Agenda item

Answers to questions from Members of the Council pursuant to Standing Order 17.

In accordance with the Council’s Procedure Rules, the Leader and relevant Cabinet Members and a Committee Chair provided written responses to twenty-two questions submitted by Members of the Council relating to the following matters.

1.    active streets trial in Heavitree and whether undertaken in line with Policy, Governments funding and in line with Exeter's Transport Strategy;

2.    whether the Council would apply for future active travel money for projects across Devon;

3.    what the Council would do differently on future highways consultations in light of local feedback as part of the Heavitree and Whipton Streets project;

4.    Loan to Woking Borough Council;

5.    scrapping of the 'tip tax', commitment to scrapping the charges and income that had been budgeted to receive this year and income received since fees were introduced;

6.    correct council telephone number to report a highways emergency, target response times and numbers answered within the target time;

7.    dates when schools in Devon joined or became Academies, list of remaining schools under DCC and any media services to schools;

8.    securing funding to progress the Otter Trail, the role of Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP) and consultation for the Otter Trail to make representations as part of this process;

9.    priority was to complete sections of existing trails and completion dates for existing trails;

10.Updating of Cycling and Multi Use Trail Strategy or whether superseded by Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans;

11.Meeting with Local Member and representatives from the Otter Trail to discuss potential sources;

12.pedestrian link between Newton Poppleford and Harpford and progress in negotiations to reach agreement between landowner and DCC;

13.Otterton and wait time of over two months for a streetlight on Fore Street to be fixed;

14.funding for 20mph schemes for 2024-5 and when communities could to submit expressions of interest;

15.estimated cost to the Council of the clean up operation after the floods of 9th May 2023 and how this is apportioned;

16.legal status of comments made by the Health Scrutiny Committee on various NHS trusts quality accounts;

17.pothole repairs and clarification of the £3.91million additional money for pothole repair had been allocated and spent; 

18.drain maintenance, the move from  annual  to three yearly drain, or gully, clearance and issues resulting from reduced clearance of leaves / debris, and impact on localised flooding;

19.‘pavement licences’ for tables and chairs on the Highway and similar scheme for trade dumpsters on the Highway;

20.level 2 non-mayoral deal with Devon and Torbay and role of the District Councils in the discussions and decisions about a possible deal;

21.Plymouth & South Devon Freeport and South Hams District Council’s (SHDC) change of plans regarding the Langage site and impact on DCC investment; and

22.closure of two care homes in a Member’s division.

The Leader, relevant Cabinet Members and a Committee Chair also responded orally, as appropriate, to any supplementary questions arising therefrom.

(A copy of the questions and answers had been published to the website and any supplementary questions and answers seen through the livestream of the meeting).