Agenda item

The following recommendation was put forward by the Leader of the Council, Councillor Herbert:

That the Council:

     i.        Endorses the response by the Leader and confirms that the Council does not agree to the proposed Three County Devolution Deal in the Government Offer Document;

    ii.        Confirms it is committed to continuing discussions on devolution with Cambridgeshire and Peterborough councils, our two city MPs, the Government, and others including Cambridge businesses to seek devolution that meets the needs of Cambridge, the Greater Cambridge economy, and Cambridgeshire and Peterborough;

   iii.        Undertakes a formal consultation with residents, employees, employers, community and business organisations in Cambridge, as well as with the Greater Cambridge Greater Peterborough Enterprise Partnership, to put forward the Council’s view on the Government proposals for a Combined Authority and Mayor covering Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk and to enable responses to inform the Council’s decisions;

  iv.        Continues to press Government for the funding and flexibilities set out in the Housing Statement report unanimously endorsed by Housing Scrutiny Committee on 8 March, to enable the City Council to replace the estimated 850 social homes lost in the City (1350 in the Greater Cambridge area) through Right to Buy and High Value Sales over the next five years, to at least maintain the number of council and other social rent properties in Cambridge until 2020 and beyond;

   v.        Agrees to commission detailed independent analysis, building on the Housing Statement approved by Housing Scrutiny Committee on 8 March, on the current and projected housing affordability crisis experienced by Cambridge households on median and lower incomes in the social, intermediate and private rented sectors, and on the housing measures, policies and investment needed to address their needs and prevent damage to the Cambridge economy and its national contribution.

Councillor Bick proposed and Councillor Pitt seconded the following amendment to the motion (additional text underlined):

That the Council:

     i.        Endorses the response by the Leader and confirms that the Council does not agree to the proposed Three County Devolution Deal in the Government Offer Document;

    ii.        Confirms it  is committed to continuing discussions on devolution with Cambridgeshire and Peterborough councils, our two city MPs, the Government, and others including Cambridge businesses to seek devolution that meets the needs of Cambridge, the Greater Cambridge economy, and Cambridgeshire and Peterborough;

   iii.        Undertakes a formal consultation with residents, employees, employers, community and business organisations in Cambridge, as well as with the Greater Cambridge Greater Peterborough Enterprise Partnership, to put forward the Council’s view on the Government proposals for a Combined Authority and Mayor covering Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk and to enable responses to inform the Council’s decisions;

  iv.        Continues to press Government for the funding and flexibilities set out in the Housing Statement report unanimously endorsed by Housing Scrutiny Committee on 8 March, to enable the City Council to replace the estimated 850 social homes lost in the City (1350 in the Greater Cambridge area) through Right to Buy and High Value Sales over the next five years, to at least maintain the number of council and other social rent properties in Cambridge until 2020 and beyond;

   v.        Agrees to commission detailed independent analysis, building on the Housing Statement approved by Housing Scrutiny Committee on 8 March, on the current and projected housing affordability crisis experienced by Cambridge households on median and lower incomes in the social, intermediate and private rented sectors, and on the housing measures, policies and investment needed to address their needs and prevent damage to the Cambridge economy and its national contribution.

  vi.        Continues to press Government to honour its existing commitment under the City Deal to strengthen the governance of Greater Cambridge over strategic planning and transport in our area by enabling its progression into a Greater Cambridge Combined Authority, noting that under current legislation this would be precluded by the creation of a combined authority at a regional level.

Councillor Herbert proposed the following change to the amended recommendation regarding paragraph vi (deleted text struck through and additional text underlined):

 vii.        Continue to press Government to honour its existing commitment under the City Deal to strengthen the governance of Greater Cambridge over strategic planning and transport in our area by enabling not precluding its progression into a Greater Cambridge Combined Authority, noting that under current legislation this would be precluded by the creation of a combined authority at a regional level.

On a show of hands this was agreed unanimously.

Resolved Unanimously to:

    i.          Endorse the response by the Leader and confirms that the Council does not agree to the proposed Three County Devolution Deal in the Government Offer Document;

  ii.          Confirm the Council was committed to continuing discussions on devolution with Cambridgeshire and Peterborough councils, our two city MPs, the Government, and others including Cambridge businesses to seek devolution that meets the needs of Cambridge, the Greater Cambridge economy, and Cambridgeshire and Peterborough;

 iii.          Undertake a formal consultation with residents, employees, employers, community and business organisations in Cambridge, as well as with the Greater Cambridge Greater Peterborough Enterprise Partnership, to put forward the Council’s view on the Government proposals for a Combined Authority and Mayor covering Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk and to enable responses to inform the Council’s decisions;

iv.          Continue to press Government for the funding and flexibilities set out in the Housing Statement report unanimously endorsed by Housing Scrutiny Committee on 8 March, to enable the City Council to replace the estimated 850 social homes lost in the City (1350 in the Greater Cambridge area) through Right to Buy and High Value Sales over the next five years, to at least maintain the number of council and other social rent properties in Cambridge until 2020 and beyond;

  v.          Agree to commission detailed independent analysis, building on the Housing Statement approved by Housing Scrutiny Committee on 8 March, on the current and projected housing affordability crisis experienced by Cambridge households on median and lower incomes in the social, intermediate and private rented sectors, and on the housing measures, policies and investment needed to address their needs and prevent damage to the Cambridge economy and its national contribution.

vi.          Continue to press Government to honour its existing commitment under the City Deal to strengthen the governance of Greater Cambridge over strategic planning and transport in our area by not precluding its progression into a Greater Cambridge Combined Authority, noting that under current legislation this would be precluded by the creation of a combined authority at a regional level.