Question submitted by: Terri Portman

To the Cabinet Member: Cllr Patrick Nicholson, Deputy Leader

How many voters were removed from the electoral register for the 3 Plymouth Constituencies between June 2016 and June 2017 but were not informed after they were removed of their removal, and were not given details of how to challenge the decision to remove them?

Response:

In the ordinary business of keeping the electoral register for Plymouth up to date; changes, additions and deletions are made for a variety of reasons.  In the case of the deletion of registered electors there are a number of reasons for their deletion, such as elector deceased, moved to another property within Plymouth, moved away, registered elsewhere.

During the review process, some electors are recorded as “pending” electors and not registered until they provide matching details that agree with Department for Work & Pensions (DWP) records or alternative documentation to verify their identity (e.g., Passport or Driving Licence).  Those that fail to respond to requests for evidence are subsequently deleted from the register.

For those electors that have been identified as needing deletion, their records are changed to “pending” removal.  We write to the elector to give ‘Notice of Type A Review’, this gives the elector 14 days to provide evidence as to why they should not be deleted from the register.  Those that fail to respond to requests for evidence are subsequently deleted.

Where we delete the elector from the register, we write to them informing them of the outcome and state whether there is a right of appeal, including the time within which notice of appeal must be given, and any other information about the appeal that we consider appropriate.  However, if the reason for deletion is because the elector has died or registered with another authority, the notice of deletion (‘Notice of Review Outcome’) is surplus to requirement and therefore not issued.

During the period of June 2016 to June 2017, we processed 10,337 deletions and 27,132 additions (net 16,795 additions).  Of the 10,337 deletions, 331 electors were deleted and not notified.  All other deletions followed the review process and the elector will have received the ‘Notice of Type A Review’ and the notification of deletion (‘Notice of Review Outcome’) where it was appropriate to do so.  We are currently investigating the ability to use the new electoral system to report the deletions by the reason for deletion, this will enable sight of those where a ‘Notice of Review Outcome’ was required.

Question submitted by: Mr Daniel Reilly

To the Cabinet Member: Cllr Jordan, Cabinet member for Culture

Will the Council add panels in the Mayflower Museum so as to include details of the 17th Century genocide of Indigenous Nations of North America and the enslavement of African people, which are part of the Mayflower Story, as the Museum is supposed to tell the uncensored Mayflower story?           

Response:

The council is investing in a major exhibition to mark the 400th anniversary of the sailing of the

Mayflower which will reflect on the part we have played in changing America. This national show will open in April 2020 as part of The Box Plymouth’s opening programme, and will remain in place for at least 18 months.

As with all our exhibitions, this show will present an honest and thoughtful account of the Mayflower story and will share indigenous American perspectives of this history and its legacy today. It will

include:

·         The culture and society of the Wampanoag people before the arrival of the Europeans

·         The captivity and enslavement stories which characterise the early contact period, as well as

·         The challenges of conflict and co-existence during the life of the Plymouth colony

To do this, we are working closely with the Wampanoag community based in Massachusetts, who are advising us on the text, objects and imagery for the exhibition. Their contribution will give an

authentic indigenous American voice, along with academic advice from Dr Kathryn Gray at the

University of Plymouth and Professor Laura Peers at the Pitt Rivers Museum. Thanks to our previous exhibitions and publications ‘On Human Cargo’ and a new partnership with Jamestown Rediscovery, we are also exploring how we might accurately and effectively present the story of African slavery within the Mayflower story.

The knowledge and insights gained from the work done on this show will enable us to significantly reassess the story being told within the current Mayflower Museum, and address the issues its existing interpretation presents. As part of this process we will also be developing a series of heritage trails across the city, which will interpret and narrate the key part that Plymouth played in the history of America at many important locations across the city.

Mayflower is a globally recognised anniversary and will provide Plymouth with a unique opportunity to be on the world stage in 2020.

Question submitted by: Mr Danny Bamping

To the Cabinet Member: Cllr Ian Darcy, Cabinet Member for Finance and IT

Can the council confirm it charges Student Flats BUSINESS RATES as almost 4,000 homes and over 400 blocks of flats are now registered exempt from both, how is the council ensuring that they pay Business rates and in some cases Council Tax as other councils are doing with HMO properties?

Response:

The decision to rate a property for Business Rates lies with the Valuation Office Agency and not the

Local Authority. If the Valuation Office have classed a property as commercial then business rates will be payable. The amount charged will depend on the rateable value set.

There is legislation provided under the Local Government Finance Act (LGFA) 88 (sec 42) which states that all hereditaments must appear in the local (or central) rating list. There are exceptions to

this and one of those exceptions is if all or part of the hereditament is domestic property – if it is domestic then it shall not appear in the local rating list.

LGFA92 states that all dwellings are charged council tax. Sec 3 defines what a dwelling is- that is a hereditament that does not appear in the local (or central) rating list and is not exempt from NNDR.

The definition of domestic property in LGFA88 is set out at section 66:

A property that is used wholly for residential living accommodation (i.e. student flats) is considered

domestic property and therefore cannot be rated.

All queries regarding the rating of a property should be directed to the Valuation Office Agency, The

Apex, Derriford Business Park, Plymouth, PL6 5FL – Telephone: 03000 501501.