Agenda item

5.1

Public Question in respect of Ochre Dike Playing Fields, Waterthorpe Fields in Trust Designation

David Bates asked, should the recommendations in respect of item 8 on the agenda ‘Ochre Dike Playing Fields, Waterthorpe Fields in Trust Designation’ be agreed, how long would it take approximately to complete the Fields in Trust process?

Councillor Isobel Bowler, Cabinet Member for Culture, Sport and Leisure, thanked Mr Bates and the local campaigners for their work to protect the fields. She was pleased that we had now reached this stage.

David Cooper, Head of Policy and Projects, Parks and Countryside, added that he had received the paperwork to apply for the Fields in Trust designation. It would take around three months for the process to be completed subject to the appropriate legal checks.

Councillor Isobel Bowler commented that once the process had been completed there would be a celebratory event held and she would ensure that the local community were involved.

5.2

Public Question in respect of Sanctions for Community Groups

Martin Brighton stated that the Leader of the Council had been given quotes from examples from Council records that the Council Leader herself said were unacceptable. Why then was the Council using the same material as one basis for imposing sanction and prejudice upon a community group?

Councillor Julie Dore, Leader of the Council, responded that there was a difference between responding to quotations presented to her as opposed to evidence used to making a decision. When Mr Brighton had provided examples of quotations at a previous meeting she had said that she would find such quotes unacceptable. She did not, however, say that using material evidence to impose sanctions was unacceptable.

The Council had policies and procedures regarding the recognition of community and voluntary groups. If a particular organisation breached those policies or their own Constitution the Council was right to put sanctions upon them. Mr Brighton had not presented any evidence where the Council had imposed sanctions on an organisation without any material evidence to do so.

5.3

Public Question in respect of Sanctions for Community Groups

Martin Brighton asked why the Council Leader was allowing the Council to impose sanction and prejudice upon a community group for which the Council itself had published that there was no supporting evidence?

Councillor Julie Dore commented that she had always said that sanctions would be imposed on a group if they were in breach of the Council’s Recognition Policy.

5.4

Public Question in respect of Private Meeting

Martin Brighton commented that, at Full Council, the Council Leader had stated that processing of complaints of abuse were victim-centric and the Council Leader agreed to meet with the abused people. However, having contacted the Council Leader, as instructed by the Council Leader, the Council Leader has not even responded – why not?

Councillor Julie Dore stated that her Secretary was currently in the process of organising the meeting. However, since the Leader had said that she would organise the meeting there had been the Christmas break but the meeting would be arranged shortly. If Mr Brighton or others brought any evidence to that meeting regarding community groups she would look at that at that point.

5.5

Public Question in respect of Freedom of Information/Data Protection Disclosures

Martin Brighton commented that recent Freedom of Information/Data Protection disclosures showed how this citizen had been denigrated for years, based upon lies and that the creation and maintenance of a culture with an adverse mindset continued with political direction. Why was the Council Leader allowing this?

Councillor Julie Dore responded that the situation referred to by Mr Brighton had been a long standing issue over many years and she couldn’t comment on the circumstances before she became Council Leader. During her time as Leader there had not been any occasion at Full Council or Cabinet where she had responded to a question from Mr Brighton where she had behaved in the manner referred to in the question. She had responded to Mr Brighton’s questions and treated him with courtesy and respect.

5.6

Public Question in respect of a Community group in the South West Area

Martin Brighton commented that Freedom of Information/Data Protection disclosures of Council documents showed that the claim at Full Council that due process had been followed with respect to derecognition of a community group in the South-West was untenable. What redress would the Council provide?

Councillor Julie Dore stated that she would discuss this issue with Mr Brighton in the meeting referred to in her response to a previous question.

5.7

Public Question in respect of Housing Revenue Account

Mick Watts commented that he supported in principle the proposals in the Housing Revenue Account report on the agenda for the meeting. However, in borrowing up to the debt cap was the Council putting itself at risk by limiting its options for the future?

Councillor Harry Harpham, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Homes and Neighbourhoods commented that he was pleased that Mr Watts believed that the investment was desirable. It would bring in a £30m subsidy, 350 jobs and bring down heating bills for tenants. The Council had previously focused on bringing homes up to the Decent Homes standard. In terms of the environmental measures being introduced, Members believed that while work was being undertaken and the scaffolding up this was an ideal time to put these in place. Councillor Harpham was extremely pleased that tenants supported the plans which would improve the lives of the hardest pressed citizens in the City.

Liam Duggan, Manager Social Housing Commissioning, added that the Council was trying to strike a balance between optimising the financial capacity of the Housing Revenue Account for the benefit of tenants and the City as a whole with the potential financial risk. He believed that this had been done through prudent budget planning and, in particular, by retaining a £9m risked based reserve to serve as an insurance policy should costs be higher than anticipated.