This is a default template, your custom branding appears to be missing.
The custom branding should be at https://www.portsmouth.gov.uk/global/moderngov/pcc/pcc_template if you cannot load this page please contact your IT.

Technical Error: Error: The underlying connection was closed: The connection was closed unexpectedly.

Agenda and minutes

Agenda and minutes

Venue: Council Chamber - The Guildhall, Portsmouth. View directions

Contact: Stewart Agland  Email: stewart.agland@portsmouthcc.gov.uk

Media

Items
No. Item

91.

Declaration of Members' Interests

Minutes:

Councillor

Minute Number

 

Nature of Interest

Cllr Simon Bosher

 

104

Personal - his partner was a specialist maxillofacial nurse at Queen Alexandra hospital involved in dentistry.

 

Cllr Tom Coles

 

104

Personal, employed by an NHS Trust

 

Cllr Cal Corkery

 

104

Personal, employed by an NHS Trust

Cllr Lee Hunt

 

108

Personal, he was the co-owner of two food premises in the city and question nine related to food hygiene standards.

 

Cllr Kirsty Mellor

 

99

Personal, a member of the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust

 

92.

To approve as correct records the attached Minutes of the Extraordinary and Ordinary Council meetings held on 19 July 2022 pdf icon PDF 62 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

It was

 

Proposed by Councillor Gerald Vernon-Jackson

Seconded by Councillor Simon Bosher

 

That the minutes of the extraordinary and ordinary meetings held on 19 July 2022 be confirmed as a correct record.

 

These were agreed by assent.

 

93.

To receive such communications as the Lord Mayor may desire to lay before the Council, including apologies for absence

Minutes:

Apologies for absence had been received on behalf of Councillor Suzy Horton.

 

The Lord Mayor paid tribute to Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and as a mark of respect Council stood for a minute's silence.

 

Also with sadness, the Lord Mayor paid respect to former city councillor Phil Shaddock who had recently passed away.

 

The Lord Mayor reminded Council that at an extraordinary council meeting held on 19 July 2022, it was agreed to admit former Portsmouth City Councillors and Lord Mayors , Frank Jonas BEM and Rob Wood to the roll of honorary aldermen.  

 

The Lord Mayor presented Honorary Alderman Frank Jonas BEM and Honorary Alderman Rob Wood with their scrolls and they both took the opportunity to make short speeches of thanks to council.

 

The Lord Mayor also advised Council that this was Sheila Wood's last Council meeting having been the Lord Mayors butler 18 years and he thank her for her excellent service and wished her best wishes for the future.

 

Finally he thanked Lydia Mellor, the Events Manager for all the arrangements  she had organised for the Council following Her Majesty's sad passing during the mourning period. 

94.

Deputations from the Public under Standing Order No 24

Deputations by members of the public may be made on any item where a decision is going to be taken. The request should be made in writing to the contact officer (stewart.agland@portsmouthcc.gov.uk) by 12 noon of the working day before the meeting (so Monday 10 October for this meeting), and must include the purpose of the deputation (for example, for or against the recommendations). Email requests are accepted.

Minutes:

The City Solicitor advised that three verbal deputation requests had been made for this meeting in respect of Minute 99. 

 

The first was from Tracey McCulloch on behalf of the Portsmouth Green Party.

 

The second was from Debbie Tann on behalf of the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust.

 

The third was from Jeff Hector.

 

The City Solicitor advised that one verbal deputation request from Maria Oyegbile had been made for this meeting in respect of Minute 106.

 

At the invitation of the City Solicitor, Ms McCulloch, Ms Tann, Mr Hector and Ms Oyegbile delivered their deputations to Council.

95.

Questions from the Public under Standing Order 25

Minutes:

The Lord Mayor advised that no public questions had been received under the provisions of this Standing Order.

96.

Appointments

Minutes:

RESOLVED that the following change to a Liberal Democrat group seat be AGREED:

 

Planning Committee

 

Councillor Ian Holder to replace Councillor Mark Jeffery as a standing deputy.

97.

Urgent Business - To receive and consider any urgent and important business from Members of the Cabinet in accordance with Standing Order No 26

Minutes:

The Lord Mayor advised that there was no urgent business to transact at this meeting.

98.

Treasury Management Outturn Report 2021/22 pdf icon PDF 297 KB

To receive and consider the attached report and noting recommendation from Cabinet held on 26 July.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Council Agenda item 8 (Cabinet minute 100)

 

Treasury Management Outturn Report 2021/22

 

The recommendation within this report was approved unopposed.

 

RESOLVED that the actual prudential and treasury management indicators based on the unaudited accounts, as shown in Appendix B, be noted (an explanation of the prudential and treasury management indicators is contained in Appendix C of the report).

99.

Tipner West and Horsea Island East Regeneration pdf icon PDF 2 MB

To consider the attached report and recommendation from the Special Cabinet meeting held on 8 September.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Council Agenda item 9 (Cabinet minute 104)

 

Tipner West & Horsea Island East Regeneration.

 

Councillor Corkery indicated under Standing Order 28 to allow the Cabinet minute 104 to be debated.

 

Proposed by Councillor Gerald Vernon-Jackson

 

Seconded by Councillor Steve Pitt

 

That the recommendations in Cabinet minute 104 be approved.

 

In accordance with Standing Order 48(b), eight Councillors stood to request that a recorded vote be taken.

 

The following members voted in favour of the Cabinet recommendation

 

Councillor Dave Ashmore

Councillor Chris Attwell

Councillor Kimberly Barrett

Councillor Stuart Brown

Councillor Jason Fazackarley

Councillor Ian Holder

Councillor Lee Hunt

Councillor Mark Jeffery

Councillor Abdul Kadir

Councillor Leo Madden

Councillor Hugh Mason

Councillor George Madgwick

Councillor Brian Madgwick

Councillor Steve Pitt

Councillor Darren Sanders

Councillor Lynne Stagg

Councillor Gerald Vernon-Jackson

Councillor Matthew Winnington

 

The following members voted against the Cabinet recommendation

 

Councillor Matthew Atkins

Councillor Lee Mason

Councillor John Smith

Councillor Linda Symes

 

 The following members abstained from voting

 

Councillor Yinka Adeniran

Councillor Simon Bosher

Councillor Ryan Brent

Councillor Cal Corkery

Councillor Tom Coles

Councillor Charlotte Gerada

Councillor Graham Heaney

Councillor Gemma New

Councillor Terry Norton

Councillor Asghar Shah

Councillor Benedict Swann

Councillor Daniel Wemyss

Councillor George Fielding

Councillor Lewis Gosling

Councillor Kirsty Mellor

Councillor Robert New

Councillor Scott Payter-Harris

Councillor Russell Simpson

Councillor Judith Smyth

 

The recommendations contained in minute 104 of the Cabinet meeting held on 8 September 2022 were therefore approved.

 

 

RESOLVED that Full Council:

  

(i)         Notes that all options, including 'Do nothing'/'Do minimum', are likely to have a significant effect on the Portsmouth Harbour SPA and Ramsar site requiring the derogation tests of alternatives and imperative reasons of over-riding public interest (IROPI) be applied and met under the Habitats Regulations.

(ii)       Notes that for all options, including 'Do nothing'/'Do minimum', a substantial funding gap exists which will need to be funded either from the Council's own resources or from further external funding; Prudential borrowing is unavailable in these circumstances to fund any gap (deficit) as described in section 8.

(iii)      Notes that it is unlikely that any further external funding will be available for either the Option D 'Do Minimum', or Option C 'Existing Land Mass', over and above that already assumed within their respective funding gaps, as set out in Section 8.

(iv)       Notes the financial implications of Option D, 'Do Minimum', are as follows:

a)    Full Council will need to add up to £3m annually into the Council's Capital Programme for the next 10 to 15 years

b)    accordingly, Full Council will be required to approve savings in the Revenue Budget of £3m at the point that a decision is made and to take effect from 2023/24 in order to facilitate a revenue contribution to the Capital Programme given that Capital Funding of up to £3m annually cannot reasonably be forecast to be available; in the current climate, this would have a serious  impact on Council jobs that deliver local services.

c)     there would be abortive costs of up to £20.7m that would need to be accommodated within the Revenue Budget for the current year and the associated savings approved at the time the decision is taken

 

(v)            Notes the financial implications of Option C, 'Existing Land Mass', are as follows:

a)      Full Council will need to add up to £5m annually into the Council's Capital Programme for the next 10 to 15 years

b)      accordingly, Full Council will be required to approve savings in the Revenue Budget of £5m at the point that a decision is made and to take effect from 2023/24 in order to facilitate a revenue contribution to the Capital Programme given that Capital Funding of up to £5m annually cannot reasonably be forecast to be available; in the current climate, this would have a serious impact on Council jobs that deliver local services.

c)      there would be abortive costs of up to £3.6m would need to be accommodated within the Revenue Budget for the current year and the associated savings approved at the time the decision is taken 

(vi)     Notes that whilst it is not certain that the funding gap for Option B, 'Moderate Land Reclamation', or Option A, 'Significant Land Reclamation', can be fully mitigated, there is greater opportunity to attract further funding and/or value engineer (reduce costs) for developments of larger scale, thus reducing the funding gap; on that basis it would be premature to plan for a further capital funding requirement (and therefore any consequent Revenue savings requirements) at this stage

 

(vii)    Notes that in order to protect the land from flooding, including existing homes and businesses at Tipner and Stamshaw, flood defence works are required for any of the options to 'Hold the Line' in accordance with the North Solent Shoreline Management Plan approved by Portsmouth City Council and the Environment Agency.

 

(viii)   Notes that there have been numerous options explored including 'Significant Land Reclamation'(Option A), ' Moderate Land Reclamation' (Option B), 'Existing Land Mass' (Option C) and 'Do Minimum' (Option D), all of which have been of value to test the viability of delivery, the design of the site, and build knowledge of the capabilities of the site. Optioneering for this site comes at significant cost. The development at Tipner West will be one that impacts future generations and the opportunities the city can provide for them; Full Council now needs to move to a decision for the future of Portsmouth residents whilst minimising a costly impact on the council's finances and ability to deliver services.

 

(ix)     Seeks to deliver an affordable option on Tipner West and Horsea Island East, preserving the current delivery of Council Services, that looks to combine various options.

 

(x)      Full Council approves a series of principles in order to bring forward a scheme for development on Tipner West and Horsea Island East. The principles are as follows:

 

·         Rules out the 'Significant Land Reclamation' Option (Option A) - original 'Lennox Point' masterplan.

·         Rules out 'Do Minimum' Option (Option D)

·         Prioritise the protection of the land south of firing range

·         Provide a minimum of 1,250 homes which maximises affordable housing & 58,000 sqm of employment space. (Minimum affordable housing at 30%)

·         Satisfies the terms of the City Deal

·         Satisfies the requirements of the regulatory bodies including Natural England and the Environment Agency

·         Maximises local job creation

·         Minimises costs and impact on City Council finances & services to the public

·         Minimises land reclamation to meet the principles listed above and provide bio-diversity net gain of 10% as a minimum.

 

(xi)     In order to support delivery of an option aligned with these principles, Full Council approves the continuation of a cross-party working group to help inform and respond to proposals as presented by the promotor team.

 

(xii)    Notes that any option approved, or principles approved to determine an option, that results in a scheme where further funding does not have a realistic opportunity of being realised, will likely result in an overall scheme deficit of circa £50m and will require the Full Council to:

 

a)      add up to £5m annually into the Council's Capital Programme for the next 10 to 15 years

b)      approve savings in the Revenue Budget of £5m at the point that a decision is made and to take effect from 2023/24; in the current climate, this would have a serious impact on Council jobs that deliver local services.

c)      meet the abortive costs amounting to up to £3.6m which would need to be accommodated within the Revenue Budget for the current year and the associated savings approved at the time the decision is taken 

 

(xiii)   Notes that further funding opportunities for any option can only realistically be explored when Full Council has an approved planning application and a full business case for its preferred Tipner West & Horsea Island East scheme. Previous successful funding bids are outlined in Appendix F.

 

(xiv)   Notes that further delays to determining the scheme to promote at Tipner West and Horsea Island East will result in additional cost to the Council.

100.

Civic Offices Sustainability pdf icon PDF 357 KB

To receive and consider the attached report and recommendation from Cabinet held on 27 September.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Council Agenda item 10 (Cabinet minute 111)

 

Civic Offices Member Working Group Report

 

Councillor Simon Bosher indicated under Standing Order 28 to allow the Cabinet minute 111 to be debated.

 

Proposed by Councillor Gerald Vernon Jackson

 

Seconded by Councillor Chris Attwell

 

That the recommendations in Cabinet minute 111 be approved

 

RESOLVED that

 

(i)     Full Council committed to supporting the continuation of the working group to progress work as outlined in 5.2 of the report and supported by relevant officers as appropriate;

 

(ii)    Full Council noted that although there is a working group in place, the group will review its membership, in consultation with Group Leaders, to ensure political proportionality. A level of project management governance will also be introduced to ensure good practice principles are followed and ensure appropriate decision making in line with the council's constitution for example, gateway review points leading to updates to Cabinet and Full Council; and

 

(iii)   Full Council noted the Civic Offices Member Working Group will bring back to Cabinet (and Full Council) a final report with the high-level options appraisal, financial appraisal and recommendations by no later than March 2023.

101.

"Making" the Milton Neighbourhood Plan pdf icon PDF 109 KB

To receive and consider the attached report and recommendation from Cabinet held on 27 September.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Council Agenda item 11 (Cabinet minute 112)

 

"Making" the Milton Neighbourhood Plan

 

Councillor Kimberly Barrett indicated under Standing Order 28 to allow the Cabinet minute 112 to be debated.

 

Proposed by Councillor Gerald Vernon-Jackson

 

Seconded by Councillor Lee Hunt

 

That the recommendations in Cabinet minute 112 be approved

 

RESOLVED that

 

(i)             Full Council noted the result of the public referendum on the Milton Neighbourhood Plan held on the 18th of August (88.7% in favour);

 

(ii)           the attached Milton Neighbourhood plan be made and adopted by Full Council as part of the Development Plan for Portsmouth enabling it to be used in the determination of planning decisions for the part of the city that the Milton Neighbourhood Plan covered; and

 

(iii)         thanks be offered to the Milton Neighbourhood Planning Forum for its work in preparing and submitting the Milton Neighbourhood Plan to the City Council.

102.

Review of Polling Districts and Polling Places pdf icon PDF 91 KB

To receive and consider the attached report and recommendation from Governance and Audit and Standards Committee held on  29 September.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Council Agenda item 12 (Governance & Audit & Standards Committee minute 40)

 

Review of Polling Districts and Polling Places.

 

The recommendation within this report was approved unopposed.

 

RESOLVED that

 

(i)     the changes to the current polling scheme recommended in paragraphs 5.2 to 5.6 are approved and implemented on publication of the 2023 Register of Electors; and

 

(ii)    it be reconfirmed that the Returning Officer has delegated authority to make such variations to polling places as may be necessary arising from the availability of premises for use at a particular election.

103.

Notices of Motion

104.

Shortage of Dentists and NHS Dental services in Portsmouth

Proposed by Councillor Asghar Shah

Seconded by Councillor Judith Smyth

 

NHS Dentistry is facing a national crisis which is disproportionately impacting patients in Portsmouth.

 

There is long term harm to dental health with all the lifelong consequences that puts back the achievements of NHS Dentistry by 40 years. This was already evident before Covid but has been accelerated by the pandemic and will be again by the rise in the cost of living affecting poorer families disproportionally going forward. We must do all we can to reverse this disaster.

 

·         This Council notes that nationally 21 million people have not seen a dentist since Covid lockdowns

·         Over £41 million dental appointments have been lost since lockdown in England (more than a year’s worth of care in pre-Covid times)

·         Only 50% of dental practices offer NHS services and this is reducing fast

·         The British Dental association has said that the new government funding (£6.8M) for dentistry is too little and is conditional on performance targets that together with payment for one filling being the same as for ten fillings disincentivises dentists and reduces NHS services.

·         Dentists are also concerned because taking up the new funding would require them working outside normal hours, working more time because of the new ‘unit of Dental activity (UDA) system.

 

This Council also notes that in Portsmouth:

 

·         Just 39% of adults have seen an NHS dentist in the 2 years before 2020 compared with 45% across England, according to NHS Digital

·         Only 26% of children have seen an NHS dentist in the last 12 months compared with a national figure of 30%.

·         Portsmouth has the 7th lowest share of NHS dentists per 100,000 people in the country at 42 (Southampton and Isle of Wight are 15th lowest with 45 dentists per 100,000)

·         Respondents to Stephen Morgan MP’s survey and conversations with local residents say that it is now impossible to get an NHS dentist in the city. They also detail stories of how patients are having to travel as far as Watford to get treatment and, in one extreme case, a patient resorted to pulling out their own teeth with pliers because they could not get an NHS appointment.

·         People report that even when they have been NHS patients in the same practice regularly attending check-ups their dentists have stopped providing NHS services without giving notice.

·         Many dentists in the city have given up providing NHS services making dentistry unaffordable for many. This is a particular concern for families with children and older people subject to dental decay

·         Twice as many children now attend Portsmouth Hospitals for emergency dental care than in 2019

·         There are problems in the recruitment of dentists some of which start with problems of recruitment, lack of university dental school and particular difficulties with retention and challenges for dentists wanting to provide NHS care locally.

 

Work done so far

 

We are not the only people concerned about this crisis and this motion is intended to build on the work already underway to tackle the problem. For example, on 10 June 2022 a Dental summit was hosted by Portsmouth university and chaired by Rt Hon Penny Mordaunt MP for Portsmouth North. It was attended by Stephen Morgan MP for South Portsmouth, the MP for the Isle of Wight and staff of the MPs of Havant and Gosport, dental providers, NHS CCG commissioners, academics, and patient interest bodies. The Director of public Health and some of the CCG team were there. However, it is apparent that no elected councillors of the City council were involved. This motion is intended to change that so that the Council is committed to support the recommendations of the dental summit, work more closely with others who participated in the Dental Summit and do more ourselves to improve the situation.  We need to take action as leaders, communicators and coordinators of the City as follows.

 

We therefore call on the Council torequest the Cabinet to:

 

1.    Find out if there are any emergency short term solutions that would enable families in need of NHS services to get urgent care locally and publish the findings on websites and Flagship.

2.    In particular, to support the first recommendation of the Dental Summit to provide a comprehensive data base to enable patients using the NHS 111 service to access dental services quickly, which would improve waiting times and prevent loss from Failure to attend (FTA)

3.    Consider appointing an elected councillor as a Dental champion for the city council requiring them to work with the Director of Public health team and to report back on progress to the full council twice a year.

 

4.    Contribute to the steering group set up at the Dental summit together with the university dental academy and local dentists to develop and implement plans to recruit and retain dentists to work in Portsmouth.

 

5.    Support routinely giving dental advice to new parents through health visitors, pharmacists, GPs and early years services about the dangers of giving children sweet food and drinks and the need to brush teeth regularly. As suggested by the Dental summit encourage dental experts to partner with local schools to educate children, young people and parents about the benefits of good oral health

 

6.    Reassess outcomes in areas that add fluoride to water supplies, consider supporting public engagement in the decision and if advised work with the NHS and water companies to do so here.,

 

7.    Work with Southampton, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight councils and local MPs, to find out what they are doing about the shortage of dentists and NHS services in South Hampshire and consider joint action to improve matters – by the end of November.

 

8.    Work with the Integrated Care System and dentists in Portsmouth to prepare a report for the Health and Well Being Board. (HWB) for immediate consideration within their remit and scope. This report should contain ambitious recommendations for consideration by the HWB which will focus upon the number of dentists in Portsmouth increasing as well as more dentistsbeing able and willing to maintain lists of NHS patients. This report should be presented to the HWB before Christmas

 

9.    Write to the new Health Minister to ask for urgent action to address the structural problems in the current contract for NHS dentistry including additional bands on the UDA system, as suggested in the report of the dental summit.

Minutes:

It was

 

Proposed by Councillor Asghar Shah

Seconded by Councillor Judith Smyth

 

That notice of motion (a) as set out on the agenda be adopted.

 

Following a vote, the motion was declared CARRIED.

 

RESOLVED that

 

NHS Dentistry is facing a national crisis which is disproportionately impacting patients in Portsmouth.

 

There is long term harm to dental health with all the lifelong consequences that puts back the achievements of NHS Dentistry by 40 years. This was already evident before Covid but has been accelerated by the pandemic and will be again by the rise in the cost of living affecting poorer families disproportionally going forward. We must do all we can to reverse this disaster.

 

·         This Council notes that nationally 21 million people have not seen a dentist since Covid lockdowns

·         Over £41 million dental appointments have been lost since lockdown in England (more than a year’s worth of care in pre-Covid times)

·         Only 50% of dental practices offer NHS services and this is reducing fast

·         The British Dental association has said that the new government funding (£6.8M) for dentistry is too little and is conditional on performance targets that together with payment for one filling being the same as for ten fillings disincentivises dentists and reduces NHS services.

·         Dentists are also concerned because taking up the new funding would require them working outside normal hours, working more time because of the new ‘unit of Dental activity (UDA) system.

 

This Council also notes that in Portsmouth:

 

·         Just 39% of adults have seen an NHS dentist in the 2 years before 2020 compared with 45% across England, according to NHS Digital

·         Only 26% of children have seen an NHS dentist in the last 12 months compared with a national figure of 30%.

·         Portsmouth has the 7th lowest share of NHS dentists per 100,000 people in the country at 42 (Southampton and Isle of Wight are 15th lowest with 45 dentists per 100,000)

·         Respondents to Stephen Morgan MP’s survey and conversations with local residents say that it is now impossible to get an NHS dentist in the city. They also detail stories of how patients are having to travel as far as Watford to get treatment and, in one extreme case, a patient resorted to pulling out their own teeth with pliers because they could not get an NHS appointment.

·         People report that even when they have been NHS patients in the same practice regularly attending check-ups their dentists have stopped providing NHS services without giving notice.

·         Many dentists in the city have given up providing NHS services making dentistry unaffordable for many. This is a particular concern for families with children and older people subject to dental decay

·         Twice as many children now attend Portsmouth Hospitals for emergency dental care than in 2019

·         There are problems in the recruitment of dentists some of which start with problems of recruitment, lack of university dental school and particular difficulties with retention and challenges for dentists wanting to provide NHS care locally.

 

Work done so far

 

We are not the only people concerned about this crisis and this motion is intended to build on the work already underway to tackle the problem. For example, on 10 June 2022 a Dental summit was hosted by Portsmouth university and chaired by Rt Hon Penny Mordaunt MP for Portsmouth North. It was attended by Stephen Morgan MP for South Portsmouth, the MP for the Isle of Wight and staff of the MPs of Havant and Gosport, dental providers, NHS CCG commissioners, academics, and patient interest bodies. The Director of public Health and some of the CCG team were there. However, it is apparent that no elected councillors of the City council were involved. This motion is intended to change that so that the Council is committed to support the recommendations of the dental summit, work more closely with others who participated in the Dental Summit and do more ourselves to improve the situation.  We need to take action as leaders, communicators and coordinators of the City as follows.

 

We therefore call on the Council torequest the Cabinet to:

 

1.    Find out if there are any emergency short term solutions that would enable families in need of NHS services to get urgent care locally and publish the findings on websites and Flagship.

2.    In particular, to support the first recommendation of the Dental Summit to provide a comprehensive data base to enable patients using the NHS 111 service to access dental services quickly, which would improve waiting times and prevent loss from Failure to attend (FTA)

3.    Consider appointing an elected councillor as a Dental champion for the city council requiring them to work with the Director of Public health team and to report back on progress to the full council twice a year.

 

4.    Contribute to the steering group set up at the Dental summit together with the university dental academy and local dentists to develop and implement plans to recruit and retain dentists to work in Portsmouth.

 

5.    Support routinely giving dental advice to new parents through health visitors, pharmacists, GPs and early years services about the dangers of giving children sweet food and drinks and the need to brush teeth regularly. As suggested by the Dental summit encourage dental experts to partner with local schools to educate children, young people and parents about the benefits of good oral health

 

6.    Reassess outcomes in areas that add fluoride to water supplies, consider supporting public engagement in the decision and if advised work with the NHS and water companies to do so here.,

 

7.    Work with Southampton, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight councils and local MPs, to find out what they are doing about the shortage of dentists and NHS services in South Hampshire and consider joint action to improve matters – by the end of November.

 

8.    Work with the Integrated Care System and dentists in Portsmouth to prepare a report for the Health and Well Being Board. (HWB) for immediate consideration within their remit and scope. This report should contain ambitious recommendations for consideration by the HWB which will focus upon the number of dentists in Portsmouth increasing as well as more dentistsbeing able and willing to maintain lists of NHS patients. This report should be presented to the HWB before Christmas

 

9.    Write to the new Health Minister to ask for urgent action to address the structural problems in the current contract for NHS dentistry including additional bands on the UDA system, as suggested in the report of the dental summit.

 

 

 

105.

Flag Theofano

Proposed by Councillor Daniel Wemyss

Seconded by Councillor Robert New

 

On the 29th of January 1990 a great storm was causing havoc with the marine traffic coming in and out of the Solent area. For those in charge of the waterways in Southampton and Portsmouth, organising the ships that needed a berth was proving difficult.

 

That evening the Greek cement carrier Flag Theofano bound for Southampton-after a short voyage from Le Havre-entered the area with its 19 crew on board. Unable to provide the Flag Theofano with a berth that evening, she was called on the radio and told to go to anchor for the night at an area of the Solent known as St Helens Roads. She and her 19 crew were never seen again.

 

Dawn came and the Flag Theofano was given the green light to weigh anchor and proceed into Southampton. But when she was called on the radio there was no reply. A search was carried out and that morning two lifeboats, a life raft and two bodies were found nearby. It was now obvious – the Flag Theofano had gone down in the night and not a single person had known about it. There were no radio calls and no eyewitnesses.

 

The wreck of the ship was located 20 meters below the surface, the ship with her cargo of 4000 tons was upside down on the seabed. By now her cargo had met the water and hardened, an eternal concrete tomb for those on board.

 

The loss of this vessel and her crew of 19 is a forgotten disaster of modern day. Until recently, there were no memorials to the victims and one of the two bodies found is today buried in Portsmouth’s Kingston Cemetery, until only last month, it had no gravestone to mark the passing. Ibrahim Hussain was just 19 years old.

 

In light of this tragedy, this Council calls on the Administration (through requesting Cabinet) to formally mark the sinking of the Theofano and commemorate those who lost their lives by erecting a permanent fixture on the sea defences so that everyone can be made aware of this tragic sinking so close to Portsmouth.

 

The Council also wishes to ask Cabinet to invite family members of the crew of the Theofano to attend a future ceremony marking said fixture.

 

Furthermore, this Council wishes to place on record its thanks to Mr Steven Hunt and Mr Martin Woodward MBE for their unwavering commitment to remembering the Theofano.

Minutes:

It was

 

Proposed by Councillor Daniel Wemyss

Seconded by Councillor Robert New

 

That notice of motion (b) as set out on the agenda be adopted.

 

Following a vote, the motion was declared CARRIED.

 

RESOLVED that

 

On the 29th of January 1990 a great storm was causing havoc with the marine traffic coming in and out of the Solent area. For those in charge of the waterways in Southampton and Portsmouth, organising the ships that needed a berth was proving difficult.

 

That evening the Greek cement carrier Flag Theofano bound for Southampton-after a short voyage from Le Havre-entered the area with its 19 crew on board. Unable to provide the Flag Theofano with a berth that evening, she was called on the radio and told to go to anchor for the night at an area of the Solent known as St Helens Roads. She and her 19 crew were never seen again.

 

Dawn came and the Flag Theofano was given the green light to weigh anchor and proceed into Southampton. But when she was called on the radio there was no reply. A search was carried out and that morning two lifeboats, a life raft and two bodies were found nearby. It was now obvious – the Flag Theofano had gone down in the night and not a single person had known about it. There were no radio calls and no eyewitnesses.

 

The wreck of the ship was located 20 meters below the surface, the ship with her cargo of 4000 tons was upside down on the seabed. By now her cargo had met the water and hardened, an eternal concrete tomb for those on board.

 

The loss of this vessel and her crew of 19 is a forgotten disaster of modern day. Until recently, there were no memorials to the victims and one of the two bodies found is today buried in Portsmouth’s Kingston Cemetery, until only last month, it had no gravestone to mark the passing. Ibrahim Hussain was just 19 years old.

 

In light of this tragedy, this Council calls on the Administration (through requesting Cabinet) to formally mark the sinking of the Theofano and commemorate those who lost their lives by erecting a permanent fixture on the sea defences so that everyone can be made aware of this tragic sinking so close to Portsmouth.

 

The Council also wishes to ask Cabinet to invite family members of the crew of the Theofano to attend a future ceremony marking said fixture.

 

Furthermore, this Council wishes to place on record its thanks to Mr Steven Hunt and Mr Martin Woodward MBE for their unwavering commitment to remembering the Theofano.

106.

Tackling child poverty during the cost of living crisis pdf icon PDF 20 KB

Proposed by Councillor Yinka Adeniran

Seconded by Councillor Kirsty Mellor

 

Full Council notes:

 

1.            There is a cost of living crisis affecting Portsmouth families and many are now struggling to get by.

2.            For many local families, buying school uniforms and school lunches is a significant financial challenge.

3.            On average, parents with children in state schools spend £337 per year on school uniform for each secondary school child, and £315 per year for each primary school child.

4.            Most, if not all, Portsmouth schools require pupils to buy items of branded uniform which are often significantly more expensive than unbranded alternatives. One example is a requirement to buy a £49 branded blazer when unbranded blazers are available online for as little as £12.

5.            It is possible to iron or stitch school specific logos or other branding onto unbranded uniforms at low cost.

6.            According to studies, more than half of parents in the UK are buying second hand items or opting for cheaper alternatives to bring down the cost of clothes, accessories and supplies

7.            The Uniform Share Store operated by The Hive has supported around 700 families since April 2022.

8.            There are nearly 8,000 children in Portsmouth eligible for Free School Meals.

9.            In 2018, the government lowered the household income eligibility criteria for Free School Meals from £16,190 to £7,400.

10.         Government guidance published following the passing of the Education (Guidance about Costs of School Uniforms) Act 2021 mandates schools to: consider the costs of school uniform requirements, minimise use of branded items, and ensure items are available from suppliers which have evidenced their value for money.

 

Full Council believes:

 

1.            No family should struggle to provide basics, such as school uniform and food, for their children.

2.            In the midst of a cost of living crisis there can be no justification for school uniform policies which require families to purchase branded items which are significantly more expensive than unbranded items.

3.            As a result of the amended eligibility criteria there will be many local families experiencing in-work poverty who do not qualify for Free School Meals.

 

Full Council resolves:

 

1.            To ask the relevant Cabinet  Portfolio holder to write to all Portsmouth schools requesting they stop the use of mandatory branded school uniform items where unbranded items can be bought at more affordable prices.

2.            To ask Cabinet to consider extending Free School Meal provision to children in households experiencing financial hardship but who do not meet the restrictive national criteria.

3.            To place on record our sincere thanks to all council services, community organisations and charities involved in supporting local families through the cost of living crisis.

Minutes:

It was

 

Proposed by Councillor Yinka Adeniran

Seconded by Councillor Kirsty Mellor

 

That notice of motion (c) as set out on the agenda be adopted.

 

As an amendment it was

 

Proposed by Councillor Ian Holder

Seconded by Councillor Dave Ashmore

 

To

 

1.      Insert in 'Council notes' new Point 11

 

That the Director of Education, at the request of the Cabinet Member for Education and Children's Services, wrote to all Heads in the city on 9 September as follows:

 

"As the cost of living crisis deepens we are aware of a growing demand from parents for help with school uniform.

 

A reminder therefore about the statutory guidance from the Department for Education that was published last year requiring schools and their governing boards to have regard to it when developing and implementing their school and trust uniform policies. New rules to drive down cost of school uniform for families - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

 

It should be read alongside the non-statutory guidance on school uniforms. The purpose of this guidance is to ensure the cost of school uniforms is reasonable and secures the best value for money.

 

Families that are struggling to afford school uniform can get support from The HIVE Portsmouth Uniform Share Store | HIVE Portsmouth which operates from Central Library, Guildhall Square, Portsmouth.

 

Parents seeking additional items of school uniform can email uniform@hiveportsmouth.org.uk or phone 023 9261 6709 with their requests, uniform can be collected from the Central Library. 

 

The project has supported around 700 families since April 2022, mainly with donated clothes, but also using a small amount of funding from the Covid support grant. The Hive has been very busy with requests for school uniform over the last few weeks and competed over 350 orders in August alone. This is an increase on August 2021 of nearly 100 completed orders.

 

Schools or parents wishing to donate outgrown uniform can arrange to do so by dropping off to the HIVE, Central library, phoning 023 9261 6709 or by contacting Hive Portsmouth via the website. They currently have a good supply of generic uniform items. For secondary schools the main items they receive requests for are blazers, ties, skirts with logos and PE kits with the logo or in house colours. For infant, junior and primary schools the gap tends to be for jumpers, cardigans and polo necks with the school logo on it."

 

Under 'Full Council Resolves'

 

1, Add 'again' after 'schools' in line two. 

 

    Recommendation to now read:

 

To ask the relevant Cabinet Portfolio Holder to write to all Portsmouth schools again, requesting they stop the use of mandatory branded school uniform items where unbranded items can be bought at more affordable prices.

 

  1. Replace "To ask Cabinet to consider extending" with "To ask Cabinet to call on Government, in light of the current constraints to council budgets - a cut in real terms - to extend"

 

    Recommendation to now read:

 

To ask Cabinet to call on Government, in light of the current constraints to council budgets - a cut in real terms - to extend Free School Meal provision to children in households experiencing financial hardship but who do not meet the restrictive national criteria.

 

Following debate, the proposer of the original motion, Councillor Yinka Adeniran did not agree to subsume the amendments put by Councillor Ian Holder into the motion.

 

Following a vote the amendment put by Councillor Ian Holder was declared LOST.

 

Council voted on the motion in the name of Councillor Yinka Adeniran

 

Following a vote, the motion was declared CARRIED.

 

RESOLVED that

 

Full Council notes:

 

1.            There is a cost of living crisis affecting Portsmouth families and many are now struggling to get by.

2.            For many local families, buying school uniforms and school lunches is a significant financial challenge.

3.            On average, parents with children in state schools spend £337 per year on school uniform for each secondary school child, and £315 per year for each primary school child.

4.            Most, if not all, Portsmouth schools require pupils to buy items of branded uniform which are often significantly more expensive than unbranded alternatives. One example is a requirement to buy a £49 branded blazer when unbranded blazers are available online for as little as £12.

5.            It is possible to iron or stitch school specific logos or other branding onto unbranded uniforms at low cost.

6.            According to studies, more than half of parents in the UK are buying second hand items or opting for cheaper alternatives to bring down the cost of clothes, accessories and supplies

7.            The Uniform Share Store operated by The Hive has supported around 700 families since April 2022.

8.            There are nearly 8,000 children in Portsmouth eligible for Free School Meals.

9.            In 2018, the government lowered the household income eligibility criteria for Free School Meals from £16,190 to £7,400.

10.         Government guidance published following the passing of the Education (Guidance about Costs of School Uniforms) Act 2021 mandates schools to: consider the costs of school uniform requirements, minimise use of branded items, and ensure items are available from suppliers which have evidenced their value for money.

 

Full Council believes:

 

1.            No family should struggle to provide basics, such as school uniform and food, for their children.

2.            In the midst of a cost of living crisis there can be no justification for school uniform policies which require families to purchase branded items which are significantly more expensive than unbranded items.

3.            As a result of the amended eligibility criteria there will be many local families experiencing in-work poverty who do not qualify for Free School Meals.

 

Full Council resolves:

 

1.            To ask the relevant Cabinet Portfolio Holder to write to all Portsmouth schools requesting they stop the use of mandatory branded school uniform items where unbranded items can be bought at more affordable prices.

2.            To ask Cabinet to consider extending Free School Meal provision to children in households experiencing financial hardship but who do not meet the restrictive national criteria.

3.            To place on record our sincere thanks to all council services, community organisations and charities involved in supporting local families through the cost of living crisis.

107.

Memorial Statue for Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II pdf icon PDF 9 KB

Proposed by Councillor John Smith

Seconded by Councillor Benedict Swann

 

Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was an inspiration for our nation. And one of the greatest leaders the world has ever known. There is currently just one full-size statue of Her Majesty in the entire UK; it would be an honour for Portsmouth to be one of the first to publicly commemorate Her late Majesty.  We therefore ask Portsmouth Council, through requesting Cabinet, to consult with the residents of the city to have a suitable statue that befits the pledge of service and duty made by Her late Majesty. The statue's location could also be a question for the people of Portsmouth. This will showcase not only our love for her, but also our city's close links to The Armed Forces, Faiths and in recognition of her, as our much loved and longest-serving head of state.

 

As a Council we understand the location of a statue would require permission from The Crown, as well as local planners

 

The Council believes this statue will be a fitting tribute to Her late Majesty and recognises the historical importance of this memorial statue and its social and educational potential, as a symbol of her devotion to duty and standing as the nation's greatest diplomat.

Minutes:

It was

 

Proposed by Councillor John Smith

Seconded by Councillor Benedict Swann

 

That notice of motion (d) as set out on the agenda be adopted.

 

As an amendment it was

 

Proposed by Councillor Scott Payter-Harris

Seconded by Councillor Simon Bosher

 

To add the following to the end of the second paragraph:

 

"and it is equally understood that currently no progress can be made until such time as confirmation is received from Buckingham Palace and/or HM The King."

 

Following debate, the proposer of the original motion, Councillor John Smith agreed to subsume the amendment put by Councillor Scott Payter-Harris   into the motion.

 

Following a vote, the motion was declared CARRIED.

 

RESOLVED that

 

Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was an inspiration for our nation. And one of the greatest leaders the world has ever known. There is currently just one full-size statue of Her Majesty in the entire UK; it would be an honour for Portsmouth to be one of the first to publicly commemorate Her late Majesty.  We therefore ask Portsmouth Council, through requesting Cabinet, to consult with the residents of the city to have a suitable statue that befits the pledge of service and duty made by Her late Majesty. The statue's location could also be a question for the people of Portsmouth. This will showcase not only our love for her, but also our city's close links to The Armed Forces, Faiths and in recognition of her, as our much loved and longest-serving head of state.

 

As a Council we understand the location of a statue would require permission from The Crown, as well as local planners and it is equally understood that currently no progress can be made until such time as confirmation is received from Buckingham Palace and/or HM The King.

 

The Council believes this statue will be a fitting tribute to Her late Majesty and recognises the historical importance of this memorial statue and its social and educational potential, as a symbol of her devotion to duty and standing as the nation's greatest diplomat.

108.

Questions from Members under Standing Order No 17 pdf icon PDF 71 KB

Minutes:

Ten questions from members had been received under Standing Order No 17.

 

The first question was from Councillor Linda Symes.

 

"Does the cabinet member agree the council should explore the possibility of a Watersports facility being provided on the Eastney Baths site?"

 

This and supplementary questions were answered by the Cabinet Member for Culture, Leisure & Economic Development, Councillor Steve Pitt.

 

The second question was from Councillor Benedict Swann.

 

"Can the cabinet member explain why Cosham and Anchorage Park residents had to wait nearly a month for their recycling to be collected?"

 

This and supplementary questions were answered by the Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Environment, Councillor Kimberly Barrett.

 

The third question was from Councillor Daniel Wemyss.

 

"Can the cabinet member update the council on the current financial position of the Horatia and Leamington House regeneration project?"

 

This and supplementary questions were answered by the Cabinet Member for Housing and Preventing Homelessness, Councillor Darren Sanders.

 

The fourth question was from Councillor Simon Bosher.

 

"Can the Cabinet member explain what progress has been made on the introduction of low traffic neighbourhoods in the city?"

 

This and supplementary questions were answered by the Cabinet Member for Traffic and Transportation, Councillor Lynne Stagg.

 

The fifth question was from Councillor Scott Payter-Harris

 

" Can the cabinet member explain what the current plans are for the Hilsea Lodge site?"

 

This and supplementary questions were answered by the Cabinet Member for Housing and Preventing Homelessness, Councillor Darren Sanders.

 

The time allocation for this item having elapsed, written responses would be provided to the remaining questions.