Agenda

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 8 November for this meeting), and must include the purpose of the deputation (for example, for or against the recommendations).  Email requests are accepted.

To receive and consider the attached report.  Recommendations from the Cabinet meeting on 2 November to follow.

Following the Full Council meeting of 21 July 2020, the Council agreed to change Standing Order (32(d)), meaning all Notices of Motion of the agenda  will automatically be dealt with at this meeting unless caught by the 6 month rule, thereby dispensing with a three minute presentation from the proposer and subsequent vote to enable its consideration.

Proposed by Councillor Charlotte Gerada

Seconded by Councillor Judith Smyth 

Southern Water has been illegally discharging raw sewage into rivers and seas for a number of years across the region. The company was fined £90m by the Environment Agency this year for deliberate failings, causing major harm to protected areas, conservation sites and oyster beds.

This issue has affected Portsmouth and the surrounding areas significantly, as little or no warning is provided to residents when sewage leaks occur. This puts the health and safety of residents at risk, not to mention the damage it is doing to local wildlife.

Despite Southern Water’s actions, the company continues to make millions in profits, including £138.8m in the 2020-21 financial year. What is more, the fine Southern Water received has not changed their behaviour and sewage leaks are still ongoing. 

Full Council debated a motion in 2019 to tackle the company’s sewage dumping, which received unanimous support. However, the situation with Southern Water hasn’t improved and now is the time for renewed unity across political parties and the city, to force action for once and for all.

Therefore, the Council asks the Leader of the Council and all Group Leaders to write jointly to Southern Water to demand they stop illegal discharges and take urgent action to give adequate notice to residents if the sea is not safe to swim in.

Full Council also calls on the Cabinet to engage with the Environment Agency to explore any additional enforcement action which can be taken in order to try and resolve these continuing issues.

"Should Motion (a) above be considered at the Council meeting, below motion (b) cannot subsequently be put and considered as it will be caught by the Council's Standing Orders in respect of the 6 month rule"

Proposed by Councillor Matt Atkins

Seconded by Councillor John Smith

The council condemns the continued discharge of sewage into our Harbours and The Solent. Between May and September of this year, Southern Water discharged sewage nearly 3000 times into our coastal waters. The impact that this has on our local marine and coastal environment, ecology and water users has united Portsmouth politicians in condemnation of these practices and are disappointed by the lack of firm commitment by DEFRA, on their plans to address the problem of discharging untreated sewage into local waters.

Currently, it is hard to move away from the perception that environment ministers are not putting the emphasis on tackling these issues that we expect them to as a city and coastal community that is directly affected by these awful practices.

Council recognises the work being undertaken by local Members of Parliament, partners and campaign groups to hold Southern Water to account and their ongoing work to put pressure onto them to come forward with plans to end this practice.

The sewage system across the country requires vast amounts of investment to make it fit for purpose in terms of infrastructure so that there is no need for discharges of untreated effluent into our coastal waters. Government should be forthcoming with how they will look to address this. Currently, the plans laid out on 20th October 2021 in the House of Commons didn’t provide the transparency and assurances that members of the public and politicians expect, as raised by John Redwood MP in the House of Commons chamber.

We ask all council group leaders to write to the Prime Minister, Lord Goldsmith, The Rt Hon George Eustice MP (the Secretary of State for DEFRA) and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State Rebecca Pow MP to outline our concerns and condemn the practices of Southern Water and other water companies in the strongest terms and ask those ministers to outline a clear and meaningful timescale to end the discharging of sewage into our harbours and coastal waters here in and around Portsmouth and The Solent.

Proposed by Councillor Terry Norton

Seconded by Councillor Ryan Brent

Vulnerable children and adults are being recruited as drug runners to move drugs and cash all over the country. This is serious organised crime, and often connected to sexual exploitation, violence, gun & knife crimes and human trafficking.

Portsmouth is not free from county lines. As city leaders we must play our part in improving essential early intervention through schools, our Community Safety Partnership & YOT. By raising public awareness, and encouraging people to step forward and report these serious crimes, we can challenge the increasing social acceptance of drug use across the city.

Council recognises:

1.            That County lines drug dealing & the supply of drugs affects children across the city.

Council Notes:

1.            The Council is committed to building on the multi-agency relationships and increasing the partnership working that supports the most vulnerable children in the City.

2.            The excellent work that has already taken place by Police forces including Hampshire Constabulary and dedicated multi-agency teams around the signs of criminal exploitation and County Lines.

Requests that:

1.            The Cabinet Member for Children, Education and Families uses her good offices to agree a cross party approach and by way of letter to be sent to EVERY secondary school in Portsmouth encouraging them to:

a)            Increase the work they are doing to raise awareness of County Lines and the wider criminal activity related to it;

b)            Include County Lines training for ALL staff as part of the compulsory annual Safeguarding training.

c)            Provide County Lines education to ALL students via PSHE and Assemblies to raise awareness amongst children and help them to identify risk factors themselves.

d)            Provide appropriate support to give our children the confidence to ask for help and/or to report any suspicious activity.

3.            All members are encouraged to make a firm commitment, via this motion, to raise awareness within individual Wards, working with the Police, local schools and community groups.

Proposed by Councillor Gerald Vernon-Jackson

Seconded by Councillor Darren Sanders

The City Council records its thanks to the Government for the support to Portsmouth from the Levelling Up Fund for Portsmouth North and records its thanks to Penny Mordaunt MP and to the City Council for the joint work on this.

The investment in Hilsea Lido to bring it back to full use.

The creation of a linear park through the north of the City.

The investment in the commercial port to create a new cruise terminal to encourage additional cruise ship visits to the city.

The investment is very welcome. The Council also congratulates Pompey in the Community for its successful bid to the Fund for the John Jenkins Stadium at Moneyfields.

Proposed by Councillor Kirsty Mellor

Seconded by Councillor George Fielding

1.         Council welcomes the recognition from government that significant additional resources are needed to support the delivery of adult social care services with its Build Back Better plan for health and social care.

2.         Council is concerned that the additional resources actually allocated will be insufficient to alleviate the current crisis in social care which can impact severely on older people, working age adults with disabilities, family carers, the social care workforce and social care providers.

3.         Council believes that social care has the potential to weave a web of relationships and support in our communities, connecting council services, independent providers, voluntary and community organisations, families and local community networks. The council can play a leading role by providing support to and working alongside local people and organisations to share new ideas and bring new energy to their life by organising and funding social care in a different way.

4.         Council agrees to:

•     Use the Local Government Association and other available channels to bring pressure on central government to agree cross party plans to:

a.         increase funding for Adult Social Care

b.         improve morale among care workers by increasing resources to alleviate problems of staff shortages and enable them to provide the quality and level of care needed

c.         ring-fence social care funding and ensure there are no further cuts to council social care budgets

•     To request that Cabinet review the implementation of the Ethical Care and Residential Care Charter agreed by the council in 2019.

•     To request that the Cabinet Member responsible for Adult Social care, namely Health, Wellbeing and Social Care, be tasked with a mandate to send a strong signal of support to older people and those working in the care sector by initiating an update of the Portsmouth Ageing Population Strategy 2010-2021, and further the Council agrees to ask the Cabinet to work towards Portsmouth becoming recognised as an ‘age friendly city’

•     Request that the Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing and Social Care takes all practical steps to improve the communication exchange between the council and care providers and further investigate ways of delivering social care in a more collaborative way by involving care service user representatives, carer support and interest groups, voluntary and community organisations, care providers, trade unions and care workers.

•     Request officers to provide a bi-annual report to councillors on the scope and outcomes from the above or that the relevant Director takes steps to include within any statutory reports to Full Council comment upon the above directives.

Notes:

Research shows that:

•     1.4 million older people go without the care they need for essential everyday tasks such as getting washed or dressed. Two thirds of the cost of dementia care is paid by people with dementia and their families. The number of people with dementia is projected to rise to 1.6 million by 2040.

•     14.1 million disabled people live in the UK, including nearly 1 in 5 of working age adults. 33% of those receiving social care support are working age adults with physical and learning disabilities. They account for half the total expenditure on more long-term support.

•     The Office for National Statistics estimates that disabled people account for 59% of all Covid 19 deaths between March and July 2020 in England and Wales. BBC research shows that millions more have been isolated with deteriorating health and struggle for access to basic supplies and social care support.

•     Carers UK estimate that unpaid carers save the UK economy £132 billion a year, roughly equivalent to the annual cost of the NHS. An additional 4.5 million individuals have been added to the estimated 9.1 million unpaid carers across the UK since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

•     The Future Social Care Coalition argues that the economic case for social care workforce reform is incontrovertible. The sector is worth £41 billion to the economy annually and employs 6% of the entire workforce - more than the NHS. It is estimated that an additional 520,000 employees will be needed over the next 15 years to meet the increasing demand for social care; there are already an estimated 112,000 vacancies in social care and staff turnover rates are high and increasing.

•     The Portsmouth Pensioners Association estimate that since 2010, £51m has been removed from Portsmouth's Adult Social Care budget as part of government-imposed austerity measures.   The remaining budget is unable to meet the needs of older and disabled citizens requiring help. Since then 1,500 Portsmouth people considered to be in the medium to lower needs group have had their social care removed in order to make budget savings.

•     The Hampshire Care Association have surveyed their members and concluded that the Covid-19 pandemic has hit adult social care providers with a toxic mix of increased costs combined with a reduction in income. Financial support, while welcome, has not always made up the difference. Concerns over the future sustainability of services has skyrocketed and there are growing signs of a drop in lender confidence.

•     A recent survey and round table meetings with local care providers, service users and carers, hosted by Stephen Morgan MP, have identified the following key concerns:

a.         Experience of lack of communication between health and social care services

b.         Lengthy waiting list for social care assessments

c.         Reductions in direct payments and increased charges for social care support

d.         Inadequate funding for ‘care businesses’, insurance costs rising, lack of support from banks

e.         Significant impact on staffing levels from low pay, Brexit, Covid, and recent vaccination legislation

Proposed Councillor Simon Bosher

Seconded Councillor Benedict Swann

Over six million men served on the front line during the Great war and of those who came back, 1.75 million suffered some kind of disability and half of these were permanently disabled.  We also needed to remember the emotional and financial impact this had on those who were left behind – wives and children, widows and orphans as well as the parents who had lost their sons.

Out of this concern, the Legion was established and they have helped the Armed Forces community and their families ever since.  The Legion provided lifelong support to serving members of the Royal Navy, British Army, Royal Air Force, veterans and their families.  Their wide ranging activities included support through debt and emergency situations, employment, dementia care, support nearly 36,000 War Disablement Pension cases for war veterans, make around 300,000 welfare and friendship visits every year and support places with Remembrance parades and services

The difference that the Royal British Legion made to people’s lives could not be underestimated and as they marked their 100th year in May, This Council wishes to place on record our sincere thanks to the Royal British Legion for the contribution this organisation made to the people of Portsmouth.  

Proposed by Councillor Judith Smyth

Seconded by Councillor Charlotte Gerada

On 19 March 2019 Portsmouth City Council agreed to declare a climate emergency for Portsmouth to accelerate our progress to achieving net zero carbon emissions as a city by 2030.

Specifically the following actions were agreed:-

1.         Declare a ‘Climate Emergency’ then ask partners to sign up including local business, schools and community groups.

2.         Pledge to achieve net zero carbon emissions in Portsmouth by 2030, considering, both production and consumption of emissions according to the Standard provided by the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol

3.         Require the Leader of the Council to report back to the Council within six months with an action plan, detailing how the Council will work with partners across the City and with central government to ensure that Portsmouth’s net carbon emissions (Scope 1, Scope 2 and Scope 3 emissions as defined by the GHG Protocol) are reduced to zero by 2030.

4.         Provide an annual report on Portsmouth GHG emissions, what is working and what is more challenging and progress towards achieving net zero-carbon emissions.

Whilst a number of actions have been taken and some work has been done to green the city, particularly to reduce the carbon footprint of the city council itself, it is apparent that far too little has been done to achieve the rapid step changes that are needed in response to the global crisis we all face.

In particular, two years have passed without any progress in establishing the baseline measurement of carbon generation across the city so that the impact of new projects, programmes and developments (positive and negative) can be accurately assessed and so that we can measure the overall progress of the Portsmouth area to zero carbon by 2030. As in all other programmes for change, measurement is of key importance. If we cannot measure we cannot manage.

The enquiries we have made about progress with developing a clear framework for measuring carbon levels across Portsmouth reveal a few obstacles including the Covid pandemic. Whilst the affect of Covid on deployment and workloads is understood surely the urgent nature of the climate crisis should have seen the necessary resources found and deployed.

During November 2021, COP26 is taking place in Glasgow. While global leaders congregate to discuss strategies and plans to achieve a net zero carbon future, the summit presents an opportunity for local authorities and political leaders to reflect on what more can be done on climate change.

Full Council therefore calls upon the Cabinet to take immediate action as follows:

1.         To identify and allocate the necessary funding for a full carbon audit from an appropriately qualified and experienced external organisation to provide a baseline of carbon emissions across the city to be completed by April 2022.

2.         Develop and agree a framework for measuring changes in carbon emissions across the city including full carbon audits of all planned projects, programmes and developments to inform decision making and contribute to forecasting and planning to be completed by February 2022

3.         Agree key indicators to inform regular and formal reporting of changes in carbon emissions after consultation with leading local authorities and other experts by February 2022.

4.         Apply the information gathered to provide a detailed action plan showing how Portsmouth will achieve net zero carbon emissions across the city by 2030. To be overseen by the Climate Action Board and the Cabinet with the plan being completed by July 2022 for submission to Full Council by way of update.

"Should either Motions (a) or (b) above be considered at the Council meeting, the below motion (h) cannot subsequently be put and considered as it will be caught by the Council's Standing Orders in respect of the 6 month rule"

Proposed by Councillor Darren Sanders

Seconded by Councillor Kimberly Barrett

Council condemns the latest discharges into Langstone Harbour, including one for 49 hours and reaffirms its belief that Southern Water must stop them.