Agenda item

Verbal Report of the Leader of the Council.

A verbal report of the Leader of the Council was given setting out the details of the business undertaken by the Executive.

 

The Leader and the Cabinet made statements and responded to questions. 

 

The following questions were submitted in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 11.1:-

 

1.  Lifts in tenant’s buildings

 

Councillor Galton to Councillor A Frampton

 

QUESTION: Given the record increases to Tenants' Rents, are you meeting your duty with regards lift provision in Council buildings and what would your message be to those that continually have to cope with broken down lifts when using their homes or visiting friends locally?

 

ANSWER: The maintenance of lifts and other repairs and maintenance to council owned homes, are funded by the Housing Revenue Account. Income to this account, to ensure sufficient funds are available, is raised through the rent charged for those homes. I remain committed to improving the services Southampton City Council tenants receive.

 

2.  Glen Eyre Cycle Scheme

 

Councillor Moulton to Councillor Keogh

 

QUESTION: Is £850,000 good use of money for the Glen Eyre Cycle Scheme?

 

ANSWER: The Glen Eyre cycle scheme is part of the Southampton Cycle Network (SCN) route 5, facilitating connections for the University of Southampton campus and the largest halls complex, where approximately 1,900 students reside. SCN5 also serves as a link for Cantell High School, Chilworth Science Park, and the broader city region to Chandlers Ford. This scheme is funded from the Transforming Cities Fund by the UK Government.  The scheme has delivered a new 1.1 km quietway cycleway, incorporating traffic calming measures to reduce vehicle speeds. Additionally, it features an improved traffic signal junction at the intersection of A35 Burgess Road and Glen Eyre Road. This upgraded junction includes bus priority signal technology, pedestrian countdown timers, and expanded pedestrian waiting areas. Furthermore, the scheme allocates space for innovative technologies such as EV charging, escooter and bike hire.  Ongoing post-scheme monitoring indicates a reduction in 85th %ile vehicle speeds along Glen Eyre Road, from 28.1 mph to 21.1 mph. The reduced speeds will result in a safer environment for cycling and walking – from the Southampton Walking and Cycling Index report 2023, 50% of respondents would find streets with 20mph speed limits would be useful to walk more and 45% to cycle more.

 

3. Paignton Road Play Park

 

Councillor Moulton to Councillor Letts

 

QUESTION: Can the Cabinet Member advise on the status of the £100,000 funding for the Paignton Road Play Park that was allocated to the budget by the previous Conservative Administration? When will the money be released and the play park redeveloped?

 

ANSWER: Verbal response given at the meeting.  

It’s an entirely valid question. Councillor Moulton has been here a long time and has a rich history of campaigning on behalf of his residents and I am sure this is part of that process.  We all have aspirations to support additional capital schemes in our area to support our residents and that is entirely fair.  We paused the programme on play parks earlier in the year so that we could look at the whole capital programme.  We have allocated £700k to Play Parks for next year.  The decision on which of those play parks will be invested in lies with my Cabinet colleague Councillor Keogh and he will be considering those options over the next couple of months or so.  The broader issue for us is the need to find capital resources to invest in our City and we will have a broader debate on that later in the meeting.  So that is where we are.  The answer is it will come, but not necessarily as fast as you want. 

 

4. Children’s Services Budget

 

Councillor J Baillie to Winning

 

QUESTON: Because of the parlous state of the SCC finances, the budget for Children’s Services has been hit. How confident are you that the good work over the last 3 years will not be undone because of budgetary pressures?

 

ANSWER: Verbal response given at the meeting. 

Thank you for the question and rightly pointing out the good work that has been achieved over the last three years within Children Services. We mentioned that earlier and I know everyone in this Chamber is very proud of that.  It’s a short answer, we are very confident the good work will not be undone.  We are building a strong and robust service that is ultimately sustainable and fit for the future that is the priority.  I would also point out that the budget has been increased from last year, so it hasn’t been hit, but I think it is really important to recognise nationally that social care is in crisis, not funded properly by Government, not prioritised by Government.  We have to tread carefully but given the leadership and dedicated workforce we have here in Southampton, as well as the initiatives we are working towards, I do have total confidence that the work will not be undone. 

 

5. Southampton Children’s Play Association Grant

 

Councillor Beaurain to Councillor Winning

 

QUESTION: What steps did the Cabinet Member take to prevent the closure of a fifty year old Southampton charity, Southampton Children’s Play Association, which couldn’t survive without the council grant which you have withdrawn?

 

ANSWER:  When Southampton Children’s Play Association’s (SCPA’s) contract with the Council came to an end on 31 December 2023, Southampton City Council offered the organisation a grant of £36k to support with their core back office costs whilst they reviewed their business model and sought additional income from external sources and contracts to cover their overheads.  Commissioners had been working closely with them to support this process.  As a general rule we would expect organisations to distribute their overheads and core costs evenly across all their service contracts.  In addition to offering the £36k grant, council officers have also continued to work with SCPA around their HAF Holiday Activity and Food) programme application.  All organisations are open to bid for HAF funding and SCPA has been a valued and significant provider of HAF activities in the past. Additionally Council officers have been meeting regularly with the organisation and have offered support with both identifying and responding to external funding opportunities (e.g. support with reviewing applications); and mentoring of the organisation’s Trustees as well as support with recruiting new Trustees.  We have also been encouraging them to work with Young Southampton, the newly formed Young People’s alliance in the city, to identify and secure alternative sources of funding from external grants and local investors. The decision of SCPA to close came as a surprise following several positive meetings where the organisation was indicating that it had secured income from a number of sources to cover its costs and is of much disappointment, as we were in the middle of discussions around the profiling of the grant and open to flexing this to whatever worked best for SCPA.

 

6.  Prevention of anti social behaviour

 

Councillor Beaurain to Councillor Renyard

 

QUESTION: The residents of Laxton Close have play area which attracts anti-social behaviour and crime. Despite progress being with the police with the support of the Police and Crime Commissioner to tackle this, the council seems disinterested fulfilling its duties as a partner in the prevention of crime. What does the Cabinet Member intend to do to help residents in Laxton Close and across the city who feel council does not do enough to prevent anti-social behaviour?

 

ANSWER: Tackling ASB is a key Safe City Partnership objective, bringing the Council, Police, key partners and residents together to make the city a safer place to live. From Mar 23- Feb 24 that partnership working has helped reduce ASB offences by 20% across the city (compared to the same period 22/23).  Issues around Laxton Close have been previously raised and you have received responses from several council departments, including looking at Public Space Protection Orders and the suggestion of an ASB case review. The partnership response under Operation Auction was that police agreed to increase patrols in the area, which you have acknowledged in your question has helped progress matters.  Our Stronger Communities team works with police in coordinating Police and Communities Together (PACT) meetings and leads the weekly Partnership Action Groups where ASB issues are brought for joint problem solving so we have a number of routine meetings where residents or Police can raise ASB issues.  The Team have also previously successfully bid for Home Office Safer Streets funding to tackle ASB and are in the process of submitting further funding bids to the PCC, supported by Police. This has included the purchase and deployment of temporary CCTV cameras to react swiftly to monitor crime and ASB hotspots, deployed through the PAG’s or at police request.  We still face challenges of ASB in certain areas, and I sympathise with residents in Laxton Close and am glad that police, who we work with closely, are able to support them.

 

7. Pedestrian crossing Osborne Road

 

Councillor Barbour to Councillor Keogh

 

QUESTION: If we want to encourage more people to walk around the city we need to make it easier for them. With increasing traffic on Thomas Lewis Way and with the planned busgate local roads will become busier.  On the corner of St Denys Road and Thomas Lewis Way there is not a button to press to cross the road, can this be investigated with a view to installing a crossing from Osborne Road S to Osborne Road N.

 

ANSWER: The junction of A335 Thomas Lewis Way and A3035 St Denys Road underwent upgrades in 2022-2023 as part of the Transforming Cities Fund program. These enhancements included the installation of new traffic signal technology to alleviate congestion along the corridors, as well as the addition of a new cycle facility.  For the western arm (specifically Osborne Road North / South), several improvements were implemented: 

• Enhanced drop kerbs for improved accessibility; 

• New tactiles to assist visually impaired pedestrians; and 

• A new road surface.  Due to a number of underground utility services on this corner it is not possible to install traffic signal poles in the correct location for a controlled pedestrian crossing without significant  and costly relocation of the services.  Pedestrians using this arm are required to wait and assess traffic gaps before crossing safely.

 

8. Southampton Climate Assembly

 

Councillor Blackman to Councillor Keogh

 

QUESTIONS:  Recommendations made by the Southampton Climate Assembly include longstanding ambitions for transport in the city, including Park and Ride, a metro system, and making cycling safe and attractive for everyone. How will the administration prioritise the Assembly's recommendations?

 

ANSWER: Verbal response given at the meeting. 

As we know in 2023 the Citizens Assembly in Southampton focussed on climate change and transport.  Randomly selected residents were tasked with the question of how to create an accessible, affordable, and connected transport system while reducing carbon emissions and meeting climate targets.  Their vision statement ‘people in Southampton using public transport and active travel as their main ways of getting around’.  The Assembly made a number of recommendations covering a metro style transport system, cycling infrastructure, walking, park and ride, traffic flow improvements, accessibility enhancements, affordability measures, safety initiatives, education, communication and connectivity.  The Council has acknowledged these recommendations, and we will be updating our Local Transport Plan in 2025.  We will be incorporating and recognising the value of those recommendations.  Some of those recommendations are already in our current Local Transport Plan including progress on the Southampton Cycle network, exploration of mass transit operations and the development of a park and ride service for Southampton General Hospital staff.  As part of the Local Plan Review we have to produce a three year implementation plan which will be created prioritising improvements to the Local Plan based on the funding available, deliverability, timelines etc.  So, I think that commitment is there and I for one was truly inspired to be at that event and as I mentioned our grateful thanks to Councillor Savage for promoting that and all the others that were there.  We couldn’t have helped be inspired by the enthusiasm of those residents that were there, their knowledge their commitment and certainly I know I have that commitment, this Administration has that commitment to continue to work with our residents and particularly to take on board what was said through the Assembly.  One of the things I would finish with is their request to all of us as Elected Members that we need to make sure that we can work together collaboratively and maybe that means we can discuss things in a very mature and civilised way.  I know that you are always capable of doing that. 

 

9. Signage improvements

 

Councillor Chapman to Councillor Keogh

 

QUESTION: In September, Full Council passed a motion supporting the introduction of both additional signage and electronic signage aimed at reducing speeds on various roads, including Bassett Avenue and Bassett Green Road. Since then, I have been working with officers to deliver elements of this on Bassett Avenue specifically. Despite my best efforts officers are yet to agree to any signage improvements despite reasonable legal options being available.  Can you provide assurance that the necessary resources and efforts will be allocated not just to this but elsewhere in the City where Councillors raise reasonable requests for signage improvements?

 

ANSWER: If a Councillor wishes to raise a request for signage improvements related to speed limit changes, they can do so, and the request will be reviewed against the national guidance from the Department for Transport on the use of speed limit signs. If the review identifies that additional signage is required to comply with the guidance, steps will be taken to rectify the location. The guidance does not allow for the use of additional 30mh signage as repeater signage on street lit roads.  The Council has funding in place to continue the use of Vehicle Activated Signs for the use of speed limit awareness and will be continuing the programme in 2024 / 2025. The Signs were last in place at Bassett Avenue in January 2024 and will be in place again in July 2024.