Agenda and minutes

Venue: Warspite Room, Council House

Contact: Democratic Advisor  Email: democraticsupport@plymouth.gov.uk

Media

Items
No. Item

1.

Note the Appointment of the Chair and Vice Chair

To note the appointment of the Chair and Vice Chair of this Committee for the forthcoming municipal year 2020/21.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee noted the appointment of Councillor Winter as Chair and Councillor Drean as Vice Chair for the forthcoming municipal year 2020/21.

2.

Apologies

To receive apologies for non-attendance submitted by Councillors.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Members were advised that no apologies had been received, however there were three vacancies on the Committee which would be filled for this meeting by Councillors Mrs Beer, Kelly and Mrs Pengelly.

 

3.

Declarations of Interest

Councillors will be asked to make any declarations of interest in respect of items on the agenda.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

In accordance with the code of conduct the following declarations of interest were made –

 

Member

Subject

Reason

Interest

Councillor Buchan

Minute 7: Climate Emergency Action Plan and Corporate Carbon Reduction Action Plan Year 1: Progress Report

Role as Assistant Cabinet Member (Monitoring Officer advice had been sought)

 

Council Representative on Plymouth Energy Community Trust

 

Personal

 

 

 

 

Private

Councillor Buchan

Minute 8: Brexit Update

Council Representative and Vice Chair of Devon and Severn Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority

 

Cattewater Harbour Commissioners (Board Member)

 

Personal

 

 

 

 

Personal

Councillor Drean

Minute 7: Climate Emergency Action Plan and Corporate Carbon Reduction Action Plan Year 1: Progress Report

Wife employed by one of the ferry operators

Personal

Councillor Kelly

Minute 7: Climate Emergency Action Plan and Corporate Carbon Reduction Action Plan Year 1: Progress Report

Rod and line commercial angling (Plymouth registered boat)

Personal

 

4.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 171 KB

To confirm the minutes of the previous meeting held on 11 March 2020.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee agreed that the minutes of the meeting held on 11 March 2020 are confirmed as a correct record.

5.

Chair's Urgent Business

To receive reports on business which in the opinion of the Chair, should be brought forward for urgent consideration.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

 

With the permission of the Chair, Anthony Payne (Strategic Director for Place) provided a brief progress update on The Box and the Mayflower 400 which highlighted the following key points –

 

(a)

Mayflower 400 –

 

 

 

?

due to the Covid pandemic programmes and activities had been scheduled to summer 2021; the naming of the Mayflower Autonomous Ship had taken place in September 2020, together with the broadcast of Dan Snow’s history programme on YouTube which had received worldwide media coverage;

 

 

 

?

work continued on the Plymouth Community Voluntary Programme with Mayflower Makers, Community Sparks and the schools and educational programme;

 

 

?

there were a number of Mayflower 400 capital works that had been completed or were nearing completion such as the Mayflower Steps, the trails, the Elizabethan House refurbishment, public realm and road sign improvement programme;

 

 

 

?

work to attract other events that would complement and support this programme had been identified with Sail GB taking place in the city next summer;

 

 

 

(b)

The Box (information based on the first three weeks of opening) -

 

 

 

 

?

17,000 visitors, all tickets for November 2020 had been booked as well as half term; tickets for the remainder of 2020 had now been released;

 

 

 

 

?

the Mayflower 400 exhibition tickets had sold out which had generated income of approximately £5,000;

 

 

 

 

?

retail, catering and donations had all exceeded their targets (which had been revised due to the pandemic);

 

 

 

 

?

average retail sales equated to £13 per person which totalled £27,000; (the best sellers included the Woolly Mammoth, Gus Honeybun toy, Cavallini wrapping paper, figure heads book and the junior marine biologist t-shirt);

 

 

 

 

?

catering (provided by Fosters Event Catering) had generated sales of £40,000 (the most popular meal choices were the ploughman’s and fish and chips);

 

 

 

 

?

there was a total of 411 new members which generated income of approximately £11,500; donations online, on site or through patrons totalled approximately £17,000;

 

 

 

 

?

visitors’ feedback on all platforms had been extremely positive such as the excellence of the welcome, safety of the visit and the pride and pleasure of the city’s heritage being celebrated;

 

 

 

 

?

social media coverage included over 100,000 Facebook posts/shares, 115 Google reviews of which 111 received five star experience and Trip Advisor 62 reviews of which 58 were categorised as excellent.

 

 In accordance with Section 100(B)(4)(b) of the Local Government Act, 1972, the Chair brought forward the above item for information).

 

6.

Policy Update pdf icon PDF 278 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Kevin McKenzie (Policy and Intelligence Advisor) provided the latest national picture in respect of policy announcements and legislation. The report highlighted the following key areas -

 

(a)

the Council would be looking to commission research, in order to respond to the Government’s consultation package on fisheries which included the following –

 

 

 

?

a strengthened economic link for English licensed vessels (to help ensure genuine economic benefits for our coastal communities – including plans for an increased landing requirement of 70%);

 

 

 

 

?

proposals on how to allocate the new opportunities the UK secures in negotiations (with other partners would be split between Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England, in a way that was fairer and more profitable for fishing communities across the four nations);

 

 

 

 

?

further proposals on how England’s share of those new opportunities (would be distributed across the English fleet to benefit our coastal communities’ hard working fishermen and women);

 

 

(b)

the Department for International Trade had announced that British businesses would be able to continue bidding for public sector contracts around the world worth £1.3 trillion a year; however, it should be noted that businesses from around the world would also be able to bid for British public sector contracts; this would place an administrative burden on the local authority for the operation of the European Journal.

 

A question was raised relating to the Government’s Port Infrastructure Fund and whether any information could be provided on the scope of the works that Associated British Ports was proposing to its terminal and the level of funding that was being sought, in order to provide infrastructure that was both up to date and fit for purpose.

 

Kevin McKenzie undertook to circulate a copy of the updated policy brief to the Committee Members.

7.

Climate Emergency Action Plan and Corporate Carbon Reduction Action Plan Year 1: Progress Report pdf icon PDF 221 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Councillor Dann (Cabinet Member for Environment and Street Scene), Councillor Coker (Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning and Infrastructure) and Paul Barnard (Service Director for Strategic Planning and Infrastructure) provided a detailed review of both the commitments and actions of the Climate Emergency Action Plan and the Corporate Carbon Reduction Plan, 10 months into the first year of the plans. It should be recognised that these had been compromised by the impact of Covid-19 but progress had continued at pace.

 

Key areas of questioning from Members related to -

 

(a)

whether there was a plan to upgrade the play areas in the Plympton Erle Ward;

 

 

(b)

whether there was a plan for the installation of the local district charging points;

 

 

(c)

the measures that Plymouth could take, as a planning authority, to ensure that climate change was embedded within its planning policies;

 

 

(d)

clarification as to the membership of the various boards and forums such as the Plymouth Net Zero Executive;

 

 

(e)

the ability to be able to effectively measure the performance of both the plans and the need for baseline information to be able to achieve this;

 

 

(f)

the impact on the environment on the Council’s decision not  to collect garden waste during the pandemic (with residents having to dispose of their own garden waste);

 

 

(g)

whether the ‘All Electric Bus Town Scheme’ Government grant was still available for the replacement of Plymouth’s bus fleet with all electric buses;

 

 

(h)

clarification as to the payment method that would be implemented for the use of electricity by the ferry operators;

 

 

(i)

clarification as to who would be running the trial of the electric car club;

 

 

(j)

whether the comms programme would be used to impart information, provide ideas and tips or whether there would be more dialogue;

 

 

(k)

whether work would be undertaken to monitor the changes in the volume of domestic waste, given that working practices had changed during the pandemic (with more people working from home);

 

 

(l)

clarification as to how the funding from the Better Deal for Buses had been spent;

 

 

(m)

whether the Council was on track, or behind with the actions defined within each plan;

 

 

(n)

whether the ‘relevant’ climate comms (from the Green Champions) could be circulated to Councillors;

 

 

(o)

sought clarification as to how the ‘carbon footprint (environmental) implications’ was being developed and monitored (in order to assess the impact of the Council’s decisions on carbon reduction);

 

 

(p)

whether it would be feasible for the bus industry to replace their fleet with hydrogen buses (similar to the option being considered by the haulage industry);

 

 

(q)

whether there was any information regarding transport hierarchy and whether there was a timescale for this to return to normal;

 

 

(r)

clarification on the implications of the cessation of EU funding.

 

Paul Barnard (Service Director for Strategic Planning and Infrastructure) undertook to -

 

(s)

to circulate the membership of the various boards and forums to Committee Members;

 

 

(t)

to provide the original baseline information for both Plans, in order  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

8.

Brexit Update pdf icon PDF 187 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Councillor Evans OBE (Leader), Giles Perritt (Assistant Chief Executive) and Kevin McKenzie (Policy and Intelligence Advisor) presented the Brexit (including Ports/Lorry Parks) report which updated the Committee on the preparation work of the Council for the end of the transition period.  The report considered the implications of the latest position regarding the trade talks with the EU with particular focus on ports and the potential need for a lorry park.  The report highlighted the following key areas -

 

?

Ports: Millbay Docks ferry terminal, Sutton Harbour fish quay and Cattewater Harbour;

?

lorry park;

?

other Brexit Risks including EU Settled Status Scheme, border operating model, civil contingencies, EU funding and free-ports.

 

Key areas of questioning from Members related to –

 

(a)

whether the Council was in discussions with the fishing community to investigate the opportunities that would arise from the UK leaving the EU, with the potential for higher fish quotas and the expansion of the quay;

 

 

(b)

whether consideration had been given to investigating the opportunities that could arise, if other ferry operators looked to use alternative ports to operate from and the potential need to identify an area that could be set aside for a lorry park;

 

 

(c)

whether there was a need for the Committee to scrutinise the risks and impact of Brexit on the Council and its preparedness for the end of the transition period;

 

 

(d)

concerns that this was a complex, difficult and challenging issue for the Committee to scrutinise and considered that an oversight of these issues would provide Councillors with a better understanding;

 

 

(e)

whether the Council had received feedback from local businesses on their preparedness for the end of the transition period and whether the Council was consulting with businesses on these issues;

 

 

(f)

whether consideration had been given for the Committee to seek the views of the business community, in order to ascertain how things were on the ground.

 

A discussion took place regarding the feasibility of businesses be able to attend a meeting at short notice.

 

The Committee agreed to hold an additional meeting prior to the Cabinet meeting on 10 November to scrutinise –

 

(1)

the risks and impact of Brexit and the impact of Covid on the Council’s preparedness for the end of the transition period;

 

 

(2)

the preparedness of a diverse range of local businesses for the end of the transition period.

 

Note: whilst every effort would be made to secure local businesses attendance at the meeting, it was recognised that this may not be feasible and that a further meeting may need to be convened.

 

(Councillor Mrs Beer abstained from the vote).

9.

Work Programme pdf icon PDF 126 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The following items were put forward for consideration, as part of the Committee’s work programme –

 

?

The Box;

?

Mayflower 400;

?

the marine agenda (as part of the economy and Resurgam);

?

disabled parking allocations for Blue Badge holders;

?

public transport delivery (climate change/impact of Covid);

?

the economic fallout and impact of Covid relating to Resurgam programme;

?

airport update.

 

The Chair advised that these items would be reviewed to ascertain the feasibility of scrutinising them.

 

 

10.

Tracking Decisions pdf icon PDF 178 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee noted its tracking decisions.