Agenda item

Members question time will last up to 30 minutes, with questions being taken in the order of receipt and in rotation from each political group on the Council. The deadline for submission of questions is Friday 16 October at 12 noon. Questions to be submitted to democratic.services@adur-worthing.gov.uk

 

Questions can be asked of the following:

a) The Mayor

b) A Member of the Executive

c) The Chairman of any Committee

d) The Council’s representative on any outside body

 

Questions cannot be asked in relation to the following:

a) A specific planning or licensing application

b) A specific staffing appointment, appeal or Standards determination

The Mayor announced that the Proper Officer had received 8 questions from Members in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 12. He advised that one supplementary question could be asked which must arise out of the original question, or, the reply. 

 

Questions would be asked in rotation of the Groups represented in the Chamber and there was 30 minutes allowed for questions with 9 rotations of speakers possible. At the end of 30 minutes the Mayor explained that he would extend the time to conclude the current rotation of questions.

 

The Mayor announced that the following Councillors had submitted questions:

 

Councillors Hazel Thorpe, Sally Smith, Martin McCabe, and Margaret Howard

 

First rotation:

 

Question from Councillor Sally Smith to the Executive Member for Health & Wellbeing

 

Research shows that up to 60000 people in the UK may have been suffering from 'long covid' for more than three months, with prolonged symptoms of coronavirus and at risk of being forgotten.  Are the numbers of people with 'long covid' in Adur and Worthing being collated?

 

The Executive Member for Health & Wellbeing replied that the Council was aware of this issue but were not collecting these figures to date.  The Council would be reviewing this as part of its work through the Wellbeing Programme.

 

Councillor Smith asked a supplementary question regarding financial and practical support for those suffering long covid.

 

The Executive Member for Health & Wellbeing replied that residents' health was always something that was taken into account.

 

 

Question from Councillor Hazel Thorpe to the Leader

 

As they stand, the current proposals for reform in England (set out in the Planning White Paper) from the Wildlife Trusts view and others will not lead to a system fit for the future. Instead, these reforms could:

- increase nature’s decline;

- fail to integrate nature into people’s lives; and

- undermine the democratic process for local decision-making.

 

There is no suggestion in the White Paper of including nature or accessible green spaces into the new Growth or Renewal areas and there would be no change for wildlife in the Protected area, leaving things as they are - an approach which we know is already failing wildlife, and us .The need for green and open spaces are even more essential in the light of covid 19.

 

Can the leader reassure us that this omission will be put right and that our Council will in its consultation of the White Paper and future planning put wildlife and conservation at the heart of Community planning?

 

The Leader replied that a report was being taken to Worthing Planning Committee on 21 October, which formed a proposed response to the White Paper ‘Planning for the Future’ (a similar report was taken to Adur Planning Committee on 5th October). The response made clear the importance that should be given to wildlife and conservation in the proposed  new planning system as follows:

 

‘...the three-zone approach appears focused on built development and does not appear to facilitate or support biodiversity or actions relating to climate change.  Should this approach be maintained, a revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) must make clear that planning for biodiversity must be integrated within all three zone types - and in fact, should be the starting point for planning in each area, rather than an ‘add on’.’

 

The response also referred to  the proposed replacement of existing legal and  policy tests, and stated: ‘it was vital that a streamlined Local Plan system can truly assess and mitigate environmental impacts in a way that gives confidence to the public and others that  the planning system is genuinely safeguarding and enhancing natural assets and biodiversity.’

 

Cllr Thorpe asked a supplementary question regarding unachievable housing targets.

 

The Leader replied that the figures were unrealistic but were being reviewed. The White Paper was a separate issue and there were robust responses coming forward from Councils nationally. 

 

Second rotation:

 

Question from Councillor Sally Smith to the Executive Member for Health & Wellbeing

 

A population survey has shown that alcohol intake increased significantly during the lockdown period due to a number of complex factors including social isolation, anxiety about the future and redistribution of services. What follow up interventions are the Wellbeing team able to offer to those whose health is now adversely affected?

 

The Executive Member for Health & Wellbeing replied that Adur & Worthing Wellbeing had adapted interventions across the entire program to be able to deliver alcohol interventions remotely via online and phone, in order to continue to support people who wanted to make healthier lifestyle changes whilst the Council was unable to deliver face to face due to the COVID pandemic.

 

The team of five Wellbeing Advisors continued to offer one to one support to adults 18 and over; in addition the Council had recently appointed a dedicated Wellbeing Advisor for Alcohol, with additional funding from Public Health West Sussex, who joined the team from 1 October. This new post was working alongside our existing team of Wellbeing Advisors and once fully established, would deliver Extended Brief Interventions for people drinking at Risky and Higher Risk rates with the aim of reducing levels of alcohol and preventing dependency. Support was offered as a person centred approach, with people supported into other services as appropriate to their needs such as: volunteer opportunities to reduce social isolation, Money Mentors for help with Financial issues, Weight Management services for people who were above a healthy weight etc. Alongside the client support work, this post would create and deliver local campaigns to raise awareness of the harmful effects of alcohol and link people into the support available.

 

Councillor Smith asked a supplementary question regarding preventative work taking place pre second lockdown.

 

The Executive Member for Health & Wellbeing replied that WSCC was responsible for public health. WSCC were providing regular communications and the issue was not being ignored.

 

 

Question from Councillor Martin McCabe to the Executive Member for Health & Wellbeing

 

The Executive Member for Health & Wellbeing praised our proposals for a local Chat Bench scheme as "a really good idea" at the Council JSC in June. So can the Member please confirm how our local Chat Bench scheme is progressing and what name it will inevitably be rebranded as?

 

The Executive Member for Health & Wellbeing replied that she did not think the approach proposed worked in the current situation. However, moving forwards, an alternative solution could be a ‘Friendly Bench’ community led offer.

 

 

Third rotation:

 

Question from Councillor Margaret Howard to the Leader

 

At the Joint Strategic Committee in September, on behalf of constituents, I asked about the cycle lanes and was repeatedly told this comes under WSCC, however this completely ignores the fact that there are Council Officers and Members involved in the Local Cycling and Walking Plan, including the Leader of this Council.

 

That plan was very thorough and found that the Broadwater route through the A24 was the most favourable however as with most paper exercises once it was implemented it proved to be hugely unpopular.

 

I appreciate that WSCC makes the final decisions but we cannot hide behind that fact as the public needs to know how we are representing their views and if we are applying pressure where it is needed.

 

So my question is what has WBC done via the Officers and the County Council Members that are present here, to represent the views of its residents to WSCC?

 

The Leader replied that while the Local Cycling & Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP) did highlight the A24 as a key route, what that document didn’t do was provide the design solution.

 

Whilst the Council was supportive of cycling and walking, the Council’s views were made very clear to WSCC Officers and Members that we, as the Borough Council, asked for a series of changes to the design at the conception stage. This feedback was formed through Transport Initiatives, a consultancy that specialised in sustainable travel and who assisted with the LCWIP. Whilst some changes were made, not all suggestions were taken on board.

 

Members and Officers were continually in active dialogue with WSCC counterparts to highlight areas of concern and, where required, forward comments through that come directly to the Borough Council.

 

Cllr Howard asked whether the Council’s Officers were in contact with WSCC as a

supplementary question.

 

The Leader replied that officers were in conversations with WSCC but official responses would be made via Councillors.

 

 

Question from Councillor Martin McCabe to the Executive Member for Health & Wellbeing

 

Can the Executive Member for Health & Wellbeing please confirm that she individually submitted responses to the following local consultations and please give us the dates of submissions and an outline of the content of her submissions:

 

·       'Have your say on a new draft strategy for children and young people who are in care and care leavers' - West Sussex County Council consultation, 19 Aug 2020 to 16 Sept 2020.

 

·       'Changes to Post 16 provision at Oak Grove College' - West Sussex County Council consultation, 7Sept 2020 to 5 Oct 2020

 

The Executive Member for Health & Wellbeing replied that the consultations highlighted were not responded by the Councils or by the Executive Member.

 

In regards to young people, the Council continued to work with WSCC to support work around care and care leavers and support this important work but did not feel the need to comment on the new strategy.

 

In regards to Oak Grove College, education was not in the Executive Member’s remit and she was not aware of any concerns raised by residents.  

 

 

Fourth rotation:

 

Question from Councillor Margaret Howard to the Executive Member for Resources

 

I understand that there is a huge shortage of housing in Worthing with very few sites to develop. Our plans to purchase commercial investment property have been stalled due to the precarious nature of commercial properties. Income from housing both in rents and appreciation in value is much less precarious than income from commercial property and it would seem that this is where WBC should now be directing their plans for future investments. This has been made difficult because WBC sold off their housing to Worthing Homes, yet they are not building or buying enough homes to address the demand. We have also been unable to attract enough developers to keep up with that demand for homes either.

 

Has this Council considered starting our own Housing Revenue Account to buy land such as Teville Gate and use local businesses to look at ways that we can build our own homes using the money put aside for investment properties?

 

The Executive Member for Resources replied that the Council’s Commercial Property investment fund was established to diversify the Council’s general budget income and take a “managed risked” based approach to investment as set out in the Commercial Property Investment Strategy which was adopted annually by the Council. The approach was to balance risk by diversifying asset type, asset class, lot size, and location to ensure that the Council’s exposure was minimised to anyone type of asset.

 

The adopted approach had proved successful. Over the Covid-19 period the Council’s rent collected on the investment fund had performed extremely well with Worthing Borough collecting:

 

·       94% for the March quarter date;

·       93% for the June quarter date; and

·       98% for the September quarter date.

 

The rent collection rates showed that the Council’s investment portfolio had performed well above industry levels and the private sector.

 

The suggestion of establishing a Housing Revenue Account to provide an investment income stream to supplement the Council’s general fund was unfeasible due to the legal framework surrounding Council owned affordable housing.

 

Housing Revenue Accounts were required by legislation to be a “ring fenced account” which  meant that tenant rents could not be used to subsidise council tax funded services and vice versa. Housing Revenue Accounts could only be used for specific housing related services such as maintenance, housing management, and improvement of the existing stock.

 

Investing in housing through a housing revenue account would therefore not be able to make any contribution to the Council’s revenue budget.

 

Councillor Howard asked a supplementary question regarding unallocated funds being invested in housing.

 

The Executive Member for Resources replied that the additional resources referred to would only be secured if a bid for a property was submitted.

 

 

Fifth rotation:

 

Question from Councillor Margaret Howard to the Executive Member for Health & Wellbeing

 

The Council's response to food poverty due to Covid was excellent and we heard the extent of that response last night from the Director of Communities. The Council opened a food depot and helped many isolated and vulnerable individuals to access food and they assisted the mutual aid groups and food banks to provide food to vulnerable residents.  Therefore it is of great concern that the Council is unable to provide the same excellent service this time. This is mainly due to lack of funds from the government and WSCC. In fact we heard that of £737k given to WSCC our Council will only receive £10k of that fund for food support. 

 

The food banks and other mutual aid groups are doing their best to access funding for food support from various sources. They are helping an increasing number of individuals and families whose income has decreased due to Covid. They are staffed by volunteers and run entirely on donated funds or goods. The number needing support will increase due to the reduction of furlough support and businesses folding. As time goes on less money is being donated by individuals to the food banks because people have less money to spare so it is possible that there may come a time when the voluntary sector cannot keep pace with demand.

 

In the event of a second Covid spike we know that there will not be a Council food depot which means the food response across Worthing will not be of the same standard even though demand is likely to be higher. We know that the Director of Communities and Community Works are trying to access further funds but again this may not be forthcoming.

 

Can Council funds that are not currently being used in sectors that cannot function during Covid be redirected to support the voluntary sector who are providing food support given that the voluntary sector are having problems accessing sufficient funds to meet demand?

 

The Executive Member for Health & Wellbeing replied that a full report and update was provided to the JOSC in October, which outlined the approach for our phase three of the covid-19 community response.  

 

The strategy was very much about continuing to work with and support the local food providers, enabling more local approaches to dealing with access to food and wider help during the pandemic.

 

As outlined at JOSC, the food depot was a short term response delivered during phase one of the pandemic due to the gaps in provision in some of our neighbourhoods. This was only ever intended as a short term response providing one-off emergency food parcels. 

 

The strategy now is very much about capacity building and supporting the local network of providers of food in local communities and helping them to access the help and support they need

 

WSCC had used some of it’s grant for food providers which included £10,000 for Adur and Worthing (£5,000 each).  The Councils had also been working through their commissioned infrastructure provider- Community Works - and the Councils Communities and Wellbeing Team to develop the A&W Food Partnership.  Community Works secured £50,000 Lottery funding, of which the majority was being passed to local food providers to help fund food and other related demand

 

The Councils Community Response of course continued to work with WSCC and could access food parcels for our community should they be in Covid-19 need.

 

Councillor Howard asked a supplementary question seeking clarification regarding the planned support for food banks. 

 

The Executive Member for Health & Wellbeing advised that whilst groups were being helped to apply for funding, the need for food banks earlier in the year was due to the speed of the situation. The situation at the present time was not the same as at the beginning of the pandemic.