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 (james.harris@portsmouthcc.gov.uk) by 12 noon of the working day before the meeting (so Monday 11 November 2024 for this meeting), and must include the purpose of the deputation (for example, for or against the recommendations). Email requests are accepted.

Planning Committee - change to Liberal Democrat Group appointments

Councillor Richard Adair to replace Councillor Nicholas Dorrington as a member of the committee.

In accordance with Standing Orders, all Notices of Motions on the agenda will, subject to the 6 month rule, automatically be dealt with at this meeting, thereby dispensing with a three-minute presentation from the proposer and subsequent vote to enable its consideration.

Proposed by Councillor Mary Vallely

Seconded by Councillor Charlotte Gerada

Portsmouth City Council (PCC) notes with concern ongoing sexism within society and confusion exists between the definition of misogyny and sexism.

We further note that between 2012 and 2023 a significant increase in sexual orientation hate crime (+462%) together with a massive increase in hate crime against people who are transgender (+1426%) ^1.

We recognise that sexism², homophobia, biphobia, and transphobia, are forms of prejudice and discrimination that have no place in our city.  Moreover, “phobia” is often defined as a ‘fear’ or ‘aversion’ and this causes confusion when using the words homophobia, biphobia and transphobia.

Further, it is noted that while PCC has a policy statement on its website⁷,⁵ in relation to Equality, Diversity and LGBTQI people there are no definitions. This could cause complications in the future.

This Council believes that definitions are important because they provide:

1. Clarity and consistency: Ensuring that all stakeholders have a clear and consistent understanding of key terms and concepts can help to avoid misunderstandings and disputes.
2. Legal compliance: Aligning with statutory requirements or legal standards often necessitates precise definitions to ensure compliance.
3. Policy implementation: Clear definitions can facilitate the effective implementation of policies and procedures.
4. Public transparency: Providing clear definitions can enhance transparency and accountability to the public.

This Council therefore resolves to:

Record definitions of sexism, homophobia, biphobia, and transphobia to assist residents and city officials, together with our agents, in understanding what these terms really mean.

We therefore define:

Sexism: The definition of sexism is prejudice, stereotyping or discrimination against people based on their sex or gender³.

Homophobia: The definition of homophobia is the dislike, prejudice, discrimination, hatred or violence towards people attracted to their own sex⁶.

Biphobia: The definition of biphobia is the dislike, prejudice, discrimination, hatred or violence towards people attracted to any sex⁶.

Transphobia: The definition of transphobia is the dislike, prejudice, discrimination, denial of identity, hatred or violence towards people who identify as transgender or gender diverse⁶,⁴.

We further confirm that this council will continue to be working to create a city where everyone can live without fear of discrimination, prejudice, violence or suffer hate crime.

References:

1)      https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-8537/CBP-8537.pdf

2)      https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/sexism

3)      https://rm.coe.int/16806fbc0d#:~:text=i)%20Violating%20the%20dignity%20of,a%20higher%20risk%20of%20sexism

4)      https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/transphobia  https://transactual.org.uk/transphobia/

5)      https://www.portsmouth.gov.uk/services/community/equality-and-diversity/

6)      https://www.unfe.org/know-the-facts/definitions/

7)      LGBTQ+ young people and their families - Portsmouth City Council

Proposed by Councillor Darren Sanders

Seconded by Councillor Steve Pitt

Council notes with despair the nationwide homelessness crisis. In London alone, more than 175,000 - that's one in 50 of the capital's population - live in temporary accommodation, with council spending more than £3m a day housing them there.

Council notes that, in Portsmouth, the number of people in temporary accommodation has gone up by 54% in the last year to more than 500, but that the costs have risen by 84%.

Council also notes that, in Portsmouth, those seeking asylum in this country do not contribute to this problem, as they are dealt with by Government schemes.

Council notes the barriers to that changing, including:

(i)             Housing benefit that, too often, has been frozen while rents have gone up. We note the budget pledge to raise social housing rents by CPI plus 1% during this Parliament but that does not close the historic gap and private rents are not affected.

(ii)            A subsidy cap, based on housing benefit levels in 2011, that means the Council gets back in rent much less than it pays out, increasing pressure on the General Fund budget.

Council notes the positive steps taken by the administration to deal with this, including:

(i)    More than £70m spent on buying back more than 500 homes sold under the Right to Buy programme, many of which have gone to homeless people.

(ii)  Building new council homes in Paulsgrove, Hilsea and Somerstown, as well as approving more council homes at the former Leamington and Horatia House sites and Passivhaus schemes elsewhere.

(iii)A focus on prevention in the recent homelessness strategy.

Council believes many of the measures taken by the Government, such as delivering on the previous Government's commitment to end no-fault evictions, allowing councils to keep all right-to-buy receipts and multi-year rent settlements, will help in the longer-term.

It welcomes the extra £233m for homelessness and rough sleeping from April 2025 announced in the recent budget.

It also notes that this will not deal with the current crisis and urges the Government to deal with the causes, including measures recommended in a letter from over 100 council leaders which the Leader signed up to last year that were not in the Budget, including:

• Pegging Local Housing Allowance and the housing benefit subsidy rate for local authority homelessness placement to at least 30% of local market rent every year. 
• Doubling cash for Discretionary Housing Payments and the Homelessness Prevention Grant. 
• Developing policy to stimulate retention and supply in the private rented sector. 
• Giving councils the long-term funding, flexibility and certainty needed to increase the supply of social housing. 

It also wants Government to end barriers to councils like Portsmouth building more homes at social rent levels, such as too high hurdles on access to the current Affordable Housing Programme, and to offer 10-year rent settlements.

Therefore, Council resolves to lobby the city's MPs and Government to deliver an emergency injection of £5.6m to deal with the crisis Portsmouth faces this financial year and to join with other councils lobbying for a national settlement that is realistic in recognising the true scale of this crisis.

Proposed by Councillor Charlotte Gerada

Seconded by Councillor George Fielding

This council notes:

(i)         Social media is now a dominant feature of elected officials’ contact with the public. Many councillors have made the decision to use social media to keep residents updated and many residents use social media to raise issues, ideas and concerns. 

(ii)        The Local Government Association (LGA) has published social media guidance for councillors, with guides explaining how to use various social media platforms, provide advice on creating good content, give tips on accessibility and best practice and show the best ways to engage in healthy debate and tackle online abuse. [1]

(iii)       It is common practice for local authorities’ code of conduct for members to include content about the proper use of social media or to adopt a separate social media policy for members. Birmingham [2], Sheffield [3], Bristol [4], Brighton & Hove [5] and Plymouth [6] councils have social media embedded in codes of conduct for members, whilst Southampton [7], Leeds [8], Liverpool [9] and Milton Keynes [10] have separate social media policies for elected members. 

(iv)      At present, Portsmouth City Council’s code of conduct for members has no reference to social media use and has no separate social media policy for members. [11]

This council believes:

(i)         Social media has the ability to be a force for good, with it being an additional way elected members can engage with residents.

(ii)        However, social media can be used irresponsibly or it can be a source of abuse - having clear guidance on social media use for members can help to set clear boundaries, principles and standards for online communications.

(iii)       Elected councillors are civic leaders, with social media use being a way to engage and influence members of the Portsmouth community. 

(iv)      The Portsmouth City Council code of conduct for members should be relevant to modern times and reflect the new ways residents engage with members, including via social media and online communications.

This council resolves:

(i)         To request a cross-party working group is established to review the Portsmouth City Council members’ code of conduct, with a view to strengthening it, to include reference to conduct on social media or establish a separate social media policy for elected members.

(ii)        To encourage all elected councillors to use social media responsibly, in line with best practice from the LGA - council resolves to ask that the LGA’s ‘Guide to the role of councillors on social media’ is shared with all current elected members of Portsmouth City Council.

(iii)       For the council to explore social media training for members and share any opportunities with all elected councillors. 

References:

[1] https://www.local.gov.uk/our-support/communications-and-community-engagement/social-media-guidance-councillors 

[2] https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/downloads/file/29220/constitution_part_c_-_codes_and_protocols 

[3] https://democracy.sheffield.gov.uk/documents/s68943/Part%205A%20-%20Councillor%20Code%20of%20Conduct%20May%202024.pdf

[4] https://democracy.bristol.gov.uk/documents/s98738/Part%205.1%20-%20LGA%20Member%20Code%20of%20Conduct%20-%20May%202024.pdf

[5] https://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2024-05/Part%204D%20-%20Code%20of%20Conduct%20for%20Members.pdf

[6] https://democracy.plymouth.gov.uk/documents/s146304/Constituion.pdf

[7] https://www.southampton.gov.uk/media/ws3nbxqu/members-social-media-guidance.pdf

[8] https://democracy.leeds.gov.uk/documents/s251916/231012UpdatedSocialMediaGuidance.pdf

[9] https://councillors.liverpool.gov.uk/documents/s302314/Part%204.6%20-%20Councillors%20Social%20Media%20Protocol.pdf

[10] https://milton-keynes.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s528/15.%20Social%20Media%20Guidance%20for%20Councillors%202021.pdf

[11]  https://www.portsmouth.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Code-of-Conduct-for-Members.pdf

Proposed by Councillor Peter Candlish

Seconded by Councillor Lee Hunt

This Council notes:

(i)         Buses are one of the most accessible, affordable and sustainable modes of public transport, especially in densely populated urban areas like Portsmouth;

(ii)        Buses are relied upon by key disadvantaged groups unable to afford a car like the low-income workers needing to get to work and the elderly needing access to medical appointments at QA and other local services;

(iii)       Portsmouth won a £48Mn grant (Portsmouth Bus Service Improvement Plan or BSIP) in 2021 to improve bus services and grow bus patronage in Portsmouth;

(iv)      This BSIP is investing in improved bus infrastructure including new bus lanes and (electric) buses; improved signage and real time information; improved bus services and extended schedules (eg night buses, more early morning/late evening buses to help shift workers and new bus tickets and promotions (free bus- weekends to drive (re-)trial and targeted new tickets and promotions (U-19, extension to concession hours and free bus weekends);

(v)        Bus ridership has recovered from covid-induced lows faster in Portsmouth than any other city and over 12Mn bus trips were made within Portsmouth last year, up over 20% year on year;

(vi)      The £2 maximum single fare ticket, introduced nationally in 2021, has been fundamental to that growth by offering affordable travel to low-income groups and encouraging (re-) trial of improved bus services;

(vii)     The Cabinet Member for Transport at Portsmouth City Council, together with his counterpart at Labour-run Southampton City Council, recently wrote a letter to the Minister for Transport in support of the retention of the £2 capped single fare;

(viii)    The Government has announced that the £2 cap on single fares will now be withdrawn from Jan 2025 and a £3 cap put in its place; a 50% increase in one go; and

(ix)      Metropolitan areas like Manchester and London with devolved power and control over their bus services have chosen to retain the £2 single fare cap.

This Council believes that:

(i)      Increasing bus usage is a critical part of making transport in Portsmouth more accessible, especially for some disadvantaged groups, and more sustainable;

(ii)    The £2 maximum single fare ticket has been fundamental to the success that Portsmouth has had in gaining re-trial and growing the use of buses locally;

(iii)   The £2 cap has had the biggest benefit for low income and disadvantaged groups like low income workers and elderly residents without access to a car;

(iv)   The government subsidy per ticket required to retain a £2 single fare in densely populated urban areas like Portsmouth is small and outstanding value for money, helping both bus users and all residents in the city through helping tackle congestion and improve air quality;

(v)    The government's blanket increase from £2 to £3 for a capped single fare from January 2025 has not been properly thought through and poorly executed; and

(vi)   A 50% increase from £2 to £3 in a single jump is far too aggressive.

This Council therefore Resolves that:

(i)      The Leader of the Council should write to the PM expressing our concern that the increase from £2 to £3 for a single capped fare will undermine Portsmouth's success in growing bus patronage, negatively impact disadvantaged groups and have a negative effect on its efforts to tackle congestion and air quality in the city; and

(ii)    The Council should seek to join forces with other like-minded Councils of all political colours to reverse the national Government’s changes in policy and give higher priority to supporting bus services.

Proposed by Councillor Graham Heaney

Seconded by Councillor George Madgwick 

Council notes:

That at the last meeting in October the Labour Group and three independent members declined to support the nomination of an Honorary Alderman.

The process for selecting nominees for Honorary Alderman is rather informal with political group leaders agreeing who to put forward and then a formal notification is sent out to all members.

Council requests:

That the Chief Executive in consultation with political group leaders review the current process and criteria for deciding on nominations to go forward to Council.

The review to include consideration of a more formal process of notifying all councillors that a nominee is being considered and seeking the view of all members before the final decision is made and it is put on a council agenda.

To consider including some assessment of the nominee and their record of service as a councillor and whether they have had any complaints upheld against them which might be a reason for not proceeding with a nomination.

To consider whether to include an independent person in the process for selecting nominees for Honorary Alderman.

That all councillors be invited to submit any views they have for this review.

Proposed by Councillor Kimberly Barrett

Seconded by Councillor Dave Ashmore

This Council recognises the dedication and hard work of the staff, volunteers and supporters who worked to set up Share (Portsmouth) and who run Portsmouth's first Repair Café.

Their aim is to make it easier for people to reduce carbon, waste and raw material use through sharing, repairing and re-use, and it involves two projects.

Repair Café Portsmouth allows repairers to share their skills with people who have broken objects that generally aren’t able to be repaired on the high street, and Portsmouth Library of Things helps people to borrow items that they infrequently use. They are run entirely by keen volunteers who in many cases are also experienced and competent technicians. Both help to reduce waste and carbon, as well as saving people money. Therefore, Portsmouth Library of Things and the Repair Café are promoting a strong message of choosing repairing and reusing of household items which has huge benefits for the environment and for the Council, by reducing waste to landfill.

However, we note with concern that the UK is the second highest producer of electronic waste per capita in the world and are on track to become the top producer. Yet the UK is falling behind other countries in support for repair and reuse to tackle throwaway products.

This Council commends the Portsmouth Library of Things in their achievement of winning £135,000 worth of funding from the National Lottery for the next 3 years which will enable them to develop further projects, help even more people, save items from landfill and help towards the Climate ambitions we have as a city.

This Council further notes that repair and reuse are central to achieving a truly circular, less wasteful, economy. They help to tackle climate change and achieve our net-zero ambition, reduce living costs for UK households and create green skilled jobs.

This Council therefore wants to put on record its thanks to those involved in Share (Portsmouth) and believes that volunteers running community repair initiatives like Repair Cafes play a vital role in responding to increasing public demand for repair services and skills, as well as advocating for a return to a strong UK fixing economy and championing reuse to give products a second life.

This Council calls on the Leader of the Council to sign the UK Repair and Reuse Declaration which calls on Central Government and decision makers at all levels to support repair and reuse to thrive by:

(i)             Making repair more affordable, through tax reductions and repair vouchers.

(ii)            Expanding the UK’s right to repair regulations to cover all consumer products, strengthen design standards and remove barriers to repair for everyone.

(iii)          Introducing a repair index to help the public choose more repairable and durable products.

(iv)          Introducing requirements and targets for reuse and repair to be prioritised over recycling and providing investment to make this a reality. This should be a key part of amended extended producer responsibility rules.

(v)           Supporting a new generation of repairers through repair training, accreditation and apprenticeships.

We also call on this Council to explore ways to encourage and support the growth of Repair Cafes (and associated activities such as Library of Things initiatives) to encourage greater sustainability in Portsmouth.

Proposed by Councillor Lee Hunt

Seconded by Councillor Richard Adair

This council notes that successive Governments have set challenging house building targets for Portsmouth and other towns and cities across the country; in turn this council has challenged the sheer numbers imposed on Portsmouth. 

This council also notes the concerns of residents that in the face of these targets there are some brownfield sites that remain undeveloped and an eyesore in Portsmouth’s townscape. 

The council notes the latest guidance by the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/compulsory-purchase-compensation-power-to-remove-hope-value#:~:text=When%2520assessing%2520the%2520open%2520market,to%2520as%2520%E2%80%9Chope%2520value%E2%80%9D.

Furthermore, this council notes the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023, allows bodies such as Homes England and councils using Compulsory Purchase Orders and looking to build, to apply to the Secretary to remove ‘hope value’. This is under the condition development is in the public interest and is facilitating affordable or social housing, health or educational uses.  

Compulsory Purchase Orders have previously been successfully used across the country to facilitate development. Examples include:

·       The ongoing major regeneration of Leicester’s Waterside and the development of up to 500 new homes, as well as new office and retail space. This involved Leicester City Council acquiring the Friars Mills site via a Compulsory Purchase Order and helping bring derelict industrial land back into use;

·       The development of derelict land on the edge of Sheffield city centre for a mix of new homes, offices, retail, leisure and a hotel;

·       The acquisition of an empty supermarket and a terrace of empty shops in Wellingborough to pave the way for housing development;

·       The development of new housing in Helmsley, North Yorkshire that had been stalled by the former landowner

This council requests a report by officers to the Portfolio Holder for Planning Policy & City Development on ‘Hope Value’ sites in Portsmouth and will work with partners - including the Government, to bring about regeneration of such sites.