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)  Building on Devon County Council Owned Brown-field Land to provide Homes for Devon (Councillor Wrigley)

(b)  Impact of Changes to Pension Age (made at short notice) on Women Born in the 1950s (Councillor Hannaford)

(c)  Sewage Discharges and Impacts on Wildlife and Public Health (Councillor Bailey)

(a) Building on Devon County Council Owned Brown-field Land to provide Homes for Devon (Councillor Wrigley)

 

RESOLVED that Council be recommended to;

 

(a) note the number of affordable housing units across Devon which the Council’s land has enabled over the past five years;

 

(b) confirm that in the short to medium term (3-5 years) the Council does not have plans to dispose of County Hall;

 

(c) endorse the approach to review the use of DCC assets as part of the Council’s financial sustainability programme to identify opportunities for the provision of (in particular) DCC key worker accommodation;

 

(d) note the continuing work of the Devon Housing Task Force and DCCs involvement in this; and

 

(e) support the inclusion of strategic DCC farm land in relevant local plan allocations (including land at Markham’s and Manor Farm) as part of the Council’s work to support housing provision across the County whilst ensuring that farm holdings remain viable and where possible land is replenished (subject to financial resources being available) to maintain the Farms Estate at c10k acres.

 

(b) Impact of Changes to Pension Age (made at short notice) on Women Born in the 1950s (Councillor Hannaford)

 

RESOLVED that Council be recommended to ask that the Leader of the Council writes to each of the Devon Members of Parliament and the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions supporting the July 2021 findings of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman; highlighting the impacts on women in Devon and urging the Government to offer compensation as a matter of urgency.

 

(c) Sewage Discharges and Impacts on Wildlife and Public Health (Councillor Bailey)

 

(Councillor Hart declared an interest in this item by virtue of an ongoing dispute with South-West Water and left the room during the debate)

 

RESOLVED that as reflected by this Notice of Motion, it is recommended that Council:

 

(a) recognises the unacceptable extent of storm overflow discharges into Devon’s watercourses and coastal waters and the huge public concern relating to these and the wider impacts of water pollution on public health and wildlife; and

 

(b) urges all those with a specific role, including South West Water, the Environment Agency, Ofwat and central government, to pursue relevant action to adequately address this problem.

(a) Building on Devon County Council Owned Brown-field Land to provide Homes for Devon (Councillor Wrigley)

 

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

 

The Motion text is outlined below.

 

The Council notes:

 

• The world-wide concerns on the supply of food, in particular wheat following the war in Ukraine and climate change issues globally.
• The need for improved food security in the UK, encouraging more food production requiring grade 1 agricultural land including use in less intensive ways.
• The need for affordable homes, especially for health and social care workers set in sustainable locations.
• The change of work patterns of many Devon residents to have fewer days in an office setting and more days working from home in a hybrid model.

 

This Council commends:

 

The acquisition of 34 Hectares of Grade One agricultural land for county owned Markham’s Farm in 2009 with the express purpose to make the farm viable.

 

In the light of the need for thousands more affordable homes for Devon families, the lack of any form of homes to rent long-term in Devon, and to enable homes for incoming workers for health and social care provision this council resolves to:

 

1)    Review the land assets held by the County Council with the aim of identifying opportunities to use brownfield sites for new rented affordable homes to generate long term and reliable revenue for the council.

2)    Work with the District Councils and their registered provider partners as housing providers

3)    Deliver a significant programme of homes for rent remaining in the ownership of Devon County Council providing a long-term revenue stream to reduce Council Tax requirements.

4)    Withdraw the sites at Manor Farm, Markham’s Farm and other County Farms from local plan allocations for housing and preserve farm viability.

           

In the site review particular attention will be given to the Topsham Road County Hall site.  This site is antiquated and in the wrong place for modern council operation.  Office space and meeting space would be far more efficient in a modern working location such as alongside the council’s other offices in Sowton or in Marsh Barton – both out of the town centre but well connected by train, bus and by road.

 

The current County Hall site would be far more effective if it were re-modelled to become homes for rental, with a proportion reserved for NHS and social Care staff and many at social rent levels.  This would provide much needed affordable homes and a rental income stream for the council.  Turning a liability into a significant revenue generating asset.

 

Converting the existing office blocks and building new homes on the enormous supply of parking space would provide a highly desirable and green residential location with good connection to the RD&E hospital site and the city centre.

 

The hundreds of rented flats delivered would not only provide homes for local families, but also a long-term rental income for the Council that should exceed the cost of out-of-town office space.

 

Other sites owned by the council across the county should be identified and used in a similar way.

 

Members considered the Officer’s factual briefing note on the matter (CSO/22/14) which referred to the role of the Council’s asset management strategy in assessing what land and buildings could be declared surplus and sold, the contribution to the supply of affordable homes across Devon and the intention to seek discussions with social housing providers to consider potential models/options to utilise DCC land/assets to help address affordable housing provision. It further highlighted potential restrictions around future usage of County Hall, the role of the Devon Housing Task Force looking at the strategic housing challenges across Devon, Plymouth and Torbay, and also the current position with Manor Farm, Holcombe and Markhams Farm, at Shillingford Abbot.

 

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 McInnes, and

 

RESOLVED that Council be recommended to;

 

(a) note the number of affordable housing units across Devon which the Council’s land has enabled over the past five years;

 

(b) confirm that in the short to medium term (3-5 years) the Council does not have plans to dispose of County Hall;

 

(c) endorse the approach to review the use of DCC assets as part of the Council’s financial sustainability programme to identify opportunities for the provision of (in particular) DCC key worker accommodation;

 

(d) note the continuing work of the Devon Housing Task Force and DCCs involvement in this; and

 

(e) support the inclusion of strategic DCC farm land in relevant local plan allocations (including land at Markham’s and Manor Farm) as part of the Council’s work to support housing provision across the County whilst ensuring that farm holdings remain viable and where possible land is replenished (subject to financial resources being available) to maintain the Farms Estate at c10k acres.

 

 

(b) Impact of Changes to Pension Age (made at short notice) on Women Born in the 1950s (Councillor Hannaford)

 

Councillors Whitton and Wrigley attended in accordance with 25(2) and spoke to this item).

 

The Motion text is outlined below.

 

Council notes that:

 

·         In the 1995 Pensions Act, the Government increased State Pension age for women from 60 to 65, with a further increase to 66 in the 2011 Pensions Act. 

·         The change was not properly communicated to 3.8m women born in the 1950s until 2012, giving some only one year’s notice of a six-year increase in their anticipated retirement age.  67,000 of the affected women are in our own authority area.

·         The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) has found that the Department for Work and Pensions was guilty of maladministration in its handling of the State Pension Age increase for women born in the 1950s. 

·         The All Party Parliamentary Group on State Pension Inequality for Women has concluded that “the impact of DWP maladministration on 1950s-born women has been as devastating as it is widespread.  The APPG believes that the case for category 6 injustice is overwhelming and clear.  Women have had their emotional, physical, and mental circumstances totally obliterated by a lack of reasonable notice.”

·         Research commissioned by campaign group WASPI has found that by the end of 2022, more than 220,000 1950s born women will have died waiting for justice since the WASPI campaign began in 2015. 

·         WASPI’s figures show that over the course of the two year COVID pandemic, 1 in 10 women who died was affected by these uncommunicated changes and lost both their state pension income and the opportunity to make alternative retirement plans. 

·         Despite the Ombudsman’s findings and the rapid death rate of those affected, the government is choosing to wait for further reports before taking any action. 

 

Council believes this injustice has not only had a profound effect on the individuals involved but on the wider community in Devon and on local government, not least because:

 

·         Women who would have looked after older relatives or partners are unable to afford to do so, with a knock-on impact on local social care

·         Women who would have retired and engaged in caring responsibilities for grandchildren are having to continue working, increasing the childcare burden on the state locally

·         Women who have been left in poverty are struggling to meet their housing costs, with a knock-on impact on local housing stock

·         There is a broader impact on voluntary services of all kinds locally, which are missing out on able, active volunteers who would otherwise have been able to retire from full-time work as planned

·         Our local economy is negatively affected by the reduced spending power and disposable income the uncommunicated State Pension Age changes has brought about among women born in the 1950s

 

Council supports: 

 

·         The conclusion of the All Party Parliamentary Group on State Pension Inequality that women born in the 1950s have suffered a gross injustice, affecting their emotional, physical and mental circumstances in addition to causing financial hardship.

·         A swift resolution to this ongoing injustice before more and more women die waiting for compensation.

·         The WASPI campaign for an immediate one-off compensation payment of between £11,666 and £20,000 to those affected, with the most going to women who were given the shortest notice of the longest increase in their state pension age. 

 

Council asks:

 

·         The Leader of the Council to write to local Members of Parliament, and to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to outline the effects of the injustice to 1950s women on the communities in Devon and to seek their support for an immediate compensation package.

 

Members considered the Officer’s factual briefing note on the matter (CSO/22/14) which referred to the Ombudsman’s investigation of complaints about Department for Work and Pensions’ communication of changes and the work of the All Party Parliamentary Group on State Pension Inequality for Women whose view was that DWP maladministration had impacted on 1950s-born women financially, as well as causing emotional, physical and psychological distress.

 

The Cabinet considered the recommendation now before them and the actions now proposed:

 

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

 

RESOLVED that Council be recommended to ask that the Leader of the Council writes to each of the Devon Members of Parliament and the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions supporting the July 2021 findings of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman; highlighting the impacts on women in Devon and urging the Government to offer compensation as a matter of urgency.

 

 

(c) Sewage Discharges and Impacts on Wildlife and Public Health (Councillor Bailey)

 

(Councillor Hart declared an interest in this item by virtue of an ongoing dispute with South-West Water and left the room during the debate)

 

(Councillors Whitton and Wrigley attended in accordance with 25(2) and spoke to this item).

 

The Motion text is outlined below.

 

Sewage discharges not only harm wildlife but also pose a serious risk to public health as has been recently confirmed by Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty.

 

According to data from the Rivers Trust there were 12,436 sewage spills for a duration of 120,933 hours in Devon in 2021.

 

Sewage was discharged into the River Otter for 8457 hours in 2021. This includes discharges at Fluxton for 723 hours and upstream at Honiton where sewage was discharged continually for 1974 hours from 16th January 2021 to 10th April 2021.

 

This Council considers sewage discharges and the associated harm to wildlife and public health totally unacceptable and agrees to write to South West Water to express its very great concern about the impact of sewage discharges on the rivers of Devon and to urge South West Water that this practice must cease urgently.

 

This Council also requests that the CEO Susan Davey, in recognition of the severity of the situation, considers not taking the whole of her current annual salary of £1.7 million until such time as a substantially improved situation is achieved.

 

Members considered the Officer’s factual briefing note on the matter (CSO/22/14) which referred to concern over water quality in rivers, streams and coastal waters and the impact of pollution by sewage. The significance of the issue had been recognised by Ofwat, as detailed on their website. They were also progressing five earlier enforcement cases as well as opening a new one into South West Water. Government had also indicated it was seeking a change in how water companies tackled the issue, as addressed by its Storm Overflow Discharge Action Plan.  Water companies had been required to significantly invest to protect and improve the environment; including storm overflow improvements as well as Government introducing a raft of measures through the Environment Act 2021.

 

The Cabinet considered the recommendation now before them and the actions now proposed and already undertaken and any other relevant factors such as public health and environmental impact):

 

RESOLVED that as reflected by this Notice of Motion, it is recommended that Council:

 

(a) recognises the unacceptable extent of storm overflow discharges into Devon’s watercourses and coastal waters and the huge public concern relating to these and the wider impacts of water pollution on public health and wildlife; and

 

(b) urges all those with a specific role, including South West Water, the Environment Agency, Ofwat and central government, to pursue relevant action to adequately address this problem.