The following motions have been received in accordance with Procedure Rule 16:

 

1.    The following motion has been received from Councillor Joyce Barrow and is supported by Councillors Steve Davenport, David Evans, Robert Macey, Chris Schofield and Lezley Picton

 

 

Whilst consort to the mayor of Oswestry, I came into contact with the Stoma Group, known as “bums on tums” which is a totally voluntary run group, headed by Irene Constable.  She told me how simple things, recommended by colostomy UK, could make a huge difference to their members, and are inexpensive changes to toilets.

 

In terms of the classic 'stand-alone building' type of public toilets, these are all now mostly owned and run by Town & Parish Council's. It’s estimated to be in the region of 35 or more of these type of public toilets.

 

As regards Shropshire Council owned and run buildings or sites which are available to be used by members of the public (such as libraries, museums, leisure etc.), It is estimated to be in the region of 42 with toilet facilities.

 

I would like Shropshire council to implement the following where possible.

 

1.    A shelf on which to lay out the items needed when changing their appliance.  This doesn’t need to be huge, if there is already a surface that is within reach, such as a baby changing mat or the like, that would be sufficient.

2.    Two Cloths hooks

3.    A sanitary bin within the cubicle.

4.    Write to all town and parish councils in our area, to ask them to consider doing the same.

None of these are costly but would make the world of distance to an Ostomate who urgently needs to change their appliance.

 

2.    The following motion has been received from Councillor Simon Harris and is supported by Councillors Tom Biggins, Richard Marshall, Ian Nellins and Chris Schofield

 

Ban Both Sky Lantern and Balloon Releases from Council Property

 

For many years the Marine Conservation Society has run a campaign to make sky lantern and balloon releases illegal by classifying this activity as ‘littering’. The Society has not been successful.

 

The Society has also encouraged Local Authorities to ban these activities from property that the Authorities own – this approach, while not dealing with the problem per se, has had some success. Shropshire’s neighbouring Council of Worcestershire has banned both sky lantern and balloon releases, while Hereford has banned sky lantern releases. I understand that Shropshire Council banned sky lantern releases several years ago; although this ban is not reflected on the Society’s website.

 

Both these releases need to be banned for the following reasons:

 

·         Over the past 5 years, on average 3 balloons per 100m have been found during the Great British Beach Clean.

·         Balloons marketed as ‘biodegradable’ can last up to four years ie as litter

·         Animals, including livestock, can be injured through ingestion, entanglement and entrapment.

·         Marine turtles are particularly vulnerable. The digestive tract of a juvenile green turtle, washed up dead near Blackpool in 2001, was completely blocked by marine litter including a large fragment of blue latex balloon

·         Animals get tangled up in balloon ribbons and string, restricting their movement and the ability to eat

·         Sky lanterns also pose a fire hazard to crops and to thatched roof properties

I move the following motion:

 

1.    All Sky Lantern and Balloon releases are to be banned from all Shropshire Council property.

2.    Shropshire Council will request the Government to classify all such releases as littering, and thus they should be made illegal.

3.    Shropshire Council will run a media campaign to discourage all such releases within the County.

 

3.    The following motion has been received from Councillor Tom Biggins and is supported by Councillors Geoff Elner, Ian Nellins, Chris Schofield,

 

Shropshire Council notes with the utmost concern the DVSA’s decision to close the Whitchurch Driving Test centre on 10th April 2022, because the lease is due to end soon, without having undertaken any consultation with those directly affected or the local community.

The loss of the centre removes a vital service from a large part of the Shropshire Council area, including Whitchurch, Market Drayton, Wem, Ellesmere, Hodnet, Prees and all the countryside in between.

 

In addition pupils come over the border from Bronington, Penley and Hanmer in Wales and from Malpas, Marbury, Wrenbury and Audlem and all the surrounding countryside in South Cheshire.

 

The nearest test centres will be at Crewe, Wrexham or Shrewsbury.

 

Pupils will need to travel to a new driving test town to have familiarisation lessons with the road layout before taking a test. This will have the discriminatory effect of increasing the cost for a pupil, due to the extra travel time of going to and returning from a new venue with a driving instructor before the lesson/test can take place.

 

For example a car journey to Crewe can take ¾ hour/ 1 hour each way, dependent on traffic.

This closure will not only cause a massive inconvenience and extra travelling cost for all individual learner drivers and driving instructors in the future,  but it will also remove a local service that provides economic benefit to our area.

 

This decision is arbitrary, unfounded on economic grounds, and we believe this closure goes against the Government's policy of levelling up.

 

The detrimental effect to the local area of closing the Whitchurch Driving Test Centre is disproportionately severe and will not provide a “customer-centred service” for our area.

Shropshire Council calls on the Secretary of State at the Department for Transport:

 

1)    to reverse the decision by the Driving Standards Agency to close the Driving Test Centre in Whitchurch on 10th April 2022 and

 

2)    to instruct the Driving Standards Agency to maintain a driving test centre in Whitchurch to ensure parity of opportunity for residents across the north of Shropshire and adjoining areas.

 

4.    The following motion has been received from Councillor Heather Kidd and is supported by the Liberal Democrat Group

 

The role of Scrutiny committees is an integral and important part of the constitution of this Council and vital to the decision making process of a Council .   The Council spends time,  effort and resources running our Scrutiny Committees. Measuring their value to this Council through constructive challenge and improved policy and decision making is vital to those taking part and also to the people of Shropshire. Good scrutiny should provide measurable outcomes.

This  Council therefore resolves to explicitly include the positive changes and improvements that each Scrutiny Committee has  achieved  throughout the year in the annual report they present to Council. This should include:

 

·         Reporting the impact of Task & Finish Groups – where policy has changed or decisions improved

·         The number of recommendations to Cabinet and whether they were adopted or rejected and why.

·         Reviews of previous years implementation by Cabinet and any service outcomes at 6 or 12 months.

·         A report on any pre-scrutiny work and its impact.

 

Notes:

 

From p22/23 of the LGA’s Councillors Workbook on Scrutiny – this is used in Councils to measure effectiveness in LGA  Peer Reviews and for Councillor training.

 

Making a Scrutiny recommendation

Recommendations are the way that scrutiny can have an impact. Making good recommendations, and monitoring them, makes it more likely that scrutiny’s work will add value. A good recommendation is:

• specific about the change recommended

• evidence-based and realistic

• focused on measurable outcomes

• addressed to a specific person or group

• realistic about financing requirements

• developed in partnership with the executive, council officers and council partners.

 

There is a legal requirement for the executive (Cabinet) to respond to recommendations within two months of them being made.

 

The response to a recommendation from a decision-maker should consist of:

• a clear commitment to delivering the measure within the timescale set out

• a commitment to be held to account on that delivery in six months’ or a year’s time

• where it is not proposed that a recommendation be accepted, the provision of detailed, substantive reasons why not.

 

Scrutiny can help decision-makers to view recommendations in a positive light, and submit acceptable responses, by agreeing beforehand when and how recommendations will be made, and what an acceptable response will look like

 

Monitoring recommendations It is scrutiny’s responsibility to monitor and evaluate recommendations once they are implemented, even though it is not their responsibility to deliver the changes. Tracking the progress of recommendations does not require full scrutiny reviews, but a simple check that after six or twelve months they are being implemented and the outcomes detailed in the decision-maker’s response are being fulfilled. Action can be taken if required; if everything is on track, scrutiny can trust the implementations are being made satisfactorily and move on.

 

https://www.local.gov.uk/sites/default/files/documents/11%2064_Scrutiny%20for%20councillors_03_1.pdf

 

5.    The following motion has been received from Councillor Lezley Picton and is supported by Councillors Gwilym Butler, Dean Carroll, Rob Gittins, Kirstie Hurst-Knight, Simon Jones, Cecilia Motley, Ian Nellins and Ed Potter

 

This Administration was very disappointed by the latest Government announcements regarding Shropshire Council’s Levelling Up and County Deal bids. This Council put forward first class Levelling Up bids which, if successful, would have made a huge positive difference to communities across Shropshire. Our bid for a county deal, which included asking government to devolve more powers to a local level, was seen as vital at a time when our communities and indeed our whole county is recovering from the pandemic.

 

As part of the announcement surrounding County Deals, Government insisted that this process was not about, nor would it involve, Local Government reorganisation.

 

It has now been stated that the success of future bids may require the creation of a ‘combined authority’ for the area that could, potentially, be made up of both Shropshire Council and Telford & Wrekin Council, or even by joining with other adjacent authorities.

 

The communities represented by Shropshire Council and Telford & Wrekin Borough Council are very different, with different priorities and different challenges in delivering services. Active cooperation already exists between both Councils and indeed Herefordshire Council in areas of converging interests and priorities and there is no reason why this will not continue and expand.

 

MOTION

 

This Council opposes the suggestion of the creation of a single unitary authority covering the whole historic county of Shropshire. Further, that a Mayor or Governor, or any other additional layer of bureaucracy is not required.

 

That Shropshire Council will continue to work with neighbouring authorities, where appropriate, and without the need for amalgamation, and

 

That the Council Leader and Chief Executive Officer will continue to impress upon the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities that Shropshire Council is best placed to deliver the needs of its residents and that Council will continue to pursue Levelling Up Bids, CountyDeals and fairer funding for Shropshire in its own right.

 

6.    The following motion has been received from Councillor Nigel Hartin and is supported by Councillors Heather Kidd, David Vasmer and Rob Wilson

 

This Council resolves to help as many residents as possible to organise street parties to celebrate HM The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, including advertising how to organise one, waiving all fees and covering public liability insurance.

 

The following motions had been received in accordance with Procedure Rule 16

1.    From Councillor Joyce Barrow and supported by Councillors Steve Davenport, David Evans, Robert Macey, Chris Schofield and Lezley Picton

 

Whilst consort to the mayor of Oswestry, I came into contact with the Stoma Group, known as “bums on tums” which is a totally voluntary run group, headed by Irene Constable.? She told me how simple things, recommended by colostomy UK, could make a huge difference to their members, and are inexpensive changes to toilets.? 

 

In terms of the classic 'stand-alone building' type of public toilets, these are all now mostly owned and run by Town & Parish Council's. It’s estimated to be in the region of 35 or more of these type of public toilets. 

? 

As regards Shropshire Council owned and run buildings or sites which are available to be used by members of the public (such as libraries, museums, leisure etc.), It is estimated to be in the region of 42 with toilet facilities.? 

 

I would like Shropshire council to implement the following where possible.??  

 

1.    A shelf on which to lay out the items needed when changing their appliance.? This doesn’t need to be huge, if there is already a surface that is within reach, such as a baby changing mat or the like, that would be sufficient.? 

2.    Two Cloths hooks? 

3.    A sanitary bin within the cubicle.? 

4.    Write to all town and parish councils in our area, to ask them to consider doing the same.? 

 

None of these are costly but would make the world of distance to an Ostomate who urgently needs to change their appliance.? 

 

The motion was seconded by Councillor Chris Schofield

 

On taking a vote the motion was supported

 

2.    From Councillor Simon Harris supported by Councillors Tom Biggins, Richard Marshall, Ian Nellins and Chris Schofield? 

 

Ban Both Sky Lantern and Balloon Releases from Council Property? 

 

For many years the Marine Conservation Society has run a campaign to make sky lantern and balloon releases illegal by classifying this activity as ‘littering’. The Society has not been successful.? 

 

The Society has also encouraged Local Authorities to ban these activities from property that the Authorities own – this approach, while not dealing with the problem per se, has had some success. Shropshire’s neighbouring Council of Worcestershire has banned both sky lantern and balloon releases, while Hereford has banned sky lantern releases. I understand that Shropshire Council banned sky lantern releases several years ago; although this ban is not reflected on the Society’s website.? 

 

Both these releases need to be banned for the following reasons:? 

 

·         Over the past 5 years, on average 3 balloons per 100m have been found during the Great British Beach Clean.? 

·         Balloons marketed as ‘biodegradable’ can last up to four years ie as litter? 

·         Animals, including livestock, can be injured through ingestion, entanglement and entrapment.? 

·         Marine turtles are particularly vulnerable. The digestive tract of a juvenile green turtle, washed up dead near Blackpool in 2001, was completely blocked by marine litter including a large fragment of blue latex balloon? 

·         Animals get tangled up in balloon ribbons and string, restricting their movement and the ability to eat? 

·         Sky lanterns also pose a fire hazard to crops and to thatched roof properties? 

 

I move the following motion:? 

 

1.    All Sky Lantern and Balloon releases are to be banned from all Shropshire Council property.? 

2.    Shropshire Council will request the Government to classify all such releases as littering, and thus they should be made illegal.? 

3.    Shropshire Council will run a media campaign to discourage all such releases within the County.? 

 

The motion was seconded by Councillor Dan Morris

 

On taking a vote the motion was supported

 

 

3.    From Councillor Tom Biggins supported by Councillors Geoff Elner, Ian Nellins, Chris Schofield

 

Shropshire Council notes with the utmost concern the DVSA’s decision to close the Whitchurch Driving Test centre on 10th April 2022, because the lease is due to end soon, without having undertaken any consultation with those directly affected or the local community.? 

 

The loss of the centre removes a vital service from a large part of the Shropshire Council area, including Whitchurch, Market Drayton, Wem, Ellesmere, Hodnet, Prees and all the countryside in between.?? 

In addition pupils come over the border from Bronington, Penley and Hanmer in Wales and from Malpas, Marbury, Wrenbury and Audlem and all the surrounding countryside in South Cheshire.? 

 

The nearest test centres will be at Crewe, Wrexham or Shrewsbury.?? 

Pupils will need to travel to a new driving test town to have familiarisation lessons with the road layout before taking a test. This will have the discriminatory effect of increasing the cost for a pupil, due to the extra travel time of going to and returning from a new venue with a driving instructor before the lesson/test can take place. 

? 

For example a car journey to Crewe can take ¾ hour/ 1 hour each way, dependent on traffic.? 

 

This closure will not only cause a massive inconvenience and extra travelling cost for all individual learner drivers and driving instructors in the future,? but it will also remove a local service that provides economic benefit to our area.?? 

 

This decision is arbitrary, unfounded on economic grounds, and we believe this closure goes against the Government's policy of levelling up.?? 

The detrimental effect to the local area of closing the Whitchurch Driving Test Centre is disproportionately severe and will not provide a “customer-centred service” for our area.? 

 

Shropshire Council calls on the Secretary of State at the Department for Transport:? 

?? 

1.    to reverse the decision by the Driving Standards Agency to close the Driving Test Centre in Whitchurch on 10th April 2022 and

? 

2.    to instruct the Driving Standards Agency to maintain a driving test centre in Whitchurch to ensure parity of opportunity for residents across the north of Shropshire and adjoining areas.? 

 

By way of amendment Councillor David Vasmer proposed the following: -

 

Insert after the first paragraph as follows 

 

“Shropshire Council notes the support given by Helen Morgan MP to the campaign to save the Whitchurch Test Centre. She has: 

 

a.    Criticised the DVSA’s Chief Executive who said that pupils could take their tests elsewhere. Helen Morgan said that his response “represents a fundamental misunderstanding of the problems faced by rural communities, especially the difficulties we face in getting to Crewe, Wrexham and Shrewsbury.”  

b.    Met and is working with a local community action group which is campaigning to keep the Test Centre open. 

c.    In Parliament asked the Transport Secretary Grant Shapps to keep the Test Centre open 

d.    Met with Baroness Vere and the Regional Operations Director of the DVSA to urge them to reverse their closure decision.

 

Councillor Biggins commend that he was unable to accept the amendment but was willing to add the following paragraph to the motion

 

Shropshire Council also notes the campaign to save Whitchurch Driving Test Centre led by local driving instructors and their pupils, that is supported by parish and town councils, as well as Shropshire Council Councillors and the MP for North Shropshire. 

 

Councillor Vasmer indicated that he was happy with this

 

On taking a vote it was RESOLVED

 

Shropshire Council calls on the Secretary of State at the Department for Transport:

 

 

a)    to reverse the decision by the Driving Standards Agency to close the Driving Test Centre in Whitchurch on 10th April 2022 and

 

b)    to instruct the Driving Standards Agency to maintain a driving test centre in Whitchurch to ensure parity of opportunity for residents across the north of Shropshire and adjoining areas.

 

c)    Shropshire Council also notes the campaign to save Whitchurch Driving Test Centre led by local driving instructors and their pupils that is supported by parish and town councils, as well as Shropshire Councillors and the MP for North Shropshire.

 

4.    From Councillor Heather Kidd supported by the Liberal Democrat Group

The role of Scrutiny committees is an integral and important part of the constitution of this Council and vital to the decision making process of a Council?.? ?The Council spends time, ?effort and resources running our Scrutiny Committees. Measuring their value to this Council through constructive challenge and improved policy and decision making is vital to those taking part and also to the people of Shropshire.?Good scrutiny should provide measurable outcomes.?

 

This Council therefore resolves to explicitly include the positive changes and improvements that each Scrutiny Committee has ?achieved ?throughout the year in the annual report they present to Council. This should include:?

 

·         Reporting the impact of Task & Finish Groups – where policy has changed or decisions improved?

 

·         The number of recommendations to Cabinet and whether they were adopted or rejected and why.?

 

·         Reviews of previous years implementation by Cabinet and any service outcomes at 6 or 12 months.?

 

·         A report on any pre-scrutiny work and its impact.?

 

The motion was seconded by Councillor Julia Buckley

 

On being put to a vote the motion was defeated

 

5.     From Councillor Lezley Picton supported by Councillors Gwilym Butler, Dean Carroll, Rob Gittins, Kirstie Hurst-Knight, Simon Jones, Cecilia Motley, Ian Nellins and Ed Potter? 

 

This Administration was very disappointed by the latest Government announcements regarding Shropshire Council’s Levelling Up and County Deal bids. This Council put forward first class Levelling Up bids which, if successful, would have made a huge positive difference to communities across Shropshire. Our bid for a county deal, which included asking government to devolve more powers to a local level, was seen as vital at a time when our communities and indeed our whole county is recovering from the pandemic.? 

 

As part of the announcement surrounding County Deals, Government insisted that this process was not about, nor would it involve, Local Government reorganisation.?? 

 

It has now been stated that the success of future bids may require the creation of a ‘combined authority’ for the area that could, potentially, be made up of both Shropshire Council and Telford & Wrekin Council, or even by joining with other adjacent authorities.? 

 

The communities represented by Shropshire Council and Telford & Wrekin Borough Council are very different, with different priorities and different challenges in delivering services. Active cooperation already exists between both Councils and indeed Herefordshire Council in areas of converging interests and priorities and there is no reason why this will not continue and expand.? 

 

MOTION? 

 

This Council opposes the suggestion of the creation of a single unitary authority covering the whole historic county of Shropshire. Further, that a Mayor or Governor, or any other additional layer of bureaucracy is not required.? 

 

That Shropshire Council will continue to work with neighbouring authorities, where appropriate, and without the need for amalgamation, and? 

 

That the Council Leader and Chief Executive Officer will continue to impress upon the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities that Shropshire Council is best placed to deliver the needs of its residents and that Council will continue to pursue Levelling Up Bids, CountyDeals and fairer funding for Shropshire in its own right.?? 

 

The motion was seconded by Councillor Cecilia Motley.

 

On being put to a vote the motion was supported.

 

6.     Received from Councillor Nigel Hartin and is supported by Councillors Heather Kidd, David Vasmer and Rob Wilson? 

 

This Council resolves to help as many residents as possible to organise street parties to celebrate HM The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, including advertising how to organise one, waiving all fees and covering public liability insurance.? 

 

The motion was seconded by Councillor Caroline Bagnall

 

The Leader Councillor Lezley Picton commented that it would not be possible for the Council to cover public liability insurance and informed the meeting that there was no charge for road closures for community groups and by way of amendment proposed the following: -

 

This Council resolves to help as many residents as possible to organise street parties to celebrate HM The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee by publicising specific advice and guidance for events such as Street Parties

 

Councillor Hartin agreed to accept this amendment and on being put to a vote it was RESOLVED that

 

This Council resolves to help as many residents as possible to organise street parties to celebrate HM The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee by publicising specific advice and guidance for events such as Street Parties.

 

Councillor Cecilia Motley, Portfolio Holder for Communities, Culture, Leisure and Tourism and Transport advised Members that further information was available from the Events and Licensing Officer and agreed to circulate his contact details to Councillors.