To approve as a correct record the Minutes of the Annual Meeting of the Council held on 24 May 2023, for signature by the Mayor as Chair of the Council.

That the Minutes of the Annual Meeting of the Council held on 24 May 2023, be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

To receive any announcements from the Mayor, Leader of the Council, Members of the Executive, Chairs of Scrutiny Committees and the Head of Paid Service.

(a)       Scrutiny Committee

Councillor Acton, Chair of the Committee reported that an Extraordinary Meeting of Scrutiny Committee was held on 10 July 2023 to discuss the Greater Manchester Fire Service’s plans regarding cover at Sale Fire Station with the Greater Manchester Fire Chief and Fire Union representatives. Members then met to formulate their views and decided as a Committee, unanimously across party lines, to reject the proposals as it was strongly felt that the plans presented to them would increase the risk to the people of Sale and the surrounding area.

(b)       Health Scrutiny Committee

Councillor Butt, Chair of the Committee anticipated that he would report to the next meeting following the Committee’s first meeting of the Municipal Year.

(c)        Children and Young People’s Scrutiny Committee

Councillor Western, Chair of the Committee reported that the Task and Finish Group had completed its work on Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services and a report would be presented to the Committee’s first meeting of the Municipal Year.

This is an opportunity for Members of Council to ask the Mayor, Members of the Executive or the Chairs of any Committee or Sub-Committee a question on notice under Procedure Rule 10.2.

The Mayor reported that 4 questions had been received under Procedure Rule 10.2 and, on the basis that each question and response had been circulated, advised that these would be taken as read and that the meeting would proceed with the supplementary questions. (Note: The questions and responses are available to view on the Council’s website.)

(a)    Question 1 from Councillor Eckersley re: performance monitoring of the electric vehicle charging services contract

Councillor Eckersley asked as a supplementary question whether the Council had provisions in place around maintaining accessible service level standards for customer service, particularly performance of the electronic App provided by Be Ev for residents to interact with them as the service provider. In response, Councillor Williams, Executive Member for Climate Change pointed out that Be Ev did not only operate in Trafford so it would be difficult to comment on anonymous feedback, however, if Cllr Eckersley could provide him with a link to the comments in question, he would be happy to discuss those with officers and provide a written response.

(b)    Question 2 from Councillor Holden re: annual weed spraying

Asking a supplementary question Councillor Holden referred to the wildflowers that were prominent along the gutters and kerb stones in his ward and queried whether it was indication of neglect. In response, Councillor Adshead, Executive Member for Environmental Services asked Councillor Holden to inform him of his specific concerns and he would ensure they were passed to the relevant officers.

(c)    Question 3 from Councillor Holden re: Number of Secondary School Appeals in respect of those not offered place of their choice.

As a supplementary question, Councillor Holden asked, given the distance of the school from his Ward, if there were plans to avoid the regular use of Broadoak School for children in the Manor Ward or whether some enhancement to transport facilities was available.

In the absence of Councillor K. Carter, Councillor Ross, the Leader of the Council replied that the Executive and officers would come back with some information on the work with local secondary schools in the Sale area to look at adequate school placements.

(d)    Question 4 from Councillor Holden re: the quality of road surfacing works

As a supplementary question, Councillor Holden asked for reassurance from officials and elected representatives that some interest would be shown in the delivery of the quality needed for this work. Councillor Adshead, the Executive Member for Environmental Services advised that all such works were guaranteed for twelve months with inspections being undertaken and asked if Councillor Holden could inform him of specific locations where works were unsatisfactory. The Executive Member commented also that government funding for highway repairs had been slashed with a result that the Council had to prioritise principal routes and meaning most side roads received surface dressing repair works.

To note that Councillor Holden was appointed to replace Councillor Whetton as a Member and Vice-Chair of Scrutiny Committee, with effect from 28 May 2023.

The Council was requested to note that Councillor Holden was appointed to replace Councillor Whetton as a Member and Vice-Chair of Scrutiny Committee, with effect from 28 May 2023.

The Mayor, also took the opportunity to inform the Council of the following changes within the Green Party Group, which were to be effective from 25 July 2023:

Councillor Jerrome was to step down as Group Leader and Councillor Welton would replace him and as a consequence, they would swop Committee positions with Councillor Welton being the Group’s Member on Accounts and Audit Committee and Councillor Jerrome the member on Planning Development and Control Committee.

RESOLVED: That the above changes notified to Council, be noted.

To consider a report of the Director of Legal and Governance and Monitoring Officer.

The Director of Legal and Governance and Monitoring Officer submitted a report proposing new governance arrangements to enable a more coordinated and integrated approach to transport governance across the Greater Manchester region.

RESOLVED –

(1)    That the Council agrees to the establishment of a new joint transport committee (the Bee Network Committee) of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), the Mayor and the ten Greater Manchester constituent councils.

(2)    That the Council agrees to the appointment of members to the Bee Network Committee in line with Appendix 1 to the report, namely, 1 member, preferably the lead member with responsibility for transport and 1 substitute member and re-confirms to the appointments made at the Annual Meeting of Council on 24 May 2023 of Councillor Williams to the Bee Network Committee and Council Adshead as substitute.

(3)    That the Terms of Reference of the Bee Network Committee, as set out in Appendix 2 to the report, be approved.

(4)    That the Council notes the delegation of the functions of the GMCA, as set out in the Terms of Reference to the Bee Network Committee and also notes the delegation of Mayoral functions, as set out in the Terms of Reference, included at Appendix 2 to the report.

(5)    That the delegation of the functions of the Local Authority Constituent Councils, as set out in the terms of Reference, attached at Appendix 2 to the report, be approved (which for the avoidance of doubt are the same delegations given to the former Transport Committee).

(6)    That the Rules of Procedure for the Bee Network Committee, as set out in Appendix 3 to the report, be approved.

To note a report of the 2022/23 Chair and Vice-Chair of the Accounts and Audit Committee which was referred from the Accounts and Audit Committee meeting held on 21 June 2023.

The Chair and Vice-Chair of the Accounts and Audit Committee submitted to the Council a report setting out the Committee’s Annual Report for 2022/23. The Annual Report which had been presented to the Accounts and Audit Committee on 21 June 2023 summarised the work undertaken by the Committee during the year and its impact and also provided assurance to the Council on the fulfilment of the Committee’s responsibilities.

RESOLVED: That the report be noted.

To note a report of the Deputy Leader of the Council and Executive Member for Leisure, Arts, Culture & Heritage.

The Council received a report of the Deputy Leader of the Council and Executive Member for Leisure, Arts, Culture and Heritage providing information on council wide health and safety performance and delivery. The report also provided a summary of other key developments in relation to health, safety and wellbeing for the period 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023.

Speaking to the report, the Leader of the Council placed on record the Council’s congratulations to Richard Fontana, Strategic HR lead for Health and Safety who won the People Professional of the Year award at the recent Greater Manchester Health and Care Champion awards, which recognised those working hard to improve the health and wellbeing of the region’s communities.

RESOLVED: That the report be noted.

To consider, by reason of special circumstances (to be specified), the following reports of the Executive Member for Economy and Regeneration, which the Chair of the meeting is of the opinion should be considered at this meeting as a matter of urgency:

The Executive Member for Economy and Regeneration submitted a report on the strategic proposal to expand the current STAR Shared Procurement service (“STAR”) from four partner councils to six partner councils. The report outlined the rationale for STAR’s growth strategy and provided details of proposed commercial arrangements, governance arrangements and implementation strategies.

(Note: The Mayor, allowed this matter as an urgent item of business to enable the Council to consider a report concerning the Council’s STAR Procurement Collaboration. The Council also received a supplementary report confirming the identity of potential partners, which had been classified as not for publication since it was currently commercially sensitive information. This report was considered by the meeting without the need to exclude the press and public.)

RESOLVED:

(1)       That the disestablishment of the current STAR Joint Committee, be approved.

(2)       That the Council approves the expansion of the current shared procurement service to include the Fifth Partner and Sixth Partner which will continue to be hosted by Trafford Borough Council in accordance with the provisions detailed in the main body of the report.

(3)       That approval be given to the establishment of a new STAR Joint Committee for Stockport, Trafford, Rochdale, Tameside, the Fifth Partner and Sixth Partner, that will support the delivery of the Shared Service and provide delegated authority to the Procurement Service to operate across the Stockport, Trafford, Rochdale, Tameside, Fifth Partner and Sixth Partner areas.

(4)       That the governance arrangements and Terms of Reference of the new STAR Joint Committee, as set out in the report, be approved.

(5)       That authority be delegated to the Director of Legal and Governance to agree the final terms and conditions of and to enter into an Inter Authority Agreement (“IAA”) in respect of the STAR Procurement shared service in similar terms to the existing IAA.

(6)       That the Council notes and approves the proposed approach to those circumstances whereby staff would transfer to the new procurement service, and therefore to Trafford Council under TUPE, as outlined in the report.

-         Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) is proposing to move Sale fire station from a wholetime model to a day crewing model, which means that crews would provide an immediate response during station hours (8.30am to 6pm) and up to a four-minute delayed response during on-call hours (6pm to 8.30am).

-         GMFRS claims that this proposal would save £340,000 per year and allow them to invest in other priority areas.

-         Sale fire station has low incident levels, with the third-lowest number of night-time life risk incidents and the third-lowest total incidents at night-time in the last three years.

-         However, Sale fire station is strategically placed to cover a central area of the Trafford borough and extending to Urmston, Flixton and Partington.

-         Sale fire station also serves as a backup for other fire stations in Trafford and neighbouring boroughs in case of emergencies or major incidents.

-         The average response time in Sale would increase by 1 minute 10 seconds (from 7 minutes 45 seconds to 8 minutes 55 seconds) and the overall response time across Trafford borough would increase by 20 seconds (from 7 minutes 43 seconds to 8 minutes 3 seconds) if the proposal is implemented.

-         The ongoing changes to highways to reduce speed limits and accommodate cyclists will add to response times which have not been factored in.

-         These increased response times could have serious consequences for public safety, especially for vulnerable groups such as elderly people, children, people with disabilities, or people living in high-rise buildings.

We believe:

-         The proposal to move Sale fire station to a day crewing model is a biased preferred option consultation, that has failed to take into consideration the residents of Partington. Conservatives see this as unacceptable. Basing the proposal on data from the past three Covid years is incomparable with any other years.

-         The proposal offers little or no data on the assumption of being able to attend the station from the fire fighters’ home within 4 minutes or how this will be monitored.

-         The consultation does not do enough ensure those most affected have their say, Sale’s residents and businesses deserve better.

-         The proposal flies in the face of the promise made by Greater Manchester Mayor, Andy Burnham to avoid cuts to frontline services in Greater Manchester despite raising the precept tax on residents.

Resolve:

-         We the Conservative group of Trafford Council, therefore, ask the Labour administration to write to the Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham to uphold his commitment not to cut services and leave residents of Sale at risk from delays to response times, making it clear we reject in full GMFRS’s proposal to move Sale fire station to a day crewing model.

(Note: The Council did not consent to a proposed alteration of the Motion of which Councillor Butt had given notice to amend the first line of the proposed resolution to read “The Council resolves to write …”

It was moved and seconded that:

“-      Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) is proposing to move Sale fire station from a wholetime model to a day crewing model, which means that crews would provide an immediate response during station hours (8.30am to 6pm) and up to a four-minute delayed response during on-call hours (6pm to 8.30am).

-            GMFRS claims that this proposal would save £340,000 per year and allow them to invest in other priority areas.

-            Sale fire station has low incident levels, with the third-lowest number of night-time life risk incidents and the third-lowest total incidents at night-time in the last three years.

-            However, Sale fire station is strategically placed to cover a central area of the Trafford borough and extending to Urmston, Flixton and Partington.

-            Sale fire station also serves as a backup for other fire stations in Trafford and neighbouring boroughs in case of emergencies or major incidents.

-            The average response time in Sale would increase by 1 minute 10 seconds (from 7 minutes 45 seconds to 8 minutes 55 seconds) and the overall response time across Trafford borough would increase by 20 seconds (from 7 minutes 43 seconds to 8 minutes 3 seconds) if the proposal is implemented.

-            The ongoing changes to highways to reduce speed limits and accommodate cyclists will add to response times which have not been factored in.

-            These increased response times could have serious consequences for public safety, especially for vulnerable groups such as elderly people, children, people with disabilities, or people living in high-rise buildings.

We believe:

-         The proposal to move Sale fire station to a day crewing model is a biased preferred option consultation, that has failed to take into consideration the residents of Partington. Conservatives see this as unacceptable. Basing the proposal on data from the past three Covid years is incomparable with any other years.

-         The proposal offers little or no data on the assumption of being able to attend the station from the fire fighters’ home within 4 minutes or how this will be monitored.

-         The consultation does not do enough ensure those most affected have their say, Sale’s residents and businesses deserve better.

-         The proposal flies in the face of the promise made by Greater Manchester Mayor, Andy Burnham to avoid cuts to frontline services in Greater Manchester despite raising the precept tax on residents.

Resolve:

-         We the Conservative group of Trafford Council, therefore, ask the Labour administration to write to the Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham to uphold his commitment not to cut services and leave residents of Sale at risk from delays to response times, making it clear we reject in full GMFRS’s proposal to move Sale fire station to a day crewing  ...  view the full minutes text for item 25.

This Council notes that:

The 2023 local elections were the first to be held under the regulations imposed by the Elections Act 2022, which required electors to present Photo ID when voting in person.

Many Elected Members experienced upset, angry and frustrated voters who were unable to cast a vote on Polling Day because they could not locate the right Photo ID, or because the ID they had was invalid.

The Government originally claimed Voter ID Certificates would minimize any negative impact on turnout which the introduction of Voter ID might have.

In April, the Prime Minister said: "our elections should have some form of identification so that we can make sure they are high-integrity processes."

However, this Council further notes:

In May, the Conservative ex-Business Secretary, Jacob Rees-Mogg said: "Parties that try and gerrymander end up finding their clever scheme comes back to bite them, as, dare I say, we found by insisting on voter ID for elections".

Across England, the place with the highest rate of voters being turned away was Knowsley, the third-most deprived area in England.

Meanwhile South Oxfordshire, with very low indices of multiple deprivation saw the lowest rate for voters being turned away.

The Government’s own research identified that 2 million people, eligible to vote in England, Scotland and Wales, do not have permissible forms of Photo ID. Yet just prior to the 2023 Local Elections, the number of voters without ID who had successfully obtained a Voter ID Certificate was just 4%.

This Council recognizes that:

The current Government's intention was not to secure the integrity of in-person voting, but was instead an attempt to tilt the system in their party's favour.

The data from organisations like Democracy Volunteers reveals women were disproportionately affected, in part because women are more likely to have changed their name as a result of marital status, and thus not have ID that matches the Electoral Roll. This drives up inequality in access to voting.

The data from across England confirms that the more deprived areas were more negatively affected by being unable to vote, also driving an inequality in access to voting.

It is likely that the national picture is replicated in Trafford, with more deprived areas more negatively affected by being unable to vote.

Given that one of the three aims in the Council's 'Corporate Plan' is tackling inequalities arising from poverty, the unequal access to voting between affluent and deprived areas of the borough needs to be tackled.

This Council, therefore, resolves to:

Be transparent about the difference in voters turned away in more deprived areas, compared to more affluent parts of the Borough, by publishing the number of voters turned away for not having the right Photo ID in each individual Polling District for the elections held in 2023 and for future elections held in Trafford.

It was moved and seconded that:

“This Council notes that:

The 2023 local elections were the first to be held under the regulations imposed by the Elections Act 2022, which required electors to present Photo ID when voting in person.

Many Elected Members experienced upset, angry and frustrated voters who were unable to cast a vote on Polling Day because they could not locate the right Photo ID, or because the ID they had was invalid.

The Government originally claimed Voter ID Certificates would minimize any negative impact on turnout which the introduction of Voter ID might have.

In April, the Prime Minister said: "our elections should have some form of identification so that we can make sure they are high-integrity processes."

However, this Council further notes:

In May, the Conservative ex-Business Secretary, Jacob Rees-Mogg said: "Parties that try and gerrymander end up finding their clever scheme comes back to bite them, as, dare I say, we found by insisting on voter ID for elections".

Across England, the place with the highest rate of voters being turned away was Knowsley, the third-most deprived area in England.

Meanwhile South Oxfordshire, with very low indices of multiple deprivation saw the lowest rate for voters being turned away.

The Government’s own research identified that 2 million people, eligible to vote in England, Scotland and Wales, do not have permissible forms of Photo ID. Yet just prior to the 2023 Local Elections, the number of voters without ID who had successfully obtained a Voter ID Certificate was just 4%.

This Council recognizes that:

The current Government's intention was not to secure the integrity of in-person voting, but was instead an attempt to tilt the system in their party's favour.

The data from organisations like Democracy Volunteers reveals women were disproportionately affected, in part because women are more likely to have changed their name as a result of marital status, and thus not have ID that matches the Electoral Roll. This drives up inequality in access to voting.

The data from across England confirms that the more deprived areas were more negatively affected by being unable to vote, also driving an inequality in access to voting.

It is likely that the national picture is replicated in Trafford, with more deprived areas more negatively affected by being unable to vote.

Given that one of the three aims in the Council's 'Corporate Plan' is tackling inequalities arising from poverty, the unequal access to voting between affluent and deprived areas of the borough needs to be tackled.

This Council, therefore, resolves to:

Be transparent about the difference in voters turned away in more deprived areas, compared to more affluent parts of the Borough, by publishing the number of voters turned away for not having the right Photo ID in each individual Polling District for the elections held in 2023 and for future elections held in Trafford.”

It was moved and seconded as an amendment that:

This Council notes that:

The 2023 local elections were  ...  view the full minutes text for item 26.

As a council, we must lead from the front to ensure our residents benefit from safe and secure housing. As such, this Council must ensure that housing stock is maintained to the highest quality. This is especially the case for socially rented properties. Many housing association properties in Trafford are affected by damp and mould. Poor living conditions are a major risk to the health and wellbeing of some of the most vulnerable people in society, especially children and the health impacts, both physical and mental, of living with damp and mould can be devastating.

Therefore, this Council acknowledges:

-         The tragic death of the two-year old Awaab Ishak as a result of chronic exposure to mould within his family’s one-bedroom flat in Rochdale.

-         The failure of Rochdale Boroughwide Housing to maintain the property and fix the mould issue that led to Awaab’s death.

-         That there is no room for complacency. Without serious action to tackle damp and mould, a tragic case like this could happen in Trafford.

-         The subsequent letter written by the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to council leaders and social housing providers stating that damp and mould complaints must be handled “with sufficient seriousness”.

-         The creation of, and subsequent transfer of housing stock to, Housing Associations does not render local authorities powerless to improve the lives of tenants.

-         That under the Housing Act 2004, Trafford has a legal duty to review housing conditions in their district, identify actions required to remedy ‘category 1 hazards’ and then - to quote legislation - “they must take the appropriate enforcement action in relation to the hazard”.

-         That under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, mould is designated as a ‘category 1 hazard’, meaning that local authorities can serve hazard awareness and improvement notices and can also take other emergency action, where housing associations are falling short.  

Therefore, this Council resolves to ask all housing associations with properties in Trafford to:

-         Ensure they prioritise damp and mould complaints and resolve them without delay.

-         Identify and prioritise vulnerable tenants dealing with damp and mould issues - particularly the very young, the very old and those with chronic lung conditions.

-         Prioritise these vulnerable tenants by actioning repairs to areas of their homes that can prevent damp and mould. For example, clearing guttering, sealing windows, replacing faulty extraction fans in bathrooms and kitchens as well as providing cavity wall insulation.

-         Conduct a full damp and mould survey of properties in Trafford and provide an action plan for reparatory works.

-         Provide tenants with actionable guidance for preventing damp and mould, beyond advice to simply ‘wipe it off’. This work should be amplified by the council’s communications team.

-         Provide specific training to call handlers on how to advise tenants telephoning or emailing about their damp and mould problems.

-         Inform all tenants on the process for raising and tracking a damp or mould complaint.

-         Ensure all councillors are given  ...  view the full agenda text for item 27.

It was moved and seconded that:

“As a council, we must lead from the front to ensure our residents benefit from safe and secure housing. As such, this Council must ensure that housing stock is maintained to the highest quality. This is especially the case for socially rented properties. Many housing association properties in Trafford are affected by damp and mould. Poor living conditions are a major risk to the health and wellbeing of some of the most vulnerable people in society, especially children and the health impacts, both physical and mental, of living with damp and mould can be devastating.

Therefore, this Council acknowledges:

-         The tragic death of the two-year old Awaab Ishak as a result of chronic exposure to mould within his family’s one-bedroom flat in Rochdale.

-         The failure of Rochdale Boroughwide Housing to maintain the property and fix the mould issue that led to Awaab’s death.

-         That there is no room for complacency. Without serious action to tackle damp and mould, a tragic case like this could happen in Trafford.

-         The subsequent letter written by the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to council leaders and social housing providers stating that damp and mould complaints must be handled “with sufficient seriousness”.

-         The creation of, and subsequent transfer of housing stock to, Housing Associations does not render local authorities powerless to improve the lives of tenants.

-         That under the Housing Act 2004, Trafford has a legal duty to review housing conditions in their district, identify actions required to remedy ‘category 1 hazards’ and then - to quote legislation - “they must take the appropriate enforcement action in relation to the hazard”.

-         That under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, mould is designated as a ‘category 1 hazard’, meaning that local authorities can serve hazard awareness and improvement notices and can also take other emergency action, where housing associations are falling short.

Therefore, this Council resolves to ask all housing associations with properties in Trafford to:

-         Ensure they prioritise damp and mould complaints and resolve them without delay.

-         Identify and prioritise vulnerable tenants dealing with damp and mould issues - particularly the very young, the very old and those with chronic lung conditions.

-         Prioritise these vulnerable tenants by actioning repairs to areas of their homes that can prevent damp and mould. For example, clearing guttering, sealing windows, replacing faulty extraction fans in bathrooms and kitchens as well as providing cavity wall insulation.

-         Conduct a full damp and mould survey of properties in Trafford and provide an action plan for reparatory works.

-         Provide tenants with actionable guidance for preventing damp and mould, beyond advice to simply ‘wipe it off’. This work should be amplified by the council’s communications team.

-         Provide specific training to call handlers on how to advise tenants telephoning or emailing about their damp and mould problems.

-         Inform all tenants on the process for raising and tracking a damp or  ...  view the full minutes text for item 27.

This Council notes that:

-         There are an estimated 4.86 million leasehold dwellings in England. This equates to 20% of the English housing stock. There are around 235,000 leasehold properties in Wales. This equates to 16% of all properties in Wales.

-         There can be significant problems with leasehold including escalating ground rents, expensive service charges, the cost of getting consents, that a lease is a wasting asset, and lack of control over the management of the building.

-         First introduced in England and Wales in 2002, commonhold is an alternative to leasehold ownership of flats, and other properties that share communal areas or services. Commonhold is the norm in many other countries.

-         Fewer than 20 commonhold developments have been established since the commonhold legislation came into force. Flats in England and Wales continue to be owned almost universally on a leasehold basis.

This Council believes that:

-         Leaseholders have been let down by the Government which promised in its 2019 manifesto to ban the sale of new leasehold homes, and by the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Communities and Housing who called leasehold a “feudal” system and promised to abolish it.

-         Commonhold is a better system, in need of rejuvenation. Government needs to enact the Law Commission’s recommendations on enfranchisement of leasehold, reinvigorating commonhold and the right to manage.

This Councils resolves:

-             To write to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Communities and Housing requesting that the Government fulfils its pledge to end the sale of leasehold for new properties and implement the recommendation of the Law Commission in relation to leaseholder enfranchisement, reinvigorating commonhold and the right to manage.

-             To seek to promote commonhold in new developments where possible.

(Note: The Council signified its consent to an alteration of the Motion of which Councillor Harding had given notice to include a proposed amendment from the Conservative Group.”

It was moved and seconded that:

“This Council notes that:

-         There are an estimated 4.86 million leasehold dwellings in England. This equates to 20% of the English housing stock. There are around 235,000 leasehold properties in Wales. This equates to 16% of all properties in Wales.

-         There can be significant problems with leasehold including escalating ground rents, expensive service charges, the cost of getting consents, that a lease is a wasting asset, and lack of control over the management of the building.

-         First introduced in England and Wales in 2002, commonhold is an alternative to leasehold ownership of flats, and other properties that share communal areas or services. Commonhold is the norm in many other countries.

-         Fewer than 20 commonhold developments have been established since the commonhold legislation came into force. Flats in England and Wales continue to be owned almost universally on a leasehold basis.

This Council believes that:

-         The Government which promised in its 2019 manifesto to ban the sale of new leasehold homes should urgently deliver on this commitment. The Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Communities and Housing who called leasehold a “feudal” system and promised to abolish it should act on his promise.

-         Commonhold is a better system, in need of rejuvenation. Government needs to enact the Law Commission’s recommendations on enfranchisement of leasehold, reinvigorating commonhold and the right to manage.

This Councils resolves:

-         To write to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Communities and Housing requesting that the Government fulfils its pledge to end the sale of leasehold for new properties and implement the recommendation of the Law Commission in relation to leaseholder enfranchisement, reinvigorating commonhold and the right to manage.

-         To seek to promote commonhold in new developments where possible.”

Following speeches in support, the Motion was carried unanimously.

RESOLVED: That this Council notes that:

-         There are an estimated 4.86 million leasehold dwellings in England. This equates to 20% of the English housing stock. There are around 235,000 leasehold properties in Wales. This equates to 16% of all properties in Wales.

-         There can be significant problems with leasehold including escalating ground rents, expensive service charges, the cost of getting consents, that a lease is a wasting asset, and lack of control over the management of the building.

-         First introduced in England and Wales in 2002, commonhold is an alternative to leasehold ownership of flats, and other properties that share communal areas or services. Commonhold is the norm in many other countries.

-         Fewer than 20 commonhold developments have been established since the commonhold legislation came into force. Flats in England and Wales continue to be owned almost universally on a leasehold basis.

This Council believes that:

-         The Government which promised in its 2019 manifesto to ban the sale of new  ...  view the full minutes text for item 28.

In 2011 the Environment Agency reported that our rivers were cleaner than at any time since the Industrial Revolution.

In March this year the same agency noted that there were more than 300,000 raw sewage discharges into rivers and coastal areas in 2022, lasting for more than 1.75 million hours.

In the same period our local water company, ‘United Utilities’, was responsible for 69,245 of those sewage discharges lasting for 425,491 hours.

In Trafford alone raw sewage was discharged into our waterways 1,912 times lasting for 9,295 hours.

These 9,295 hours of raw sewage went into the waterways alongside which we Trafford residents walk, cycle and ride and in which our families go boating, fishing and paddling.

Raw sewage in open waters has been shown to increase the risk of diseases such as hepatitis and Weil’s disease.

The deterioration in the quality of our water is so apparent that it is evidenced not only by Environment Agency data but by the observations of Trafford residents who have noted the rise in unpleasant odours and visible pollution in the water.

The sewage discharge data, provided by the water companies themselves, demonstrates that not a single discharge in 2022 resulted from exceptional circumstances - rainfall or storms – but due to a lack of treatment and investment by the same water companies.

Yet since 1989, they have paid out £72 billion in dividends to shareholders and bonuses of millions of pounds to executives while accruing industry wide debts of £60 billion and inflicting a 40% real terms price increase on ordinary people. So much value has been extracted from the sector that one of the largest companies is currently failing under its huge level of debt and there are forecasts of future huge price rises across the country, including Trafford, to make up for decades of lack of investment.

This situation is unfair and unsustainable – ordinary people are paying ever higher prices for the privilege of having raw human sewage dumped in their communities while the industry is allowed to be run for the enrichment of shareholders and executives.

We call upon Central Government to firmly establish the Polluter Pays Principal across the industry - to ensure that the Water Companies operate in the interests of the Public, not shareholders and make meaningful provision for the monitoring of water quality, publish a meaningful strategy with targets for the reduction of sewage discharges, including meaningful economic impact assessments, and provide for meaningful financial penalties in relation to sewage discharges and breaches of monitoring requirements.

It was moved and seconded that:

“In 2011 the Environment Agency reported that our rivers were cleaner than at any time since the Industrial Revolution.

In March this year the same agency noted that there were more than 300,000 raw sewage discharges into rivers and coastal areas in 2022, lasting for more than 1.75 million hours.

In the same period our local water company, ‘United Utilities’, was responsible for 69,245 of those sewage discharges lasting for 425,491 hours.

In Trafford alone raw sewage was discharged into our waterways 1,912 times lasting for 9,295 hours.

These 9,295 hours of raw sewage went into the waterways alongside which we Trafford residents walk, cycle and ride and in which our families go boating, fishing and paddling.

Raw sewage in open waters has been shown to increase the risk of diseases such as hepatitis and Weil’s disease.

The deterioration in the quality of our water is so apparent that it is evidenced not only by Environment Agency data but by the observations of Trafford residents who have noted the rise in unpleasant odours and visible pollution in the water.

The sewage discharge data, provided by the water companies themselves, demonstrates that not a single discharge in 2022 resulted from exceptional circumstances - rainfall or storms – but due to a lack of treatment and investment by the same water companies.

Yet since 1989, they have paid out £72 billion in dividends to shareholders and bonuses of millions of pounds to executives while accruing industry wide debts of £60 billion and inflicting a 40% real terms price increase on ordinary people.  So much value has been extracted from the sector that one of the largest companies is currently failing under its huge level of debt and there are forecasts of future huge price rises across the country, including Trafford, to make up for decades of lack of investment.

This situation is unfair and unsustainable – ordinary people are paying ever higher prices for the privilege of having raw human sewage dumped in their communities while the industry is allowed to be run for the enrichment of shareholders and executives.

We call upon Central Government to firmly establish the Polluter Pays Principal across the industry - to ensure that the Water Companies operate in the interests of the Public, not shareholders and make meaningful provision for the monitoring of water quality, publish a meaningful strategy with targets for the reduction of sewage discharges, including meaningful economic impact assessments, and provide for meaningful financial penalties in relation to sewage discharges and breaches of monitoring requirements.”

Following a debate on the matter, the Motion was put to the vote and declared carried.

RESOLVED: That in 2011 the Environment Agency reported that our rivers were cleaner than at any time since the Industrial Revolution.

In March this year the same agency noted that there were more than 300,000 raw sewage discharges into rivers and coastal areas in 2022, lasting for more than 1.75 million hours.

In the same  ...  view the full minutes text for item 29.

This motion is put forward in the context of the so-called ‘Trailblazer’ Deeper Devolution Deal between the UK Government and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA).

Now that we have such an extended deal, which explicitly addresses issues of governance and accountability alongside ‘new levers, functions and responsibilities’ (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) Policy Paper March), it is the right time to address the democracy implications of devolution for Trafford within the Greater Manchester structures.

Objectives

To replace the Greater Manchester Combined Authority with a new devolved Greater Manchester Authority, which will include a directly-elected assembly. The role and function of the new authority and assembly will be comparable to that of Greater London Authority (GLA) and London Assembly (LA), and will have similar power to scrutinise and challenge decisions made by the mayor. Funding for this more substantial authority and these expanded powers will be made available by central government. Election of the assembly will be by a mixed-member proportional system, similar to that used in London, the exact details of which will be established by a government commission.

Council notes that:

-         The population of Greater Manchester is substantial: half that of Norway, over half that of Ireland, and is almost as large as that of Wales.

-         Although directly elected, the metropolitan mayor is answerable to ten local authority leaders who are not directly elected but appointed as group leader by their own party processes. This creates a clear deficit of democracy. This is not only because of direct election through a First Past the Post (FPTP) system in the local authority but also because of possible post-electoral arrangements affecting the leadership of a given local authority. The ten party-elected leaders cannot be expected to fully represent the range of views of almost three million people. An Assembly such as GLA’s will allow for a fuller say for voters.

-         The Mayor of Greater Manchester has himself publicly called both for more devolution of powers from Westminster England-wide, and for electoral reform away from FPTP representation.

-         The Deeper Devolution Deal brings GMCA closer into alignment with the GLA in questions of powers, responsibilities and priorities – if not in terms of per capita funding – but makes no suggestion for concomitant structural change in relation to representation.

-         The GMCA is now in receipt of a single funding settlement.

-         GDP per capita across Greater Manchester is approximately half that of Greater London.

Council resolves:

1.     That the Council leader will write to the Permanent Secretary for the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, calling for:

-         A government commission to establish the exact makeup of a new Greater Manchester Authority and Greater Manchester Assembly, under instruction to use the London Assembly and its mixed-member electoral system as a guiding model. This would include powers given to the Assembly similar to those of the London Assembly, to scrutinise and challenge the mayor’s decisions, and (with a supermajority vote) to amend the mayor’s  ...  view the full agenda text for item 30.

It was moved and seconded that:

“This motion is put forward in the context of the so-called ‘Trailblazer’ Deeper Devolution Deal between the UK Government and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA).

Now that we have such an extended deal, which explicitly addresses issues of governance and accountability alongside ‘new levers, functions and responsibilities’ (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) Policy Paper March), it is the right time to address the democracy implications of devolution for Trafford within the Greater Manchester structures.

Objectives

To replace the Greater Manchester Combined Authority with a new devolved Greater Manchester Authority, which will include a directly-elected assembly. The role and function of the new authority and assembly will be comparable to that of Greater London Authority (GLA) and London Assembly (LA), and will have similar power to scrutinise and challenge decisions made by the mayor. Funding for this more substantial authority and these expanded powers will be made available by central government. Election of the assembly will be by a mixed member proportional system, similar to that used in London, the exact details of which will be established by a government commission.

Council notes that:

-         The population of Greater Manchester is substantial: half that of Norway, over half that of Ireland, and is almost as large as that of Wales.

-         Although directly elected, the metropolitan mayor is answerable to ten local authority leaders who are not directly elected but appointed as group leader by their own party processes. This creates a clear deficit of democracy. This is not only because of direct election through a First Past the Post (FPTP) system in the local authority but also because of possible post-electoral arrangements affecting the leadership of a given local authority. The ten party-elected leaders cannot be expected to fully represent the range of views of almost three million people. An Assembly such as GLA’s will allow for a fuller say for voters.

-     The Mayor of Greater Manchester has himself publicly called both for more devolution of powers from Westminster England-wide, and for electoral reform away from FPTP representation.

-     The Deeper Devolution Deal brings GMCA closer into alignment with the GLA in questions of powers, responsibilities and priorities - if not in terms of per capita funding – but makes no suggestion for concomitant structural change in relation to representation.

-     The GMCA is now in receipt of a single funding settlement.

-     GDP per capita across Greater Manchester is approximately half that of Greater London.

Council resolves:

1.      That the Council Leader will write to the Permanent Secretary for the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, calling for:

-     A government commission to establish the exact makeup of a new Greater Manchester Authority and Greater Manchester Assembly, under instruction to use the London Assembly and its mixed-member electoral system as a guiding model. This would include powers given to the Assembly similar to those of the London Assembly, to scrutinise and challenge the mayor’s decisions, and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 30.

Preamble

Humans have already caused irreversible climate change, the impacts of which are being felt in the UK, and around the world. The global temperature has already increased by 1.2°C above pre-industrial levels and—alongside this—the natural world has reached crisis point, with 28% of plants and animals threatened with extinction. In fact, the UK is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world as more than one in seven of our plants and animals face extinction, and more than 40% are in decline.

Climate change remains a major concern for voters with 66% of people (according to YouGov) expressing they are ‘worried about climate change and its effects’. Alongside this, the popularity of Sir David Attenborough’s Save Our Wild Isles initiative demonstrates public concern that UK wildlife is being destroyed at terrifying speed.

Climate and Ecology Bill

The Climate and Ecology Bill, a private member’s bill currently before the House of Commons, seeks to address the challenges that this situation poses by creating a whole-of-government approach to deliver a net zero and nature positive future.

Based on the latest science, the Bill aims to align current UK environmental policy with the need to halt and reverse nature loss by 2030, which was a goal agreed to at COP15, via the Kunming-Montreal Framework (22 December 2022); and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in line with a fair share of the remaining global carbon budget to give the strongest chance of limiting global heating to 1.5C, which was the goal agreed to at COP21, via the Paris Agreement (12 December 2015).

By bridging the gap between the UK Government’s current delivery, and what has been agreed at international levels, Britain has a chance to be a world leader on the environment; seizing the opportunities of the clean energy transition, including green jobs and reduced energy bills; and boosting the UK’s food and energy security.

Trafford Council notes that:

The Climate and Ecology Bill, which has been introduced in the UK Parliament on four occasions since 2020, including most recently in the House of Commons 10 May 2023. The Bill is backed by 168 cross-party MPs and Peers and 237 local authorities, alongside the support of eminent scientists, such as Sir David King; environmental non-governmental organizations, such as The Wildlife Trusts and CPRE; businesses, such as The Co-operative Bank; and 30,000 members of the public.

The Bill would require the UK Government to develop and deliver a new environmental strategy, which would include:

1.     Delivering a joined-up environmental plan, as the crises in climate and nature are deeply intertwined, requiring a plan that considers both together;

2.     Reducing emissions in line with 1.5°C, ensure emissions are reduced rapidly, for the best chance of limiting warming to 1.5°C;

3.     Not only halting, but also reversing the decline in nature, setting nature measurably on the path to recovery by 2030;

4.     Taking responsibility for our overseas footprint, both emissions and ecological;

5.     Prioritising nature in decision-making, and ending fossil fuel production and imports as rapidly  ...  view the full agenda text for item 31.

RESOLVED: That consideration of this Motion be deferred to the next meeting.