parker CC.

 

“That Council requests a report on the widening of the number of properties consulted over planning applications, including consulting with ward councillors when planning applications are received involving green space unspecified in the 2018 Local Development Plan.”

 

(3)        Mayor of London’s Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) Expansion

 

To be moved by Councillor Graham Lawrence CC and seconded by Councillor Bret Facey.

 

“That this Council notes that:

 

·         On 4 March 2022 the Mayor Khan announced his plan to expand the Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) from its current boundary to cover all of outer London. The expansion is due to come into force by 29 August 2023.

·         The expansion will mean that those with non-compliant vehicles will pay £12.50 per day to drive within the ULEZ each day.

·         Stevenage is a commuter town, with a significant number of residents travelling into outer London for work via public transport, but in their own vehicles also.

·         Many Stevenage residents also have family connections to outer London and so need to visit outer London to see relatives.

·         The less well-off will be disproportionately penalised by this expansion, as such residents will be reliant on their cars and are unable to replace them with more modern (compliant) vehicles.

·         The Mayor of London has set aside almost £400 million towards expanding the ULEZ and related projects.

·         5 Councils (Bexley, Bromley, Harrow, Hillingdon and Surrey Councils) have joined together to oppose the Mayor’s decision to expand the ULEZ and have successfully taken the issue to the High Court for Judicial Review.

 

That this Council resolves to:

 

·         Condemn this expansion which will push up the cost of living for some of our poorest residents, who rely ontheir cars and trades vehicles to commute to outer London, by imposing this de facto tax on motorists.

·         Call on the Mayor of London to withdraw his unworkable and discriminatory ULEZ expansion.

·         Publicly express solidarity with, and support for, the local authorities involved in the ‘Coalition Against ULEZ Expansion’ legal challenge against the Mayor of London’s flawed decision.”

Urgent Motion – Save Our Local Rail Ticket Offices

 

Councillor Lloyd Briscoe moved and Councillor Sandra Barr seconded the following motion:

 

“That Council notes with dismay the news that the Department for Transport and the 13 train operating companies it manages have announced plans to close almost all staffed ticket offices in England, totalling nearly 1,000, following changes to the Government’s guidance relating to ticket office opening hours and operation. Statutory Consultations began on 5th July and will close on 26th July.

 

Council believes that our ticket office provides a vital service to residents in Stevenage and support passenger safety, security and accessibility. Having a central place in the station for people requiring advice and assistance provides certainty and confidence for customers who may struggle to otherwise locate station staff and also acts as a point of safety for passengers. At many stations, access to facilities such as toilets and waiting rooms is reliant on ticket office staff.

 

Not all residents are able to use ticket vending machines or online ticketing platforms. Many journeys require human assistance to ensure customers purchase the most appropriate and cheapest tickets, and do not incur penalties from mis-booked tickets. Ticket office staff have a wealth of knowledge which ensures that customers get appropriate advice for their whole journey.

 

Council is concerned the closure of ticket offices will disproportionately affect disabled, Deaf and older residents in Stevenage – as well as those with poor literacy and IT skills or on lower incomes. Council also notes the possible implications for current station staff and believes that the closure of ticket offices could lead to a de-staffing of rail stations.

 

Council therefore resolves to:

 

·             Instruct the Chief Executive to write to the Secretary of State for Transport, expressing Council’s opposition to the possible closure of staffed rail ticket offices – and in particular the office/s at Stevenage Railway Station;

 

·             Instruct the Chief Executive to write to Network Rail expressing the Council’s opposition to any plans to close the staffed ticket office/s at Stevenage Railway Station; and

 

·             Request that all councillors respond to the consultations before 26th July to confirm their support for ticket offices remaining open and for properly staffed rail stations.”

 

Following debate, and upon being put to the vote, the motion was carried.

 

(1)        Education provision in Hertfordshire

 

Councillor Sandra Barr moved and Councillor Maureen McKay seconded the following motion:

 

“In view of the difficulties being experienced by schools in Hertfordshire due to reductions in education funding, including:

 

·         That Hertfordshire schools are running at a combined deficit of £1.8 million;

 

·         That the equivalent of one in 22 (4.6 per cent) LA-maintained schools in Herts are now spending more than their income;

 

·         That with the lack of Pupil Premium Grant since 2020, Hertfordshire schools are missing out on £1.9million of vital funding;

 

·         That Hertfordshire’s education department are glossing over the 800 children already awaiting special school's provision and cutting mainstream budgets to prop up special school places; and

 

·         The worrying rate of teachers leaving the state sector for reasons other than retirement, which grew to a record high last year,

 

We as a Council have a duty of care to put pressure on the government to properly fund our state education system.

 

In recognition of the above stated points, this Council instructs the Portfolio Holder for Co-operative Council and Neighbourhood Communities to write to the Secretary of State for Education and Hertfordshire County Council to ask the Government to properly fund the state education system, and to challenge the County Council to cease formulating budgets that attempted to camouflage what is, in reality, an educational crisis.”

 

The following amendment was moved by Councillor Bret Facey and seconded by Councillor Alex Farquharson (additions and omissions in bold):

 

“In view of The financial difficulties being experienced by schools in Hertfordshire due to reductions in pressures on education funding have been caused by the ongoing economic fallout from the Covid pandemic as well as the worldwide inflationary problems caused by Putin’s war in Ukraine. These pressures mean including:

 

·         That Hertfordshire schools are running at a combined deficit of £1.8 million;

 

·         That the equivalent of one in 22 (4.6 per cent) LA-maintained schools in Herts are now spending more than their income;

 

·         That with the lack of Pupil Premium Grant since 2020, Hertfordshire schools are missing out on £1.9million of vital funding;

 

·         That Hertfordshire’s education department are struggling to find SEND provision for glossing over the 800 children already awaiting special school’s provision and balancing cutting mainstream budgets to support prop-up SEND special school places; and

 

·         The worrying rate of teachers leaving the state sector for reasons other than retirement grew to a record high last year.

Notwithstanding these challenges, there has been positive news for education in Stevenage. The Thomas Alleyne Academy, Fairlands Primary School and Camps Hill Primary School all benefited from the government’s £450 million investment fund to upgrade facilities. This investment is welcome.

 

This Council also acknowledges that the County Council has just agreed to invest an additional and ongoing £5million to significantly improve SEND provision in Hertfordshire.

 

We as a Council have a duty of care to lobby put pressure on the government to properly increase funding for our schools state education system. In recognition of the above stated points, this Council instructs the Portfolio Holder for Co-operative Council and Neighbourhood Communities to write to the Secretary of State for Education and Hertfordshire County Council to ask the Government to increase properly funding for Stevenage schools the state education system, and to challenge work with the County Council to support SEND children in Stevenage to prevent cease formulating budgets that attempted to camouflage what is, in reality, an educational crisis from happening.”

 

Following debate, and upon being put to the vote, the amendment was lost.

 

Following further debate, and upon being put to the vote, the original motion was carried.

 

(2)        Consultation on planning applications

 

Councillor Stephen Booth moved and Councillor Robin Parker CC seconded the following motion:

 

“That Council requests a report on the widening of the number of properties

consulted over planning applications, including consulting with ward councillors when planning applications are received involving green space unspecified in the 2018 Local Development Plan.”

 

Following debate, and upon being put to the vote, the motion was carried.

 

(3)        Mayor of London’s Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) Expansion

 

Councillor Graham Lawrence CC moved and Councillor Bret Facey seconded the following motion:

 

“That this Council notes that:

 

·         On 4 March 2022 the Mayor Khan announced his plan to expand the Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) from its current boundary to cover all of outer London. The expansion is due to come into force by 29 August 2023.

·         The expansion will mean that those with non-compliant vehicles will pay £12.50 per day to drive within the ULEZ each day.

·         Stevenage is a commuter town, with a significant number of residents travelling into outer London for work via public transport, but in their own vehicles also.

·         Many Stevenage residents also have family connections to outer London and so need to visit outer London to see relatives.

·         The less well-off will be disproportionately penalised by this expansion, as such residents will be reliant on their cars and are unable to replace them with more modern (compliant) vehicles.

·         The Mayor of London has set aside almost £400 million towards expanding the ULEZ and related projects.

·         5 Councils (Bexley, Bromley, Harrow, Hillingdon and Surrey Councils) have joined together to oppose the Mayor’s decision to expand the ULEZ and have successfully taken the issue to the High Court for Judicial Review.

 

That this Council resolves to:

 

·         Condemn this expansion which will push up the cost of living for some of our poorest residents, who rely ontheir cars and trades vehicles to commute to outer London, by imposing this de facto tax on motorists.

·         Call on the Mayor of London to withdraw his unworkable and discriminatory ULEZ expansion.

·         Publicly express solidarity with, and support for, the local authorities involved in the ‘Coalition Against ULEZ Expansion’ legal challenge against the Mayor of London’s flawed decision.”

 

Following debate, and upon being put to the vote, the motion was lost.

Urgent Motion – Save Our Local Rail Ticket Offices

 

Councillor Lloyd Briscoe moved and Councillor Sandra Barr seconded the following motion:

 

“That Council notes with dismay the news that the Department for Transport and the 13 train operating companies it manages have announced plans to close almost all staffed ticket offices in England, totalling nearly 1,000, following changes to the Government’s guidance relating to ticket office opening hours and operation. Statutory Consultations began on 5th July and will close on 26th July.

 

Council believes that our ticket office provides a vital service to residents in Stevenage and support passenger safety, security and accessibility. Having a central place in the station for people requiring advice and assistance provides certainty and confidence for customers who may struggle to otherwise locate station staff and also acts as a point of safety for passengers. At many stations, access to facilities such as toilets and waiting rooms is reliant on ticket office staff.

 

Not all residents are able to use ticket vending machines or online ticketing platforms. Many journeys require human assistance to ensure customers purchase the most appropriate and cheapest tickets, and do not incur penalties from mis-booked tickets. Ticket office staff have a wealth of knowledge which ensures that customers get appropriate advice for their whole journey.

 

Council is concerned the closure of ticket offices will disproportionately affect disabled, Deaf and older residents in Stevenage – as well as those with poor literacy and IT skills or on lower incomes. Council also notes the possible implications for current station staff and believes that the closure of ticket offices could lead to a de-staffing of rail stations.

 

Council therefore resolves to:

 

·             Instruct the Chief Executive to write to the Secretary of State for Transport, expressing Council’s opposition to the possible closure of staffed rail ticket offices – and in particular the office/s at Stevenage Railway Station;

 

·             Instruct the Chief Executive to write to Network Rail expressing the Council’s opposition to any plans to close the staffed ticket office/s at Stevenage Railway Station; and

 

·             Request that all councillors respond to the consultations before 26th July to confirm their support for ticket offices remaining open and for properly staffed rail stations.”

 

Following debate, and upon being put to the vote, the motion was carried.

 

(1)        Education provision in Hertfordshire

 

Councillor Sandra Barr moved and Councillor Maureen McKay seconded the following motion:

 

“In view of the difficulties being experienced by schools in Hertfordshire due to reductions in education funding, including:

 

·         That Hertfordshire schools are running at a combined deficit of £1.8 million;

 

·         That the equivalent of one in 22 (4.6 per cent) LA-maintained schools in Herts are now spending more than their income;

 

·         That with the lack of Pupil Premium Grant since 2020, Hertfordshire schools are missing out on £1.9million of vital funding;

 

·         That Hertfordshire’s education department are glossing over the 800 children already awaiting special school's provision and cutting mainstream budgets to prop up special school places; and

 

·         The worrying rate of teachers leaving the state sector for reasons other than retirement, which grew to a record high last year,

 

We as a Council have a duty of care to put pressure on the government to properly fund our state education system.

 

In recognition of the above stated points, this Council instructs the Portfolio Holder for Co-operative Council and Neighbourhood Communities to write to the Secretary of State for Education and Hertfordshire County Council to ask the Government to properly fund the state education system, and to challenge the County Council to cease formulating budgets that attempted to camouflage what is, in reality, an educational crisis.”

 

The following amendment was moved by Councillor Bret Facey and seconded by Councillor Alex Farquharson (additions and omissions in bold):

 

“In view of The financial difficulties being experienced by schools in Hertfordshire due to reductions in pressures on education funding have been caused by the ongoing economic fallout from the Covid pandemic as well as the worldwide inflationary problems caused by Putin’s war in Ukraine. These pressures mean including:

 

·         That Hertfordshire schools are running at a combined deficit of £1.8 million;

 

·         That the equivalent of one in 22 (4.6 per cent) LA-maintained schools in Herts are now spending more than their income;

 

·         That with the lack of Pupil Premium Grant since 2020, Hertfordshire schools are missing out on £1.9million of vital funding;

 

·         That Hertfordshire’s education department are struggling to find SEND provision for glossing over the 800 children already awaiting special school’s provision and balancing cutting mainstream budgets to support prop-up SEND special school places; and

 

·         The worrying rate of teachers leaving the state sector for reasons other than retirement grew to a record high last year.

Notwithstanding these challenges, there has been positive news for education in Stevenage. The Thomas Alleyne Academy, Fairlands Primary School and Camps Hill Primary School all benefited from the government’s £450 million investment fund to upgrade facilities. This investment is welcome.

 

This Council also acknowledges that the County Council has just agreed to invest an additional and ongoing £5million to significantly improve SEND provision in Hertfordshire.

 

We as a Council have a duty of care to lobby put pressure on the government to properly increase funding for our schools state education system. In recognition of the above stated points, this Council instructs the Portfolio Holder for Co-operative Council and Neighbourhood Communities to write to the Secretary of State for Education and Hertfordshire County Council to ask the Government to increase properly funding for Stevenage schools the state education system, and to challenge work with the County Council to support SEND children in Stevenage to prevent cease formulating budgets that attempted to camouflage what is, in reality, an educational crisis from happening.”

 

Following debate, and upon being put to the vote, the amendment was lost.

 

Following further debate, and upon being put to the vote, the original motion was carried.

 

(2)        Consultation on planning applications

 

Councillor Stephen Booth moved and Councillor Robin Parker CC seconded the following motion:

 

“That Council requests a report on the widening of the number of properties

consulted over planning applications, including consulting with ward councillors when planning applications are received involving green space unspecified in the 2018 Local Development Plan.”

 

Following debate, and upon being put to the vote, the motion was carried.

 

(3)        Mayor of London’s Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) Expansion

 

Councillor Graham Lawrence CC moved and Councillor Bret Facey seconded the following motion:

 

“That this Council notes that:

 

·         On 4 March 2022 the Mayor Khan announced his plan to expand the Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) from its current boundary to cover all of outer London. The expansion is due to come into force by 29 August 2023.

·         The expansion will mean that those with non-compliant vehicles will pay £12.50 per day to drive within the ULEZ each day.

·         Stevenage is a commuter town, with a significant number of residents travelling into outer London for work via public transport, but in their own vehicles also.

·         Many Stevenage residents also have family connections to outer London and so need to visit outer London to see relatives.

·         The less well-off will be disproportionately penalised by this expansion, as such residents will be reliant on their cars and are unable to replace them with more modern (compliant) vehicles.

·         The Mayor of London has set aside almost £400 million towards expanding the ULEZ and related projects.

·         5 Councils (Bexley, Bromley, Harrow, Hillingdon and Surrey Councils) have joined together to oppose the Mayor’s decision to expand the ULEZ and have successfully taken the issue to the High Court for Judicial Review.

 

That this Council resolves to:

 

·         Condemn this expansion which will push up the cost of living for some of our poorest residents, who rely ontheir cars and trades vehicles to commute to outer London, by imposing this de facto tax on motorists.

·         Call on the Mayor of London to withdraw his unworkable and discriminatory ULEZ expansion.

·         Publicly express solidarity with, and support for, the local authorities involved in the ‘Coalition Against ULEZ Expansion’ legal challenge against the Mayor of London’s flawed decision.”

 

Following debate, and upon being put to the vote, the motion was lost.