Agenda

It is proposed that the Budget and Tax Setting and Capital Programme reports and recommendations be taken and debated together on the basis that each item impacts on the other and on the understanding that the Tax Setting item will be voted on first, followed by the Capital Programme.

To receive and consider the recommendations of the Cabinet meeting held on 12 February (to follow), the report for which is attached.

To receive and consider the recommendations of the Cabinet meeting held on 12 February (to follow), the report for which is attached.

To receive and consider the recommendations by the Cabinet held on 12 February 2018 (to follow) the report for which is attached.

To consider the Chief Executive's attached report.

Standing Order (32(d)) requires a vote by members before each motion to determine whether or not the motion is to be debated at the meeting or stand referred to the Cabinet or relevant Committee (including Scrutiny) to report back to a future meeting.

Proposed by Councillor Lee Hunt

Seconded by Councillor Rob Wood

'The City Council notes the decision of the Government to cut funding to Hampshire Police by £3.67million for next year. Also not provide any funding to cover inflation, this makes it a real terms cut of £7million to Hampshire Police by the Government.

The City Council condemns this decision and believes this will make local residents in Portsmouth less safe and will mean real cuts to the police.

The City Council therefore requests the Leader of the City Council, along with all other Group Leaders, to sign a strongly worded letter to the Home Secretary to object to this cut and to lobby our MPs to fight for a better settlement for Hampshire Police'.

Proposed Councillor Suzy Horton

Seconded Councillor Lynne Stagg

The City Council wishes to record the centenary of the granting of votes for women for parliamentary elections in the UK.

We should also commemorate the 1869 petition for votes for women that was circulated in Portsmouth and the decision to allow women to vote in city elections in that year. Consequently, we should also remember the election of Kate Edmond in 1918 as the first female councillor in Portsmouth.

To commemorate the granting of the franchise to women in parliamentary elections in 1918, the City Council wishes to unveil a plaque at 2 Kent Street in Portsmouth, the former location of the Women's Suffrage office

Consequently, the City Council requests the Cabinet Member for Resources investigate the costs of a suitable plaque and consider whether it can be afforded from within the Resources Cash Limit or its Portfolio Reserve"

Proposed by Councillor Lee Hunt

Seconded by Councillor Rob Wood

The introduction of the 5p bag charge has already seen use of single-use plastic bags drop by 85%, but most families still throw away about 40kg of plastic per year, which could otherwise be recycled. The amount of plastic waste generated annually in the UK is estimated to be nearly 5 million tonnes.

Whilst, the Council welcomes the commitment of some major businesses to reduce their use of plastic packaging in the medium-term, and encourages all local businesses to respond to the Government’s recent call for evidence on reducing plastic waste, a true step change in this level of plastic waste can only be achieved by reducing the prevalence of single-use plastic materials.

Therefore Council resolves to ask the Cabinet to;

1.         Develop a robust strategy to make Portsmouth a ‘single-use-plastic-free’ authority by the end of 2018 and encourage the City's institutions, businesses and citizens to adopt similar measures;

2.         End the sale and provision of single use plastic products such as bottles, cups, cutlery and drinking straws in council buildings, or council supported venues, wherever possible; promoting the use of non-plastic recyclable alternatives e.g. paper straws to ensure our venues remain accessible to those with additional needs.

3.         Encourage traders in Portsmouth to sell re-usable containers and invite customers to bring their own. Consider introducing a ‘window sticker’ scheme to accredit local businesses that are committed to reducing plastic waste e.g. offering free water bottle refills.

4.         Investigate the possibility of requiring pop-up food and drink vendors at council supported events to avoid single use plastics as a condition of their contract; with a view to phasing out all single use plastics at markets and events in the City by the end of 2018.

5.         Work with tenants in commercial properties owned by Portsmouth City Council to encourage the phasing out of single use plastic cups, bottles, cutlery and straws.

There are none.