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.  20mph limits on Hill Lane

Councillor Powell-Vaughan to Councillor Keogh

QUESTION: Why did the administration decide to reverse the 20mph limits on Hill Lane and Shirley High Street? And are there plans to increase speed limits on any other roads?  If so, which ones?

ANSWER:  The following verbal response was given at the meeting.

We all agree that the introduction of 20mph limits is one that we have all supported many times in this Chamber as it means are streets and roads are safer and more accessible. I think it is also important as we promised that when concerns are raised on particular roads as there were for Hill Lane and Shirley Road that we respond to those concerns and that is why we said that we would do a review.  We are concluding that review.  We will go ahead with bringing forward a Road Traffic Order to look whether or not we lift the speed limits on those two roads.  In answer to the other question, those are the only two roads at this time that we will be assessing and we have no plans at this time to look at any other roads at this time. 

2.  SEND Expansion Plan

Councillor J Baillie to Councillor Winning

QUESTION:  The SEND Expansion plan is now due to be paused after going back to finance. Can the cabinet member confirm how long this pause will be?

ANSWER: Cabinet have agreed funding for 278 school places as part of the SEND Expansion plan. Work is continuing with full designs being available in November 2024 at which point tenders will be put out.  £43m has been invested in these new places, ensuring that children with special education needs and disabilities have access to high quality learning and developmental places. This is a priority for myself as Cabinet Member and the Service and there is no expectation that there will be any pause on the programme as I think we all agree that the additional capacity is absolutely vital.  This is something I am really keen to see move forwards now and I look forward to it progressing.

3.  Waste Collection Update

Councillor Blackman to Councillor Fielker

QUESTION: When can Southampton residents expect a communication stating that the disruption to waste collections is over?

ANSWER:  The following verbal response was given at the meeting:

I am pleased to report that there have been significant improvements in both recycling and domestic waste collections.  Work continues to ensure this is sustained.  As I have said, collecting bins is a basic service we need to get right and I apologise to residents of those parts of the City which had been affected by the disruption. 

4.  Political leadership

Councillor P Baillie to Councillor Fielker

QUESTION: In what ways will your approach and policies differ from your predecessor?

ANSWER:  The following verbal response was given at the meeting. 

All of us on this side of the Chamber and that bit over there at the back, have shared values.  We all think it is a disgrace that a City as wealthy as Southampton has so much poverty.  As mentioned, that’s not an accident, it’s the impact of the Conservative, Liberal Democrat austerity agenda unleashed in 2010.

I set out my stall in Executive Business.  These are not policies and approaches that have emerged in the past few months.  I am building on Councillor Kaur’s legacy.  She has the foresight to understand that the long-term prosperity of Southampton, which will produce different and better outcomes for people who live here will only happen by genuinely working in partnership with other statutory organisations and the private sector on a shared vision for the future of Southampton. 

5.  Update on transformation programme.

Councillor Blackman to Councillor Letts

QUESTION:  Could you provide an update on the work undertaken to develop the Council's transformation programme since the Budget for 24/25 was set on 6 March?

ANSWER:  The overarching Transformation Strategy will be presented to Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee (OSMC) at the next opportunity. This will set out the strategic context and scope of the Transformation programme.  Outline Business Cases (OBC) are in the process of being produced by all service areas to address the c£40m of savings required for the 2025/26 financial year. It is intended that a report covering the scope and content of these OBCs will be presented to Cabinet in July, alongside the overarching Transformation Strategy and programme. This report will also be presented to OSMC prior to the July cabinet.  Steps have been taken to strengthen the delivery and assurance capacity and capability of the council. A new Transformation Director has been appointed and is in-post, and additional recruitment to the core Projects/PMO team is underway. New governance arrangements aligned to the Transformation programme are also now in place, with portfolios led by each Executive Director reporting into the Transformation Board chaired by the CEO.