To approve as a correct record the Minutes of the Meeting of the Council held on 15 February 2023, for signature by the Mayor as Chair of the Council.

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.

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.

To note that Councillor Dr. Carr resigned as a Member of the Council with effect from 20 February 2023.

To consider a report of the Executive Member for Housing and Neighbourhoods recommended to Council by the Executive on 23 January 2023.

To consider a report of the Interim Head of Human Resources following a referral from Employment Committee on 20 February 2023.

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

To consider the following motions submitted in accordance with Procedure Rule 11:

The Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities in December made a statement in the House of Commons in relation to an update on the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill.

In this statement the Secretary of State confirmed that whilst he will maintain a method for calculating he believes that the plan-making process for housing has to start with a number, this number should be an advisory starting point, a guide from that is not mandatory.

The Secretary of State further added that it will be up to Local Authorities, working with their communities, to determine how many homes can actually be built, taking into account what should be protected in each area - be that our precious green belt or national parks. It will be down to local authorities to determine how many homes can be built, taking into many factors, including protecting our precious Green Belt.

The Secretary of State further outlined how those local authorities with local plans at an advanced stage of preparation who will not benefit from these provisions can take advantage of transitional arrangements to produce plans that are compliant with the new guidance. Although this Council is part of the Places for Everyone submission, we have no adopted local plan. As such the housing need calculation made within Places for Everyone is now obsolete and not in line with national guidance. As such it is clear that Trafford’s local plan be produced in line with the new national guidance. Bearing in mind the clarification outlined in the Secretary of State’s statement in the House of Commons;

This Council resolves to;

-         To withdraw Trafford Council from the Greater Manchester “Places for Everyone” Plan with an immediate priority.

-         Develop a joint approach to calculating housing need though community consultation and a reinforced brownfield first policy.

-         Make a public commitment to protect the Borough’s precious Green Belt by removing the Timperley Wedge and Carrington Moss sites from any future local plan.

This Council notes:

Within Europe, only the United Kingdom and authoritarian Belarus still use the archaic First Past the Post (FPTP) system for general and local elections. Internationally, Proportional Representation (PR) is used to elect parliaments in more than 80 countries.

At the 2019 general election:

-     The SNP won one seat every 25,883 votes.

-     The Conservatives won one seat for every 38,264 votes

-     Labour won one seat for every 50,837 votes.

-     The Liberal Democrats won one seat for every 336,038 votes.

-     The Green Party won one seat for every 866,435 votes.

-     The BREXIT party received no seats despite winning over 600,000 votes (2%) nationwide.

FPTP returns a government that doesn’t represent the will of the voters. FPTP also permits the basic unfairness of minority rule. In 2019, 43.6% of the vote produced a government with 56.2% of the seats but 100% of the power.

The impact of FPTP is to leave millions of voters feeling unrepresented and unheard.

Under a PR voting system MPs, councillors and other elected representatives would better reflect the views of their communities. This would lead to improved decision-making, higher turnout and increased levels of ownership of decisions taken.

PR is already used to elect the parliaments and assemblies of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and at local elections in Scotland. Welsh councils also now have the right to adopt a PR system for their local elections if they so choose.

This Council believes that:

·     The FPTP system has contributed to dangerous levels of distrust and disillusionment with our democratic processes and politicians.

·     3 elections between 2015 and 2019, and 3 Prime Ministers in the last year, shows that FPTP does not lead to stable government.

·     It is essential that faith is restored in our democratic system and that the public see Parliament as fairly reflecting their views.

·     Our FPTP voting system is a significant barrier to restoring this faith and all but guarantees that the balance of opinion among the electorate is not reflected in Parliament or in council chambers.

·     A system of proportional representation in which seats match votes and all votes count equally would help to rebuild public trust. It would ensure that all political views are represented in Parliament and councils in proportion to their level of public support.

Council therefore resolves:

1      To request that the leader of the council writes to the Government asking it:

-     to change our outdated electoral laws to enable proportional representation to be used for general elections,

-     and to (following the Welsh Government’s example) allow Councils to use a PR system if they so choose.

2      To request the leader to sign, on behalf of this council, the Electoral Reform Society petition calling for fair votes in English local government.

3      To call upon Trafford’s MPs to push for a change to electoral law to permit proportional representation and to promote the matter for debate within Parliament.

This Council notes that:

In December 2022, the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities made a statement in the House of Commons in relation to an update on the Levelling up Bill.

This statement represented a move away from top-down, mandatory housing targets.  

The Secretary of State further added it will be up to Local Authorities, working with their communities, to determine how many homes can actually be built, taking into account what should be protected in each area, including green belt land.

This Council believes that:

Every part of the borough should be afforded fair and equal treatment when it comes to providing access to nature and wildlife and protecting what remains of our green spaces.

Trafford Council has recently focussed substantial energy on preserving green spaces in the north of the borough, and now will seek to find similar ways to protect those in the south of the borough.

The site of the former municipal golf-course William Wroe - which spans both sides of the Manchester to Liverpool railway in Flixton - was removed from the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework (the predecessor to Places for Everyone) and now enjoys ‘field of trust’ status. 

The Council recognises the lengthy work which be required to submit all such green spaces to Fields of Trust; and agrees to find alternative ways to protect vulnerable green space in the south of the borough from development.

This Council recognises that:

Tackling the housing crisis is essential in order to provide fairer futures for the next generation; 

A plan that works for all of Trafford Borough is best developed in Trafford Borough, by this Council and in consultation with the people we represent;

Plans to develop Timperley Wedge would remove the last large open green space between the already heavily developed urban areas of Timperley and Hale Barns, thus removing the ‘green lung’ between those communities and the airport; 

The density of the housing means the current ‘Timperley Ward’ has one of the lowest percentages of green space of any ward in Trafford and the further increase in density resulting from building large numbers of houses and office buildings on Timperley Wedge would be detrimental to the area;

Council Officers have confirmed that there is sufficient brownfield space in Trafford for more than 16,400 dwellings.  A ‘brownfield first’ approach can provide Trafford with the homes it needs and should be pursued more vigorously;

The fact that Trafford are invested so heavily in a new road in Carrington means the location is far better suited and has greater community support to provide new homes to meet the borough’s needs.

This Council resolves to:

1.          Withdraw Trafford Borough from the Places for Everyone Plan as an immediate priority.

2.          Develop a joint approach to calculating housing need though community consultation; with a reinforced ‘brownfield first’ policy and a focus on ex-industrial clean up and use of brownfield sites.

3.          Reaffirm the commitment, made by this administration in 2018, to the preservation of Green  ...  view the full agenda text for item 8c

The Independent Review of Children’s Social Care headed by Josh McCallister recommended that “Government should make care experience a protected characteristic” and that “New legislation should be passed which broadens corporate parenting responsibilities across a wider set of public bodies and organisations”. The report published in May 2022 stated that “Many care experienced people face discrimination, stigma and prejudice in their day to day lives. Public perceptions of care experience centre on the idea that children are irredeemably damaged and that can lead to discrimination and assumptions being made”.

One young person told the review that a teacher had told them “You’re smart - for a kid in care” another young person said “I don’t want people to point out that I am in care if I don’t want that mentioned. It makes me so cross – that shouldn’t happen.”

This stigma and discrimination can be explicit and often comes with assumptions about the likely characteristics of children and adults that have care experience. They can also be implicit and are evidenced in the way care experience is discussed in schools, workplaces and the media.

At its worst this can lead to care experienced people being refused employment, being disadvantaged in education or facing unfair judgements about their ability to parent when they have children and families of their own.

Hearing testimony from care experienced people sharing the discrimination they have experienced, even from a very young age, it is clear that such discrimination can be similar in nature to other groups that have a legally protected characteristic under the Equality Act (2010).

So, while there may be ways that society can help reduce stigma and discrimination, including creating greater public consciousness on these issues, just as with other areas of equality, there is a case to go further. Therefore, the government should make care experience a protected characteristic.

Following the publication of the review, Trafford Council engaged with representatives from Trafford’s After Care Council to understand what considering Care Experienced as a Protected Characteristic would mean to them.

This Council believes that Care Experienced people face significant barriers that impact them throughout their lives and recognises that;

-         Despite the resilience of many care experienced people, society too often does not take their needs into account.

-         Care experienced people often face discrimination and stigma across housing, health, education, relationships, employment and in the criminal justice system.

-         Care experienced people often face a postcode lottery of support

-         As corporate parents, councillors have a collective responsibility for providing the best possible care and safeguarding for the children who are looked after by us as an authority.

-         Councillors should be champions of our looked after children and challenge the negative attitudes and prejudice that exists in all aspects of society.

-         The Public Sector Equality Duty requires public bodies, such as councils, to eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation of people with protected characteristics.

-         Council acknowledges that children don’t choose to enter the care system, that they  ...  view the full agenda text for item 8d

On Friday 8 October 2021 Trafford’s first Poverty Truth Commission was launched at Stretford Public Hall.

The Commission was launched as a collaboration between Trafford Council, Trafford Housing Trust and Stretford Public Hall and was formed of Commissioners who are residents of Trafford and have lived experience of poverty, and of leaders from the public, private and voluntary sectors in the borough.

It was a real and genuine opportunity for people to share their “lived “experience of living in poverty.

On Wednesday 8 March 2023 the findings of the Trafford Poverty Truth commission were shared at an event at Stretford Public Hall with some clear recommendations.

This Council would like to recognise and pay tribute and thanks to all the Commissioners who were involved in the Trafford Poverty Truth Commission.

This Council resolves to continue to collaborate and work with all partners across Trafford to support delivery of the 4 recommendations of the final report.

-         Improve how Trafford residents access services.

-         Continue to use the voice of people with lived experience in the development of policy and services in Trafford.

-         Make public transport truly accessible for everyone.

-         Tackle mental health and isolation.

This Council is also committed to the ethos of “Nothing about us without us”, the current cost of living crisis is making life a misery for many Trafford residents. Trafford Council will continue to work with residents to coproduce support for our communities.

Note: At the conclusion of the meeting it is intended to hold an informal meeting of the Council to consider issuing invitations to Members of Council to be the Mayor and Deputy Mayor of the Borough for 2023/2024.