Agenda and minutes

Venue: Virtual Meeting

Contact: Ian Cockill  Governance Officer

Note: To access the live stream of the meeting, please paste the following into your browser's address bar: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjwbIOW5x0NSe38sgFU8bKg 

Items
No. Item

28.

Announcements

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.

Minutes:

(a)        Her Majesty the Queen’s Birthday Honours

 

The Mayor took the opportunity to recognise those citizens and persons connected with Trafford who had been named in Her Majesty the Queen's Birthday Honours List earlier in the year, namely:

 

Mrs. Amanda Jane Melton of Hale, awarded the citation of Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) for services to Education;

 

Ms. Charlotte Helen Ramsden of Urmston, awarded the citation of Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to children in Greater Manchester; and

 

Mr. Marcus Rashford of Bowdon, awarded the citation of Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to vulnerable children in the UK during Covid-19.

 

The Mayor conveyed the Council’s congratulations for their achievements and richly deserved recognition.

 

(b)        Coronavirus Local Restrictions Tier System

 

The Leader of the Council updated the Council of proposals at a Greater Manchester regional level to put forward a submission to the Government at the review point on 16 December 2020 that the region be reduced from Tier 3 to Tier 2, based on all the health indicators and the coronavirus infection rate being significantly below the England average per 100,000 of the population.

 

(c)        Pandemic Scrutiny Committee

 

Councillor Acton, the Chair of the Pandemic Scrutiny Committee wished to place on record his thanks to all the members and officers of the Committee for their commitment and work over the past eight months during a particular difficult period and believed it was appropriate to recommence with the traditional Scrutiny Committees in the New Year. Councillor Acton also thanked Members of the Executive, officers and other organisations that had contributed, provided information and researched the issues raised. He reflected on a very meaningful period for scrutiny, one where it was necessary to hold Members and officers to account and whilst there was still a way to go with the pandemic, the Chair was optimistic that there were signs of an improvement.

29.

Questions By Members pdf icon PDF 477 KB

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.

Minutes:

The Mayor reported that 11 questions had been received under Procedure Rule 10.2 and that one had subsequently been withdrawn.

 

(a)    Councillor Anstee asked the following question, the first of two questions for which he had given notice:

 

“This Council faces challenging budget constraints and difficult decisions for the administration are likely to be required. Part of the response to this challenge should be an increased focus in increasing the council tax base through building new homes.

 

Please could the Executive Member outline what steps he is taking to ensure the planning and development service can adopt a greater focus on adopting a pro-growth approach to securing development, especially in existing urban areas?”

 

Replying to the question Councillor Wright, Executive Member for Housing and Regeneration relayed the response which had been circulated to Members and published on the Council’s website in advance of the meeting.

 

Remarking that there were brownfield developments struggling with the subjective elements of the planning process, viability, density and design and given the comment about Covid and the need to continue to attract investment in the borough, Councillor Anstee asked as a supplementary question could Councillor Wright commit to meet with him to run through those applications and to ensure that the Council’s future plans align with the pro-growth aspirations outlined in the Executive Member’s response. Councillor Wright indicated that he was happy to arrange a meeting with Councillor Anstee at a suitable time going forward.

 

(b)    Question from Councillor Carey

 

It was noted that Councillor Carey had withdrawn the first of two questions for which he had given notice.

 

(c)    Councillor Anstee asked the following question, the second of two questions for which he had given notice:

 

“Can the Executive Member confirm what funding was allocated to the Council in Tranche 1 of the EATF and any other funding the Council has received for roll out of schemes?  Will he also provide a breakdown of all expenditure incurred to date on schemes?”

 

Councillor Adshead, Executive Member for Environmental and Regulatory Services responded to the question and advised that his response had been circulated to Members and been published on the Council’s website in advance of the meeting.

 

Given that Tranche 2 funding was imminent, Councillor Anstee asked as a supplementary question whether Councillor Adshead would provide a commitment that evening that there will be a clear plan from the Council on how it intends to implement a scheme on Oxford Road in the Bowdon ward. Councillor Adshead indicated that the Council had yet to finalise the whole Tranche 2 programme due to the delay, however, the implementation date of March 2021 remained and as soon as he had the funding confirmation he would ensure that updated information was provided to all Members.

 

(d)    Councillor Miss Blackburn asked the following question for which she had given notice:

 

“Would the Executive Member comment on the usage of pavement frontage seating areas by Bars converted from retail establishments. With regard to health and wellbeing, due  ...  view the full minutes text for item 29.

30.

Petition - Secondary Schools Admissions 2021 pdf icon PDF 288 KB

To consider the following petition requiring debate:

 

“We the undersigned (547 signatories) petition the Council to allow parents to amend the order of secondary schools preferences for admission September 2021 once the results of the selection exams are known.

 

The delay of the secondary school selection exams due to government guidelines during the current covid crisis means that parents are having to make secondary school preference choices without knowing the outcome of these exams.

 

Other authorities such as Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Enfield and Barnet are all allowing changes to application forms once selective results have been published. Parents in Trafford should be afforded the same opportunity. At the moment parents are expected to choose schools without being fully informed.”

 

Note: In accordance with the Council’s Petition Scheme, a petition containing more than 500 signatures will be debated by the Council. The petition organiser will be given five minutes to present the petition and then it will be discussed by the Council for a maximum of 15 minutes.

 

Minutes:

Petition organiser, Claire Beall introduced the following petition containing 547 signatures, which had been presented to the Council:

 

““We the undersigned petition the Council to allow parents to amend the order of secondary schools preferences for admission September 2021 once the results of the selection exams are known.

 

The delay of the secondary school selection exams due to government guidelines during the current covid crisis means that parents are having to make secondary school preference choices without knowing the outcome of these exams.

 

Other authorities such as Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Enfield and Barnet are all allowing changes to application forms once selective results have been published. Parents in Trafford should be afforded the same opportunity. At the moment parents are expected to choose schools without being fully informed.”

 

Addressing the Council, the lead petitioner summarised the reasons why action was called for and provided some examples of where children had been disadvantaged by not having the results of the exams when submitting their preferences.

 

Councillors Carter, Carey, Brophy and Coggins debated the petition on behalf of the political parties and made the following points:

 

Councillor Carter: The Department for Education (DfE) strongly advised that exams should have been delayed to late October and although the Council oversaw the admissions process it did not administer the tests. To ensure that children were not disadvantaged the DfE asked local authorities to allow at least one additional preference on the application form and to advise families to use those preferences for non-selective schools. To protect the interests of both schools and families, the Council decided to allow an additional three preferences, making eight preferences in total and 456 of the 3087 Trafford applicants made use of all eight preferences. Each year the statutory deadline for all local authorities to publish a scheme to coordinate admission arrangements for schools was 31 October. The Council also received applications from other local authorities and with applications received the previous year from over 35 different authorities for Trafford schools, the Council had to co-ordinate its admissions in line with the national deadline. Acknowledging the petition’s request and also that some other authorities had allowed amendment of secondary school preferences once results were known, it had not been possible to do so within Trafford’s legally determined and published schemes with time critical processes having already commenced. With all the test results now known, the number of requests for a late change was eight to date and none in fact related to the circumstances cited in the petition. The Executive Member was satisfied that the guidance was clear and that virtually all parents had followed the process. Late applications for changes could be accommodated without disadvantaging another child and would always be done where possible, however, failing that there was the appeal process. In addition, waiting lists were maintained until the end of the autumn term and many schools, including the most popular do see movement with the allocations after 1 March. In conclusion, the arrangements were in co-ordination with  ...  view the full minutes text for item 30.

31.

Asset Investment Strategy pdf icon PDF 114 KB

To consider a joint report of the Executive Member for Finance and Governance and the Corporate Directors of Place and Finance and Systems, following recommendation from the Executive meeting held on 12 October 2020.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Further to the Executive meeting held on 12 October 2020, the Executive Member for Finance and Governance, the Corporate Director of Place and the Corporate Director of Finance and Systems submitted a joint report advising the Council that the Asset Investment Strategy had recently been reviewed and updated to ensure it continued to reflect and support the Council’s wider objectives and strategic priorities and to factor in changes in market conditions.

 

The recommendation to agree the updated Asset Investment Strategy was put to the vote and declared carried.

 

RESOLVED: That the updated Asset Investment Strategy, be approved.

32.

Revenue Budget 2020/21 - Public Health Budget

Further to a recommendation set out in the Period 6 (April to September 2020) Budget Monitoring 2020/21 report to the Executive on 23 November 2020, the Council is requested to approve an increase to the net Revenue Budget of £261,000 to £175,520,000, as a result of a minor late change in the financial settlement relating to resources to support the Public Health budget.

 

The Council is required to formally approve any change to the Revenue Budget.

Minutes:

Further to a recommendation set out in the Period 6 (April to September 2020) Budget Monitoring 2020/21 report to the Executive on 23 November 2020, the Council was requested to approve an increase to the net Revenue Budget as a result of a minor late change in the financial settlement relating to resources to support the Public Health budget.

 

RESOLVED: That an increase to the net Revenue Budget of £261,000 to £175,520,000, be approved.

33.

Council Tax Support (CTS) Scheme for 2021/22 pdf icon PDF 119 KB

To consider a report of the Executive Member for Finance and Governance, following recommendation from the Executive meeting held on 26 October 2020.

Minutes:

Further to the Executive meeting on 26 October 2020, the Executive Member for Finance and Governance submitted a report on the legal requirement to formally approve the Council’s local CTS scheme before the start of each financial year. The report proposed that the scheme remained as was, only changing to reflect the national changes to income related benefits which had already been agreed in 2016, therefore no public consultation was required.

 

RESOLVED: That the Council adopts the Council Tax Support scheme currently in operation, updating in line with national benefits as previously agreed for 2021/22.

34.

Licensing Act 2003 - Statement of Licensing Policy - 2021 - 2026 pdf icon PDF 418 KB

To consider a report of the Executive Member formerly for Public Safety, Governance and Reform, following recommendation from the Executive meeting held on 26 October 2020.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Further to the Executive meeting on 26 October 2020, the Executive Member formerly for Public Safety, Governance and Reform submitted a report on the requirement to prepare, consult on and publish a Statement of Licensing Policy for the next five year period.

 

RESOLVED:

 

(1)        That the Council notes the recommendation of the Executive on 26 October 2020 to approve the revised Statement of Licensing Policy.

 

(2)        That the revised Statement of Licensing Policy, as attached to the report at Appendix F, be approved.

35.

Greater Manchester Spatial Framework (GMSF): Approval of GMSF 2020 for submission

To consider a report of the Executive Member for Housing and Regeneration, further to the recommendation of the Executive meeting held on 2 November 2020.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Council was in receipt of a report of the Executive Member for Housing and Regeneration and considered an addendum report providing an update on the position with the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework, with particular reference to the decision of Stockport Council on 3 December 2020.

 

It was moved and seconded that the matter be withdrawn and in accordance with Procedure Rule 12 (j) that the question be now put.

 

The Motion was agreed by the consent of the Council.

 

RESOLVED: That the matter be withdrawn.

36.

Motion Submitted by the Conservative Group - Proposed Changes to All Age Transport Policy

 

This Council is deeply concerned by detrimental changes outlined in the All Age Travel Policy consultation brought forward by the Labour administration.  The Council is opposed to these proposals and resolves to take them no further.

Minutes:

It was moved and seconded that:

 

“This Council is deeply concerned by detrimental changes outlined in the All Age Travel Policy consultation brought forward by the Labour administration. The Council is opposed to these proposals and resolves to take them no further.”

 

(Note: During the debate, the time being 8:40 p.m., the Mayor indicated that speeches on this matter would now be limited to a maximum of one minute per speaker.)

 

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

37.

Motion Submitted by the Labour Group - Union Learning Fund

 

This Council notes:

 

1.    On Tuesday 6 October, the Trades Union Congress (TUC) received a letter from the Department for Education saying that ministers have decided to end the Union Learning Fund from March 2021.

 

2.    The Union Learning Fund (ULF) was set up in 1998 to support trade unions to widen access to learning and training in workplaces for both union members and non-members. The fund supports workplace projects across England, and is coordinated by the TUC.

 

3.    Each year around 200,000 workers are supported into learning or training with union support through the ULF and the TUC. These learners undertake all sorts of job-relevant learning and training, including basic literacy and numeracy, ICT skills, apprenticeships and traineeships, vocational training, continuing professional development and many other informal and formal courses.

 

4.     In 2019–20, the ULF was worth £12 million. If upheld this decision will effectively end union-brokered skills training, and will undermine key government skills and retraining priorities at a crucial moment for our economy.

 

This Council understands that:

 

1.       Union learning reaches people that other Department for Education programmes do not reach.

 

2.    There is an independent evaluation of the Union Learning Fund every two years. It was most recently evaluated by the University of Exeter in 2018. They spoke to 2,459 learners, and found:

 

  Over two-thirds (68 per cent) of learners with no previous qualifications got a qualification.

  47 per cent of those with entry level or level 1 qualifications got a qualification at a higher level.

  Four in five (80 per cent) said they had developed skills that they could transfer to a new job.

  Two in three (62 per cent) said their new skills made them more effective in their current job.

  One in five (19 per cent) said they had been promoted or given increased responsibility and one in 10 (11 per cent) got a pay rise.

 

3.     The 2018 independent evaluation found that union learning provided excellent value for money:

 

  For every £1 spent on the Union Learning Fund, there is a return of £12.30: £7.60 to the worker, £4.70 to the employer.

  The Union Learning Fund delivers an estimated net contribution to the economy of more than £1.4bn as a result of a boost to jobs, wages and productivity.

  The return to the exchequer (through reduced spending on welfare benefits and other factors resulting from the boost to jobs and wages) is £3.57 for each £1 spent on the Union Learning Fund.

  The £12 million government funding levered in an additional £54 million from employers, unions and training providers in 2019–20.

 

4.    The government has said it will put reskilling workers at the heart of its economic recovery plans after the pandemic. In September 2020, the government announced a new fully funded entitlement to achieve a first level 3 qualification, delivered through the National Skills Fund. Union learning is ideally placed to support this aspiration, in three ways:

 

  directly, through delivering relevant  ...  view the full agenda text for item 37.

Minutes:

(Note: Insofar as this item of business related to membership of a Trade Union, Councillor Andrew Western declared a personal interest as a member of both GMB and Unite the Union and Councillor Slater declared a personal interest as a member of Unison.)

 

It was moved and seconded that:

 

“This Council notes:

 

1.    On Tuesday 6 October, the Trades Union Congress (TUC) received a letter from the Department for Education saying that ministers have decided to end the Union Learning Fund from March 2021.

 

2.    The Union Learning Fund (ULF) was set up in 1998 to support trade unions to widen access to learning and training in workplaces for both union members and non-members. The fund supports workplace projects across England, and is coordinated by the TUC.

 

3.    Each year around 200,000 workers are supported into learning or training with union support through the ULF and the TUC. These learners undertake all sorts of job-relevant learning and training, including basic literacy and numeracy, ICT skills, apprenticeships and traineeships, vocational training, continuing professional development and many other informal and formal courses.

 

4.     In 2019–20, the ULF was worth £12 million. If upheld this decision will effectively end union-brokered skills training, and will undermine key government skills and retraining priorities at a crucial moment for our economy.

     

This Council understands that:

 

1.         Union learning reaches people that other Department for Education programmes do not reach.

 

2.    There is an independent evaluation of the Union Learning Fund every two years. It was most recently evaluated by the University of Exeter in 2018. They spoke to 2,459 learners, and found:

 

  Over two-thirds (68 per cent) of learners with no previous qualifications got a qualification.

  47 per cent of those with entry level or level 1 qualifications got a qualification at a higher level.

  Four in five (80 per cent) said they had developed skills that they could transfer to a new job.

  Two in three (62 per cent) said their new skills made them more effective in their current job.

  One in five (19 per cent) said they had been promoted or given increased responsibility and one in 10 (11 per cent) got a pay rise.

 

3.     The 2018 independent evaluation found that union learning provided excellent value for money:

 

  For every £1 spent on the Union Learning Fund, there is a return of £12.30: £7.60 to the worker, £4.70 to the employer.

  The Union Learning Fund delivers an estimated net contribution to the economy of more than £1.4bn as a result of a boost to jobs, wages and productivity.

  The return to the exchequer (through reduced spending on welfare benefits and other factors resulting from the boost to jobs and wages) is £3.57 for each £1 spent on the Union Learning Fund.

  The £12 million government funding levered in an additional £54 million from employers, unions and training providers in 2019–20.

 

4.    The government has said it will put reskilling workers at the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 37.

38.

Motion Submitted by the Labour Group - Fair Grade For All 2021

 

After the fiasco of this year’s A-level and GCSE results, this Council is keen to ensure fairness for students next year. On 19 August, trade union leaders wrote to Gavin Williamson outlining what steps the Government must take to ensure no student is disadvantaged, as did Kate Green MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Education on 10 November. Students and teachers urgently need clarity on A-levels and GCSEs, in particular what contingency is in place if exams have to be cancelled again next year. It is imperative that the distressing experiences of 2020 A-level students are never repeated, and that this chaos justifies a wider review of how qualifications are awarded.

 

This Council calls on Government to:

 

     Reduce the content assessed in GCSE and A-level exams next summer, across all subjects, by making some topics optional to allow for the different order in which content will have been taught across the country.

     Put in place arrangements to make sure that no student misses out on the opportunity to receive their qualifications as a result of having to self-isolate during next year’s exam period. This government must work with exam boards to make reserve papers available in all subjects. This would make it possible for students who miss an exam opportunity to sit it at a later date.

     Create a level playing across the country for all students sitting exams next year. The pandemic has hit and will continue to hit the regions to varying degrees. The government has hinted at flexibility to boundary grades but must go further and seriously consider a regional approach to norm-referencing performance to reflect the varying degrees of school attendance levels across the regions.

     Publish its plans now for a worst-case scenario whereby exams cannot go ahead next year due to the impact of the pandemic. A credible Plan B is required that must have the confidence of parents, teachers, school leaders and unions.

 

This Council calls on the Leader of Trafford Council to:

 

    Write to the Secretary of State for Education asking him to respond as a matter of urgency to all of the above points.

Minutes:

RESOLVED: That the Motion be deferred to a date to be determined.

39.

Motion Submitted by the Green Party Group - Accountability and Transparency in Tackling the Climate Emergency

 

This Council notes that Trafford was one of the first councils in the country to declare a climate emergency. This was as a result of a Green Party / Liberal Democrats motion two years ago in November 2018. This was passed with all-party support.

 

As a result of this, in September 2020 Trafford’s Carbon Neutral Framework, produced by Anthesis was published. The Council’s draft response was published at the same time.

 

The report from Anthesis states that:

 

-    We have only 7 years left at our current rate of polluting, to have used up Trafford’s entire carbon budget, as derived from the Paris Agreement.

-       We need to make massive cuts of 13.4% per year to our emissions to keep within our science-based budget.

-    “The decisive window for action is small, and rapidly closing …The Council must adopt a more proactive approach to this agenda and view the response to this agenda as a higher priority than previously.” (p.22)

 

Despite this stark situation:

 

-    There is no mechanism for considering our emissions in the decision-making process. So all our decisions are made without knowing the effects on our emissions.

-    The Council’s Covid recovery plan mentions the climate only once in passing.

-    The draft action plan in response to the Anthesis report doesn’t address the large amount of emissions created outside of Trafford, but caused by Trafford, e.g. in  food production. 

-    Very few staff have had carbon literacy training.

 

Therefore, this Council resolves:

 

1.    To provide quarterly and annual reporting on how much the Council has reduced its emissions. Trafford’s carbon budget is finite and the Council must treat it as carefully as it does its financial budget. (This can be done using proxy values such as energy used and miles travelled by various modes of transport.)

 

2.    To provide an overview of the climate impact at the start of every decision-making report. Every decision needs to be made knowing the climate implications. There will need to be extremely strong reasons for not taking the most effective decision each time. The green decisions are the ones that improve quality of life, support local businesses and help keep our residents healthier anyway, so this should be a win-win.

 

3.     To develop a chain of responsibility for our carbon budget, like the Council has with its financial budget. This would mean breaking down our annual carbon budget and ensuring that the different components all have a responsible officer.

 

4.     That the final response to the Anthesis report, in December 2020 will include ambitious timescales with real dates, starting with the quick wins.

 

5.     To make a plan that predicts the obstacles that might occur and looks ahead for solutions. Nothing can be allowed to derail this work.

 

6.    To work on reducing Trafford’s indirect emissions as well as direct emissions. Because most of the ‘stuff’ we use in Trafford is produced far away and shipped to us, we have responsibility for the emissions used in manufacturing and transporting these  ...  view the full agenda text for item 39.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

It was moved and seconded that:

 

“This Council notes that Trafford was one of the first councils in the country to declare a climate emergency. This was as a result of a Green Party / Liberal Democrats motion two years ago in November 2018. This was passed with all-party support.

 

As a result of this, in September 2020 Trafford’s Carbon Neutral Framework, produced by Anthesis was published. The Council’s draft response was published at the same time.

 

The report from Anthesis states that:

 

-   We have only 7 years left at our current rate of polluting, to have used up Trafford’s entire carbon budget, as derived from the Paris Agreement.

-   We need to make massive cuts of 13.4% per year to our emissions to keep within our science-based budget.

-   “The decisive window for action is small, and rapidly closing …The Council must adopt a more proactive approach to this agenda and view the response to this agenda as a higher priority than previously.” (p.22)

 

Despite this stark situation:

 

-   There is no mechanism for considering our emissions in the decision-making process. So all our decisions are made without knowing the effects on our emissions.

-   The Council’s Covid recovery plan mentions the climate only once in passing.

-   The draft action plan in response to the Anthesis report doesn’t address the large amount of emissions created outside of Trafford, but caused by Trafford, e.g. in food production.

-   Very few staff have had carbon literacy training.

 

Therefore, this Council resolves:

 

1.     To provide quarterly and annual reporting on how much the Council has reduced its emissions. Trafford’s carbon budget is finite and the Council must treat it as carefully as it does its financial budget. (This can be done using proxy values such as energy used and miles travelled by various modes of transport.)

 

2.     To provide an overview of the climate impact at the start of every decision-making report. Every decision needs to be made knowing the climate implications. There will need to be extremely strong reasons for not taking the most effective decision each time. The green decisions are the ones that improve quality of life, support local businesses and help keep our residents healthier anyway, so this should be a win-win.

 

3.     To develop a chain of responsibility for our carbon budget, like the Council has with its financial budget. This would mean breaking down our annual carbon budget and ensuring that the different components all have a responsible officer.

 

4.     That the final response to the Anthesis report, in December 2020 will include ambitious timescales with real dates, starting with the quick wins.

 

5.     To make a plan that predicts the obstacles that might occur and looks ahead for solutions. Nothing can be allowed to derail this work.

 

6.     To work on reducing Trafford’s indirect emissions as well as direct emissions. Because most of the ‘stuff’ we use in Trafford is produced far away and shipped to us, we have responsibility for the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 39.