Agenda

To receive as a correct record the minutes of the Meeting of the Council held on 1 December 2022

To answer questions submitted by Citizens on the Council or its services.

To receive any petitions in accordance with Standing Order No.10 and the Council’s Petition Scheme.

The report of the Director – Finance and Corporate Services is attached.

The report of the Director – Finance and Corporate Services is attached.

The report of the Chief Executive is attached.

The report of the Chief Executive is attached.

To receive Notices of Motion submitted under Standing Order No.12

a)     Council recognises the problems faced in recent new estates where ownership and management of Public Open Space (POS) is under private companies, with residents subject to a charge on their homes and unregulated and uncapped charges for POS, plus additional fees not directly related to maintaining the public areas.

Council commits to undertaking a full and detailed options appraisal of ownership and ongoing management of public open space with a view to changing the policy for future new housing estates by April 2024, evaluating the following options:

·          RBC takes ownership of the POS and responsibility for management with no additional charge to residents, with a commuted sum paid by the developer to support this for a number of years via a S106 agreement. (i.e. revert to the previous policy);

·          RBC takes ownership of the land and itself charges residents for maintenance, undertaking the work in-house or procuring the services;

·          Ownership of the land passes to a properly constituted and regulated not-for-profit co-operative residents’ association responsible for ongoing maintenance and any charges to residents.

Council further commits to investigate ways that Rushcliffe could change the existing arrangements for recent new estates affected by the current policy.

Councillor Thomas

b)     Council believes that artificial grass is detrimental to the environment and will do everything possible to eliminate its use in residential settings, parks, and other open spaces, through policy changes and media campaigns.

Councillor Way

c)      Council:

·         notes with concern that the new requirements for Voter ID create a barrier to residents exercising their democratic right to vote and may lead to some residents being disenfranchised. The requirements entail additional administrative burdens on Electoral Services and a risk of abuse to Poll Staff from anyone denied a vote due to lack of ID;

·         asks Officers to send appropriate information to all voters who have become 18 since the last Borough election unless registered for a postal vote;

·          asks the Leader to call on government to halt the further roll out of Voter ID, and if not, an expansion of the ‘accepted’ forms of photo ID to include those valid for young people.   

Councillor Jones

d)     Council recognises the importance of soil health in food production, combatting climate change, storing carbon, regulating water flow and quality, and as the basis for biodiversity. However Rushcliffe’s soil is under multiple threats including industrial farming methods, the ever-increasing built environment, flooding, and climate change. Council will:  

·          Include policies to help protect soil in the next round of the local plan, including measures to minimise impermeable surfaces in development; 

·          Review its own operations with a view to improving soil health on the council’s own land and land it manages; 

·          Engage with Rushcliffe’s farming community to discover barriers to more natural and organic methods of farming that nurture soil health; 

·          Target future grant opportunities such as REPF towards projects that can demonstrate improved soil health as one outcome (e.g. agroforestry);  

·          Create a register of such projects locally  ...  view the full agenda text for item 13.

To answer questions submitted by Councillors under Standing Order No. 11(2)