Issue - meetings
Motions
Meeting: 12/07/2021 - Council (Item 21)
To debate the motions submitted in accordance with Standing Order 41.
Members are asked to note that the motions submitted have now been republished with the agenda.
Agenda republished on 7 July 2021
Additional documents:
Decision:
(1) The following motion submitted by the Conservative Group was declared lost:
Protect Our Environment
This Council notes the concerns of Brent Residents Against Asphalt Pavements, namely:
a. The basis for the Council’s policy adopted in May 2016 to replace paving slabs by asphalt when footways are being renewed; and
b. The implementation and apparent further evolution of the policy up to the present time.
This Council believes that:
· The programme is atheistically ugly.
· The programme is environmentally harmful.
The programme is costly in comparison to replacing and repairing existing slab and or block paving.
· The Residents were not and are not properly consulted and their views are ignored.
This Council therefore calls on the Leader of the Council and the Cabinet to halt the roll out of this programme forthwith and revert to repair and replace the pavement like for like.
Councillors Georgiou, Kansagra and Maurice voted in favour of the above motion. All other members present at the meeting voted against the motion.
(2) The following Motion submitted by the Labour Group was approved:
The road to recovery
This Council recognises how deeply the pandemic has impacted on the lives and livelihoods of the people of Brent.
This Council acknowledges the toll taken on all residents, not least those already enduing, pre-COVID19, the enormous difficulties of poverty and deprivation.
This Council commends the huge civic effort that enabled the speedy and sustained provision of essential support to those prevented by various lockdown restrictions from meeting their own needs.
This Council applauds communities that have come together in these difficult times, and commends key workers that have given so much of themselves in keeping vital services running.
This Council notes:
· The implementation of the invaluable Resident Support Fund through which thousands of households could access desperately needed financial assistance
· The delivery of the Covid-19 Winter Grant Scheme supporting families in need over the winter period
· The provision of nearly £100m for local business impacted by Covid-19
· Its ability to help meet the third highest level of demand in England for self-employment support packages
· The enhancement of Brent Start and Brent Works to ensure that Brent’s workforce remains connected to nearby employment opportunities
· The outstanding help and support provided to high numbers of clinically extremely vulnerable residents
· The public health partnerships that have enabled the large scale and ongoing roll out of vaccinations
This Council commits itself to continue building on these successes and embraces the fact that there remains much to be done on this borough’s road to recovery.
To that end, this Council is determined to:
· Deliver on its Climate and Ecological Emergency pledge to become a carbon neutral borough.
· Launch the Business Support Fund and Additional Grant Scheme, providing local enterprise with access to a wide range of financial and advisory resources.
· Collaborate locally to provide affordable and creative co-working space in response to people’s new working patterns.
Councillors Kansagra and Maurice abstained from voting on the above motion.
Minutes:
Before moving on to consider the motions listed on the summons, the Mayor advised members that a total of 20 minutes had been set aside for the consideration of the two motions submitted for debate, based on an initial allocation of 10 minutes per motion. Should the time taken to consider the first motion be less than 10 minutes she advised that the remaining time available would be rolled forward for consideration of the remaining motion.
1st Motion (Conservative Group) – Protect Our Environment
The Mayor invited Councillor Kansagra to move the first motion which had been submitted on behalf of the Conservative Group. Councillor Kansagra, in moving the motion, began by highlighting the detrimental impact which he felt hard landscaping, in particular asphalt paving, was having on water run-off and flooding in the borough. Referring to a number of concerns raised by the recently established alliance Brent Residents against Asphalt Pavements in an email to the Resources & Public Realm Scrutiny Committee, he supported the request made for a detailed review to be undertaken of the current policy and the return in its place of like for like repair and renewal of pavements.
The Mayor then invited other members to speak on the motion, with the following contributions received.
Councillor Long, speaking against the motion, advised she did not support the view that asphalt paving increased flooding and instead highlighted what she felt to be the benefits of asphalt pavements in terms of them providing an easier, safer and more cost effective method of maintenance, repair and renewal than existing slab or block paving. For these reasons she advised that she would not be supporting the motion.
Councillor Georgiou, speaking in support of the motion, highlighted his concerns regarding the sustainability and environmental impact of the policy, which he felt not only served to increase the Council’s carbon footprint but also directly contradicted the Council’s Climate Emergency Strategy. He also highlighted the extent of local residents opposition to the policy and concerns which had been raised by Brent Residents against Asphalt Pavements.
As a further contribution Councillor Mashari, as Chair of the Resources and Public Realm Scrutiny Committee, took the opportunity to confirm that a detailed response had been requested by the Committee on the email from Brent Residents against Asphalt Pavements in order to address the issues raised.
Councillor Kelcher, also speaking against the motion, outlined what he also felt to be the safety benefits from the use of asphalt rather than more traditional slab and block paving along with its more cost effective maintenance and repair. He also highlighted that not all local residents were objecting to the policy with many he had engaged with expressing their support.
As no further members had indicated that they wished to speak the Mayor invited Councillor Kansagra to exercise his right of reply.
In summing up, Councillor Kansagra advised that given the concerns raised by local residents regarding consultation on the policy and programme he would be seeking a formal ... view the full minutes text for item 21