Agenda and minutes

Councillor Dryden proposed and Councillor Davey seconded the nomination of Councillor Mark Ashton as Mayor for the Municipal Year 2022/23.

 

Resolved (unanimously) that:

 

Councillor Mark Ashton be elected Mayor for the Municipal Year 2022/23.

 

Councillor Mark Ashton then made the statutory declaration of acceptance for the Office of Mayor.

Councillor Collis proposed and Councillor Thornburrow seconded the nomination of Councillor Jenny Gawthrope Wood as Deputy Mayor for the Municipal Year 2022/23.

 

Resolved (unanimously) that:

 

Councillor Jenny Gawthrope Wood be elected Deputy Mayor for the Municipal Year 2022/23.

 

Councillor Jenny Gawthrope Wood then made the statutory declaration of acceptance for the Office of Deputy Mayor.

 

The minutes of 24 February and 3 March 2022 were confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Mayor.

Abbey – Matt Howard

Arbury – Iva Divkovic

Arbury – Patrick Sheil

Castle – Simon Smith

Cherry Hinton – Russ McPherson

Coleridge – Anna Smith

East Chesterton – Baiju Thittala Varkey

King’s Hedges - Martin Smart

Market - Katie Porrer

Newnham – Cameron Holloway

Petersfield - Richard Robertson

Queen Edith’s - Daniel Lee

Romsey - Dinah Pounds

Trumpington - Olaf Hauk

West Chesterton – Sam Carling

West Chesterton – Richard Swift

It was noted the following had been elected to the Office of Councillor:

 

Abbey – Matt Howard

Arbury – Iva Divkovic

Arbury – Patrick Sheil

Castle – Simon Smith

Cherry Hinton – Russ McPherson

Coleridge – Anna Smith

East Chesterton – Baiju Thittala Varkey

King’s Hedges - Martin Smart

Market - Katie Porrer

Newnham – Cameron Holloway

Petersfield - Richard Robertson

Queen Edith’s - Daniel Lee

Romsey - Dinah Pounds

Trumpington - Olaf Hauk

West Chesterton – Sam Carling

West Chesterton – Richard Swift

Resolved (unanimously) on the proposal of Councillor A.Smith seconded by Councillor Porrer

 

This Council expresses its appreciation of the manner in which duties of the Mayor and Mayoress were discharged by Councillor Russ McPherson and Carole McPherson during their period of office.

Apologies were received from Councillors Sweeney, Swift, Payne and Scutt.

 

Declaration of Interests

 

Member	Item	Interest
Healy	22/24/CNLb	Personal: Employee of Amnesty International
Baigent	All	Personal: Member of Cambridge Cycling Campaign
Davey	22/24/CNLc	Personal: Member of Cambridge Investment Partnership
Bird	22/24/CNLc	Personal: Member of Cambridge Investment Partnership
Moore	22/24/CNLa	Personal: Two children worked at Parkside Pool.
Ashton	22/24/CNLa	Personal: Had previously worked as a meat inspector

 

 

The Mott Sermon was scheduled to take place at Holy Trinity Church on Sunday 29 May at 11:30am.

 

There were 40 City Council grant funded events to mark The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, taking place during the bank holiday weekend. There would also be a Civic presence at the Beacon lighting on Castle Mound and at the proclamation at the Guildhall.

 

Midsummer Fair opening would take place on Wednesday 22 June.

 

 

Resolved (unanimously) to

 

Appoint Councillors Dryden, Lee, McPherson and Page-Croft Bailiffs of the City for the Municipal Year 2022/23.

Recommendations for committee sizes and chair/vice-chair appointments to follow.

Resolved (unanimously) to agree:

 

i.      the committees and appointments as set out in the Chief Executive’s report in the Information Pack and copied below for ease of reference

 

Environment and Communities Scrutiny Committee 9 (6 Labour + 2 Lib Dem + 1 Green and Independent)

Lab - Pounds, Carling, Swift, Sweeney, Holloway, Divkovic

Lib Dem - Payne, Hauk

G&I - Copley

Alternates – TBC, S.Baigent, Lee, Porrer, Howard

Planning and Transport Scrutiny Committee 9 (6 Labour + 2 Lib Dem + 1 Green and Independent)

Lab - S.Smith, D.Baigent, Scutt, Herbert, Smart, Swift

Lib Dem - Bick, Porrer

G&I - S. Davies

Alternates – Gawthrope Wood, Pounds, Page-Croft, Lee, Copley

Housing Scrutiny Committee 9 (6 Labour + 2 Lib Dem + 1 Green and Independent)

Lab - Thittala Varkey, Robertson, Gawthrope Wood, S.Baigent, Holloway, Pounds

Lib Dem - Porrer, Lee

G&I - Howard

Alternates: Carling, Herbert, Page-Croft, Nethsingha, Bennett

Strategy and Resources Scrutiny Committee 9 (6 Labour + 2 Lib Dem + 1 Green and Independent)

Lab - Robertson, S.Smith, Herbert, Scutt, Smart, Sweeney

Lib Dem - Bick, Payne

G&I  - Bennett

Alternates – Gawthrope Wood, 1 Labour TBC, Nethsingha, Flaubert, S.Davies

Civic Affairs Committee 6 (4 Labour + 1 Lib Dem +1 Green & Independent)

Lab - McPherson, Carling, Davey, Thornburrow

Lib Dem  - Hauk

G&I - Bennett

Alternates – Moore, Bick, S.Davies

Employment (Senior Officer) Committee 6 (4 Labour +2 Lib Dem)

Lab - TBC

Lib Dem - Bick, Porrer

Alternates: TBC

Licensing Committee 10 (7 Labour + 2 Lib Dem + 1 Green and Independent)

Lab - McPherson, Bird, Robertson, Divkovic, Carling, Gilderdale, Scutt

Lib Dem - Page-Croft (Spokes), Flaubert

G&I  - Bennett

Alternates – Davey, Hauk

Planning Committee 9 (6 Labour + 2 Lib Dem + 1 Green and Independent)

Lab - Smart, D. Baigent, Thornburrow, Gawthrope Wood, Dryden, Collis

Lib Dem – Porrer (Spokes), Page-Croft

G&I - Bennett

Alternates – Todd-Jones, TBC, Nethsingha, Flaubert, Howard

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority - 1 seat

Herbert

Alternate - Davey

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority Overview and Scrutiny Committee 2 Labour

Robertson, D. Baigent

Alternates – S.Smith

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Audit and Governance Committee 1 Labour + one alternate

S.Smith

Alternate – Robertson

Greater Cambridge Partnership Joint Assembly 3 (2 Labour + 1 Lib Dem)

S.Smith, Thornburrow, Bick

Joint Development Control Committee - Cambridge Fringes 6 (4 Labour+ 2 Lib Dem)

S.Smith, Scutt, Carling, Thornburrow

Porrer, Flaubert

Alternates – D.Baigent, Gawthrope Wood, Page-Croft, Nethsingha

ii. that alternate members on regulatory committees can be more than 1 per political group.

iii. the Chairs and Vice-Chairs for 2022/23.

 

Environment and Communities Services Scrutiny Committee

Chair - Pounds

Vice-chair – Carling

Planning and Transport Scrutiny Committee

Chair – S.Smith

Vice-chair – D.Baigent

Housing Scrutiny Committee

Chair – Thittala Varkey

Vice-chair (nb. Tenant/Leaseholder is Chair of Part 1 of the meeting) – Robertson

Strategy and Resources Scrutiny Committee

Chair- Robertson

Vice-chair – S.Smith

Civic Affairs Committee

Chair - McPherson

Vice-chair - Carling

Licensing Committee

Chair - McPherson

Vice-chair - Bird

Planning Committee

Chair - Smart

Vice-chair – D.Baigent

Joint Development Control Committee

Lead Cllr for City (City Council turn to Chair 22/23) – S.Smith

iv.  to continue with Area Committees being held virtually until further notice.

 

 

Group Leaders will each have the opportunity to speak for not more than 10 minutes on their Group’s priorities for action and objectives for the forthcoming municipal year in the following order:

 

Councillor Anna Smith

Councillor Bick

Councillor Bennett

Group Leaders spoke on their Group’s priorities for action and objectives for the forthcoming municipal year.

Question 1

I’m the Programme Manager of ProVeg UK, a non-profit organisation whose main aim is to increase the health and sustainability of public sector food, particularly in schools. ProVeg UK, recognise plant-based foods as one of the solutions to the climate crisis and also to the public health challenges we face. Several of our local authority partners are taking positive steps similar to what’s being proposed here, offering a plant-based option daily. Feedback from children and parents, has been positive and did not receive pushback from children and parents. Contrary to perception, plant-based food is also cheaper on average than animal products. Almost every one of our 31 catering team partners has saved money by embracing more plant-based foods. A crucial factor as the cost of living continues to spiral. Passing the motion would follow the footsteps of Oxfordshire County Council and would send a powerful message that food can be a solution to our climate crisis. Felt other local authorities would then follow suit and would be a fine example of climate leadership.

Question 2

Committing to plant-based catering would align your actions with your declaration of a climate emergency and your net zero vision. The Paris Agreement’s limit of a 2 degree global temperature rise could not be adhered to without reducing global meat production. Using livestock to produce food is an incredibly inefficient; meat yields range from just 1% to 11% of the calories provided in feed. Normalising meat free meals by either making them the default or increasing the proportion of meat free options dramatically increases uptake of meat free meals and decreases consumption of meat. As a health professional was aware of the health benefits of plant-based diets. Red and processed meats are classified by the World Health Organisation as carcinogens. In the UK, two thirds of adults and 88% of teenagers consume fewer than 5 portions of fruit and vegetables each day, and this target falls short of current dietary recommendations. There is also a growing body of evidence supporting a diet centred around plant-based wholefoods for the prevention and treatment of many non-communicable diseases, including heart disease, diabetes and many cancers.

Question 3

As a vegan caterer we have seen a huge uptick in demand for our services from businesses of all types. With sustainability high on the agenda for most companies now, plant-based catering and corporate entertaining has become the only justifiable option for any business serious about meeting its net zero ambitions. And it is seen as such a simple and significant step. By way of illustration, using data by carbon labelling experts FoodSteps, as an average of the types of dish you might eat for a lunch or catering option, the meat, seafood and dairy options produce 4-7 times MORE emissions than their plant-based equivalents. Once you get into dining options, it becomes more extreme. The time has come to normalise plant-based foods by making them the default option for everyone at catered events. We hope that Cambridge City Council will take this opportunity to adopt a plant based only policy for their catering and set an example of positive climate action.

The Executive Councillor responded to questions 1, 2 and 3 together:

The council has declared climate and biodiversity emergencies. Those aren’t simply empty promises. When we say we intend to become a net zero council by 2030, we mean it.

Reducing meat and dairy consumption has to be part of reducing our environmental impact on the planet. There is no other choice.

In preparing my answer today I took inspiration from David Attenborough. He has been consistently clear that we have to reduce the environmental impact of the way we farm, and that the quickest and most effective way of doing that is to follow a plant-based diet. Especially if those plants are sourced as locally and as sustainably as possible.

Three ago, researchers at Oxford University found that cutting meat and dairy products could reduce an individual's carbon footprint from their food by up to 73 per cent. They argued that this would also free up wild land lost to agriculture, one of the primary causes for wildlife extinction. When done right, following a plant-based diet can make a major difference to health too.

All that is a very long way of saying yes, we will join Oxford in leading the way. I think both Councillor Copley’s motion and your questions open up all sorts of exciting possibilities for us as a council and challenges us to think about how we develop our existing work on sustainable food, and how together we can really make a change.

In response to a supplementary question, the Executive Councillor signposted the upcoming motion on plant-based food and said she could not pre-judge what would be discussed or agreed.

Question 4

Given the recent vote regarding the Electoral Commission and elections rules, will the council:

1. Commit to working with Citizen Card to provide free ID (this is
something they have offered by the way).
2. Reassure residents that you will, to the very best of your ability, ensure that elections here are carried out in the same professional manner they always have been.
3. Do what you can [though for a council this will be limited] to
overturn this decision so that elections are once again entirely without any political interference. I understand proposals will need to go through both Houses but that cannot make up for the loss of the Electoral Commission’s independence.

Response from the Chair of Civic Affairs Committee:

The Elections Act was granted Royal Assent on 28 April and has now passed into law. Until secondary legislation is laid before Parliament, there is currently limited detail on some of the new requirements. In answer to the questions:

Electoral ID cards will be entirely free to anyone who makes an application. The application process and cards will be funded by central Government, who will engage a central supplier for this purpose. The Council welcomes the offer from Citizen Card, but as it will not be responsible for appointing an ID card supplier, the offer will not be needed.

The Electoral Registration Officer will put together a publicity campaign, including working with local community groups, to ensure that electors have information on the new voter ID system that will be in place for the city council elections in May 2023.

The Returning Officer, who acts independently of the Council, continues to be committed to ensuring that elections in Cambridge are carried out with integrity and professionalism, so that voters, candidates, and other stakeholders can have confidence in the process.

The Elections Act introduces a strategy and policy statement for the Electoral Commission, which will set out the UK Government’s priorities for electoral matters and give strategic direction. It will need to be approved by the UK Parliament, following statutory consultation.

The Council believes that the Commission should be able to take an impartial approach to the democratic process, particularly in the guidance and support it provides to electors, candidates, political parties, and electoral administrators.

However, the Council notes that as the Act has now passed into law, it has no means to influence the new measures. While the Returning Officer will need to apply the new legislation when it comes into force, they will ensure that elections in Cambridge continue to be managed independently and in a transparent and secure manner so that voters can cast their vote with confidence.

The Member of the public noted that the request to influence may have been misinterpreted as they were thinking about more longer term influence but thanked the Councillor for their response.

Question 5

At its Full Meeting on 22nd July 2021, Cambridge City Council unanimously passed a motion to “stand in solidarity with Traveller and Gypsy communities in Cambridge” in response to the government's Police, Crimes, Sentencing and Courts Bill. As the Council noted, this bill “specifically targets Gypsy and Traveller communities, effectively criminalising their way of life” by criminalising trespass to land and allowing authorities to seize property and caravans.

The council noted: “No family willingly stops somewhere they are not welcome, with no running water, waste disposal or electricity, and the way to resolve this is not by criminalising GRT families or by introducing anti-encampment landscaping in open spaces. The existence of encampments needs to be understood not only in terms of the age-old cultural traditions of Gypsies and Travellers, but in terms of the historic failure of government to properly meet their accommodation needs. The proposals are being put forward despite the existence of a range of other eviction powers for encampments, and despite alternative solutions such as negotiated stopping agreements.”

Despite this, since the passing of this motion, the council has continued to regularly evict families who it has acknowledged have nowhere else to go. Worse still, the publishing date of the Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Needs Assessment report which the council points to as a prerequisite for policy change continues to be delayed.

Now that the Police, Crimes, Sentencing and Courts Bill has received Royal Assent, will Cambridge City Council stand by their word and commit to immediate, urgent action by placing a moratorium on evictions of unauthorised encampments from council land for as long as the legislation is in effect?

The Executive Councillor responded:

The Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Needs Assessment has been delayed. The results are now in. A draft report is currently being reviewed by officers. The intention is to publish this in the near future.

The Council had committed to delivering a new site for a number of years and was committed to doing this. Facilities would be provided to ensure the site was fit for purpose for modern living eg community facilities.

Undertook to set up a cross-party group to work with the County Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council to deliver the transit site.

Enforcement action had been undertaken in some cases against members of the Gypsy and Traveller community to move them on when not parked on official sites. Negotiated stopping places could be considered until the new site became available. For example, using park&ride sites as negotiated stopping points, this was subject to discussions with the County Council which had begun.

As a supplementary question, the public speaker asked for a moratorium on enforcement action against Gypsy and Traveller community to move them on when not parked on official sites.

 

The Executive Councillor responded:

Could not commit to a moratorium on enforcement action. Sometimes enforcement action was appropriate.

 

Did not intend to bring criminal proceedings under the Act on Council owned land. Discussions had also taken place with the Police on this issue too.

 

Question 6

At our recent Herbicide Reduction Scheme Working group meeting on 12/5/22, and on a previous meeting between Pesticide-Free Cambridge and Environmental Services on 7/4/22 (https://www.pesticidefreecambridge.org/post/record-of-our-meetings-with-councillors-schools-and-partners-groups), a number of commitments were made including:

i.               No council herbicide spraying to take place during school commute time (8.00-9.00, 15.00-16.00)

ii.             No council spraying to take place around trees;

iii.            No council spraying on grassy verges;

iv.           No council spraying in parks/open-spaces;

v.             No private-application of pesticides on municipal land.

 

However, with regards point 1, since then we have received reports of City Council spraying of herbicides on two occasions in the middle of the school commute.  The first at 8.01 am, 7/4/22 on Coldham’s Lane roundabout, and the second at 8.17 am,  18/5/22 on Mowbray Road (around the junction with Glebe Road ) and Holbrook Road. On both occasions, the surrounding roads and pavements were teeming with children and families, being as they are major commuting routes to a number of schools in the area. Children are particularly vulnerable to the neurotoxic and endocrine disrupting impacts of glyphosate, and pesticides in general. This is why we've asked that schools be informed in advance of spraying and to avoid all spraying during the time when children are walking or cycling to and from school. We took recent assurances made to us that this is now part of council policy at face value, the logical conclusion being that parents can safely assume that their children are no longer at risk of coming into direct contact with herbicides as they're being sprayed (clearly this doesn't preclude them from coming into contact with herbicides in the two weeks that it takes for visual evidence to show up, hence our having campaigned repeatedly for signage to be put up immediately after spraying).  It isn't enough to avoid the roads immediately outside schools as obviously children have to get to school from all over the city. Can you confirm please that no further council spraying will take place anywhere in the city during the school commute period? 

Regarding point 2, we have seen evidence of spraying around trees in several areas across the city and have sent photographic evidence to the biodiversity team. Can you please clarify why spraying is still happening around trees when it’s been decided that this shouldn’t be taking place?

Point 3. Verge spraying is clearly taking place all over the city. During early meetings with the previous Executive Councillor and operatives in 2020 we were told that verges were no longer being sprayed, and that there was little reason for our pesticide-free campaign, and yet since then we've had three years of ongoing and obvious spraying on pretty much every verge. Council websites repeat the same thing, that no verges or soft surfaces are sprayed (https://www.cambridge.gov.uk/report-weeds-or-invasive-plants), but this clearly isn't the case. We are aware that spraying by the County Council unfortunately took place in March before the City Council had communicated to them the terms of its Herbicide Reduction Plan (https://www.pesticidefreecambridge.org/post/herbicide-spraying-in-cambridge-s-herbicide-free-ward-pfc-press-release). But the above-mentioned evidence clearly relates to more recent spraying. Can you please clarify what is happening here as this again seems to be a clear contravention of what's been decided?

Can you clarify please what's happening with the online reporting system for irregular herbicide use across the city, both by council operatives and members of the public? This was one of the action points at the meeting on 7.4.22 and it’s crucial that residents are able to report instances of pesticide use that contravene the council’s Herbicide Reduction Scheme.  

Finally, what has been decided regarding signage to indicate where herbicides have been applied?

Written response from Executive Councillor provided after the meeting:

Your question sets out some of the key underlying principles in relating to the collaborative work we are embarking to make the Herbicide Reduction Plan a success.

It should be noted that we are dealing both with an important issue and with a city-scale maintenance practice that requires considerable commitment to change within in a large complex and complicated organisation. 

Councillors and officers are making every effort to achieve these principles you set out however there are occasions when herbicides are mistakenly applied. These are certainly reducing in numbers and yes ideally, we don’t want any.

To give some reassurances, operatives within Streets and Open Spaces have been briefed about school routes, the use of herbicides around trees and no use in Parks and Open Spaces and the two non-trial areas.  We will repeat this message when we make the second application later this Summer.

Just a minor point of clarification, but nonetheless an important one. The County Council was aware of the trial and the communication error was with a contractor. It was not an error of City Officers, and it was certainly not the case that they didn’t communicate with county colleagues about the trial.

One thing the trial has shown us is that some residents do apply herbicides to verges and land near their homes.  As agreed in the recent working group meeting, we are creating a reporting form to make us aware of such incidences.

We have debated and discussed in the past the use of signs and how difficult and costly this is in practice. There is greater benefit using limited staff time on things that will ensure the trial is a success. Signs will need moving or replacing within relatively short timescales, and it is simply not practical to use staff time is doing that – it will divert and prevent them from doing the actual work that is needed.

The online schedules will be created to give advance notice when we apply any further treatments this year.

Question 7

On the Verge Cambridge is extremely pleased to see the many stretches of unmown grass at the edges of our parks and open spaces. Long grass is a vital habitat for many invertebrates which in turn are a food source for birds and other animals. However, we are very concerned that these areas may be mown down prematurely, that is before the end of the summer and therefore before the moths, spiders etc... have had time to successfully reproduce. This has happened to the Cow Parsley on Fen Causeway - not sprayed with herbicide this year but cut back completely unnecessarily when in full flower.

1.    Can the council give assurances that where areas have been left to grow long to improve biodiversity they will be left long for the summer, so the long grass areas are a true habitat over a period of months, not weeks?

2.    Specific to Jesus Green, the one-metre width long grass zone along Jesus Ditch is a fantastic contribution to our city's biodiversity. Not only is it full of flowers for pollinators, it also presents a barrier to rubbish blowing into the ditch and affords the (nationally rare) Water Vole population there more privacy. Now that the ditch is flowing again and some of the water is actually clear, the long grass also discourages dogs from swimming in the ditch. This would definitely disturb the voles and is a reason to keep the long grass zone it itself. Can the council give an assurance that the long grass along Jesus Ditch will not be cut back at least until the autumn, or even become a permanent feature?

 

Written response from Executive Councillor provided after the meeting:

 

Thank you for the question and for your continued support for the long grass and floral meadow changes recently made.

With regards Fen Causeway this verge abuts a very busy footpath and when wet the cow parsley narrows the path and puts cyclists and pedestrians at risk of entering the carriageway as they manoeuvre to pass.  Fen Causeway was cut at the top of the bank and with one pass only.  We hadn’t identified this verge for long grass changes however, it certainly one we can revisit.

All our grass cutting operatives have ben issued maps of all the long grass meadows and they have access to a biodiversity lead officer if they should have any questions or need help to clarify when something can be cut.

With regards Jesus Green the council commissioned feasibility work which included several ecological surveys, and specialist design and construction advice to look at its proposals for removing part of the existing concrete bank and landscaping the Jesus Ditch bank.  This scheme continues to be developed and the meadow forms part of the proposed new landscape.  The Biodiversity Officer is currently selecting seed mixes for this location, and we I am sure welcome your input.

1) Councillor D. Baigent to the Executive Councillor for Planning Policy & Infrastructure

Can the Executive Councillor outline what Greater Cambridge Partnership (GCP) consultations we can expect over the next year?

 

Executive Councillor response:

GCP has two live consultations at the moment – one on the Environmental Impacts of the Cambourne to Cambridge busway and active travel scheme, and the other on a road reclassification for the City’s roads. Details can be found on GCP’s website.

 

In the summer there will also be consultation on phase 2 of the Chisolm Trail following the successful opening of phase 1 at the end of last year.

 

Over the coming 6 months there will be localised engagement on the 12 Greenways schemes rather than a formal consultation.

 

Whilst future consultations are likely, they are subject to decisions at the GCP Executive Board so it would be pre-emptive to announce those here. But a paper published later today will propose some targeted consultation on a small amendment to the Cambridge Southeast Transport Scheme preferred route alignment – this is expected in July subject to a Board decision at the end of June.

 

Hoped to see progress on City Access over the coming 6 months, with the potential for further consultation in the autumn.

 

2) Councillor Bennett to the Executive Councillor for Housing

The Council participated in Empty Homes Week in March by asking residents to report any empty homes they are aware of. Did this actually produce any useful referrals? What steps were taken to get the message out to the public?

 

The official number of empty homes reported by the council is 310. We understand that the council is not automatically made aware of empty homes and believes this figure to be an underestimate. Do you have any insight into what the real number might be?

Given the Ukraine situation, is there any point in making a further call to report empty homes or an appeal to make these homes available as temporary accommodation? Is it worth asking particular groups of the public such as postal workers or estate agents for help? Would there be any merit in conducting a local survey in areas such as Trumpington where there is a high volume of new build?

 

Is it correct that the council has never made use of an Empty Dwelling Management Order?

 

Executive Councillor response:

Our work for Empty Homes Week was published on the City Councils website. There was an empty homes link at the end of every page on the website as well as a press release. The Residential Team, Environmental Services within which the Council’s Empty Homes Officer is based also added the empty homes week logo to their email signatures during that period bringing attention to the issue for everyone who received emails from them. This led to 10 referrals from members of the public which the Empty Homes Officer has subsequently been investigating.

 

The number of overall empty homes within the City at any one time varies owing to those pending sale / change in occupancy etc. The Councils Empty Homes Officer works to investigate and bring back into use through intervention those long term vacant homes which have been reported about of which there are currently in the region of 100 such properties under investigation.

 

There is an Empty Homes page on the Council website including a facility and contact details in relation to reporting empty homes within the City: Empty homes - Cambridge City Council.

 

In terms of re-purposing empty homes for temporary accommodation (TA) we tend to find using our stock a much more flexible and agile way of providing TA and we can exercise much greater control over management and repairs. Our preferred approach is to take them in under our Social Lettings Agency, Town Hall Lettings and use them as homeless prevention options. In reality these are quite difficult to bring to fruition and we have only done two of these. An Empty Homes Policy Review Report went to Housing Scrutiny Committee in September 2021.

 

The Council has done some work to identify long-term empty homes in new developments using Council Tax data. It didn’t show up as a major problem, although it does depend on owners reporting their home as being empty and of course that could change over time.

 

A residents’ survey could be a bit subjective; for example, residents might report a home as empty because they haven’t seen anyone coming or going, whereas it may not be empty or could be a second home.

 

The Council has not issued any Empty Dwelling Management Orders to date.

 

3) Councillor Hauk (on behalf of Councillor Nethsingha) to the Executive Councillor for Open Spaces, Food Justice and Community Development

The Council agreed to trial herbicide free management in Newnham, but it would appear that herbicide has in fact been used in the ward.  Could the executive Councillor explain how this happened, and what is being done to ensure the trial is as successful as possible?

 

Executive Councillor response:

There was no herbicide spraying by the City Council.

 

We are advised by County Council Officers that their highways contractor had sprayed around 38 streets/roads ahead of a pre-planned pavement resurfacing programme (1-2 in Newnham, none in Arbury).  

 

The Highways Maintenance Manager was part of the team that created the Herbicide Free Trial and had made the resurfacing contractor aware of our Trial but unfortunately this was not effectively communicated to operatives carrying out the work. 

 

4) Councillor S. Smith to the Executive Councillor for Planning Policy & Infrastructure

Can the Executive Councillor give an update on the updated sections F L O and S of building regulations?

 

Executive Councillor response:

New building regulations would come into effect on the 15 June and would apply to new and existing homes. There was a new Document O which related to preventing overheating. There would be maximum limits for glazing of new properties and also new levels of cross ventilation. There was also a fabric energy efficiency standard to measure energy efficiency. There were new requirements for Part L (new extensions would have to have SAP ratings) and a new Document Part S, which required all new properties to have easy access electric charge points. 

 

5) Councillor Carling (on behalf of Councillor Swift) to the Executive Councillor for Open Spaces, Food Justice & Community Development

Can the Executive Councillor give an update on what the council’s plans are for future food justice work, particularly in light of the current and escalating cost of living crisis?

 

Executive Councillor response:

Attended a conference on the Friday before this Council meeting attended by the Cambridge Food Poverty Alliance to hear about the work being done in communities to achieve food justice. Without the Cambridge Food Poverty Alliance city residents would have struggled to meet the challenges of the last two years. Had faced the challenge of Covid and now faced another challenge; the cost of living crisis.

 

Many stakeholders state there is a need for food hubs, people would not have enough food to eat otherwise.

 

6) Councillor Carling (on behalf of Councillor Sweeney) to the Executive Councillor for Open Spaces, Food Justice & Community Development

Can the Executive Councillor give an update on the progress of the herbicide free trial in Newnham and Arbury, as well as the Happy Bee Street opt-in scheme, including the communications strategy, working group and spraying schedules in non-trial wards?

 

Executive Councillor response:

The Trial was underway, and 9 streets had signed up to the Happy Bee Street Scheme.  Our Community Engagement team within Streets and Open Spaces had been signing up volunteers who would be helping in their own streets.  We have also been recruiting volunteers to help in the Trial areas.

 

A working group had been established to help with the management of the Arbury and Newnham Trial areas, Happy Bee Streets and also, more generally the issue of herbicide use in the rest of the city. 

 

Noted in relation to communication that there were webpages relating to the Herbicide Reduction Plan, the Happy Bees Streets Scheme and a webpage on the spraying schedule, which would be kept updated.  The aim was to stop treatments in 2023 and the working group, with the support of Pesticide Free Cambridge, On the Verge and the wider community, is working hard to achieve this.

 

7) Councillor Pounds to the Executive Councillor for Equalities, Anti-poverty & Well-being

Following on from the council's recent stand on racism against Gypsy, Roma and Traveller (GRT) communities, what will be taking place to enhance our community development work with those communities and to promote and celebrate GRT culture?

 

Executive Councillor response:

 

The Council was committed to building stronger relationships with the GRT community. The Community Development service structure was being reviewed to include a new role to focus on GRT communities. A report about the Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Needs Assessment report was expected to come to June Environment and Community Scrutiny Committee. A number of programmes were underway already such as:

o   GRT heritage project with local museums and the County Council to trace lineage of traveller families (subject to a funding bid).

o   A range of activities were planned at Midsummer Fair.

o   Details about the persecution of GRT families as part of the holocaust memorial.

o   There would also be an event for GRT communities held at the Corn Exchange.

 

8) Councillor Holloway (on behalf of Councillor Robertson) to the Executive Councillor for Recovery, Employment & Community Safety

Can the Executive Councillor provide an update on the plans for lending, loaning and reuse projects in the city?

 

Executive Councillor response:

 

There have been many calls for repair cafes in the city from the community and stakeholders.

 

The UK Repair Café Network said:

o   These kinds of initiatives reduced the global manufacturing carbon footprint.

o   Repairing and re-using could create around 450,000 green jobs nationally.

 

As discussed in the March Environment and Community Scrutiny Committee the Council was refocussing its resources from the ScrapsStore to develop a network of lending and loaning projects across the city. The intention is to diversify programmes in future e.g., the size/type of items that can be loaned to residents.

 

9) Councillor McPherson to the Leader of the Council

Can the Leader update us on the work that’s being done to welcome refugees from Ukraine into our city?

 

Executive Councillor response:

 

Teams from across the council had put support in place for over 600 Ukrainians settling in the city. This included putting checks in place to ensure suitable homes could be found. The Council is putting processes in place to ensure suitable checks (eg DBS) are undertaken and for payments to be made under the Government Homes for Ukraine Resettlement Scheme. The Council has put emergency housing in place for those arriving in the city who are not able to stay with members of their family, or where the sponsorship place has not worked or was unsuitable. There is a comprehensive webpage setting out details how residents could support people from the Ukraine.

 

The following oral questions were tabled but owing to the expiry of the period of time permitted, were not covered during the meeting.

 

10) Councillor McQueen to the Executive Councillor for Housing

Can the Executive Councillor provide an update on how we are recovering from the delays to Council house repairs caused by Covid?

 

11) Councillor Copley to the Executive Councillor for Environment, Climate Change and Biodiversity

The positive effects of ‘no mow May’ are readily apparent right across the city, with many streets thriving with flowers and insects. This is a great initiative the council has undertaken in the context of the biodiversity emergency and pollinator decline.

 

A number of residents have enquired about specific locations and whether they are or are not to be mowed.

 

Would the City Council publish an electronic map to illustrate where the No Mow areas are? This would allow us to direct residents to understanding the management of their streets and open spaces, and to identify for mowed areas the reasoning eg safety or recreation etc, and also may pick up if areas are mowed in error?

 

Executive Councillor response:

The Council has published a map of long grass areas on a dedicated webpage which shows where the ‘no mow’ areas are; and explains their benefits for the city’s biodiversity. This webpage is currently for long grass areas on Council managed parks and open spaces. I am informed that Officers are in the process of updating the webpage to include the long grass areas now being left on the city’s road verges, with the agreement of Cambridgeshire County Council, as the city’s Highway Authority.

 

Note: This is the webpage: https://www.cambridge.gov.uk/long-grass-areas-on-parks

 

12) Councillor Hauk to the Executive Councillor for Open Spaces, Food Justice & Community Development

What is Cambridge City Council doing to prevent foot- and cycle-paths from encroaching vegetation that can discourage residents from active travel?

 

Executive Councillor response:

In the main, all public foot and cycle paths in the city are the responsibility of Cambridgeshire County Council, as the area’s Highway Authority.  However, our officers work closely with the County Council’s to ensure these important ‘active travel’ assets are accessible and safe to use.  The County Council undertakes programmed inspections of ‘main’ roads and their associated foot and cycle paths, monthly; and ‘residential’ roads, and associated paths, yearly.

 

Highway issues, including encroaching vegetation, that are reported to us, will be forwarded on to the County Council to respond to.  This often involves them working with our officers to investigate the issue and agree what action is required.  In situations which require cutting back of overhanging vegetation, the County will ask the City Council to undertake the work, for an agreed price, either as an ad hoc, one-off job; or as part of an agreed routine maintenance schedule.

 

The County Council is also the legal enforcing authority for scenarios where vegetation from private properties, such as residents’ gardens and businesses, is encroaching a road, pavement or public foot or cycle path; and action is required from the property owner to cut back their overgrowing vegetation.

 

13) Councillor Smart to the Executive Councillor for Equalities, Anti-poverty & Well-being

Can the Executive Councillor tell us what is being done to help residents of Cambridge cope with the severe increases in the cost of living brought about by the damaging economic policies of this incompetent government?

 

14) Councillor Divkovic to the Executive Councillor for Open Spaces, Food Justice & Community Development

Captain Jack did a fantastic job harrowing part of Stourbridge Common earlier this year. Are there any plans to further develop this work?

 

15) Councillor Gawthrope Wood to the Executive Councillor for Housing

Can the Executive Councillor provide any update or information on provision for rough sleepers in Cambridge?

 

16) Councillor Payne to the Executive Councillor for Open Spaces, Food Justice & Community Development

Can the Executive Councillor offer an update on the number of community and voluntary groups the council has supported to establish post-covid?

 

17) Councillor Holloway to the Executive Councillor for Environment, Climate Change and Biodiversity

Can the Executive Councillor please give an update on the trial of a weekly food waste collection?

 

18) Councillor Flaubert to the Executive Councillor for Environment, Climate Change and Biodiversity

Could the Executive Councillor update council on how many streets are confirmed as taking part in the herbicide-free trials around the city in wards which are not yet herbicide-free?

 

19) Councillor S. Baigent to the Executive Councillor for Recovery, Employment & Community Safety

Can the Executive Councillor outline what steps are being taken to reduce cycle crime.

 

20) Councillor Page-Croft to the Executive Councillor for Recovery, Employment & Community Safety

Could the Executive Councillor explain how much progress has been made on obtaining noise cameras via the Community Safety Partnership?

 

21) Councillor Porrer to the Executive Councillor for Equalities, Anti-poverty and Wellbeing

Would the Executive Councillor support my call for Cambridge City Council to increase menopause awareness for residents of our city, employers around Cambridge and for our council staff and councillors?

 

22) Councillor Bick to the Executive Councillor for Planning Policy & Infrastructure

What is your assessment of the current level of resilience of the joint Planning service?

 

 

Cambridge City Council declared climate and biodiversity emergencies in 2019, and shared a vision for Cambridge to be Net Zero by 2030. Furthermore, Cambridge City Council has developed a Sustainable Food Policy Statement (in response to an earlier motion by Cllr Oscar Gillespie), and Cambridge Sustainable Food, in which Cambridge City Council is a partner, has been awarded Silver status by Sustainable Food Places and recently announced it is working towards Gold status.

 

It is increasingly recognised that meat and dairy production is a significant contributor to climate breakdown, with the livestock sector accounting for 14% of global greenhouse gas emissions, as well as being a major contributor to global deforestation. The catastrophic effects of climate breakdown mean climate and risk experts predict a world with systemic cascading risks related to food insecurity including food shortages, societal tensions, hunger and malnutrition, unrest and conflict (according to a Chatham house report from 2021), which furthermore predicts a 50% chance of synchronous crop failure in the decade of the 2040s.

As well as a smaller carbon footprint, eating more plant-based foods also reduces the land footprint of our diets and would improve UK food security and self-sufficiency, thereby making our diets more local. We currently import much more food than we export. Meat and dairy is our second biggest food group trade deficit (£4.2 billion pounds a year); we also have a £1.3 billion pound trade deficit in animal feed. In the UK less than 40% of our cereals are eaten by people and almost 60% are fed to livestock: this is a huge food waste issue. East Anglia is predominantly arable farming and there are many local predominantly plant-based food businesses we could support.

 

The Government commissioned National Food Strategy (July 2021) recommended meat consumption should be reduced by 30% to help food security for future generations, and the Government's independent Climate Change Committee recommended that public bodies should lead the way by promoting plant-based food options. Over 40% of Britons are trying to reduce their meat consumption and 14% already follow a flexitarian diet, but plant-based food options are not consistently available at all events nor food venues. Other countries have taken a stance, for example in Portugal it is a legal requirement for all public catering – including local authority facilities – to provide plant-based food options, and other local authorities such as Oxfordshire County Council have decided to promote plant-based food via serving a fully plant-based menu at Council meetings and events. Locally, the University of Cambridge Catering Service reduced food-related greenhouse gas emissions by a third via replacing beef and lamb with plant-based products.

 

It is therefore important that Cambridge City Council builds on its achievements to date and leads by example to promote and normalise consumption of plant-based food, recognising that plant-based meals are frequently nutritious and low cost food options. This is in line with its vision for Cambridge City to be net-zero carbon by 2030.

 

Council therefore resolves to:

1.    Transition to fully plant-based  ...  view the full agenda text for item 22/24/CNLa

Background

1              In October 2020, Cambridge City Council unanimously passed a comprehensive motion supporting trans rights (see notes section at end of motion)

2              That motion was brought because of the failure of the conservative government to keep its promises to reform the Gender Recognition Act to protect trans rights.

3              Once again, the conservative government is failing to keep its promises to the LGBTIQA+ community

4              In their 2018 manifesto, the conservatives promised to legislate to end the abusive practices popularly but incorrectly known as conversion therapy on LGBTIQA+ people.

5              Since then, there have been a number of U turns on this subject. The latest position as set out in the 10 May 2022 Queen’s Speech is an unsatisfactory proposal which excludes trans people completely and contains a number of provisions which would make it difficult and expensive to enforce.

6              In the circumstances, it seems fitting for this council to take a stand and re-affirm its support for trans rights and a full ban on the abusive practices commonly known as “conversion therapy”

7              It should be noted that the council’s support is not confined to words and it is proposed that we take a moment to record the actions taken by the council to support the LGBTIQA+ community since our October 2020 motion.

 

The Motion

1     This council continues to stand by its original 2020 declaration that trans rights are human rights.

2     It calls upon the government to restore its manifesto promise to introduce a full “conversion therapy” ban at the earliest possible opportunity and instructs the council to write to Elizabeth Truss, Equalities Minister to that effect

3     The council also wishes to list upon the public record the following steps that it has taken to promote fairness for the LGBTIQA+ community since October 2020:

a.    Annual briefings for staff and councillors on transgender awareness

b.    Financial support for charities and community organisations

c.    Participation in LGBTIQA+ community events such as LGBT+ history month

d.    Partnering with LGBTIQA+ community organisations such as Kite Trust and Encompass Network

 

The Notes

1     So called conversion “therapy” encompasses all attempts to change a person’s sexual/romantic orientation and/or gender identity or to change a person’s asexual or aromatic orientation or agender identity.

2     According to a 2009 Scientific American survey , "One in 25 British psychiatrists and psychologists say they would be willing to help homosexual and bisexual patients try to convert to heterosexuality, even though there is no compelling scientific evidence a person can willfully become straight", and explained that 17% of those surveyed said they had tried to help reduce or suppress homosexual feelings, and 4% said they would try to help homosexual people convert to heterosexuality in the future”

3     All major psychotherapy bodies have signed a 2018 NHS memorandum condemning conversion therapy. However, a 2018 government survey revealed that 1 in 20 LGBTIQA+ Britons had been offered conversion therapy and that 1 in 50 had been subjected to it. The figures for the  ...  view the full agenda text for item 22/24/CNLb

Council requests the Executive Councillor for Transformation, Finance & Resources by all feasible means to bring a rapid end to the practice of marketing new homes in which the council has a financial interest to overseas property investors; and replace it with an unlimited 100% local marketing strategy, focused on those wanting to live and/or work in Cambridge, regardless of country of origin.

Councillor Bick proposed and Councillor Flaubert seconded the following motion:

 

Council requests the Executive Councillor for Transformation, Finance & Resources by all feasible means to bring a rapid end to the practice of marketing new homes in which the council has a financial interest to overseas property investors; and replace it with an unlimited 100% local marketing strategy, focused on those wanting to live and/or work in Cambridge, regardless of country of origin.

 

Councillor Davey proposed and Councillor Smart seconded the following amendment to motion, deleted text struckthrough and additional text underlined.

 

Marketing of homes to international property investors by Cambridge Investment Partnership (CIP)

 

Council welcomes the fact that the Cambridge Investment Partnership does not requests the Executive Councillor for Transformation, Finance & Resources by all feasible means to bring a rapid end to the practice of marketing new homes in which the council has a financial interest to overseas property investors.; Council also welcomes the and replace it with an unlimited 100% local marketing strategy, employed by Cambridge Investment Partnership, focused, as it does on those wanting to live and/or work in Cambridge, regardless of country of origin. The due diligence carried out by CIP of prospective purchasers of new homes for sale, has ensured, where possible, that new homes will be for those working and living in the city. Council also notes that CIP has established a national profile for innovation and good practice, whereby profits made from house sales can be used to reinvest in City Council activities, whilst at the same time provide 236 new Council homes for those in most need.

 

On a show of hands the amendment was carried by 21 votes to 8.

 

Resolved (by 23 votes to 6) that:

 

Marketing of homes by Cambridge Investment Partnership (CIP)

 

Council welcomes the fact that the Cambridge Investment Partnership does not market new homes in which the council has a financial interest to overseas property investors. Council also welcomes the local marketing strategy employed by Cambridge Investment Partnership, focused, as it does on those wanting to live and/or work in Cambridge, regardless of country of origin. The due diligence carried out by CIP of prospective purchasers of new homes for sale, has ensured, where possible, that new homes will be for those working and living in the city. Council also notes that CIP has established a national profile for innovation and good practice, whereby profits made from house sales can be used to reinvest in City Council activities, whilst at the same time provide 236 new Council homes for those in most need.

 

 

Members were asked to note the written questions and answers that were circulated around the Chamber and subsequently published on the website.