Agenda item
Motions
The following motions have been received in accordance with Procedure Rule 16:
1. Motion from Councillor Rob Wilson supported by the Liberal Democrat Group
Vision Zero
This Council notes:
1. In 2021, 16 people were killed in road traffic collisions in the Shropshire Council area.
2. This statistic has remained virtually unchanged over the past 10 years (2012: 17, 2013: 18, 2014: 15, 2015: 13, 2016: 17, 2017: 18, 2018: 15, 2019: 14, 2020: 11, 2021: 16).
3. In 2021, 121 people were killed or seriously injured in the Shropshire Council area.
4. This statistic has remained virtually unchanged over the past 10 years (2012: 146, 2013: 119, 2014: 140, 2015: 139, 2016: 169, 2017: 174, 2018: 135, 2019: 161, 2020: 123, 2021: 121).
5. In 2004, the World Health Organisation published “World report on road traffic injury prevention”. It stated: “Road traffic crashes are predictable and therefore preventable … the time to act is now. Road users everywhere deserve better and safer road travel.”
6. The effect of road traffic collisions include physical, emotional, social and economic effects for everyone involved.
7. The financial cost per fatal casualty is approximately £2,000,000. The financial cost per severely injured casualty is approximately £220,000.
8. This means in financial terms the cost of road collisions in Shropshire was approximately £60,000,000 in 2021.
9. Every 20 minutes someone is killed or seriously injured on UK roads. Much of the reporting around these incidents portrays collisions as unavoidable, obscures the presence of certain actors or omits crucial context as to why crashes happen and what we can do to prevent them.
10. The Road Collision Reporting Guidelines (https://www.rc-rg.com/guidelines) were produced in consultation with road safety, legal, media and policing organisations and individuals, to supplement professional codes of conduct and support the highest standards of reporting in broadcast, print and online.
11. They encourage media, among other things, to avoid using the word “accident” – “crash” or “collision” not carrying the same association with chance – and to acknowledge the role of motorists, with many outlets for instance continuing to carry headlines such as “car crashes into tree.”
12. In September 2022 it was announced that the Department for Transport will use “collision” instead of “accident” (https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/reported-road-casualties-great-britain-annual-report-2021/changes-to-road-casualty-statistics-following-user-feedback).
13. Detective Chief Superintendent Andy Cox is the National lead for fatal collision investigation reporting to the National Police Chiefs Council and was previously the Metropolitan Police’s lead for Vision Zero. He has been a leading voice in the need to change how we view the problems we face.
14. Vision Zero is a set of principles and policies aimed at eliminating serious injuries and fatalities involving road traffic. It shifts responsibility for crashes from road users to the designers of the road system – if one occurs, it is up to authorities to ensure that it does not happen again.
15. Traditional approaches to road safety assume that people can be taught, persuaded or compelled to behave safely. A Safe System approach is different. It accepts that while road-users should behave safely and legally, people do sometimes make mistakes, and that some mistakes lead to crashes. This premise helps us to see more clearly what needs to be done:
(a) prevent mistakes happening in the first place.
(b) ensure that any mistakes that do happen don’t end in fatal or serious injury.
16. In 1997, the Swedish Parliament adopted a new long-term goal and strategy for road safety, Vision Zero. The goal is that no one should be killed or seriously injured through a road accident. Vision Zero is an ethical stance stating that it is not acceptable for human mistakes to have fatal consequences. It can be viewed as a paradigm shift, where the ultimate responsibility for road safety is shifted from the individual road-user to those who design the transport system, for example, road management bodies, vehicle manufacturers, legislators, commercial transport operators, the police authority and others. The responsibility of the road-user is to comply with laws and regulations. (https://www.roadsafetysweden.com/about-the-conference/vision-zero---no-fatalities-or-serious-injuries-through-road-accidents/#:~:text=In%201997%2C%20the%20Swedish%20Parliament,mistakes%20to%20have%20fatal%20consequences.)
17. In 2015, the City of Oslo, Norway, made a commitment after years of rising transportation injuries to reduce car traffic and prioritize the safety of pedestrians, cyclists and the environment. The government of Norway has made a strong commitment to eliminate serious injuries and fatalities on their roadways nationally and has worked towards this vision for nearly two decades. From 2010-2019, Oslo had an average of five to seven traffic fatalities a year. The risk of fatal or serious road traffic injuries, on a trip-by-trip basis, has fallen 47% for cyclists, 41% for pedestrians and 32% for drivers between 2014 and 2018. The average number per 1 million trips for cyclists was reduced from 3.2 to 1.7, pedestrians from 0.7 to 0.4, and car occupants from 1.7 to 1.1. Finally, in 2019, Oslo achieved a critical milestone: no vulnerable road users died all year, and only one car driver died. (https://thecityfix.com/blog/how-oslo-achieved-zero-pedestrian-and-bicycle-fatalities-and-how-others-can-apply-what-worked/)
18. The Sustainable Safety vision is an optimal approach for improving road safety, originating from the Netherlands. It is a vision that is shared by many road safety professionals. A sustainably safe road traffic system prevents road deaths, serious road injuries and permanent injury by systematically reducing the underlying risks of the entire traffic system. Human factors are the primary focus: by starting from the needs, competences, limitations and vulnerability of people, the traffic system can be realistically adapted to achieve maximum safety. (https://sustainablesafety.nl/)
19. Transport for London has set a Vision Zero target of 2041. (https://mycouncil.oxfordshire.gov.uk/documents/s60940/CA_JUN2122R14%20Vision%20Zero.pdf)
20. Essex County Council has set a Vision Zero target of 2040. (https://www.essexhighways.org/news/vision-zero-no-more-deaths-on-essex-roads)
21. Kent County Council has set a Vision Zero target of 2050. (https://www.kent.gov.uk/roads-and-travel/road-safety/road-casualty-reduction-strategy)
22. In June 2022 Oxfordshire County Council voted to adopt Vision Zero. (https://mycouncil.oxfordshire.gov.uk/documents/s60940/CA_JUN2122R14%20Vision%20Zero.pdf)
23. In September 2022 Leeds City Council adopted “Leeds Safe Roads: Vision Zero 2040: Strategy and Action Plan”. It includes specific reference to the Road Collision Reporting Guidelines. (https://democracy.leeds.gov.uk/documents/s237614/Vision%20Zero%20Strategy%20Report%20Appendix%202%20120922.pdf)
This Council believes:
1. The only justifiable target should be that in the longer term no one is killed or seriously injured on the roads in Shropshire.
2. It should adopt a Vision Zero “Safe System” approach to road danger that incorporates four key principles:
(a) Safety: Road traffic systems should take account of the fact that people make mistakes and should minimise both the opportunity for error and the harm done when they do occur.
(b) Ethics: Human life and health have highest priority.
(c) Responsibility: We must all be ready to change to achieve a safe environment on our roads and there is a particular responsibility for change and reduction of danger amongst those whose modes of travel create the highest levels of risk.
(d) Active travel: A Vision Zero approach must enable healthy, clean forms of transport such as cycling and walking.
3. That language matters when talking about road collisions. For example we should refer to “road danger reduction” rather than “road safety”.
4. Vision Zero principles will change public perception about road danger, so that death and injury is no longer an inevitable part of our lives as we move around, but something that can be avoided if a serious and sustained effort is made to tackle the causes of the problem.”
This Council resolves:
1. To adopt a Vision Zero “Safe System” approach to road danger reduction.
2. To work closely with partners and stakeholders to take a whole system approach, working together on infrastructure, behaviour, technology and legislation to achieve this change.
3. To set a target date for there to be zero fatalities and severe injuries on Shropshire’s roads and streets.
4. To embed Vision Zero in all relevant Shropshire Council policies, including, but not limited to, LTP4.
5. To adopt the Road Collision Reporting Guidelines in Shropshire Council communications and encourage West Mercia Police and media organisations in Shropshire to do the same. Including but not limited to, using “road danger reduction” instead of “road safety” and assigning agency to those involved in crashes.
6. To instruct officers to bring a paper to Cabinet within 12 months to address how these points will be achieved.
2. Motion from Councillor Richard Marshall supported by Councillors Garry Burchett, Steve Davenport, Geoff Elner, Hilary Luff and Dan Morris
JUST STOP OIL MOTION
Shropshire Council Notes
1. That the United Kingdom are leading the way on climate change, with 90% of the world’s economy covered by net zero targets, a significant increase from just one third before the UK’s COP 26 presidency.
2. As a council we are supportive of the UK Government’s ambition to make this country a clean energy superpower and is proud of the UK’s overall record on cutting greenhouse emissions.
3. We recognise and understand the need to act on the environment but believes that cooperation with the UK Government and our residents is the right way to pursue our objectives.
4. We are concerned with the impact of illegal protests on residents and threats against nationally important infrastructure.
5. We recognise the right in the United Kingdom under our democracy, for peaceful protest. However, we are vehemently against protests that include wilful vandalism, the disruption of individuals attempting to earn a lawful living, the blocking of roads that impedes parents taking their children to hospital for vital lifesaving appointments and in the utterly selfish act of depriving a son attending his own father’s funeral by stopping the flow of traffic on the nation’s highways.
6. This is an issue that has impact on Shropshire residents and businesses caught up in these protests. Local Shropshire businesses have lost many hours over the past few Months with the disruption. This is at a time when both residents and businesses across Shropshire are already being hit with higher costs and can ill afford the additional costs of unlawful protests.
7. Barclays bank in Shrewsbury were subjected to a disruptive protest in November by an Extinction Rebellion group. Again, created additional inconvenience to the residents of Shropshire.
This council Resolves to:
1. Publicly condemn all illegal protests organised by Just Stop Oil or similar groups.
2. Demand the permanent cessation of all illegal protests and request these groups work constructively with both local and national government to achieve our mutually desired Net Zero Targets.
3. Motion from Councillor David Vasmer and supported by Liberal Democrat Group
Council is extremely concerned by the recently announced cuts to BBC local radio programming.
The changes will cut local programming after 2pm – with most shows after this point being broader regional or national broadcasts.
Council notes the announcement has met fierce criticism from across the political spectrum.
BBC Radio Shropshire is a vital service. It helps residents stay connected to their local community, providing local news, culture, sport and weather updates, and gives residents an opportunity to have their say and participate in local debates through phone-ins. BBC Local Radio does this in a unique way that commercial radio cannot quite match.
In the last couple of years the station was able to help spread important information and give a voice to many people isolated by the pandemic and others traumatised by floods. During the cost of living crisis local radio will play a similarly crucial role in spreading information about support services, warm banks and a number of other important lifelines for residents. It is particularly important for people who do not have access to the internet.
BBC local radio also does a great job of holding decision makers to account – both local and national – as was demonstrated by the round of local interviews conducted with former Prime Minister Liz Truss on 29 September 2022.
Council recognises the BBC is being forced into cuts by successive Government freezes to the license fee and the withdrawal of funding for free licenses for over 75’s.
Council calls on the Government to fund the BBC so it can continue to deliver a full schedule of local radio programming across the UK – in addition to it’s planned expansion of digital radio services.
Council instructs the Chief Executive to write to the Secretary of State for Culture Media and Sport, Rt Hon Michelle Donelan MP, to express our dismay at these proposed cuts to BBC local radio and to demand that the Government find a solution to cover the BBC’s predicted £295 million funding shortfall by 2027.
Council further requests that the Chief Executive write to the Director General of the BBC to celebrate the irreplaceable local service Radio Shropshire provides and stresses our desire for it’s local programming to be protected and retained.
4. Motion received from Councillor Julia Evans and Supported by the Green Group
Ambulance Hub Move and Road Safety
Council notes:
In Radbrook and Meole Brace, there are Road Safety Groups trying to make Active Travel safer to all
.
There are two Secondary Schools and one Primary School on the Ambulance main routes to the bypass and urban routes through Shrewsbury. Due to this, no speed reduction measures can be considered along these roads.
The West Midlands Ambulance Service actively looking for another site for their Shrewsbury Hub and have made it their number 1 estates priority. This needs to be a property with enough space for parking and active travel for staff.
We further note:
The last project undertaken for a new Ambulance Hub has taken 5 years, so speed is of the essence.
Council welcomes:
A dialogue between the estates Directors in WMAS with Council Officers, as announced at the last Radbrook Road Safety Meeting on 25th November.
Council urges portfolio holders to:
1. work towards a new Ambulance Hub site as quickly as possible, in order to facilitate much needed road safety improvements in residential areas.
2. investigate offering alternatives within the councils assets, in particular at Weeping Cross.
3. Assist a teaching programme between schools and the Ambulance Service.
4. Assist WMAS with public information on how to drive and pull over when blue lights are seen.
5. Negotiate with them about incorporating a local Shropshire Ambulance Control within the new Hub
Minutes:
The following motion was received from Councillor Rob Wilson supported by the Liberal Democrat Group
Vision Zero
This Council notes:
1. In 2021, 16 people were killed in road traffic collisions in the Shropshire Council area.
2. This statistic has remained virtually unchanged over the past 10 years (2012: 17, 2013: 18, 2014: 15, 2015: 13, 2016: 17, 2017: 18, 2018: 15, 2019: 14, 2020: 11, 2021: 16).
3. In 2021, 121 people were killed or seriously injured in the Shropshire Council area.
4. This statistic has remained virtually unchanged over the past 10 years (2012: 146, 2013: 119, 2014: 140, 2015: 139, 2016: 169, 2017: 174, 2018: 135, 2019: 161, 2020: 123, 2021: 121).
5. In 2004, the World Health Organisation published “World report on road traffic injury prevention”. It stated: “Road traffic crashes are predictable and therefore preventable … the time to act is now. Road users everywhere deserve better and safer road travel.”
6. The effect of road traffic collisions include physical, emotional, social and economic effects for everyone involved.
7. The financial cost per fatal casualty is approximately £2,000,000. The financial cost per severely injured casualty is approximately £220,000.
8. This means in financial terms the cost of road collisions in Shropshire was approximately £60,000,000 in 2021.
9. Every 20 minutes someone is killed or seriously injured on UK roads. Much of the reporting around these incidents portrays collisions as unavoidable, obscures the presence of certain actors or omits crucial context as to why crashes happen and what we can do to prevent them.
10.The Road Collision Reporting Guidelines (https://www.rc-rg.com/guidelines) were produced in consultation with road safety, legal, media and policing organisations and individuals, to supplement professional codes of conduct and support the highest standards of reporting in broadcast, print and online.
11.They encourage media, among other things, to avoid using the word “accident” – “crash” or “collision” not carrying the same association with chance – and to acknowledge the role of motorists, with many outlets for instance continuing to carry headlines such as “car crashes into tree.”
12.In September 2022 it was announced that the Department for Transport will use “collision” instead of “accident” (https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/reported-road-casualties-great-britain-annual-report-2021/changes-to-road-casualty-statistics-following-user-feedback).
13.Detective Chief Superintendent Andy Cox is the National lead for fatal collision investigation reporting to the National Police Chiefs Council and was previously the Metropolitan Police’s lead for Vision Zero. He has been a leading voice in the need to change how we view the problems we face.
14.Vision Zero is a set of principles and policies aimed at eliminating serious injuries and fatalities involving road traffic. It shifts responsibility for crashes from road users to the designers of the road system – if one occurs, it is up to authorities to ensure that it does not happen again.
15.Traditional approaches to road safety assume that people can be taught, persuaded or compelled to behave safely. A Safe System approach is different. It accepts that while road-users should behave safely and legally, people do sometimes make mistakes, and that some mistakes lead to crashes. This premise helps us to see more clearly what needs to be done:
a. prevent mistakes happening in the first place.
b. ensure that any mistakes that do happen don’t end in fatal or serious injury.
16.In 1997, the Swedish Parliament adopted a new long-term goal and strategy for road safety, Vision Zero. The goal is that no one should be killed or seriously injured through a road accident. Vision Zero is an ethical stance stating that it is not acceptable for human mistakes to have fatal consequences. It can be viewed as a paradigm shift, where the ultimate responsibility for road safety is shifted from the individual road-user to those who design the transport system, for example, road management bodies, vehicle manufacturers, legislators, commercial transport operators, the police authority and others. The responsibility of the road-user is to comply with laws and regulations. (https://www.roadsafetysweden.com/about-the-conference/vision-zero---no-fatalities-or-serious-injuries-through-road-accidents/#:~:text=In%201997%2C%20the%20Swedish%20Parliament,mistakes%20to%20have%20fatal%20consequences.)
17.In 2015, the City of Oslo, Norway, made a commitment after years of rising transportation injuries to reduce car traffic and prioritize the safety of pedestrians, cyclists and the environment. The government of Norway has made a strong commitment to eliminate serious injuries and fatalities on their roadways nationally and has worked towards this vision for nearly two decades. From 2010-2019, Oslo had an average of five to seven traffic fatalities a year. The risk of fatal or serious road traffic injuries, on a trip-by-trip basis, has fallen 47% for cyclists, 41% for pedestrians and 32% for drivers between 2014 and 2018. The average number per 1 million trips for cyclists was reduced from 3.2 to 1.7, pedestrians from 0.7 to 0.4, and car occupants from 1.7 to 1.1. Finally, in 2019, Oslo achieved a critical milestone: no vulnerable road users died all year, and only one car driver died. (https://thecityfix.com/blog/how-oslo-achieved-zero-pedestrian-and-bicycle-fatalities-and-how-others-can-apply-what-worked/)
18.The Sustainable Safety vision is an optimal approach for improving road safety, originating from the Netherlands. It is a vision that is shared by many road safety professionals. A sustainably safe road traffic system prevents road deaths, serious road injuries and permanent injury by systematically reducing the underlying risks of the entire traffic system. Human factors are the primary focus: by starting from the needs, competences, limitations and vulnerability of people, the traffic system can be realistically adapted to achieve maximum safety. (https://sustainablesafety.nl/)
19.Transport for London has set a Vision Zero target of 2041. (https://mycouncil.oxfordshire.gov.uk/documents/s60940/CA_JUN2122R14%20Vision%20Zero.pdf)
20.Essex County Council has set a Vision Zero target of 2040. (https://www.essexhighways.org/news/vision-zero-no-more-deaths-on-essex-roads)
21.Kent County Council has set a Vision Zero target of 2050. (https://www.kent.gov.uk/roads-and-travel/road-safety/road-casualty-reduction-strategy)
22.In June 2022 Oxfordshire County Council voted to adopt Vision Zero. (https://mycouncil.oxfordshire.gov.uk/documents/s60940/CA_JUN2122R14%20Vision%20Zero.pdf)
23.In September 2022 Leeds City Council adopted “Leeds Safe Roads: Vision Zero 2040: Strategy and Action Plan”. It includes specific reference to the Road Collision Reporting Guidelines. (https://democracy.leeds.gov.uk/documents/s237614/Vision%20Zero%20Strategy%20Report%20Appendix%202%20120922.pdf)
This Council believes:
1. The only justifiable target should be that in the longer term no one is killed or seriously injured on the roads in Shropshire.
2. It should adopt a Vision Zero “Safe System” approach to road danger that incorporates four key principles:
a. Safety: Road traffic systems should take account of the fact that people make mistakes and should minimise both the opportunity for error and the harm done when they do occur.
b. Ethics: Human life and health have highest priority.
c. Responsibility: We must all be ready to change to achieve a safe environment on our roads and there is a particular responsibility for change and reduction of danger amongst those whose modes of travel create the highest levels of risk.
d. Active travel: A Vision Zero approach must enable healthy, clean forms of transport such as cycling and walking.
3. That language matters when talking about road collisions. For example we should refer to “road danger reduction” rather than “road safety”.
4. Vision Zero principles will change public perception about road danger, so that death and injury is no longer an inevitable part of our lives as we move around, but something that can be avoided if a serious and sustained effort is made to tackle the causes of the problem.”
This Council resolves:
1. To adopt a Vision Zero “Safe System” approach to road danger reduction.
2. To work closely with partners and stakeholders to take a whole system approach, working together on infrastructure, behaviour, technology and legislation to achieve this change.
3. To set a target date for there to be zero fatalities and severe injuries on Shropshire’s roads and streets.
4. To embed Vision Zero in all relevant Shropshire Council policies, including, but not limited to, LTP4.
5. To adopt the Road Collision Reporting Guidelines in Shropshire Council communications and encourage West Mercia Police and media organisations in Shropshire to do the same. Including but not limited to, using “road danger reduction” instead of “road safety” and assigning agency to those involved in crashes.
6. To instruct officers to bring a paper to Cabinet within 12 months to address how these points will be achieved.
Councillor David Vasmer seconded the motion
By way of amendment Councillor Rosemary Dartnall proposed that point 2 of the resolution be amended to read: -
To work closely with partners and stakeholders to take a whole system approach, working together on infrastructure, behaviour, technology and legislation to achieve this change, including the introduction of a 20 mph speed limit in all residential streets, urban or rural, throughout Shropshire.
The amendment was seconded by Councillor Tony Parsons
On being put to a recorded vote with 27 Members voting for, 38 against and no abstentions as follows:
Councillors Bagnall, Boddington, Buckley, Connolly, Dartnall, Davies, Dean, J Evans, R Evans, Green, Halliday, Hartin, Houghton, R Huffer, T Huffer, Isherwood, Kerr, Kidd, Moseley, Mosley, Pardy, Parry, Parsons, Towers, Vasmer, Wagner and Wilson
AGAINST:
Councillors Aldcroft, Anderson, Bardsley, Barrow, Bentick Biggins, Bird, Broomhall, Burchett, Butler, Charmley, Davenport, Elner, D Evans, Gill, Harris, Hignett, Hunt, Hurst-Knight, M Jones, S Jones, Lea, Luff, Lumby, Lynch, Macey, Marshall, Morris, Motley, Mullock, Nellins, Picton, Potter, Schofield, Thomas, Wild, B Williams and Wynn.
The amendment fell
On being put to a recorded vote with 27 Members voting for, 38 against and no abstentions as follows:
Councillors Bagnall, Bentick, Boddington, Buckley, Connolly, Dartnall, Davies, Dean, J Evans, R Evans, Green, Halliday, Hartin, Houghton, R Huffer, T Huffer, Isherwood, Kerr, Kidd, Moseley, Pardy, Parry, Parsons, Towers, Vasmer, Wagner and Wilson
AGAINST:
Councillors Aldcroft, Anderson, Bardsley, Barrow, Biggins, Bird, Broomhall, Burchett, Butler, Carroll, Charmley, Davenport, Elner, D Evans, Gill, Harris, Hignett, Hunt, Hurst-Knight, M Jones, S Jones, Lea, Luff, Lumby, Lynch, Macey, Marshall, Morris, Motley, Mullock, Nellins, Picton, Potter, Schofield, Thomas, Wild, B Williams and Wynn.
The motion fell
On a point of order Councillor R Evans proposed that under paragraph 17.i of the Council Constitution that the meeting proceed to the next business as he felt that the next motion to be discussed did not fall within the remit of the council. This was seconded by Councillor David Vasmer.
On taking a vote the motion was defeated.
Having declared an interest Councillor Richard Marshall left the meeting and took no part in the debate or voting
The following motion was received from Councillor Richard Marshall supported by Councillors Garry Burchett, Steve Davenport, Geoff Elner, Hilary Luff and Dan Morris, and was proposed by Councillor Dan Morris
Just Stop Oil Motion
Shropshire Council Notes
1.That the United Kingdom are leading the way on climate change, with 90% of the world’s economy covered by net zero targets, a significant increase from just one third before the UK’s COP 26 presidency.
2.As a council we are supportive of the UK Government’s ambition to make this country a clean energy superpower and is proud of the UK’s overall record on cutting greenhouse emissions.
3.We recognise and understand the need to act on the environment but believes that cooperation with the UK Government and our residents is the right way to pursue our objectives.
4.We are concerned with the impact of illegal protests on residents and threats against nationally important infrastructure.
5.We recognise the right in the United Kingdom under our democracy, for peaceful protest. However, we are vehemently against protests that include wilful vandalism, the disruption of individuals attempting to earn a lawful living, the blocking of roads that impedes parents taking their children to hospital for vital lifesaving appointments and in the utterly selfish act of depriving a son attending his own father’s funeral by stopping the flow of traffic on the nation’s highways.
6.This is an issue that has impact on Shropshire residents and businesses caught up in these protests. Local Shropshire businesses have lost many hours over the past few Months with the disruption. This is at a time when both residents and businesses across Shropshire are already being hit with higher costs and can ill afford the additional costs of unlawful protests.
7.Barclays bank in Shrewsbury were subjected to a disruptive protest in November by an Extinction Rebellion group. Again, created additional inconvenience to the residents of Shropshire.
This council Resolves to:
1.Publicly condemn all illegal protests organised by Just Stop Oil or similar groups.
2.Demand the permanent cessation of all illegal protests and request these groups work constructively with both local and national government to achieve our mutually desired Net Zero Targets.
This was seconded by Councillor Steve Davenport.
By way of amendment Councillor Julian Dean proposed that the motion be amended to read
Shropshire Council Notes
1. That the recent decision to go ahead with a coal mine in Cumbria – condemned by the governments own advisory body, the Committee on Climate Change; the effective ban on on-shore wind – only partially lifted under pressure this month; the failure to tackle the UKs housing stock, with the leakiest homes in Europe leaving emissions high and driving households in to fuel poverty; the further delay to promised funding for insulation in the Autumn Statement; the failure to provide adequate funding for the decarbonisation of transport, as evidenced by this council’s inability to access adequate funding for buses; the delays to planning laws to ensure net zero carbon building regulations, all ?demonstrate that the UK has failed to lead the way on climate mitigation and adaptation despite holding the presidency for COP26. ?
2. As a council we are supportive of the UK Government’s ambition to make this country a clean energy superpower .
3. We recognise and understand the need to act on the environment and believe that cooperation with the UK Government and our residents is the right way to pursue our objectives.
4. We are concerned with the impact of increased flooding, heatwaves, deteriorating soil health and threats against nationally important infrastructure from climate breakdown.
5. We recognise the right to peaceful protest. We further recognise that disruptive protests have helped to ensure that issues from women’s suffrage to the climate emergency have been brought to wider attention. We call on protesters to be mindful of the impact of their action on the public, but also condemn the attack on the right to protest enshrined in recent and proposed legislation.
?
This Council Resolves to
:
1. Publicly condemn the increasingly draconian restrictions on the right to protest in the Police, Crime and Sentencing Act and the Public Order Bill.
2. Demand the reversal of the recent decision to go ahead with the Cumbrian coal mine, as a first step towards more effective action on the climate emergency and call on national government to respond positively to the recommendations in the?Local Net Zero Delivery Progress?reports published earlier this year by UK100, to which Shropshire Council belongs.?
This was seconded by Councillor Duncan Kerr.
On being put to a vote the amendment was defeated
On being put to a recorded vote with 34 Members voting for, 7 against and 20 abstentions as follows:
FOR:
Councillors Aldcroft, Anderson, Bardsley, Barrow, Biggins, Bird, Broomhall, Burchett, Butler, Carroll, Charmley, Davenport, Elner, D Evans, Gill, Harris, Hignett, Hunt, Hurst-Knight, M Jones, S Jones, Lea, Luff, Lumby, Lynch, Morris, Motley, Mullock, Nellins, Picton, Schofield, Wild, B Williams and Wynn.
AGAINST:
Councillors Boddington, Dean, J Evans, Hartin, T Huffer, Isherwood and Kerr
ABSTAIN:
Councillors Bagnall, Bentick, Buckley, Connolly, Dartnall, Davies, R Evans, Green, Halliday, Houghton, R Huffer, , Kidd, Moseley, Pardy, Parry, Parsons, Towers, Vasmer, Wagner and Wilson
It was RESOLVED:
Shropshire Council Notes
2.That the United Kingdom are leading the way on climate change, with 90% of the world’s economy covered by net zero targets, a significant increase from just one third before the UK’s COP 26 presidency.
3.As a council we are supportive of the UK Government’s ambition to make this country a clean energy superpower and is proud of the UK’s overall record on cutting greenhouse emissions.
4.We recognise and understand the need to act on the environment but believes that cooperation with the UK Government and our residents is the right way to pursue our objectives.
5.We are concerned with the impact of illegal protests on residents and threats against nationally important infrastructure.
6.We recognise the right in the United Kingdom under our democracy, for peaceful protest. However, we are vehemently against protests that include wilful vandalism, the disruption of individuals attempting to earn a lawful living, the blocking of roads that impedes parents taking their children to hospital for vital lifesaving appointments and in the utterly selfish act of depriving a son attending his own father’s funeral by stopping the flow of traffic on the nation’s highways.
7.This is an issue that has impact on Shropshire residents and businesses caught up in these protests. Local Shropshire businesses have lost many hours over the past few Months with the disruption. This is at a time when both residents and businesses across Shropshire are already being hit with higher costs and can ill afford the additional costs of unlawful protests.
8.Barclays bank in Shrewsbury were subjected to a disruptive protest in November by an Extinction Rebellion group. Again, created additional inconvenience to the residents of Shropshire.
That this council resolves to:
1. Publicly condemn all illegal protests organised by Just Stop Oil or similar groups.
2. Demand the permanent cessation of all illegal protests and request these groups work constructively with both local and national government to achieve our mutually desired Net Zero Targets.
The following motion had been received from Councillor David Vasmer and was supported by Liberal Democrat Group
Council is extremely concerned by the recently announced cuts to BBC local radio programming.
The changes will cut local programming after 2pm – with most shows after this point being broader regional or national broadcasts.
Council notes the announcement has met fierce criticism from across the political spectrum.
BBC Radio Shropshire is a vital service.? It helps residents stay connected to their local community, providing local news, culture, sport and weather updates, and gives residents an opportunity to have their say and participate in local debates through phone-ins. BBC Local Radio does this in a unique way that commercial radio cannot quite match.
In the last couple of years the station was able to help spread important information and give a voice to many people isolated by the pandemic and others traumatised by floods. During the cost of living crisis local radio will play a similarly crucial role in spreading information about support services, warm banks and a number of other important lifelines for residents. It is particularly important for people who do not have access to the internet.
BBC local radio also does a great job of holding decision makers to account – both local and national – as was demonstrated by the round of local interviews conducted with former Prime Minister Liz Truss on 29 September 2022.
?
Council recognises the BBC is being forced into cuts by successive Government freezes to the license fee and the withdrawal of funding for free licenses for over 75’s.
Council calls on the Government to fund the BBC so it can continue to deliver a full schedule of local radio programming across the UK – in addition to it’s planned expansion of digital radio services
.
Council instructs the Chief Executive to write to the Secretary of State for Culture Media and Sport, Rt Hon Michelle Donelan MP, to express our dismay at these proposed cuts to BBC local radio and to demand that the Government find a solution to cover the BBC’s predicted £295 million funding shortfall by 2027.
Council further requests that the Chief Executive write to the Director General of the BBC to celebrate the irreplaceable local service Radio Shropshire provides and stresses our desire for it’s local programming to be protected and retained.
This was seconded by Councillor Heather Kidd
By way of amendment the Leader, Councillor Picton proposed that the motion be amended to read:
Council notes the announcement has met fierce criticism from across the political spectrum.
BBC Radio Shropshire is a vital service.? It helps residents stay connected to their local community, providing local news, culture, sport and weather updates, and gives residents an opportunity to have their say and participate in local debates through phone-ins. BBC Local Radio does this in a unique way that commercial radio cannot quite match.
In the last couple of years the station was able to help spread important information and give a voice to many people isolated by the pandemic and others traumatised by floods. During the cost of living crisis local radio will play a similarly crucial role in spreading information about support services, warm banks and a number of other important lifelines for residents. It is particularly important for people who do not have access to the internet.
BBC local radio also does a great job of holding decision makers to account – both local and national – as was demonstrated by the round of local interviews conducted with former Prime Minister Liz Truss on 29 September 2022.
?
Council instructs the Leader to write to the Secretary of State for Culture Media and Sport, Rt Hon Michelle Donelan MP, to express our concern at these proposed cuts to BBC local radio and to ask that the Government work with the BBC to find a solution to cover the BBC’s predicted £295 million funding shortfall by 2027.
Council further requests that the Chief Executive write to the Director General of the BBC to celebrate the irreplaceable local service Radio Shropshire provides and stresses our desire for it’s local programming to be protected and retained.
Councillor Vasmer accepted the amendment and on taking a vote it was RESOLVED
That Council is extremely concerned by the recently announced cuts to BBC local radio programming. The changes will cut local programming after 2pm – with most shows after this point being broader regional or national broadcasts.
That Council notes the announcement has met fierce criticism from across the political spectrum. BBC Radio Shropshire is a vital service.? It helps residents stay connected to their local community, providing local news, culture, sport and weather updates, and gives residents an opportunity to have their say and participate in local debates through phone-ins. BBC Local Radio does this in a unique way that commercial radio cannot quite match.
In the last couple of years the station was able to help spread important information and give a voice to many people isolated by the pandemic and others traumatised by floods. During the cost of living crisis local radio will play a similarly crucial role in spreading information about support services, warm banks and a number of other important lifelines for residents. It is particularly important for people who do not have access to the internet.
BBC local radio also does a great job of holding decision makers to account – both local and national – as was demonstrated by the round of local interviews conducted with former Prime Minister Liz Truss on 29 September 2022.
?
Council instructs the Leader to write to the Secretary of State for Culture Media and Sport, Rt Hon Michelle Donelan MP, to express our concern at these proposed cuts to BBC local radio and to ask that the Government work with the BBC to find a solution to cover the BBC’s predicted £295 million funding shortfall by 2027.
Council further requests that the Chief Executive write to the Director General of the BBC to celebrate the irreplaceable local service Radio Shropshire provides and stresses our desire for it’s local programming to be protected and retained.
The following motion had been received from Councillor Julia Evans and was supported by the Green Group
Ambulance Hub Move and Road Safety
Council notes:?
In Radbrook and Meole Brace, there are Road Safety Groups trying to make Active Travel safer to all
.??
There are two Secondary Schools and one Primary School on the Ambulance main routes to the bypass and urban routes through Shrewsbury. Due to this, no speed reduction measures can be considered along these roads.?
?
The West Midlands Ambulance Service actively looking for another site for their Shrewsbury Hub and have made it their number 1 estates priority. This needs to be a property with enough space for parking and active travel for staff.?
?
We further note:?
The last project undertaken for a new Ambulance Hub has taken 5 years, so speed is of the essence.??
Council welcomes:?
A dialogue between the estates Directors in WMAS with Council Officers, as announced at the last Radbrook Road Safety Meeting on 25th November.?
?
Council urges portfolio holders to:?
1. Work towards a new Ambulance Hub site as quickly as possible, in order to facilitate much needed road safety improvements in residential areas.??
2. Investigate offering alternatives within the councils assets, in particular at Weeping Cross.?
3. Assist a teaching programme between schools and the Ambulance Service.?
4. Assist WMAS with public information on how to drive and pull over when blue lights are seen.?
5. Negotiate with them about incorporating a local Shropshire Ambulance Control within the new Hub
This was seconded by Councillor Bernie Bentick
By way of amendment The Leader Council Picton proposed that the final part of the motion be amended to read
Council urges portfolio holders to:?
1. Work with WMAS to bring forward a new Ambulance Hub site.
2. Work with WMAS to investigate site alternatives within the council’s assets and through the One Public Estate programme which Shropshire Council leads.
3. Encourage WMAS to incorporate a local Shropshire Ambulance Control within the new Hub.
4. Utilise the Council’s Communication Channels to assist WMAS with public information on driving safely around blue light vehicles.
5. Upon vacation of the new Ambulance Hub install agreed road safety improvements on Longden Road.
Councillor J Evans accepted the amendment and on taking a vote it was RESOLVED:
That Council notes:?
In Radbrook and Meole Brace, there are Road Safety Groups trying to make Active Travel safer to all
.??
There are two Secondary Schools and one Primary School on the Ambulance main routes to the bypass and urban routes through Shrewsbury. Due to this, no speed reduction measures can be considered along these roads.?
?
The West Midlands Ambulance Service actively looking for another site for their Shrewsbury Hub and have made it their number 1 estates priority. This needs to be a property with enough space for parking and active travel for staff.?
?
We further note:?
The last project undertaken for a new Ambulance Hub has taken 5 years, so speed is of the essence.??
Council welcomes:?
A dialogue between the estates Directors in WMAS with Council Officers, as announced at the last Radbrook Road Safety Meeting on 25th November.?
Council urges portfolio holders to:?
1. Work with WMAS to bring forward a new Ambulance Hub site.
2. Work with WMAS to investigate site alternatives within the council’s assets and through the One Public Estate programme which Shropshire Council leads.
3. Encourage WMAS to incorporate a local Shropshire Ambulance Control within the new Hub.
4. Utilise the Council’s Communication Channels to assist WMAS with public information on driving safely around blue light vehicles.
5. Upon vacation of the new Ambulance Hub install agreed road safety improvements on Longden Road.