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Agenda item

The following Notices of Motion submitted to the County Council have been referred to the Cabinet in accordance with Standing Order 8(2) for consideration, to refer it to another committee or make a recommendation back to the Council:

 

(a)   Free Personal Care (Cllr Biederman)

(b)   10 Point Green Action Plan (Councillor Wright)

(c)   Community Waste Reduction and Recycling Organisations (Councillor Hodgson)

Minutes:

(a) Free Personal Care

 

(Councillors Connett, Dewhirst, Hannaford, Hodgson, Whitton and Wrightattended in accordance with 25(2) and spoke to this item).

 

Devon County Council notes that over a million older people in England are struggling with unmet care needs and believes that in light of an ageing population we need bold changes to deliver a long term funding solution for social care.

 

Devon County Council believes that it is fundamentally unfair that to access basic care many older people face catastrophic costs that can run into hundreds of thousands of pounds, wipe out a lifetime of savings, and force families to sell their homes.

 

Devon County Council also believes that England’s care system needs major reform to provide a long-term sustainable funding solution and to make care free at the point of use.

 

Devon County Council therefore supports Independent Age’s call for the introduction of free personal care for all older people in England, alongside a new social care contribution to fully fund the policy on a sustainable basis.

 

Devon County Council calls on the Government to take the necessary steps to implement this policy as swiftly as possible to end the care crisis and properly support older people in Devon.

 

Devon County Council also calls on our local MP(s) to support the campaign for free personal care, and to speak up in favour of the policy in the House of Commons and through their wider engagements.

 

Members considered the Officer’s factual briefing note on the matter (CSO/19/14) which referred to the types of non-chargeable short-term support provided by the Council, provision of aids and minor housing adaptions, the aims of the Promoting Independence Policy, the rating of the Care Quality Commission for community care services and domiciliary care agencies across Devon. It also highlighted that the future of adult social care was an on-going national issue and that the anticipated Green Paper was expected to set out Government proposals for how adult social care would be funded and delivered, including ensuring a sufficient workforce. The Council would respond to any proposals and ensure that Members across the Council were engaged and had opportunities to contribute.

 

The Cabinet considered the recommendation now before them and any other relevant factors (e.g. public health, financial, environmental, risk management and equality and legal considerations and Public Health impact):

 

it was MOVED by Councillor Hart, SECONDED by Councillor Leadbetter, and

 

RESOLVED 

 

(a) that the Council urges the Government to publish the Adult Social Care Green Paper without further delay and, furthermore, responds to the proposals in that Green Paper when it is published and ensures that Members across the Council are engaged and can contribute to such an important issue; and

 

(b) that the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Health Services, continue his dialogue with Devon MPs to lobby central Government for the health and care arrangements, including the workforce requirements, that are in the best interests of all adults in Devon regardless of their age or specific health and care needs.

 

 

(b) 10 Point Green Action Plan

 

(Councillor Wright attended in accordance with Standing Order 8 and Councillors Dewhirst, Hannaford and Hodgson attended in accordance with 25(2) and spoke to this item).

 

This council notes its resolution on declaring a climate emergency in Devon, in February.

 

This council notes also that officers launched the policy on wildflower verges earlier this month. Huge congratulations to the officers who helped bring this about.

 

The government has now declared a state of climate emergency across the UK, following the actions of Extinction Rebellion.

 

Climate change and other human activity is now causing species to decline at a rate unprecedented in human history, with three-quarters of land-based environments and two-thirds of the marine environment significantly altered.

 

Devon County Council, with its positive record on the environment is well placed to work with others to help mitigate the catastrophe coming our way. 

 

Therefore, this council agrees to:

 

  1. Call on the government to offer all pollinators full legal protection from harm

 

  1. Write to all Devon outlets stocking bee harming pesticides, and urge them to permanently cancel their order with the suppliers

 

  1. Take action to phase out all glyphosate pesticides used in council weed spraying or any other council related activity, by December 2019 (there may be exceptional circumstances such as dealing with specific non native species, such as Japanese knotweed)

 

  1. Support Devon County Council tenant farmers in phasing out the use of inorganic fertilisers (such as nitrogen) by December 2023

 

5.    Support Devon County Council tenant farmers in setting aside 10 per cent of their land for wildlife and/or wildflower mixes for pollinators

 

  1. Work with community groups and non-government organisations such as Devon Wildlife Trust and the Woodland Trust to support Devon County Council tenant farmers to set aside five per cent of their land for tree planting

 

  1. Work with community groups and non-government organisations such as Devon Wildlife Trust and the Woodland Trust on supporting town and parish councils, schools and community groups to set aside land for tree planting

 

  1. Develop a policy on soil health good practice, with an emphasis on allowing land to recover and phasing out damaging chemicals, which are ultimately sterilising the land. This would include setting appropriate and reasonable targets for Devon County Council tenant farmers

 

  1. Work with South West Water on a campaign to save water across the county, with an emphasis on education about future water scarcity. Specifically target town and parish councils, community groups and schools to raise awareness of the importance of good water practice

 

  1. Support Devon Wildlife Trust’s campaign by calling on the Environment Secretary to allocate a further eight Marine Conservation Zones to Devon’s waters. Details can be found on the DWT website - https://www.devonwildlifetrust.org/take-action/marine-conservation-zones

 

 

Members considered the Officer’s factual briefing note on the matter (CSO/19/14) which referred to the ‘Special Report on Global Warming’ published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services and its first-ever assessment, which had indicated that nature was declining globally at unprecedented rates, this Authority’s approach to minimising impacts upon the environment, the role of the Environmental Performance Board and relevant Strategy and Action Plan documents on energy; renewable energy; waste; plastics; water; sustainable procurement; environmental risk; and countryside and heritage interests, all available at  https://www.devon.gov.uk/environment/environmental-policy. The briefing note also included an appendix 1 which listed each of the proposed actions in the 10 point action plan and provided a summary assessment of constraints and opportunities associated with each.

 

The Cabinet considered the recommendation now before them and the actions now proposed and already undertaken and any other relevant factors (e.g. public health, financial, environmental, risk management and equality and legal considerations and Public Health impact):

 

It was MOVED by Councillor Hart, SECONDED by Councillor Croad, and

 

RESOLVED

 

(a) that the Council endorse the principle of further action by Devon County Council to address environmental issues in line with the global concerns highlighted through relevant intergovernmental panels; and

 

(b) mandates the Environmental Performance Board to consider how relevant issues raised by the 10 Point Green Action Plan might be addressed through relevant changes or additions to its suite of action plans, in the light of the opportunities and constraints highlighted by Appendix 1 of Report (CSO/19/14).

 

 

(c) Community Waste Reduction and Recycling Organisations

 

(Councillor Hodgson attended in accordance with Standing Order 8 and Councillors Connett and Hannaford attended in accordance with 25(2) and spoke to this item).

 

Full Council recognises the valuable and considerable contribution community groups and associated enterprises make towards waste reduction and recycling.  To this end it commits to continued financial support where a waste project has proved successful in supporting the delivery of the Council’s waste services in line with its policies and priorities.  Full Council further recognises that continued financial support can be vital to the viability of such organisations

 

The recent public consultation on the Reuse Credit Scheme (RCS) demonstrated the success and popularity of the three main community organisations who deliver these services and divert an extensive tonnage of waste from landfill for less than £50,000 p.a.  These organisations have made a clear case that DCC financial support for their services is essential to their continued viability.

 

(when DCC ceased its funding of the large number of community composting groups, and reduced the landfill tax support it paid them for diverting waste - approximately 60 groups at the time- over half of them ceased to operate within 12 months; resulting in a major reduction in the volume of biodegradable waste being diverted from landfill)

 

Members considered the Officer’s factual briefing note on the matter (CSO/19/14) which referred to the Reuse Credit Scheme (RCS) and the budget contribution of the Devon Authorities Strategic Waste Committee (DASWC), the RCS scheme criteria and that the Committee, since 1996, had supported the RCS to the value of £770,000 with 14,000 tonnes of furniture and other items diverted from disposal. The scheme would shortly be reviewed (a consultation was held for several weeks in Spring this year) with the DASWC considering the 880 responses and petition with approximately 1100 signatures at its meeting later this year when the budget would be set for 2020/21. The briefing note highlighted the current position with community composting, including data on the tonnage composted.

 

The Cabinet considered the recommendation now before them and the actions now proposed and already undertaken and any other relevant factors (e.g. public health, financial, environmental, risk management and equality and legal considerations and Public Health impact):

 

It was MOVED by Councillor Hart, SECONDED by Councillor Davis, and

 

RESOLVED that the Council take no further action at this time, but that the Cabinet Member for Infrastructure Development and Waste considers the Notice of Motion alongside the results of the consultation and the priorities of Devon Authorities Strategic Waste Committee, when the matter is considered by that Committee.

Supporting documents:


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