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Decision details

NOTICE OF MOTIONS

Decision status: Recommendations Approved

Is Key decision?: No

Is subject to call in?: No

Decision:

There were two motions submitted in accordance with Standing Order 4.8.12.

 

(A)        Motion on Proportional Representation

 

RESOLVED: That Council:

 

(1)  Call upon the UK Government to commit to changing electoral law to permit the introduction of a PR system of voting in any reforms to local government presented to Parliament.

 

(2)  Instruct the Leader of the Council to write to North Hertfordshire District Council's three MPs to ask them to call for a change to electoral law to permit a PR system of voting and promote the matter for debate in Parliament.

 

(B)        Motion on Urgent unlocking the potential of local High Streets

 

RESOLVED: That Council will:

 

(1)  Write to the Government to urge it to scrap business rates and replace them with a system which is fit for purpose and which levels the playing field between bricks and mortar businesses and online retail giants.

 

(2)  Campaign to devolve funds like the Towns Fund, Levelling Up Fund, UK Shared Prosperity Fund and other national funding pots, to give local communities, councils and regions the ultimate say in how it is spent in their area.

 

(3)  Continue to take local action to revive our high streets, including:

 

a.    Make any data that the Council can lawfully make public on ownership of high street properties public and in an accessible format, so that community groups seeking to buy empty shops through a community share offer have the information they need to do so.

 

b.    Proactively contact landlords of vacant premises (and work with Chambers of Commerce, Landlord Associations and BID managers) to explore ‘meanwhile use’ options and/or encourage alternative rental models (e.g. turnover rather than market rent) to enable new co-operatives, SMEs, social enterprises and ‘community owned’ businesses to open their doors on the high street.

Publication date: 20/01/2023

Date of decision: 19/01/2023

Decided at meeting: 19/01/2023 - Council

Accompanying Documents: