Agenda and minutes

To confirm and sign the minutes of 17 July 2023.

The minutes of the meeting of 17 July 2023 were confirmed and signed.

Councillor Meekins drew members’ attention to the civic activities undertaken by himself and the Vice-Chairman in the weeks preceding Full Council.

Councillor Meekins paid his respects to former District Councillor Paul (Pop) Jolley who had passed away on 24 September, saying he was a much-loved and admired character who was an elected member of the Council between 1990 and 2004 and then again from 2011 and 2014. During his time with the Council, Pop had served on various committees including Community, Housing and Property, Policy and Resources as well as the Leisure Services Board.

Councillor Meekins said that Pop was also the local member for Manea whose goal was to get things done, was always willing to help, supported good causes and had a heart of gold.

Members joined Councillor Meekins in observing a minute’s silence for Paul (Pop) Jolley.

The Chairman thanked everyone who attended his Civic Reception in September and hoped they found it to be as thoroughly enjoyable an evening as he did. He thanked Member Services for their support in organising the event with the next planned event being a coffee morning in aid of the East Anglian Air Ambulance being held on 12 October in the Council Chamber.

Councillor Meekins stated that no written questions had been received under Procedure Rule 8.6 and as Councillor Booth has given his apologies for the meeting, it was confirmed that there will be no questions under Procedure Rule 8.4.

Members asked questions of Portfolio Holders in accordance with Procedure Rules 8.1 and 8.2 as follows:

·       Councillor Gerstner asked why it has taken so long for the steps in the swimming pool at the leisure centre in Whittlesey to be repaired? He added that it has already been four weeks since they were deemed unsafe to use and it is his understanding that a member of the public took it upon themselves to undertake a temporary repair which he is very concerned about. Councillor Gerstner stated that the public are apparently using the steps, however, this is at their own risk. Councillor Miscandlon stated that the leisure contractor Freedom Leisure has obtained a quotation for the works to be undertaken, however, the original contractor was unable to undertake the repair works and, therefore, efforts are underway to find a solution to get the works carried out. He added that he will visit the swimming pool to review what works are required and then make efforts to see if there is a local tradesperson who can undertake the repair work. Councillor Miscandlon added that it is regrettable that the repair works have not been carried out over such a long period of time and he will raise the issue with Freedom Leisure with regard to addressing repair works in more appropriate time scales.    

Motion submitted by Councillor Dr Haq Nawaz concerning the County Council and Combined Authority war on motorists.

Councillor Nawaz presented his motion regarding the County Council and Combined Authority (CPCA) war on motorists.

Councillor Mrs French seconded the motion and Councillor Meekins opened the motion for debate. Members made comments as follows:

·        Councillor Gerstner stated that he is not familiar with trip budgets and asked for an explanation to be provided.

·        Councillor Tierney stated that sometimes a narrative takes hold of society and with that it can encompass some truth, some misconceptions and some lies which, in his opinion, has happened  over the years and is taking place currently and that some of the narratives can bring very ill-considered ideas that carry unthinkable consequences. He made the point that the Net Zero idea, which includes the removal of vehicles from the road, is very real and he stated that whilst it is easy to focus on the County Council who are one of the organisations who are pushing the idea forward, it is not just the County Council and Central Government are also looking into the topic, as are other local authorities, however, the County Council are the focus currently who, in his opinion, are considering very ill-thought-out ideas. Councillor Tierney stated that he is proud that this motion has been brought forward by Fenland District Council and he is under no illusion that whatever is decided today will have an impact in order to stop the narrative, but if nobody speaks up and ideas such as these are allowed to press on then they will not stop until reality makes them stop and by that time, they can have caused a lot of harm, expense and damage to people, individuals and society. He stated that he fully supports the motion, and he does not agree that by removing cars off the road to try and change the weather is a very well thought out narrative and is one that needs to be opposed even though he does agree with some of the environmentalism involved. 

·        Councillor Boden stated that he is very happy to support the proposed motion and explained that this issue has been discussed at meetings he has attended with the Combined Authority over the past 18 months and many of the phrases that Councillor Nawaz has used have been taken from the documentation provided by the Combined Authority and some of the phrases used will not make sense unless further research is undertaken. He stated that the documentation refers frequently to fiscal measures and, is his opinion, that phrase is used because they believe that people will not realize that it means congestion or growth charging or some other form of taxation and made the point that the other phrase which is used is ‘car disappearance’ and the concept that is being pushed forward appears to focus on making life very difficult for motorists by placing obstacles in the way such as making them more expensive and then that will mean that the motorists will no longer wish to own a car. Councillor Boden  ...  view the full minutes text for item C17/23

Motion submitted by Councillor Tim Taylor concerning weeds.

Councillor Taylor presented his motion regarding weeds.

Councillor Woollard seconded the motion and Councillor Meekins opened the motion for debate.  Members made comments as follows:

·       Councillor Woollard stated that the motion is very comprehensive and covers the issues that are faced by all the town and villages across Fenland and, in his opinion, the County Council appear to have relinquished their responsibility for the maintenance of the highway verges, pathways and drainage culverts which is undermining the efforts of everyone in Fenland to enhance communities with hundreds of thousands of pounds being spent on projects across Fenland such as the new market place development in March which is being spoilt with weeds. He stated that the use of the glyphosate chemical is safe for both humans and animals and has approval for use in the United Kingdom and across the European Union. Councillor Woollard expressed the view that there are too many instances of flooding in Fenland and the clogging of drains and culverts with weeds will only exacerbate the issue of flooding should the policy at County Council continue. He added that it clear that the residents of Fenland are not happy and the change in policy must be addressed which is why he wholeheartedly seconds the motion.

·       Councillor Patrick stated that he fully supports the motion and he referred to the very high weeds he has seen in the towns and villages of Fenland which are, in his opinion, a disgrace. He expressed the view that the policy is not just about weeds, but it is also a cost cutting exercise which is leaving the towns looking so dirty and unsightly.

·       Councillor Carney stated that he has been approached by many of his constituents with regards to the issue of lack of weed control and roadside drains with concerns over flooding. He explained that he reported it to the County Council in August, received an initial response and he then followed it up and questioned who would be liable if the residents property flooded as a result of the drains not being cleared sufficiently and it is only recently where he has received a response. Councillor Carney stated that with regards to the use of glyphosate, it is well known to be one of the safest products available for weed control and he has undertaken some research and has ascertained that from the Health and Safety Executive website that glyphosate has been approved as safe and efficacious for a number of years and it also states that the responsible use of pesticides and herbicides in amenity areas as part of an integrated programme control can help deliver substantial benefits for society, management of conservation areas, invasive species and flood risk. He added that it also mentions that it can be used in public spaces for the prevention of weed growth on hard surfaces preventing trip hazards and it also makes reference to ragwort, which is covered by the Weeds Act 1959 which details 5 injurious weeds, and it  ...  view the full minutes text for item C18/23

Motion submitted by Councillor Gary Christy concerning Local Transport and Connectivity Plan (LTCP).

Councillor Christy presented his motion regarding the Local Transport and Connectivity Plan (LTCP).

Councillor Mrs Davis seconded the motion and Councillor Meekins opened the motion for debate. Members made comments as follows:

·        Councillor Hoy stated that she was interested to read the letter from the Mayor of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority that was sent to the Leader of Peterborough and whilst there has been some ridiculing, in her opinion, he is a hero due to the fact that he is the only person who has been able to block a LTCP. She made the point that the Leader along with the Leader of East Cambridgeshire District Council have also been against it, but as they are outnumbered on the Board, the only person who can stop it currently is the Leader at Peterborough City Council. Councillor Hoy stated that the reason she feels that it is so important is due to the fact that, in her view, it is a poor document and in the letter it states that people have misunderstood it and should, therefore, read it. She made the point that if you go to the website called Your LTCP, it does not work, along with another link in the letter for the LTCP document. Councillor Hoy expressed the view that one of the issues that concerns her is that they advise that it is going to bring an increase in buses to the area but that is not correct and they appear to dislike cars so much and will make proposals which are damaging. She added that one of the proposals being put forward is to introduce a bus lane on the Elme Hall roundabout in Wisbech and made the point that there is one bus an hour which uses that stretch of road and there is a proposal to include a fast bus lane on a road which already suffers from severe congestion and will be limited to one lane of traffic. Councillor Hoy stated that she finds the proposal ludicrous and such proposals cannot be supported, need to be opposed and if such proposals are implemented it will only lead to more congestion in the Fenland towns.

·       Councillor Nawaz stated that he attended a meeting in Huntingdon and, in his opinion, it is evident that doctrinaire politics are in place rather than pragmatic policies to address the real needs of the real people particularly in places away from Cambridge City. He explained that if you visit Cambridge Station, a clear queue of buses can be seen that are waiting for passengers, however, in Whittlesey it is the opposite, and a queue of passengers can often be seen waiting for 30 or 40 minutes which also do not appear to service the Whittlesey area after 7pm. Councillor Nawaz made the point that this causes problems for those parents whose children go to school as the bus timetable, in his view, is totally inappropriate and the train service which operates and stops in Whittlesey  ...  view the full minutes text for item C19/23

The Overview and Scrutiny Annual Report reflects what has been undertaken and achieved by the Overview and Scrutiny Panel during 2022/23 and takes a forward look at the programme of work and challenges for the Overview and Scrutiny in 2023/2024.

Members considered the Overview and Scrutiny Annual Report presented by Councillor Mrs Davis as Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny panel.

Councillor Miscandlon stated that he was the previous Vice Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and he asked that his thanks be extended to all of the officers and members of the committee, and he looks forward to reading the annual report next year.

Councillor Mrs Davis thanked Councillor Miscandlon for his kind words and stated that it is a learning curve as the committee now comprises of newly elected members.

Proposed by Councillor Mrs Davis, seconded by Councillor Miscandlon and AGREED to acknowledge the broad scope of the work undertaken by the Overview and Scrutiny Panel during 2022/23.

To report the commitment and effectiveness of the Audit and Risk Management Committee’s work from 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023.   

Members considered the Audit and Risk Management Committee Annual Report presented by Councillor Miss French as Chairman of the Audit and Risk Management Committee.

Proposed by Councillor Miss French, seconded by Councillor Mrs Laws and AGREED to note the work of the Audit and Risk Management Committee and its compliance with CIPFA’s annual checklist for 2022/23.