To receive any written questions.

Councillors may ask questions of Cabinet Members and Chairmen of Committees so long as a copy of the question is deposited with the Head of Legal and Democratic Services at least 24 hours prior to the meeting.  A list of questions, set out in the order in which they had been received, was circulated at the beginning of the meeting.

 

The Chairman reminded those Councillors who had submitted questions that they were entitled to ask a supplementary question and asked that they did not use this as an opportunity for further debate.

 

Question from Councillor B. Hunt

 

"Given the unique function of the Members’ Support Service, does the Cabinet Member agree with me:-

 

a)                  that it is inefficient to dismember the service into three locations i.e. the present offices for secretarial, the remote garden pavilion for the Members’ Information and Support Officer and Rotherwas for Members’ I.T. Support?; and

 

b)                  that no notice or consultation was given to Members as to their requirements?; and

 

c)                  that it was only the minor financial saving that initiated this exercise and that it lowers the standard of service to Councillors, the grass roots interface with our public?; and

 

d)                  what action do you propose taking to remedy this unsatisfactory situation?"

 

Councillor Mrs. J.P. French, Cabinet Member (Corporate and Customer Services and Human Resources) replied that the changes were designed to link officers to the professional base that most closely identified with the work they undertook and to make better use of the resources.  A key piece of work for the Members Information and Support Officer, as part of the Communications Team, would be to work on those Communications activities for Members which Members would like to see improved.

 

She said that the Local Government Act 1972 provided for the delegation of managerial responsibility to officers reserving wider strategic responsibilities to Members.  This distinction was reinforced in amendments to the Local Government Act which required the Head of Paid Services (Chief Executive) to account to Members on: the manner in which the discharge of the different function was co-ordinated; the number and grades of staff required for the discharge of its function; the organisation of the authority’s staff and the appointment and proper management of those staff.

 

She said that the job description of individual Directors required them to support the Chief Executive in that role by requiring them to lead and manage the Directorate in a manner which created a highly motivated, developing and committed workforce.  It was because theseservices were used and valued by Members that the proposals were discussed with Group Leaders on two separate occasions – at the beginning of the consultation period and when the proposals were confirmed following discussion with staff and consultation with the Trade Union.

 

She advised that the only financial saving to result from the restructure would be to pay for the services of IT support as required rather than maintaining a support resource, often with no use being made of it, which was not an efficient use of the resource.

 

She said that no further action was proposed but as with all intended improvements  the new arrangements would be monitored carefully to ensure the maximum benefit to all Councillors.  She asked any Councillors who felt they were receiving an unsatisfactory service to contact her or the Head of Legal and Democratic Services with details of their concerns.

 

In response to a call to revert to the original staffing structure Councillor Mrs. French expressed sadness at Councillor Hunt's response and again encouraged Members to use the service and report any failings to her.

 

Question from Councillor B Hunt

 

"Following the near-disaster in Bromyard several years ago when a petrol tanker demolished a bridge parapet and stopped next to an overhead power line pylon Highways Officers met on site with myself, Councillor P. Dauncey and Councillor T.W. Hunt.

 

Officers who attended have failed to implement agreed measures to improve road marking, sign-posting and other road safety measures on this section of the A44; and despite correspondence from Bromyard and Winslow Town Council and telephone requests from myself, no response has been forthcoming.

 

What action do you propose taking to remedy this unsatisfactory situation?"

 

Councillor D.B. Wilcox, Cabinet Member (Highways and Transportation) confirmed that officers had investigated the feasibility of making some further improvements to signing and lining at the site, but reported that the additional work could not be justified.

 

Some minor improvement works had been carried out in 2002 and since then there had been only one recorded personal injury accident.  As a result, the site was no longer identified within the Council’s county-wide ranking of accident sites.

 

He said that, given that there had been several local representations for additional works to be carried out at Petty Bridge, he would request a further site inspection .

 

He agreed to keep the local Members informed of the outcome of the inspection.

 

Questions from Councillor A.C.R. Chappell

 

"Will the Cabinet Member for Children's Services confirm that teaching staff at Whitecross School have been advised that they may enter the school for eight hours only during the school summer holiday, after which time the Private Finance Company who owns the school will charge them for entering the school?

 

Will he confirm that teachers at the new Riverside Primary School, and Sutton County Primary School, will be able to enter their new premises for more than eight hours during holidays without the school being charged for the privilege?

 

Will the Cabinet Member for Children's Services, confirm that the community aspect of the new Whitecross School is being fully utilised and that there are no restrictions of use by the community for out of school hours.  Can he confirm that the contract with the PFI Partner is being fully implemented?"

 

Councillor D.W. Rule Cabinet Member (Children and Young People) advised that the legal contract signed by the Council and Whitecross School Governors defined the hours of use by the school as between 7.30am and 6.30pm on 190 days in a year and an additional 550 hours in any one year which includes access to the school in the week at the beginning of the summer holiday and 10 days at the end of the holiday. On top of this contractual provision the manager on site  told school staff that they can have access throughout the holiday period on week-days as he would be on site on these days.

 

In relation to the new Riverside and Sutton Schools, he said that the management of the premises would be the responsibility of the respective Governing Bodies. He was not aware of any discussions about access during the holiday period. The contractual arrangement for caretaker and cleaners in charge do vary greatly and their employment in the summer holidays, particularly in smaller schools, is often very limited.

 

He said that teachers worked in excess of their contracted hours because of their commitment but did not feel that this should be exploited. Holidays were essential for teachers to recharge their batteries.

 

Referring to community use, he advised that the legal agreement was constructed to encourage third party use and a programme of use was expected to be implemented from the autumn of 2006 onwards. The PFI company had appointed HALO as its subcontractor to manage the income from that, which was expected to yield at least £25,000 in the first three years.  

 

Councillor Chappell said that teachers were not aware that they could access the school in the manner described and asked that the Acting Chair of Governors be informed.

 

Question from Councillor D.J. Fleet

 

"Is the Cabinet Member satisfied with the cleanliness of the Eign Gate paving following his instruction for the area to be thoroughly cleaned."

 

Councillor D.B. Wilcox, Cabinet Member (Highways and Transportation) said that the paving in Eign Gate had been cleaned and the joints sealed earlier in the month.  He advised that he had visited the area the previous evening and found that the cleanliness had not been particularly good, with various stains inadequately removed.  He said that  the light colouring of the paving contributed to the situation.  He said he would discuss the problems with the consultants to see whether better cleaning results could be achieved.

 

Question from Councillor D.J. Fleet

 

"Is the Cabinet Member proposing to take any action to stop vehicles parking for long periods on the pavement area of High Street. These vehicles drip oil onto the new paving, obstructing shop windows and causing congestion for pedestrians trying to shop."

 

Councillor D.B. Wilcox, Cabinet Member (Highways and Transportation) advised that the current activity was due to the refurbishment of the old Littlewoods store and any damage would have to be made good.  High Street is a pedestrianised  area daily between 10.30 a.m. and 4.30 p.m. which facilitates the flow of pedestrians.

 

In response to a further question Councillor Wilcox advised that the contractors had an order to use the compound in front of the store and that the situation was being closely monitored.

 

Question from Councillor Mrs. M.D. Lloyd-Hayes

 

"Would the Council reconsider its proposal to close the whole of the open space at the Rose Garden, Ledbury Road for a two year period while work is underway on the new extra-care village?  The area is used by a great number of people on a daily basis and there is much concern locally that this facility is to be denied them.  Would it be possible to divide the area affected so that only half of the space is closed at any one time, therefore allowing those residents and visitors who use the open space on a regular basis the use of at least part of the area?"

 

Councillor Mrs. L.O. Barnett, Cabinet Member (Social Care Adults and Health) advised that, following legal advice, it had been determined that the best way forward would be a temporary closure of the open space  for a maximum period of two years.  The temporary closure was necessary because of the flood alleviation works required.  If it was possible to lessen this time, she would do everything in her power to do so.

 

Councillor Mrs.Lloyd-Hayes said she couldn't see why the works could not be carried out on one half of the site in the first year and on the other half in the second year.  She asked if it would be possible to move benches from one side of the site to the other so that they could still be available for use.

 

Councillor Mrs. Barnett said she would be happy to investigate the moving of the benches but advised Councillor Mrs. Lloyd-Hayes that this was a matter that could have been raised with the officer responsible.

 

 

Questions from Councillor W.L.S. Bowen

 

"When is Herefordshire Council going to join the many other councils (nearly 50 in all) that require all developers to provide at least 10% of the energy needs of their developments to come from on-site renewable technologies?"

 

How much money does Herefordshire Council set aside each year to upgrade and improve the energy efficiency of all its properties?"

 

Is Herefordshire Council going to incorporate "planning policies for sustainable building" into its planning guidance for all developers?"

 

Councillor P.J. Edwards, Cabinet Member (Environment) advised that the current planning policies in the Unitary Development Plan encouraged and promoted sustainable energy generation particularly from renewable sources and that the requirement for such on-site renewable energy generation would be reviewed as part of the ongoing production of the Local Development Framework.

 

He said that Herefordshire Council was investing £200,000 to upgrade and improve the energy efficiency of all its properties and, in addition, had been successful at the first stage in the process of securing £200,000 match funded via a Government initiative.  Energy efficiencies were being made to buildings which would compensate for energy price increases.

 

He advised that sustainable building principles had been incorporated in Policy S1 (Sustainable development) and Policy H13 (Sustainable residential design) of the Unitary Development Plan and consolidated in the Supplementary Planning Guidance Note Design and Development Requirements adopted in July 2004.  Such principles were expected to be incorporated into the forthcoming Design and Access Statements which all developers would be required to submit with applications after 10 August 2006.

 

In response to further comments Councillor Edwards said that the Council would be participating in a national consultation exercise on these issues.  He said that the Unitary Development Plan encouraged developers to incorporate the measures promoted by Councillor Bowen.  He also thanked Councillor Bowen for his involvement in developing the Council's policies on renewable energy, energy efficiency and sustainable building.

 

Questions from Councillor Ms A. Toon

 

"Following a presentation to the Children’s Services almost a year ago, we were advised that mechanisms were in place for parents to elect to attend parenting courses or that the council could compel parents to attend these courses where issues of children’s behaviour were of concern.  Can the Leader advise on how many courses have been held, where have they been held, and how do parents or teachers find out where they are being held?

 

Could the Cabinet Member for Children’s Services advise what action has been taken following a recommendation by the Local Admissions Forum to refer 12 schools to the adjudicator for failure to comply with government regulations in their admissions process.  As he will be aware this matter has been raised repeatedly over the past 2 years giving rise to a clear recommendation last year that if the schools concerned did not comply that the committee would have the matter forwarded to the adjudicator.

 

Could the council advise on how many truancy officers are now employed and how long they have been in post?

 

Could the council advise on how many nursery, after school placements and school staff with direct children contact have been through the child concern model and reporting training during the past 6 months?"

 

 

Councillor D.W. Rule, Cabinet Member Children and Young People responded as follows:.

 

Parenting Courses - 16 programmes involving up to 236 parents have been held for the financial year 2005/2006 via Council services.  Councillor Rule advised that this number should be treated with caution because places on these courses are counted quarterly so there may have been some double counting – information for year 2006/7 will be more reliable.  A new stream of parenting courses will be available through the local Youth Offending Service in September. 

 

Courses being offered by the Education Welfare Service, have been delayed due to a very serious illness of one of the officers but are now scheduled to start in the Autumn. 

 

Courses are held in a variety of places depending on need, but mostly in Hereford and Leominster.

 

Advice has been sent out to schools (September 2005) with regard to Parenting Contracts and Parenting Orders.  Most referrals for parenting courses, however come from the agencies that support children in need, e.g. the Children’s Fund and the mechanism of Child Concern Model.

 

Councillor Rule advised that the Children and Young People Directorate had identified an additional £25,000 to expand the use of parenting courses as from April 2006.

 

Regarding Local Admissions Forum - At its last meeting the Local Admissions Forum recommended that the issue of compliance to the draft DfES guidance on oversubscription criteria in 12 aided schools in the County should be raised with the National Adjudicator.  DfES had been asked when their draft guidance would be issued as formal guidance. Their timetable has now been received which states that 'consultation (is) due to take place around the beginning of the next school year in September and the new Codes coming into force in time for admission authorities to take them into account in determining their admission arrangements for September 2008.'  In light of the proposed further consultation and the suggested DfES stipulation that the new code is to come into force in September 2008, Councillor Rule said that he was not minded to refer the issue to the National Adjudicator until it was shown that aided schools were working outside the final guidance but he was open to further advice on that point and would keep in contact with the DfES on the matter.

 

Regarding Truancy Officers- Councillor Rule stated that the Council did not employ Truancy Officers.  However, the Education Welfare Service, in partnership with the Police, regularly carried out truancy sweeps.  Usually this would be one every half-term.  The location for these changed (although it is usually Hereford City), as did the dates, but ‘hot–spot’ times like the May Fair week were always covered.  Occasionally the full Education Welfare Service team plus police officers conducted an intensive truancy sweep in one area, for example High Town in Hereford.  He stated that, although the levels of truancy in Herefordshire were low in comparison with other Authorities, he was not complacent.

 

Regarding Child Concern Model – Training - Councillor Rule thanked Councillor Ms Toon for her question but said that it had not been possible to obtain the necessary detail in the time available . He agreed to provide her with a response as soon as he had gathered the information.

 

Following a number of comments from Councillor Ms Toon, the Chief Executive reminded Council that the Constitution provided for written questions to be answered in a formal way and that there was provision for questioners to ask one supplementary question.  He advised that this was not the time to open up further debate around the questions.  He also advised that Members should submit comprehensive written questions rather than relying on gleaning additional information through the supplementary question.

 

Questions from Councillor Mrs. S. Robertson

 

"A recent request for a post office at Tillington Village Stores has proved unsuccessful despite the support of the community, myself, Bill Wiggin MP and also as identified in the Burghill Parish Plan.

 

This decision is contrary to both national and local policy and the government is encouraging rural regeneration including post offices.  Many rural communities have limited or non-existent services and the village stores/post office is a vital link in sustaining these communities.

 

(a)        What is the cabinet member doing to support initiatives such as rural post offices?

 

(b)                           Has the Council an adopted policy for supporting rural post offices bearing in mind how important these are to rural communities, and if not, why not?"

 

Councillor J.C. Mayson, Cabinet Member (Rural Regeneration and Strategy) said that he was disappointed to hear that the request for a post office at Tillington Village Stores had proved unsuccessful and would explore whether the Council could provide any assistance in support of the request.

 

He advised that the Post Office had to consider the sustainability of any new Post Office in terms of its commercial viability and felt that any decision to open a new rural post office would be affected by the current uncertainty over future. government funding for the rural post office network.

 

He said that the Council recognises the importance of rural post offices as one of the key rural services needed to sustain a high quality of life in the County.  The Council  administers a number of grant schemes which could provide some practical support for rural post offices including the shop front grant schemes and the Community Regeneration Grant, with an annual budget of around £20,000, helps support new activities, facilities and services across Herefordshire.