Issue - meetings
QUESTIONS FROM MEMBERS
Meeting: 02/10/2025 - Council (Item 46)
46 QUESTIONS FROM MEMBERS 
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To consider any questions submitted by Members of the Council, in accordance with Standing Order 4.8.11 (b). Questions received will be published as a supplementary document following the deadline for the submission of questions.
Decision:
In accordance with Standing Order 4.8.11, four questions were submitted by the required deadline set out in the Constitution.
(A) Local Government Reorganisation Options
Councillor Ralph Muncer to Councillor Daniel Allen (Leader of the Council).
(B) Penalty Charge Notices – Free After 3
Councillor Matt Barnes to Councillor Donna Wright (Executive Member for Place).
(C) Events on Council Land
Councillor Chris Lucas to Councillor Mick Debenham (Executive Member for Regulatory).
(D) Hitchin Lido Closure
Councillor Louise Peace to Councillor Amy Allen (Executive Member for Environment).
Minutes:
Audio recording – 2 hours 47 minutes 4 seconds
In accordance with Standing Order 4.8.11, four questions had been submitted by the required deadline set out in the Constitution.
(A) Local Government Reorganisation Options
Councillor Ralph Muncer to Councillor Daniel Allen, Leader of the Council:
‘To ask the Leader of the Council to outline the Administration’s preferred option for Local Government Reorganisation in Hertfordshire?’
Councillor Daniel Allen provided the following response:
‘At this point, the Administration did not have a preferred option for Local Government Reorganisation in Hertfordshire although I am sure a lot of individual councillors do. The Administration are waiting to receive all available evidence, information and proposals that will allow for a full assessment of the potential impacts. As with any significant decision, it is important that the councillors are able to consider the facts carefully, and there is a full debate at Full Council before any position is taken. Until then, it would be premature for the Administration to express a preference.’
Councillor Ralph Muncer asked a supplementary question, as follows:
‘Will the Leader of the Council guarantee his Members a free vote on the matter of Local Government Reorganisation at the meeting on the 13 November of this year?’
Councillor Daniel Allen responded:
‘It is an internal Labour matter that is not for discussion at Full Council.’
(B) Penalty Charge Notices – Free After 3
Councillor Matt Barnes to Councillor Donna Wright, Executive Member for Place:
‘What advice has the Council received about issuing penalty charge notices for non-registration during the Free After 3 parking period in Royston?’
Councillor Donna Wright provided the following response:
‘The Parking Team has reviewed the Council’s Parking Contravention Codes with the British Parking Association and with other Local Authorities to identify which of the national codes might be mostly appropriately used, and a proposed approach for Royston is currently being reviewed by the Council’s Legal Team.’
Councillor Matt Barnes asked a supplementary question, as follows:
‘Have you considered removing the requirement altogether and simply counting cars with a clipboard and pen instead?’
Councillor Donna Wright responded:
‘I just want to state for clarification that the Council is not issuing fines after 3:00pm in Royston. People are being reminded to register for their session by way of a notice on their windscreens. We have been relying on voluntary registrations but this could not reliably tell us what proportion of parking sessions after 3:00pm this is capturing. The difficulty was that they needed to collect reliable and comprehensive data as this was part of the original agreement with Royston Town Council and Royston First BID. As Council will know, these two bodies have offered a total maximum subsidy of £35,000 for the Free After 3pm tariff to continue in 25/26 but it was agreed that the usage data had to be monitored to ensure that the Council doesn’t end up having to cover more of the costs. It wouldn’t be fair for Council Taxpayers in other parts of the district to ... view the full minutes text for item 46