Agenda item

The following Notices of Motion submitted to the County Council by the following Councillors 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) Limits to vehicle speed and size on minor rural roads (Councillor Hodgson)

(b) 20 MPH Speed Limits (Councillor Hodgson)

(c) Public Health Improvements and Active Travel Measures (Councillor Hodgson)

(d) Biodiversity and Habitats (Councillor Hodgson)

(e) Women’s Health Inequalities (Councillor Atkinson)

(f) Single Use Plastics (Councillor Atkinson)

(g) Industrial Strategy (Councillor Atkinson)

(a) Limits to vehicle speed and size on minor rural roads (Councillor Hodgson)

 

RESOLVED that Council to recommended to

 

(a) continue to make site specific assessments on the need for any restriction based on size or class of vehicle;

 

(b) that the setting of speed limits continues to be aligned with existing County Policy; and

 

(c) agree Quiet Lanes schemes be considered on a case by case basis, but only where there is whole community support for a scheme.

 

(b) 20 MPH Speed Limits (Councillor Hodgson)

 

RESOLVED that Council be recommended to:

 

(a) continue with the Newton Abbot pilot as per the Cabinet resolution; and

 

(b) that no other schemes be introduced in parallel; and

 

(c) that Elected Members are invited to make representations for communities that they would wish to see considered for 20 mph speed limits pending any change in County Policy.

 

(c) Public Health Improvements and Active Travel Measures (Councillor Hodgson)

 

RESOLVED that Council, having declared a climate emergency, will reflect National and Local Policy announcements including the Transport Decarbonisation, Gear Change and Bus Back Better Strategies in future refreshes of the Transport Infrastructure Plan and related capital programmes.

 

(d) Biodiversity and Habitats (Councillor Hodgson)

 

RESOLVED that Council be recommended to:

 

(a) endorse the urgent need to support, protect and enhance biodiversity and habitats in recognition of the climate emergency and the associated ecological crisis; and

 

(b) continue to work with others in exploring practical approaches to achieving improved outcomes for wildlife linked to planning, development, and land use change across Devon.

 

(e) Women’s Health Inequalities (Councillor Atkinson)

 

RESOLVED that Council be recommended to

 

(a) note the importance of considering gender as a factor when looking at the local impact of Covid-19, as reflected in the 2020-21 Annual Public Health Report for Devon;

 

(b) note the work of the Devon Covid-19 Recovery Coordination Group in relation to understanding and addressing the impact of Covid-19 and that it considers gender alongside other factors such as ethnicity, age and deprivation; and

 

(c) that this informs future work on how services can be more effectively targeted at different groups, including addressing the differing needs of men and women and supporting action in these areas.

 

(f) Single Use Plastics (Councillor Atkinson)

 

RESOLVED that Council be recommended to respond to the Government’s EFRA Committee plastic waste enquiry, noting some of the issues and ideas detailed within the briefing note.

 

(g) Industrial Strategy (Councillor Atkinson)

 

RESOLVED that given that the Team Devon expression of interest responds to the Notice of Motion, it is recommended that Council take no further action on the Motion, pending the outcome of the forthcoming discussions about a Devon Devolution Deal.

(a) Limits to vehicle speed and size on minor rural roads (Councillor Hodgson)

 

(Councillor Hannaford attended in accordance with 25(2) and spoke to this item).

 

This Council will investigate and seek policy based solutions that can be implemented, to address and mitigate the growing problem of large agricultural vehicles and HGVs that frequent minor rural roads that are unsuitable for their use, that will:

 

Limit the size of vehicles to improve safety for other road users and reduce damage to Devon Banks, old walls, hedges, wildlife habitats and roadside drains

 

Limit the speed of all motorised vehicles to be consistent with safe levels regarding visibility (i.e. blind bends and turns in the road) and the associated risk of collision with other road users.

 

Recognise of the rights of other rural road users, including residents, pedestrians, cyclists, persons with disabilities and wildlife; all of whom need safe access and use of rural roads with safety and tranquillity.

 

Exercise DCC’s legal duty to protect formally protected wildlife species and habitats and designated built heritage.

 

Seek to implement the ‘Quiet Lanes scheme in and around rural settlements by inviting parish council’s to propose roads that might be eligible for this designation (under the Quiet Lanes and Homes Zones (England) Regulations 2006.

 

Members considered the Officer’s factual briefing note on the matter (CSO/21/13) which referred to the importance of protecting Devon’s heritage and wildlife, the current approach in limiting the use of the rural network by HGVs and large agricultural vehicles, the requirements for restricting access and exemptions, the County and National Policy in relation to speed, the aim of Quiet Lanes schemes, relevant studies, concern over their implementation and the process this required.

 

The Cabinet Member added that whilst he understood the continued concern regarding the size and class of vehicles using the rural network, and speed of vehicles, the current approach was to focus on areas where there were known problems (e.g. vehicle size or speed), was felt to be pragmatic and sustainable.

 

The Cabinet considered the recommendation now before them and the actions now proposed and it was MOVED by Councillor Hart, SECONDED by Councillor Hughes, and

 

RESOLVED that Council to recommended to

 

(a)  continue to make site specific assessments on the need for any restriction based on size or class of vehicle;

 

(b)  that the setting of speed limits continues to be aligned with existing County Policy; and

 

(c)  agree Quiet Lanes schemes be considered on a case by case basis, but only where there is whole community support for a scheme.

 

(b) 20 MPH Speed Limits (Councillor Hodgson)

 

In response to the growing demand for safer vehicle speeds in town and village centres and along residential roads, this Council will now consider further applications for 20mph pilot schemes that can be implemented in parallel with the Newton Abbott pilot scheme to ensure a more timely response to supporting Active Travel measures that need reduced vehicular speeds to be implemented and effective.

 

Members considered the Officer’s factual briefing note on the matter (CSO/21/13) which referred to the commitment of the Authority to review its approach to the setting of speed limits, the work of the Speed Limit Scrutiny Task Group, the pilot of a community wide default 20mph restriction in Newton Abbot and the joint working with public health, road safety, air quality, sustainable travel, community representatives and the Police on this and that Members would be invited to make those representations for consideration, where 20’s may be beneficial in the future pending any change to Policy.

 

The Cabinet Member added that he acknowledged the growing demand for lower speed limits and the Council needed to fully understand how it could make any change in Policy work best for Devon.

 

The Cabinet considered the recommendation now before them and the actions now proposed and already undertaken and other relevant factors (e.g. public health and environmental):

 

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

 

RESOLVED that Council be recommended to:

 

(a)  continue with the Newton Abbot pilot as per the Cabinet resolution; and

 

(b)  that no other schemes be introduced in parallel; and

 

(c)  that Elected Members are invited to make representations for communities that they would wish to see considered for 20 mph speed limits pending any change in County Policy.

 

 

(c) Public Health Improvements and Active Travel Measures (Councillor Hodgson)

 

In light of changes to commuter and public travel and in recognition of this Council’s commitment to post-COVID recovery measures as outlined in the recently published Public Health Annual Report for Devon, this Council will consider diverting financial resources away from new road schemes and instead re-invest these monies in an improved network of non-vehicular routes to enable Active Travel measures to be implemented more widely across Devon and provide these safe routes for residents in and around every town in the County (and ultimately every parish to be so linked to its closest towns and facilities).  Such investment would then support the recommendations in DCC’s own Public Heath report, most of which seek improvements to fairness, air quality, access to active travel and access to nature to improve public health by extending the ‘Health in All Policies’ approach.

 

Members considered the Officer’s factual briefing note on the matter (CSO/21/13) which referred to the Council’s Transport Infrastructure Plan (TIP), which was a living document and was always under review to ensure priorities were in line with local and national policies and supporting health, environmental and economic outcomes. The briefing note referred to the Government’s recent policy announcements such as the Transport Decarbonisation Plan and the Gear Change walking and cycling and Bus Back Better strategies and highlighted that the future capital programme would have a mix of schemes that sought to reduce carbon emissions through modal shift, tackle climate change as well as support other economic, road safety and air quality objectives. It was noted that in the last financial year the Council had allocated £1.473m of its £4.624m Local Transport Plan budget towards walking and cycling improvements across the County.

 

Looking ahead, Government had announced £2billion funding for cycling and had encouraged local authorities to develop Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans (LCWIPs) to identify and prioritise future investment. The Council was in the process of finalising LCWIPs for the major urban areas of Exeter and Newton Abbot and had secured funding from District Councils to enable a Barnstaple and Bideford LCWIP to be progressed.

 

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 Croad, SECONDED by Councillor Hart, and

 

RESOLVED that Council, having declared a climate emergency, will reflect National and Local Policy announcements including the Transport Decarbonisation, Gear Change and Bus Back Better Strategies in future refreshes of the Transport Infrastructure Plan and related capital programmes.

 

(d) Biodiversity and Habitats (Councillor Hodgson)

 

This Council recognises the urgent need to support, protect and enhance biodiversity and habitats.  It therefore agrees to:

 

1.    Consider new ways that could be used through the planning system to ensure and check that wildlife and habitat mitigation measures agreed by planning condition are carried out and effective, and develop appropriate policies,

2.    Work with Local Planning Authorities (LPA’s) within Devon to ensure that measuring and monitoring of wildlife and biodiversity is carried out at a range of key (indicator) locations over the life of their Local Development Plans,

3.    Develop a policy that would seek implementation of urgent remedial actions that may be advised by recognised experts regarding habitat degradation,

4.    Assess the potential cumulative impacts on wildlife and habitats as and when planning applications for major developments are proposed within 500m of wildlife corridors, known habitats of protected species, planning consultation zones, green field sites, together with the impact of other nearby residential or commercial development applications, sites or built up areas within 500 meters.  This information to be part of the application papers prior to validation for the planning process.

5.    Strengthen and implement fully, habitats screening prior to validation of planning applications,

6.    Ensure that any littering in public spaces, in particular that left by waste collection services is cleaned up immediately and thereby prevent this wildlife hazard from spreading.  This could be enforced by employing more Enforcement officers.

7.    Consider options for ‘on the spot’ fines against developers who damage or harm significant wildlife habitats including Devon Banks, mature native trees and other habitats known to be used by protected wildlife species.

8.    Ban the use of pesticides and herbicides including glyphosate (commercially known as Roundup) on Council owned land.

9.    Consider virtual supports that can be provided to enable parish councils, local organisations and residents to propose highway verges and other publicly owned green spaces for Life on the Verge sites; i.e. sites that could benefit wildlife and biodiversity by being left to an out of season cutting regime.  This could be provided via an extension of the on-line mapping pages to include a new ‘Life on the Verge’ page on the Report it (Highways) on-line services.

 

Members considered the Officer’s factual briefing note on the matter (CSO/21/13) which referred to the Council’s recognition through the Devon Climate Declaration to improve the resilience of Devon’s environment against the effects of climate change. The Council was leading on collaborative efforts to develop a more consistent and effective approach to wildlife and planning across the county, as well as to influence new Government policy and legislation and gave examples such as the ‘Devon Net Gain Guidance’, Developing a Devon Nature Recovery Network map, creating joint guidance for Special Protection Areas and on related issues such as dark corridors for bats and providing a specialist wildlife and planning advice service to other Devon LPAs.

 

The briefing note also outlined the actions taken in relation to the nine issues referenced by the Notice of Motion.

 

The Cabinet considered the recommendation now before them and the actions now proposed and those already undertaken and any other relevant factors (e.g. public health, environmental and equality):

 

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

 

RESOLVED that Council be recommended to:

 

(a) endorse the urgent need to support, protect and enhance biodiversity and habitats in recognition of the climate emergency and the associated ecological crisis; and

 

(b) continue to work with others in exploring practical approaches to achieving improved outcomes for wildlife linked to planning, development, and land use change across Devon.

 

(e) Women’s Health Inequalities (Councillor Atkinson)

 

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

 

This Council share concerns raised in the House of Lords recent debate following the call for evidence on women’s health  about the risk of COVID-19 accelerating women’s health inequalities, for example due to delays in regular screening that are likely to increase the number of women with pelvic and breast cancers and the increased likelihood as data shows that women suffer more than men from long covid and other auto immune illnesses such as ME Fibromyalgia Sarcoidosis  as well as Migraines.

 

This Council requests the Government to invest more into research on women’s health when it sets out its strategy for improving women’s health.

 

Members considered the Officer’s factual briefing note on the matter (CSO/21/13) which referred to the impact of the pandemic on gender, noting that men had experienced higher hospitalisation and death rates and lower uptake of Covid-19 vaccinations than women, whilst emerging evidence suggested that women had been more likely to suffer from long Covid. The briefing note also highlighted the position with screening services, the uptake of those services and also cancer referrals and noted the importance of considering gender as a factor when looking at the local impact of Covid-19, an approach which had been emphasised in the 2020-21 Annual Public Health Report for Devon.

 

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 and equality impact):

 

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

 

RESOLVED that Council be recommended to

 

(a) note the importance of considering gender as a factor when looking at the local impact of Covid-19, as reflected in the 2020-21 Annual Public Health Report for Devon;

 

(b) note the work of the Devon Covid-19 Recovery Coordination Group in relation to understanding and addressing the impact of Covid-19 and that it considers gender alongside other factors such as ethnicity, age and deprivation; and

 

(c) that this informs future work on how services can be more effectively targeted at different groups, including addressing the differing needs of men and women and supporting action in these areas.

 

(f) Single Use Plastics (Councillor Atkinson)

 

(Councillor Atkinson attended in accordance with Standing Order 8 and Councillor Wrigley attended in accordance with 25(2) and spoke to this item).

 

This Council believes we have a single use plastics problem in Devon and will respond to parliaments plastics waste enquiry Chaired by the Devon MP Neil Parish to suggest how we can overcome the single use plastics problem and reduce waste and ensure we do not export our single use plastic problem overseas.

 

Members considered the Officer’s factual briefing note on the matter (CSO/21/13) which referred to the recent enquiry which had just been launched by the House of Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Committee into Plastic Waste, scrutinising how the UK Government intended to tackle its plastics problem, and whether its targets went far enough as well as the how alternatives to plastic could be found and supported, and what more could be done to ensure that plastic waste was not sent abroad to be dumped. The Committee was seeking answers to five specific questions.

 

The briefing note also outlined the position in Devon, the Resource and Waste Strategy for Devon & Torbay and how this considered single use plastics and a number of initiatives to support the reduction of single use plastics as well as the Council’s plastic strategy, single use plastic work and Corporate Waste Action Plan which showed the considerable progress made on reducing single use plastic up to the pandemic.  See Plastics Strategy, a review of corporate single use plastics https://devoncc.sharepoint.com/:b:/r/sites/PublicDocs/Environment/Environment/Environmental%20policy/DCC%20Review%20of%20Corporate%20Single-Use%20Plastics.pdf?csf=1&web=1&e=MBYabb and Action Plan https://devoncc.sharepoint.com/:b:/r/sites/PublicDocs/Environment/Environment/Environmental%20policy/Waste%20Action%20Plan%20Delivery.pdf?csf=1&web=1&e=WseYc2

 

The Government had implemented or was proposing a considerable range of legislation to combat the proliferation of single use plastic which included making it illegal to supply plastic straws, cotton buds, drink stirrers, a Plastic Tax coming into force in April 2022, a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS), the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for packaging and the UK Plastics Pact

 

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 and environmental):

 

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

 

RESOLVED that Council be recommended to respond to the Government’s EFRA Committee plastic waste enquiry, noting some of the issues and ideas detailed within the briefing note.

 

(g) Industrial Strategy (Councillor Atkinson)

 

(Councillor Atkinson attended in accordance with Standing Order 8 and spoke to this item). 

The Government scrapped the 2017 Industrial strategy that this Council and the Heart of the South West spent much time responding to with plans. The Government’s 2021 Build back better vision remains an aspiration and so far, there has been no announcement of any strategy to implement this. This is urgent as budgets are now set until 2022.

This Council

·         Supports the recommendations in the industrial strategy council’s annual report on March 2021 and

·         Believes if Devon is to prosper and respond effectively to the economic effects of Brexit and the Pandemic the Government should as a matter of urgency, be developing a long-term Net Zero Industrial Strategy, to accompany a more detailed road-map for the huge job of transforming the UK’s energy economy and post pandemic recovery and recognises that if the 2050 net zero greenhouse gas target is to be met it will need investment in skills and innovation to bring down the cost of the transition,

·         Believes the Government should set out a refocused Healthcare Industrial Strategy, building on the successes of the old “Life Sciences Strategy” but focusing more on population health, and learning both the positive and negative lessons from the way the UK’s health and life sciences sector responded to the pandemic.

·         Asks the Government to provide more funding for research and development to support the local marine, Aerospace engineering and design businesses.

Members considered the Officer’s factual briefing note on the matter (CSO/21/13) which referred to the Industrial Strategy Council set out in its Annual Report published in March 2021, a review of progress against the Industrial Strategy 2017, and referred to the Build Back Better – Our Plan for Growth (Plan for Growth), published in March 2021. The Report highlighted a number of recommendations focused on how to boost innovation, reduce inequalities and support a fair and productivity-led transition to net zero emissions. A broad summary of the main recommendations made in the Annual Report was provided in the briefing paper:

 

An Innovation Strategy had been published last month which set out four main pillars: Business, People, Places and Institutions and Technologies and Challenges. It set out a framework for fuelling businesses who wanted to innovate, creating innovation talent, investing to grow innovation capacity – such as through Strength in Places Funds and Connecting Capability funding, and developing partnerships between Higher Education and Research Institutes business and private sector organisation can spark technological solutions to key challenges, including the suggestion of setting up Prosperity Boards.

 

The Secretary of State Robert Jenrick had written to Local Authority leaders setting out a framework for ‘County Deals’. Team Devon local authorities (the County Council, eight district councils and Dartmoor National Park Authority working alongside town and parish councils) had written in response to express an interest in discussions about a Devon Devolution Deal in advance of the publication of the “Levelling Up” White Paper.

 

The Cabinet considered the recommendation now before them and the actions now proposed and already undertaken and any other relevant factors:

 

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

 

RESOLVED that given that the Team Devon expression of interest responds to the Notice of Motion, it is recommended that Council take no further action on the Motion, pending the outcome of the forthcoming discussions about a Devon Devolution Deal.