From (Councillor)

To (Councillor)

Subject

1

Councillor Freeman

Councillor Haydon

Devonport library was open two days a week and residents requested the Council to look at opening the library on a Saturday. Are there any plans to open Devonport library for an additional day a week, if this was not possible, could we work with local organisations and the local community to help run the library for an extra day a week?

Response: An increase in funding was not possible. It was important to keep all our libraries open, even if only for two days a week. If we could get a core of volunteers, alongside a librarian it may be possible to keep them open longer. Happy to have conversations with Cllr Freeman to instigate this.

2

Councillor Lawson

Councillor Cresswell

What impacts would free school breakfast clubs have on childhood poverty in the city?

Response: Five schools signed up had been selected for the early trial out of 750 schools nationally. It was calculated that this would save parents £450 per year in childcare costs. In addition, a family could feel confident that their children could be fed, looked after, supported and secure. Early morning activities would also be offered and the culmination of these would result in a productive start to the school morning and children’s attainment in school as well as them being able to thrive.

3

Councillor Noble

Councillor Aspinall

Sunday marked five years since the first COVID-19 national lockdown, how had innovative working practices developed since that time to strengthen the long-term health and community wellbeing for our residents?

Response: Wellbeing hubs had been established and various local neighbourhood groups carried on since COVID-19. A huge amount of work had continued to keep Plymouth safe from a public health perspective such as vaccination programmes. Various technological changes had created benefits for others too, such as the increase use of Microsoft Teams. It was important to continue these groundings into the future.

4

Councillor Blight

Councillor Coker

A number of residents in Eggbuckland raised concerns about traffic and poor parking around our local schools. I had a meeting with Fred Thomas MP and the right respective school leaders at Manadon Vale Primary school on Friday and I’ve had many conversations with residents worried about erratic driving in Boniface Lane, with drivers attempting to access the school and the church on the wrong side of the road. What is being done to address those concerns?

Response: Consultation regarding a Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) had been undertaken for the Charfield Drive junction with Church Hill resulting in double yellow lines being added and would be completed imminently. The exit around St Boniface’s School would be reviewed by St Boniface’s College. The ‘Walking and Cycling’ champion Councillor John Stephens could assist further if required.

5

Councillor Wood

Councillor Coker

Councillor Wood campaigned for the installation of pedestrian crossing points outside of Manadon Vale Primary School and St Edwards Primary School, be these pedestrian refuge islands, zebra crossings or other. These were essential to increase the safety of local school children, would Officers provide you, I, other ward members and local schools an update on the progress of this matter please?

Response: Yes.

6

Councillor Freeman

Councillor Dann

Mount Wise swimming pool had been free to access during core hours for the last few years. Would this continue for the 2025/26 financial year?

Response: Yes. The weekend of 24 May was to be the opening date and would reflect the previous year’s pricing scheme for the 2025/26 municipal year.

7

Councillor Ricketts

Councillor Evans OBE

Fly-tipping and waste in Greenbank had recently escalated and residents were at the end of their tether. There had been roadworks in the area.  What was the reason for the upturn? Could the officers and department please provide reasoning for this?

Response: Unsure if the Council would know why exactly, but a response would be sought.  I could certainly find out if there was a reduction in service. I’ll do my best to get an answer.

Supplementary: I have raised this through the casework systems but the residents are getting to the end of their tether. There may be an issue that was affecting their operations and would like to know what the issue was so I could go back to the residents

Response: I don’t have access to the casework you put through the system, but send an email to me identifying your concerns, then I can see if I can get an answer to your question.

8

Councillor McCarty

Councillor Dann

There’s been a lot of good things from Foulston Park, but what’s next for Plymouth sport.

Response: From the perspective of Foulston Park, the whole site would be opened within the next 18 months. This was the biggest investment in sport since the Life Centre was opened and would provide an elite pathway for footballers both male and female. Foulston Park would then become part of the twelve health and wellbeing networks; sharing good practice amongst themselves and throughout the City and ensuring good health practices for all.

The football pitch strategy would also be reassessed and I would be meeting with the Chair of Devon FA.

The Leisure Centres received 1.5 million visitors a year with 52,000 residents using the Life Centre.

A small sport and leisure conference would be taking place in April 2025 as Plymouth had been identified as a Sport England place, which meant more money coming from Sport England.

9

Councillor Noble

Councillor Penberthy

During COVID-19, people worked in new ways. Has this lead to any new ways of working?

Response: One of the things COVID-19 did was change perspectives within communities, one of these things was the Good Neighbours Scheme, comprising of 800 volunteers across the city who helped each other out. That scheme had continued and people could continue to contact the Council. A co-ordinated approach by the Council towards volunteers had continued. The emergency food programme continued and sustainable food through food co-ops and social supermarkets were embedded across the city. Community engagement was also key and after COVID-19 the Council was able to justify why we needed Community Builders to take an asset based Community Development approach that was trauma informed, using appreciative inquiry, this lead to the development of Family Hubs. 

Supplementary: Did it have a lasting impact on the business community?

Response: It had impacted the way businesses operated in the City and businesses attempting to engage with the Council in different ways. Through COVID-19 the Council worked with businesses through the ‘Resurgam Programme’ and would continue to work with them through the now agreed economic strategy. This reflected the inclusive growth work completed because of the partnerships built during the time. The next big thing that would be done in the city would be to tackle the gender pay gap across the whole City and do more work to support women in employment.

10

Councillor Evans OBE

Councillor Haydon

One third of crime and lots of anti-social behaviour (ASB) was occurring in Plymouth however, according to a recently distributed leaflet from the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), the City only received one tenth of hotspot patrol hours. Of 1,200 ASB incidents just one in six were attended by police officers in Plymouth. Of 189 arrests in Devon and Cornwall, just one sixth had been in Plymouth. Would this alarming disparity in Police activity be brought up within the Police and Crime Panel (PCP)?

Response: I would be more than happy to raise this issue with the Police and Crime Panel. Councillor Penberthy, as well as myself, had been striving to raise the concern on every occasion. Although the precept had been raised numerous times, Plymouth had seen a bad core of service level when compared to the rest of Devon and Cornwall.

Supplementary: I’m glad to hear that Councillors Penberthy and Haydon were speaking up for Plymouth. There were just 33 arrests in Plymouth, a pitifully low number and just 15 Public Space Orders enforced and wa spoor value for money and could you raise this at the earliest opportunity as Plymouth was not getting best value for money.

Response: Residents would see within their Council tax billing, the poor level of service they were seeing from the Police and Crime Commissioner when compared against Torbay, Devon and Cornwall residents.

11

Councillor Finn

Councillor Haydon

Are you aware that the Police and Crime Commissioner cannot influence operational policing?

Response: I’m fully aware and been on the Police and Crime Panel for a number of years and I know how the Commissioner works as well as the policing service. The Commissioner is funding our Police and if our Police aren’t properly funded, they cannot carry on their duty. I encourage you to watch the livestream of the Police and Crime Panel and you would see me fight for our police estates in our city where Crownhill and Charles Cross Police stations are in a terrible condition. Plymouth needs its fair share and the Commissioner is not delivering on that.

12

Councillor P. Nicholson

Councillor Haydon

Would Cllr Haydon extend an invite to the Police and Crime Commissioner and to the acting Chief Constable to a whole Councillor briefing so that questions could be put to the Commissioner directly as the service Plymouth was receiving was poor and inadequate?

Response: I’d be happy to put that invitation out. I have offered a night time walk around our city and he was very keen to work down here in Plymouth.