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

The Mayor reported that four questions had been received under Procedure Rule 10.2.

[Note: Prior to their consideration, the time being 7.13 p.m., the Mayor indicated that Members asking and responding to a question would be limited to a maximum of two minutes.]

(a)        Councillor Freeman asked the following question for which he had given notice:

"What is the Council’s policy on helping to meet the housing costs of disabled people?”

Responding to the question, Councillor M. Young, Executive Member for Adult Social Services, informed Members of the Council’s approach advising of the various policies and the criteria used to access funding.

Councillor Freeman asked as a supplementary question whether residents would be able to access the Disability Living Allowance should they be affected by the new Bedroom Tax. The Executive Member responded by indicating that consideration would be given as part of the proposed Council Tax Support Scheme. 

(b)        Councillor D. Western asked the following question for which she had given notice:

“What progress is being made on the localisation of the Social Fund in Trafford?” 

Councillor Dr. Barclay, Executive Member for Community Health advised the Council of progress and of schemes being delivered in partnership with the Citizens Advice Bureau, Trafford Partnership and other agencies.

          As a supplementary question Councillor D. Western sought clarity on Council help for victims of domestic violence that have to move out of the borough or have become resident and whether they would be able to access the Fund? In response, Councillor Dr. Barclay advised that everyone living in the borough would be free to access the Social Fund.

(c)    Councillor Duffield asked the following question for which notice had been given:

“An announcement last month suggested Trafford would receive approximately £1.4m from the New Homes Bonus. How many new homes will be built in Trafford as a result?” 

In response, Councillor Hyman, the Executive Member for Economic Growth and Prosperity, asserted that the funding had been top sliced from the National Grant pot for Local Government and therefore was not new money. Allowing for this, Councillor Hyman outlined the Council’s support for housing services in the borough, the action being taken with Trafford Housing Trust to secure funding from the available sources to deliver new homes and the Council’s investment in the Trafford Mortgage Scheme to help first-time buyers.

Stating that spending on construction would help economic growth in Trafford, Councillor Duffield asked as a supplementary question whether an assessment had been made of reduced construction industry activity on the local economy. In response, Councillor Hyman referred to the action and schemes he had outlined and advised on Council strategies designed to increase local construction activity.

(d)    Councillor Mrs. Brophy asked the following question for which she had given notice:

“Vehicles parked on pavements can force people with pushchairs or children to walk in the road. Older people and those in wheelchairs can often feel worried about leaving their homes especially on bin collection day as they feel unsafe walking. What is Trafford Council doing to restrict or prohibit pavement parking on our streets and how much is Trafford Council is spending repairing pavements damaged by pavement parkers?”

Councillor Mitchell, the Executive Member for Highways and Environment, advised that whilst the Council does not condone drivers parking on verges, enforcement action can only be taken where there are existing traffic regulation orders in place. Councillor Mitchell also advised on those aspects falling under the jurisdiction of the police and, indicating that the Council has the authority to introduce signage, pointed out the downsides. The Executive Member emphasised the numerous footway and re-surfacing schemes carried out each year and explained that, since the source of the damage was not always easy to identify, the costs Councillor Brophy referred to were not available.

Referring to recent legislation giving councils permission to use signs to indicate a local pavement parking ban, Councillor Brophy’s supplementary question concerned the Council’s intentions in light of the problems for pedestrians she had highlighted. Council Mitchell re-affirmed the Council’s position on this issue regards confusion and highlighted the prohibitive costs which did not necessarily result in the desired effect.