Agenda item
Motions
The following motions have been received in accordance with Procedure Rule 16:
1. The following motion has been received from Councillor Kate Halliday and is supported by the Labour Group:
Clean, healthy rivers are essential to Shropshire’s prosperity and wellbeing. In recent years the water quality has deteriorated for a variety of reasons but the chief contributor is the frequent and intermittent discharges of sewage when it rains. These combined sewage outfalls (CSOs) have contributed to the deterioration of water quality and biodiversity. Fish stocks have reduced by 60% in the last 10 years. Water firms discharged raw sewage into English waters 400,000 times last year, an increase of 27% on the previous year.
The Environment Bill requires sewerage undertakers to ensure progressive reduction of the adverse impact of discharges, and introduces additional monitoring and reporting obligations. However it does not give water companies a timetable to invest and update the sewage system, and there remains no legal duty on water companies not to release sewage into our waterways. It is therefore important that Shropshire Council plays an active role in holding key partners to account.
Motion: This council will:
1. Call on Place Scrutiny and Overview Committee to set up a Task and Finish Group to look into the issue and meet the Environment Agency and Severn Trent Water. Their report should seek to better understand the reporting and reasons for both sewage discharges and farm-related discharges and their impact on the bio-diversity of rivers and the health of those who swim in the river.
2. Urge Severn Trent to increase funding and provide timescales for mitigating the effects of sewerage and other pollutants being discharged into our rivers
3. Investigate how the main rivers in Shropshire may achieve and maintain Blue Flag status
4. Map and analyse the additional impact on sewerage into the rivers from the proposed additional house building in the draft Shropshire Plan to 2038, and consider investing CIL monies into schemes to end the discharge of sewerage and other pollutants into our rivers.
2. The following motion has been received from Councillor Nat Green and is supported by the Liberal Democrat Group:
It is well known that excessive noise is damaging to both physical and mental health. It also is degrading to the environment and general amenity of an area. In recent years there have been successful trials of acoustic cameras to catch motorists and motorcycle riders with vehicles that emit excessive noise. The threshold set in the trials in London was 80db. Emergency vehicles and otherwise law-abiding HGVs would not suffer fines. This motion calls on the administration to consider a pilot scheme that, if successful, could be rolled out across towns in Shropshire.
3. The following motion has been received from Councillor Heather Kidd and is supported by the Liberal Democrat Group:
This Council Notes
1. The worsening of ambulance services in Shropshire over recent years despite the best efforts and dedication of ambulance staff.
2. That patients are dying waiting for an ambulance in Shropshire
3. Queues of ambulances at both the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and the Princess Royal Hospital because there are no beds available for patients.
4. The Government’s failure to release funds to bring the improvements in hospital services that Future Fit promised
5. The poor location of the current Shropshire ambulance hub in Meole near two secondary schools.
6. That the Shrewsbury & Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH) has not attended meetings called to discuss ambulances queuing outside hospitals
This Council Resolves to:
1. Demand that all parties be required to attend regular meetings between the West Midlands Ambulance Service and the Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust hosted by Shropshire Council. The aim would be to draw up an action plan with completion dates so that the number of ambulances queuing outside hospitals is reduced.
2. Work with the West Midlands Ambulance Service Trust to find an alternative site for a hub that gives quicker access to major roads without passing through residential areas.
3. Organise a lobbying campaign of Government with the support of both the ambulance and hospital trusts working in Shropshire with two demands:
a. Funds be released to fund Future Fit
b. Increase the number of ambulances working in Shropshire from the current 12 to a maximum capacity of 16.
4. The following motion has been received from Councillor Julian Dean and is supported by the Green Group:
Council notes that since the last Shropshire Economic Strategy was published the UK has left the EU, the world has struggled with the Coronavirus pandemic, the UK government has made a legally binding commitment to achieve net zero carbon by 2050 and Shropshire Council has declared a climate emergency with a commitment to achieve net zero by 2030.
We further note that the Corporate Plan 2019-20 to 2021-22 makes no mention of working towards ‘net zero’, nor of the opportunities for work, healthier living and economic well being involved in a just transition to a fossil fuel free economy. In particular we note that the performance management dashboard related to the Corporate Plan contains only 3 targets, two related to care and one related to recycling rates. Examples of possible areas for performance measures that are missing include levels of local renewable energy generation; proportion of homes built to zero carbon standards; proportion of homes undergoing retrofit; proportion of journeys shifted to sustainable transport modes; proportion of council procurement and contracting going to sustainable and local enterprises; availability of EV charging.
Council believes that Shropshire deserves a robust Corporate Plan and associated Economic and Wellbeing Strategy that puts a just transition to a zero-carbon local economy at its heart, drawing on best practice in community wealth building.
We note that the Place Overview Committee recommended extended member workshops on ‘building back better, including input from experts beyond the council’ to support the development of the economic strategy.
We call on the cabinet to create meaningful opportunities for engagement involving members, communities, local organisations and businesses to help shape these strategies.
Minutes:
The following motions had been received in accordance with Procedure Rule 16
1. From Councillor Kate Halliday and supported by the Labour Group:
Clean, healthy rivers are essential to Shropshire’s prosperity and wellbeing. In recent years the water quality has deteriorated for a variety of reasons but the chief contributor is the frequent and intermittent discharges of sewage when it rains. These combined sewage outfalls (CSOs) have contributed to the deterioration of water quality and biodiversity. Fish stocks have reduced by 60% in the last 10 years. Water firms discharged raw sewage into English waters 400,000 times last year, an increase of 27% on the previous year.
The Environment Bill requires sewerage undertakers to ensure progressive reduction of the adverse impact of discharges and introduces additional monitoring and reporting obligations. However, it does not give water companies a timetable to invest and update the sewage system, and there remains no legal duty on water companies not to release sewage into our waterways. It is therefore important that Shropshire Council plays an active role in holding key partners to account.
Motion: This council will:
1. Call on Place Scrutiny and Overview Committee to set up a Task and Finish Group to look into the issue and meet the Environment Agency and Severn Trent Water. Their report should seek to better understand the reporting and reasons for both sewage discharges and farm-related discharges and their impact on the bio-diversity of rivers and the health of those who swim in the river.
2. Urge Severn Trent to increase funding and provide timescales for mitigating the effects of sewerage and other pollutants being discharged into our rivers
3. Investigate how the main rivers in Shropshire may achieve and maintain Blue Flag status
4. Map and analyse the additional impact on sewerage into the rivers from the proposed additional house building in the draft Shropshire Plan to 2038, and consider investing CIL monies into schemes to end the discharge of sewerage and other pollutants into our rivers.
Councillor Julia Evans seconded the motion
?
By way of amendment The Portfolio Holder for Physical infrastructure Councillor Dean Carroll proposed that recommendation 4 be amended to read: -
Through the planning process, hold the water companies to account to provide adequate sewerage provision for the expanse of housing proposed in the draft Shropshire Plan
Councillor Halliday agreed that the amendment be accepted and asked that Welsh Water be added to the motion as they supplied water to a small part of the county.
On being put to a vote it was resolved
This council will:
1. Call on Place Scrutiny and Overview Committee to set up a Task and Finish Group to look into the issue and meet the Environment Agency, Welsh Water and Severn Trent Water. Their report should seek to better understand the reporting and reasons for both sewage discharges and farm-related discharges and their impact on the bio-diversity of rivers and the health of those who swim in the river.
2. Urge Severn Trent and Welsh Water to increase funding and provide timescales for mitigating the effects of sewerage and other pollutants being discharged into our rivers
3. Investigate how the main rivers in Shropshire may achieve and maintain Blue Flag status
4. Through the planning process, hold the water companies to account to provide adequate sewerage provision for the expanse of housing proposed in the draft Shropshire Plan
2. From Councillor Nat Green and supported by the Liberal Democrat Group:
It is well known that excessive noise is damaging to both physical and mental health. It also is degrading to the environment and general amenity of an area. In recent years there have been successful trials of acoustic cameras to catch motorists and motorcycle riders with vehicles that emit excessive noise. The threshold set in the trials in London was 80db. Emergency vehicles and otherwise law-abiding HGVs would not suffer fines.
This motion calls on the administration to consider a pilot scheme that, if successful, could be rolled out across towns in Shropshire.
Councillor Viv Parry seconded the motion
By way of amendment The Portfolio Holder for Physical infrastructure Councillor Dean Carroll proposed that the motion be amended to read:
This motion calls on the council to seek funding for a pilot scheme that, if successful, could be rolled out across towns and parishes in Shropshire.
Councillor Green accepted the amendment and on taking a vote it was resolved:
That the council seek funding for a pilot scheme that, if successful, could be rolled out across towns and parishes in Shropshire.
3. From Councillor Heather Kidd, supported by the Liberal Democrat Group:
This Council Notes
1. The worsening of ambulance services in Shropshire over recent years despite the best efforts and dedication of ambulance staff.
2. That patients are dying waiting for an ambulance in Shropshire
3. Queues of ambulances at both the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and the Princess Royal Hospital because there are no beds available for patients.
4. The Government’s failure to release funds to bring the improvements in hospital services that Future Fit promised
5. The poor location of the current Shropshire ambulance hub in Meole near two secondary schools.
6. That the Shrewsbury & Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH) has not attended meetings called to discuss ambulances queuing outside hospitals
This Council Resolves to:
1. Demand that all parties be required to attend regular meetings between the West Midlands Ambulance Service and the Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust hosted by Shropshire Council. The aim would be to draw up an action plan with completion dates so that the number of ambulances queuing outside hospitals is reduced.
2. Work with the West Midlands Ambulance Service Trust to find an alternative site for a hub that gives quicker access to major roads without passing through residential areas.
3. Organise a lobbying campaign of Government with the support of both the ambulance and hospital trusts working in Shropshire with two demands:
a. Funds be released to fund Future Fit
b. Increase the number of ambulances working in Shropshire from the current 12 to a maximum capacity of 16.
Councillor Bernie Bentick seconded the motion
By way if amendment Councillor Dean Carrol proposed the following
This Council Notes
1. The worsening of ambulance services in Shropshire over recent years despite the best efforts and dedication of ambulance staff.
2. That patients are dying waiting for an ambulance in Shropshire
3. Queues of ambulances at both the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and the Princess Royal Hospital because there are no beds available for patients.
This Council Resolves to lobby the Government to create an independent Ambulance Service for Shropshire that will prioritise the needs of a large rural community.
Councillor Kidd accepted the amendment subject to the addition of the following:
This Council supports the HWBB to facilitate improvement dialogue between WMAS & SaTH with the objective of drawing up an action plan with completion dates so that the number of ambulances queueing outside hospitals is reduced
On taking a vote it was resolved:
This Council Notes
1. The worsening of ambulance services in Shropshire over recent years despite the best efforts and dedication of ambulance staff.
2. That patients are dying waiting for an ambulance in Shropshire
3. Queues of ambulances at both the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and the Princess Royal Hospital because there are no beds available for patients.
This Council Resolves to lobby the Government to create an independent Ambulance Service for Shropshire that will prioritise the needs of a large rural community
This Council supports the HWBB to facilitate improvement dialogue between WMAS & SaTH with the objective of drawing up an action plan with completion dates so that the number of ambulances queueing outside hospitals is reduced
4. From Councillor Julian Dean, supported by the Green Group:
Council notes that since the last Shropshire Economic Strategy was published the UK has left the EU, the world has struggled with the Coronavirus pandemic, the UK government has made a legally binding commitment to achieve net zero carbon by 2050 and Shropshire Council has declared a climate emergency with a commitment to achieve net zero by 2030.
We further note that the Corporate Plan 2019-20 to 2021-22 makes no mention of working towards ‘net zero’, nor of the opportunities for work, healthier living and economic well being involved in a just transition to a fossil fuel free economy. In particular we note that the performance management dashboard related to the Corporate Plan contains only 3 targets, two related to care and one related to recycling rates. Examples of possible areas for performance measures that are missing include levels of local renewable energy generation; proportion of homes built to zero carbon standards; proportion of homes undergoing retrofit; proportion of journeys shifted to sustainable transport modes; proportion of council procurement and contracting going to sustainable and local enterprises; availability of EV charging.
Council believes that Shropshire deserves a robust Corporate Plan and associated Economic and Wellbeing Strategy that puts a just transition to a zero-carbon local economy at its heart, drawing on best practice in community wealth building.
We note that the Place Overview Committee recommended extended member workshops on ‘building back better, including input from experts beyond the council’ to support the development of the economic strategy.
We call on the cabinet to create meaningful opportunities for engagement involving members, communities, local organisations and businesses to help shape these strategies.
Councillor Mike Isherwood seconded the motion
On taking a vote the motion was defeated