Agenda item

Report of the Leader of the Council, attached.

The report of the Leader of the Council was submitted 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 then submitted in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 11.1.

 

 

1. HMO Registration Scheme
   
   Question from Councillor Furnell to Councillor Payne.

 

Can the Cabinet Member give me a timescale as to when he will be able to ascertain the results of the pilot for the HMO registration scheme?

 

Answer

 

Houses in Multiple Occupation in the Bargate, Bevois, Portswood and Swaythling wards were legally designated to be subject to additional licensing requirements from 1st July 2013 for five years. The scheme will be evaluated by 30th June 2016 with the intention of making further designations as appropriate across the City.

 

2. Art Sales
   
   Question from Councillor Vinson to Councillor Letts.

 

Will the Leader please inform Council as to any response he has received to his joint letter with Croydon Council to the Minister for the Arts regarding the sale of works of art?

Answer

The reply letter from the Minister had been circulated to Councillors Hannides and Vinson.  It stated that there was no change in the current policy.

 

3. Peer Review
   
   Question from Councillor Vinson to Councillor Letts.

 

What does the Leader regard as most helpful advice in the recent Peer Review Report?

 

Answer

 

The item was discussed at Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee, where it was agreed that processes needed to by simplified in order to maximise time for service delivery.  And also increase the capacity to take risk and allow all levels officers to make decisions.  There would be a Peoples Panel established to engage in the community.

 

4. Supermarket Levy
   
   Question from Councillor Vinson to Councillor Tucker.

 

Has the Cabinet Member considered following the example of Dover, Gloucester and Leeds Councils in considering a levy on supermarkets to generate funds to support smaller retailers?

 

Answer

 

I am not at present considering investigating a levy on supermarkets. Such a levy under the Sustainable Communities Act, 2007 would have to be approved by the Secretary of State.

 

This type of levy, if introduced, could not be restricted to supermarkets alone and would have to apply to all large format stores with a Rateable Value of £500,000 or more, for example, department stores. At least 27 Southampton businesses, mostly in West Quay or the city centre, would be affected by such a proposal.  The 8.5% levy could be a disincentive for large retail operators to be attracted to Southampton or to remain through periods of difficult trading. It could also make it more difficult to establish future Business Improvement Districts as these are also levy funded at 1-2% of Rateable Value.

Supermarkets provide a popular service to many Southampton residents, both in the city centre and in our main district centres. They are also significant employers of local people and in the case of Morrisons are playing an important role in two regeneration projects in the City, at East Street and at Centenary Quay.

 

Based on initial research I am not aware of any English council that has introduced such a measure as yet.  Gloucester, Leeds and Reading are amongst Councils that have rejected or decided to defer any further consideration of such a measure. Dover and Torbay are the only Councils known to have passed a resolution to approach the Secretary of State for consent.

 

5. Evening Parking Charges
   
   Question from Councillor Fitzhenry to Councillor Rayment.

 

Why have you introduced evening parking charges?

 

Answer

 

The flat rate evening charge is being introduced to assist in prioritising parking in the city centre and I am satisfied this remains a fair and reasonable proposal to ensure that the highway is adequately managed and controlled.

 

The City centre has been transformed by the growth in residential development, evening retail and leisure activities. The change in the pattern of parking means that demand for parking in the evening in some areas is twice the day time demand, with overnight parking levels by residents remaining relatively low.

 

Hence the view that the day time economy is helping to fund the night-time economy and important services such as CCTV on which it depends.

 

The Council also has an established sustainable travel policy which was introduced in the 2006-11 Transport Plan and stated:

 

Within the City, town and district centres, the emphasis will be on maintaining the approach which requires users of parking facilities to pay a rate that reflects the value of the facility provided, and which also acts as an incentive to consider the use of other modes of travel.

 

A variety of Season tickets are being offered which should help reduce the additional costs to residents in these areas These will provide affordable and attractive parking options for residents below what might be deemed as market rates.

 

In addition, it is proposed to exclude Sunday from the Evening Charges and Restriction Period.

 

The proposals will allow the costs of the parking service to be recovered through the whole of the day and night.  This then allows more flexible pricing practices including reduction in areas where there is an economic need e.g. East Street which will assist the economy in these areas.

 

6. Transport Policies
   
   Question from Councillor Fitzhenry to Councillor Rayment.

 

What new policies does the Executive have to further assist the modal shift from private car to public transport?

 

Answer

 

Our policies continue to be supportive of a growth in public transport.  We see this as necessary in order to be able to achieve the economic growth forecast in our strategic plans in a sustainable way and in order to reduce carbon from transport.  Some policies have been developed or enhanced though including:

·  Actively seeking to decarbonise the bus fleets through conversion to lower usage fuel options.  We recently won Government funding of £750k for a new innovative fly wheel technology that will be developed with Williams racing and the Go Ahead bus group who will also invest a similar amount of their own money.  We expect this to reduce bus emissions by 25% on the 30 buses fitted as part of this “world-first” project; 

·  Capture the economic value of bus operations – by assisting the bus companies in identifying skills issues and apprenticeship options.  We have identified a significant capacity constraint that is likely to face bus interchanges in the city centre at several key locations.  We are developing proposals for enhanced interchange arrangement at Albion Place, the Station Quarter and the General Hospital;

·  We are actively investigating the role the coach may play in the local  transport strategy and are meeting with National Express Coaches on this issue;

·  We are  investigating the feasibility of a park and ride solution to the general hospital’s travel and access needs;

·  We have conducted a study into bus services and improvements needed for the general hospital;

·  The integration of rail operators including South West Trains into the smartcard scheme is moving forwards and should greatly enhance this scheme;

·  We have been working with bus operators to develop a Southampton area smart ticket to be launched next summer after the launch of the south Hampshire smart “solent travelcard” in the spring;

·  We are shortly to extend the “real time” bus information system to include First Group – this means the system will cover most operators in the city.  We are due to have bus priority on many junctions throughout the city by spring;

·  We are rolling out the legible cities format across the bus network improving bus stops shelters and timetable cases with improved information;

·  We have installed “real-time” totems which give real time bus and rail departure information at various sites within the city, both sides of Southampton Central Station and Southampton University;

·  We have just launched the MyJourney Journey planner which gives specific tailor made personalised travel information for all modes of travel within the City;

·  In line with new housing targets for the region we will work with neighbouring local authorities and highways agency to look again at the eastern access corridor into the city and investigate how increasing travel demands can be accommodated.  This may well form the basis of a future major transport scheme with the bus playing a key role.

 

7. Late Night Levy
   
   Question from Councillor Vinson to Councillor Letts.

It was noted that this question was withdrawn by Councillor Vinson as there was a motion relating to it.

 

8. Utility Company Roadworks
   
   Question from Councillor Vinson to Councillor Rayment.

 

Will the Cabinet Member be following the example of Surrey and East Sussex CCs in applying to the transport Secretary for the power to decide locally when utility companies can dig up their roads?

Answer

 

We already have an outline Business Case for the Permit Scheme project and are considering the options for implementing a scheme in the City. Officers are liaising with other authorities who have already implemented a scheme to see how they are operating and lessons they have learnt.

 

9. Bed and Breakfast Accommodation
   
   Question from Councillor Turner to Councillor Payne.

 

How many families with children are currently housed in bed and breakfast accommodation for longer than one week?

 

Answer

 

As of 15th November there are three families who have been placed by Southampton’s Homelessness Unit in B&Bs in the city who have been there for longer than a week. All three families have been determined to be intentionally homeless and the B&B is provided typically for a period of up to 28 days. We have offered assistance, by way the council’s rent deposit scheme, towards finding alternative accommodation in the private rented sector so that they avoid actual rooflessness.

 

Please note that the local authority has a duty to keep B&B usage for families found to be homeless unintentionally, to a minimum and for no longer than six weeks which we always manage to achieve and in 2012/13 we only spent £26k on providing bed and breakfast accommodation. The Homelessness Strategy approved by Cabinet last month maintains our commitment to “make only minimum use of bed and breakfast for families”.

 

10. Young Carers
    
    Question from Councillor Turner to Councillor Bogle.

 

What help are we as a Council able to offer to young carers, and how are they identified?

 

Answer

 

The City Council has a contract with Southampton Voluntary Services for the delivery of support services to children and young people aged 8 - 18 yrs who are caring for one or more family members, i.e. a sibling, parent or grandparent.  The project provides these young carers with personal support and respite opportunities delivered through one to one support at school and home, meetings in small groups and recreational activities.  Children are primarily referred to the service, by schools or as a self (parent) referral.

 

For 2013/14 the contract value was reduced from £89,000 to £71,200 as part of broader savings requirements.  A process is currently underway to re-commission the service in an integrated commissioning arrangement with Adult Services and Health.  This alignment is reflected in a new Commissioning Carers Framework which is being drafted. 

Some of the positive outcomes of this new integrated commissioning approach are:

·  The pooled funding for the new arrangement commencing April 2014 will increase funding to £91,200 per annum.

·  The number of children supported each year will increase from 160 to 200.

·  The stronger integration with adult and health services will encourage more professionals working with families to refer children into the service.

 

Young Carers are currently identified and referred into support services through a range of sources according to those that best know them in identifying their responsibilities as a young carer. There is no wider blanket mechanism for identifying young carers without referral by a professional. It is anticipated that the latest commissioning process will improve overall identification through whole family assessments.

In 2012/13 78 of the 193 children and young people supported by SVS were new referrals. New referrals came from a range of agencies which had identified these needs, as set out below:

 

·  41 schools

·  9 Social Services (Adult and Children’s)

·  5 Jigsaw

·  6 Brookvale / mental health services

·  3 Parents

·  5 Prevention and Inclusion team

·  2 Family Support worker

·  7 Others

 

 

11. Cobbett Road Library
    
    Question from Councillor Baillie to Councillor Tucker.

 

Would you agree that Cobbett Road Library is an excellent example of a community library? and would you confirm that its future will be at least as bright as the two new libraries in Woolston.

 

Answer

 

All of our libraries are valuable community assets, and Cobbett Road library is no exception. The Friends of Cobbett Road Library play a vital role in making the most of an excellent community resource.

The future of all Libraries in the City will be considered in the Review announced in the recent budget papers. The Review will seek to draw best practice within the city and assess how the city's library service compares to other authorities which have had, and are currently having, to redesign their service because of unprecedented cuts from central government

 

12. Letting of Council Homes
    
    Question from Councillor Baillie and Councillor Payne.
    
    Since April 2013, what % of council homes have been let to people who have lived in Southampton for at least the preceding three years?
    
    Answer

 

We do not currently record the length of residency in the city at the point of a council letting. However, data recorded for LACORE purposes show that of the 707 council homes let since April this year, 1.7% went to applicants not living in the city and the majority of those were people moving into older persons’ accommodation.

 

13.  Local Alcohol Action Area Project

 

Councillor Vinson to Councillor Shields

 

Will the Executive be applying to the Home Office to take part in its Local Alcohol Action Area project?

 

Answer

 

Following consultation with our partners, which included the police, it was decided not to apply to be a Local Alcohol Action Area.  The City has already adopted a lot of what is now recognised as best practice, as indicated by our success in achieving the Baker Tilly Award for work on the Night Time Economy two years ago.  Our programme of work on alcohol is comprehensive, new services are in place, and will be consolidated and improved through the current re-tendering exercise.  Areas selected for this intiative will receive advice, support and access to mentoring, but no additional  financial resources are provided.  We are by no means complacent about our progress locally, and recognise that alcohol is a societal problem that will be with us for a very long time.  We will continue to keep ourselves informed of best practice and new learning, and adapt and improve what we are doing locally, making the best possible use of our combined resources.

 

14.  Cycling on Pavements and Parking on Double Yellow Lines

 

Councillor Vinson to Councillor Rayment

 

What actions have been taken in fulfilment of the Motion adopted by Council in March 2013 regarding cycling on pavements and parking on double yellow lines, what impact have these measures had, and how has this been measured?

 

Answer

 

Since the council motion on this issue we have raised antisocial cycling behaviour with the police. They have made this a Community Priority in Shirley and it has led to officers issuing fixed penalty notices to cyclists who have illegally cycled on footways. Other areas of the City have been targeted by the Police in previous years. This issue is however likely to persist because the police can not always be there.

 

The Council’s Civil Enforcement Officers can issue Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) where drivers park on double yellow lines. We are able to respond to requests to attend within resources available on any individual day. The police involvement in parking offences is restricted to a few instances where we are unable to issue a PCN, and we work closely with the Police in these instances

 

We have carried out many joint working operations with the police in the last year including outside schools, Newtown Nicholstown area, Shirley High Street, Woolston and International Way. Many of these initiatives are in response to residents concerns and have lead to the issue of many tickets for inconsiderate and illegal parking.

 

15. Parking in Shirley Road

 

Councillor Moulton to Councillor Rayment

 

Given the considerable problem of cars being parked on and crossing the pavement on Shirley Road, will the Cabinet Member ensure that the Council and Police work together to ensure enforcement is carried out, the legal position is communicated to businesses along Shirley Rd and that a campaign of communication is carried out?

 

Answer

 

The problem of pavement parking on Shirley Road is complicated because some businesses own a narrow strip of pavement immediately outside their property. Therefore vehicles can be parked legally on this private land and cannot be issued a parking ticket, even though they have driven over the public footway to get there.

We are able to issue parking tickets to motorists who park on the footway outside of these private areas, where there are yellow lines that prevent parking, as waiting restrictions apply to the pavement as well as the carriageway.

 

There is no general restriction on parking on the pavement, and it is difficult to prove the case of obstruction if there is enough width remaining to get past easily.

 

However, recent changes to the Traffic Signs Manual now provide the opportunity to ban footway parking on individual streets using a new Traffic Sign and Traffic Order, and I have instructed that Shirley Road be investigated for such measures.

 

The Police involvement in parking enforcement is minimal although officers will ensure that they are fully consulted over any proposals.

 

16.  Financial Adjustments Relating to Residents’ Parking

 

Councillor Moulton to Councillor Barnes-Andrews

 

What financial adjustments are proposed to the 14/15 General Fund budget with respect to residents' parking charges and night time city centre parking charges, compared with figures in the 13/14 budget?

 

Answer

 

The position with night time city centre parking charges was set out in the Cabinet report on 16th July. There was an anticipated shortfall in the current year of £230,000, based on an October implementation, to be managed within the overall bottom line as set out in the report. As implementation is now due in early January, the shortfall that needs to be managed is currently forecast at £280,000. For 2014/15, the forecast gap of £1.4M set out in the Executive’s draft budget report includes the anticipated shortfall for 2014/15 of £300,000 for evening parking charges.

 

For residents’ permits, the principle of a charge for first resident permits was agreed by Cabinet on 16th July, and for 2014/15 the anticipated income is estimated to be in line with the savings proposal of £130,000 agreed in the 2013/14 budget. As implementation is now due in early December, there will be an in year shortfall in 2013/14 of circa £77,000, and this is being managed within the Council’s overall bottom line.

 

17.  City Patrol

 

Councillor Moulton to Councillor Rayment

 

What work has been carried out by the City Patrol service over the past two years. Can the Cabinet Member please break down the work they do and the volumes associated with each activity?

 

Answer

 

City Patrol deal with a range of environmental crimes, including littering; fly tipping; bins on pavements; distribution of handbills; dog fouling; fly posting; graffiti; stray dogs; repair and sale of vehicles on the highway; removal of abandoned vehicles.

 

The City Patrol database records complaints which are investigated. Some complaints are resolved without investigation, so are not recorded on the database.

 

The database breaks down activities as follows:

·  General cases (which includes littering, bins on pavements, distribution of handbills  dog fouling, fly posting, graffiti; and repair or sale of vehicles on the highway);

·  Fly tipping and;

·  Abandoned Vehicles.

The volume of work carried out by City Patrol against these activities is as follows:

·  From 1 April 2011 to 31 March 2012

·  914 general cases

·  282 cases of fly tipping and

·  453 abandoned vehicles.

 

From 1 April 2012 to 31 March 2013

·  1,068 general cases

·  504 cases of fly tipping and

·  370 abandoned vehicles.

 

18. Introductory Period for Council Tenancies

 

Councillor Baillie to Councillor Payne

 

Taking new SCC tenancies from April 2012, what % of tenants have failed the one year introductory period?

 

Answer

 

In the financial year April 2012 to April 2013 six Council Tenants were evicted for failing to manage their introductory tenancy which equates to 0.8% of all introductory tenancies in that period. Five of these were for rent arrears and one was for antisocial behaviour.

For both rent arrears and anti social behaviour our emphasis is always on early intervention, and eviction is the last resort which helps keep the numbers low.

 

With antisocial behaviour we continue to work with partner agencies such as the New Forest Assessment Centre to support families where needed.

 

For rent arrears we provide a number of solutions for tenants who may be struggling such as budgeting advice, help claiming benefits, and agreeing sustainable repayment plans. We anticipate seeing similar volumes this financial year.

 

For secure tenancies last year, two families were evicted for ASB and there were fifty evictions (virtually all single people) for rent arrears. These figures are both low given the size of our housing stock.

 

19.  Affordable Rent

 

Councillor Baillie to Councillor Payne

 

How will you ensure that SCC tenants in new build properties who pay Affordable Rent pay the same rent for the same property?

 

Answer

 

The national policy for delivering new social housing is for affordable rents to be charged. It is also stipulated that affordable rents are based on up to 80% market rent set at the time of completion of the new home.

 

New build properties of the same size, in the same location, completed at the same time will have the same rent. Within a large development completed over a significant number of years, tenants could be paying different rents for the same size property, depending on how the rental market varies during the intervening period.

 

20.  Speed Limit in Malmesbury Rd

 

Councillor Moulton to Councillor Rayment

 

In light of the overwhelming demand for a 20mph speed limit in Malmesbury Rd, will the Cabinet Member introduce this as an urgent priority?

 

Answer

 

No.

 

We are acutely aware of the many demands for 20mph schemes but there is limited evidence to suggest they will be effective in Southampton or based on the location of road casualties and incidents that one area should be treated differently to another.

 

As a result Southampton City Council will be building its evidence base on this issue by piloting the introducing a new 20 mph speed limit in the Maybush area in the west of the city. The pilot, which will be specifically within the Lower Brownhill Road, Green Lane and Wimpson Road areas commenced on 18 November.  The pilot will help determine if such schemes produce real benefits either in road safety, modal shift or the quality of life for our residents.

 

Once the pilot has run its course we will use evidence gathered to inform the Council’s policy.  The pilot will conclude in Summer of 2014.

In the meantime the Council and Police operate a “community speedwatch” scheme.  Any areas interested in investigating this option should contact the Council’s Road Safety Officer in the first instance.  This does require that those wishing to take part are prepared to volunteer to assist in speed monitoring and enforcement activities.

 

21. Tudor House Museum

 

Councillor Daunt to Councillor Tucker

 

Can the Cabinet Member please explain the logic behind cutting the opening hours for and therefore the public access to the Tudor House Museum given that Southampton City Council has, in recent years, spent several million pounds renovating this site of significant historical interest

 

Answer

 

The decision to reduce the opening hours at Tudor House has not been made lightly. However, because central government has cut crucial funding to the Council, all services are required to contribute to meeting the budget deficit that the Council faces. Regrettably, this includes museums and a reduction in opening hours will reduce the operating costs of Tudor House.

 

It is common practice across the Cultural Sector for museums to be closed on Mondays. Weekends provide the greatest footfall and income generation, and so remaining open on these days reflects customer preference. Closing at 3.00pm on the weekdays enables School and group visits to take place with minimal interruption to normal patterns of use.

 

The changes in opening hours will not remove the opportunity to visit the Museum for the majority of visitors, and subsequently we do not anticipate that any reduction in visitor numbers will reflect the loss of opening hours.

 

22.  Fix Penalty Notices

 

What powers do the Council have for taking enforcement action / issuing Fix Penalty Notices to people who spit in the street?

 

Answer

 

The Environmental Protection Act 1990 provides the local authority with the power to take action against a person depositing ‘litter’ in a public place. The definition of ‘litter’ may be extended to include spit, so creating an offence where a person spits in a public place.

 

The local authority can prosecute a person who deposits litter in a public place; or alternatively may issue a fixed penalty notice (currently £75).