Agenda item

To consider any questions submitted by Members of the Council, in accordance with Standing Order 4.8.11 (b).

Members submitted questions on the following:

 

(A)     Waste Contract

(B)     Rail Services

(C)    Air Quality

 

The following questions were unsuccessful in the ballot, and will be dealt with by way of a written response from the Executive Members to all Members of the Council:

 

14/15 Brand Street, Hitchin

Parking Enforcement

In accordance with Standing Order 4.8.11(b), five questions were submitted by Members by the deadline date for questions set out in the Council’s Constitution.

 

In accordance with Standing Order 4.8.11(f) – Maximum Number of Questions:

 

“A Member may ask only one question under 4.8.11(b) or 4.8.11(c) except with the consent of the Chairman of the Council, committee or sub-committee. The maximum number of questions that may be asked at any meeting of the Full Council is three. If there are multiple parts, then each will be treated as an individual question for the purposes of this Rule and if the number of questions exceeds three the questions to be asked shall be determined by ballot to be conducted by the Proper Officer. Any outstanding questions unable to be asked should be addressed in writing to the Proper Officer for a written response to be provided to all Members.”

 

Accordingly, a ballot was conducted on 13 July 2018 and the three questions set out below were selected at random.  In accordance with the Constitution, written answers will be provided to all Members in respect of the questions that were unsuccessful in the ballot.

 

(A)    Waste Contract

 

In accordance with Standing Order 4.8.11(b), the following question had been submitted by Councillor Lisa Nash to Councillor Michael Weeks (Executive Member for Waste, Recycling and Environment):

 

“What does the Council plan to do after the 3 month start up period of the waste contract should the delivery of the contract still be unsatisfactory?”

 

Councillor Weeks replied that, after the three month start up period, Council would be enforcing the performance monitoring framework in the contract.

 

This would result in performance related deductions where the contractor failed to meet performance targets.

 

The Council would also explore enforcing contractual remedies outside the performance monitoring framework.

 

Officers would take advice and guidance from Legal Services, because it was important to ensure that the Council acted lawfully and secured the best outcomes for the District.

 

As with all contractual problems, the Council would evaluate all the options, and this would include balancing factors such as costs, risks, effectiveness, legality and timescales.

 

In the meanwhile, the Council continued to work with the contractor to resolve the current issues.

           

As a supplementary question, Councillor Nash asked:

           

“How would this be reported back to Council?”.

 

Councillor Weeks asked the Monitoring officer to respond on his behalf.

 

The Monitoring Officer advised that issues would try to be resolved within the contractual dispute resolution mechanism within the contract. It was unlikely that this was something that would be reported in public, and if a report was necessary, it would likely be Part 2.

 

Councillor Needham pointed out that this was a joint contract and as such we would have to ensure that our partners were kept informed as well as Members of this Council.

 

(B)    Rail Services

 

In accordance with Standing Order 4.8.11(b), the following question had been submitted by Councillor Steve Jarvis to Councillor David Levett (Executive Member for Planning, Enterprise and Transport):

 

“Given the high number of commuters who live in the District, what action has NHDC taken to lobby for an adequate rail service?“

 

Councillor Levett replied that North Herts District Council had no direct control over rail services and no statutory duty to lobby on behalf of those who use it.

 

However, if the Council were to pass a resolution to do so, then it would do everything it could for those users.

 

In the meantime, NHDC had facilitated a number of meetings between MPs, Rail user groups and rail operators from the time of the initial consultations through to the present time and continued to do so.

 

The latest meeting would be held on 19 July 2018 where NHDC had assisted in organising a meeting between Letchworth Rail Users Group, Rt Hon Sir Oliver Heald MP and representatives from Govia.

           

(C)    Air Quality

 

In accordance with Standing Order 4.8.11(b), the following question had been submitted by Councillor Sam Collins to Councillor Bernard Lovewell (Executive Member for Housing and Environmental Health).

 

“Given the high death rate due to poor air quality in this Country and with the North Herts & Central Beds Local Plans and HCC’s LTP4 what action do the Council plan to take to reduce the risk to local residents?”

 

Councillor Lovewell replied that, he agreed that poor air quality was a serious public health concern, however in North Hertfordshire there was a generally good and improving level of air quality.

 

Having said that, there were two hotspots in the District, both of them in Hitchin, where the levels of nitrogen dioxide marginally exceeded the prescribed limits set by the Government being Stevenage Road *The Three Moorhens) and Paynes Park.

 

The readings taken at Paynes Park and submitted to the Government were currently below the limit prescribed.

 

In respect of what actions the Council could take to reduce the risks to residents, this was very comprehensively set out in the Air Quality Action Plan which was published in January 2018 following a public consultation. This Plan was on the NHDC website and had been for the last 6 months.

 

If after reading the document you still had concerns or queries, Councillor Lovewell stated that he would be pleased to discuss them. He would also arrange a meeting with the Council’s expert, David Carr, to have a discussion on this subject.

                       

As a supplementary question, Councillor Collins commented that the document mentioned was produced in January 2018 which was before the Local Plans for Central Beds or North Hertfordshire had completed the process they were going through and the County Council LTP4. He asked whether poor air quality was being fully considered as part of planning applications currently being processed, such as the project at Highover Farm and other large developments, as those would have a significant impact and exacerbate the problems and this did not seem to be covered in the Action Plan.

 

Councillor Lovewell stated that he begged to differ as the matter was well covered in the document. There was an Air Quality Policy (Policy P4), which had been accepted in the Local Plan. The Council also published guidance to support the implementation of this Policy.

 

It was therefore very firmly written into the policy to be considered when any planning application is considered.

 

Councillor Lovewell agreed that the increase in housing and the possible expansion of Luton Airport would put extra pressure on air quality, but there was a lot of work being undertaken regarding this.

 

The following questions were unsuccessful in the ballot, and will be dealt with by way of a written response from the Executive Members to all Members of the Council:

 

14/15 BRAND STREET, HITCHIN

 

Councillor Paul Clark to Councillor Tony Hunter (Executive Member for Community Engagement and Rural Affairs):

 

“How Long will the CPO process take to secure 14/15 Brand Street?“

           

PARKING ENFORCEMENT

 

Councillor Ruth Brown to Councillor David Levett (Executive Member for Planning, Enterprise and Transport):

 

“Has Parking Enforcement Officer capacity been reduced in the last 12 months?“

 

Note: The responses to the two questions requiring a written response are attached as Appendix A to these Minutes