Two Notices of Motion have been submitted for consideration by Council.

Notice of Motion One

Submitted by Councillors EPJ Harvey, AM Atkinson, MAF Hubbard, JLV Kenyon and FM Norman.

Background: In December 2012 The Portas Review: “An independent review into the future of our high streets” was published by the Department of Business Innovation & Skills. In 2012 funds have been made available for pilot projects across the country to implement some of this report’s recommendations. Currently this county has 4 bids submitted for funding under the second tranche of Portas Pilot projects covering: Hereford City, Ledbury, Leominster and Ross-on-Wye.

Huge amounts of thought and effort have come together to construct these bids – which are all aimed at strengthening and improving the retail centres of our market towns and cathedral city. The teams submitting these bids have brought together the ideas and enthusiasm of communities across our county. Whether or not one or more of our bids is successful in the latest round of funding, there is much which this Council can do to support and encourage these communities to deliver on their visions and to work together to share their ideas to the benefit of all the high streets of Herefordshire.

With this in mind, I propose that this Council resolves to support the high streets of Herefordshire by implementing the local government level recommendations of the Portas report; encouraging landlords, business owners and communities to work together to ensure the relevance, resilience and renewal of all of our town centres. Specifically we shall:

1.    endorse, encourage and materially support the “Town Team” model of community engagement in the operational management of our high streets;

2.    celebrate markets in all their forms and encourage new market traders by actively reviewing trading regulations and promoting a “Herefordshire Market Day”;

3.    encourage new business through the exercise of new powers to approve business rate concessions and by the implementation of parking schemes tailored to the needs of a Locality in discussion with Town Teams;

4.    facilitate skills sharing and mentoring between large businesses and small local and independent retailers;

5.    engage with commercial landlords to support new and existing businesses through more flexible rent reviews, short tenancies and pop-up business models, and, if necessary, use statutory powers of compulsory purchase to ensure the redevelopment of key high street retail space; and

6.    promote Neighbourhood Planning and encourage the inclusion of the High Street as a distinct area in Neighbourhood Plans.

Notice of Motion Two

Submitted by Councillor PM Morgan.

This Council is extremely concerned that the West Mercia Police are planning to reduce the number of Community Support Officers within Herefordshire.

This Council would like to ask the West Mercia Police to reconsider this decision, and see if there are ways in which we could work together to preserve and enhance the Community Support Officer role, which we believe performs an extremely valuable service within our communities.

Notice of Motion One - Supporting the High Streets of Herefordshire

Councillor EPJ Harvey proposed the Notice of Motion and Councillor AM Atkinson seconded it.

Councillor Harvey noted that Councillors from all four of the Market Towns that had submitted bids for funding under the second tranche of Portas Pilot projects had signed the motion.  A number of recommendations in the Portas Review were for implementation at local level and the motion sought to support these aspects being taken forward.

She stated that the County had a truly unique architecture: a large market town in the form of the cathedral city at the geographical centre surrounded by five distinct and characterful market towns – pretty much equidistant from one another and from the city. This was an incredibly resilient layout upon which to build.

The high streets and town centres were the hubs of the County’s communities supporting hundreds of local jobs.

It was an indication both of the esteem in which the County’s high streets were held and the tipping point at which many were now poised that in Herefordshire four communities had developed plans to implement aspects of the Portas Review’s recommendations.

It was difficult to predict the effects of economic events at a national level. However, whatever changes they may bring, attention given now to the maintenance and improvement of the County’s town centres, and to strengthening the businesses and  communities which inhabit them, could only deliver a positive result.

Councillor Atkinson commented that whilst local communities were making considerable efforts on their own initiative they needed help.  The Council should do what it could to help and support them.

A Member suggested that representatives of the Market Towns and the City should consider combining to submit a single bid under the Portas Scheme.

The Cabinet Member – Enterprise and Culture and the Leader of the Council spoke in support of the motion.

A Motion that the question be now put was carried.

RESOLVED (unanimously): That the Notice of Motion be supported:

That the Council resolves to support the high streets of Herefordshire by implementing the local government level recommendations of the Portas report; encouraging landlords, business owners and communities to work together to ensure the relevance, resilience and renewal of all of our town centres. Specifically the Council shall:

1.    endorse, encourage and materially support the “Town Team” model of community engagement in the operational management of our high streets;

2.    celebrate markets in all their forms and encourage new market traders by actively reviewing trading regulations and promoting a “Herefordshire Market Day”;

3.    encourage new business through the exercise of new powers to approve business rate concessions and by the implementation of parking schemes tailored to the needs of a Locality in discussion with Town Teams;

4.    facilitate skills sharing and mentoring between large businesses and small local and independent retailers;

5.    engage with commercial landlords to support new and existing businesses through more flexible rent reviews, short tenancies and pop-up business models, and, if necessary, use statutory powers of compulsory purchase to ensure the redevelopment of key high street retail space; and

6.    promote Neighbourhood Planning and encourage the inclusion of the High Street as a distinct area in Neighbourhood Plans.

Notice of Motion Two – Community Support Officers

Councillor PM Morgan proposed the Notice of Motion and Councillor RJ Phillips seconded it.

Councillor Morgan emphasised the important part Community Support Officers (CSOs) played in ensuring community safety and the health and wellbeing of communities and her concern that financial pressures on the Police Authority should not lead to the loss of this valuable resource.

Councillor Phillips commented on the reassurance CSOs provided to communities.  He added that it was important that the Police Authority listened to the wishes of its residents.

A Member commented that the grant for Community Safety Officers was currently ring-fenced and there should therefore be no reduction in funding at this time. This would not be the case after April 2013 when responsibility for setting the policing budget would rest with the newly elected Police and Crime Commissioners.  It was suggested efforts should therefore be focused on lobbying the candidates for the West Mercia police area, making them aware of the Council’s concerns and its support for CSOs.

A motion that the question be now put was carried.

RESOLVED: That the Notice of Motion be supported:

This Council is extremely concerned that the West Mercia Police are planning to reduce the number of Community Support Officers within Herefordshire.

This Council would like to ask the West Mercia Police to reconsider this decision, and see if there are ways in which we could work together to preserve and enhance the Community Support Officer role, which we believe performs an extremely valuable service within our communities.

(Councillor RI Matthews abstained and requested that this be recorded.)

Proposed Urgent Notice of Motion

Councillor MAF Hubbard sought the Chairman’s permission to propose an urgent notice of motion in accordance with Standing Order 4.1.16.5 on the grounds that a critical local situation had arisen.

The Chairman did not accept that the proposed motion related to a critical local situation.  She noted that the Cabinet Member – Enterprise and Culture had offered to discuss the issue with Councillor Hubbard and considered that to be the best course of action, expressing the wish that the discussions should take place as soon as possible.