Agenda

To receive the recommendations of the Independent Remuneration Panel incorporated within the Chief Executive's attached cover report. On 5 March, the Governance & Audit and Standards Committee met for the exclusive purpose of confirming that it is satisfied with the way the Independent Remuneration Panel undertook the review. The Panel's recommendations are attached (minute 10 refers)

To receive and consider the attached report from Cabinet held on 9 March (recommendation to follow)

To receive and consider the attached report from Cabinet held on 9 March (recommendation to follow)

To receive and consider the attached report from Cabinet held on 9 March (recommendation to follow)

To receive and consider the attached report from Cabinet held on 9 March (recommendation to follow)

To receive and consider the attached report and recommendation from Governance and Audit and Standards Committee held on 5 March.

To receive and consider the attached report and recommendation from Employment Committee held on 2 March.

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, thereby dispensing with a three minute presentation from the proposer and subsequent vote to enable its consideration.

Proposed by Councillor Will Purvis

Seconded by Councillor Dave Ashmore

In Portsmouth, we accept the evidence human activity is driving unprecedented changes in the global climate, and that we are facing a climate emergency. We agree that action must be taken now to stop global temperatures rising to a point where the damage is irreversible and the consequences potentially catastrophic.

As a coastal city which is home to many areas of importance in the natural world, Portsmouth's people, built and natural environment and economy are all vulnerable to many of the worst effects of extreme weather events and damage to biodiversity caused by climate change. We already have an indication of this in the impacts of extreme weather and coastal erosion on our waterfronts, and many millions of pounds will be spent over the coming years to protect our city against this.

We are just a small part of the global community - but we are resolute in our commitment to tackling this issue to ensure that we safeguard the city and the planet for the future and the generations that will come after us. We will take responsibility for reducing the climate impact of our great waterfront city, and will encourage everyone who lives, works, invests and visits here to support us in these actions.

Council notes that:

1.         The Council declared a climate emergency in March 2019;

2.         The Council has established a ‘Portsmouth Climate Change Board’, to underpin our efforts to decarbonise Portsmouth;

3.         There is a Bill before Parliament—the Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill (published as the “Climate and Ecology Bill”)—according to which the Government must develop an emergency strategy that:

a.         requires that the UK plays its fair and proper role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions consistent with limiting global temperature increase  to 1.5 degrees C above pre-industrial temperatures;

b.         ensures that all the UK’s consumption emissions are accounted for;

c.         includes emissions from aviation and shipping;

d.         protects and restores biodiverse habitats along overseas supply chains;

e.         restores and regenerates the UK’s depleted soils, wildlife habitats and species populations to healthy and robust states, maximising their capacity to absorb CO2 and their resistance to climate heating;

f.          sets up an independent Citizens’ Assembly, representative of the UK’s population, to engage with Parliament and Government and help develop the emergency strategy.

4.         The Council Leader has written to both local Portsmouth MPs asking them to support this Bill.

The Council resolves to publicly support the Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill. We ask all group-leaders to join the Council Leader in writing to our local MPs, asking them to support the Bill.

Proposed by Councillor Robert New

Seconded by Councillor Terry Norton

This city council recognises the need to promote local businesses. We commit to thinking of inventive ways to help these businesses as well as bringing much-needed footfall into our High Streets and City Centre.

And, additionally, the city council backs the campaign to encourage people to 'Buy British' and all this includes, including buying food that is 'closer to source (local produce etc)' which should be more sustainable and with a lower carbon footprint.

Proposed by Councillor Terry Norton

Seconded by Councillor Matthew Atkins

This Council recognises the importance of providing an Educational setting for children and young people to learn, play and develop. We therefore wish to acknowledge the enormous contribution made by those who have provided on site provision during this pandemic. In particular we wish to express our thanks to support staff for the commitment and care they have provided to our city's most vulnerable children and those of keyworkers.

Proposed by Councillor Matthew Atkins

Seconded by Councillor Donna Jones

This council congratulates the government on the speed and efficiency with which it has rolled out the national vaccination programme, which has at the date of submission of this motion delivered the vaccine to more than 19 million people in the UK.

Proposed by Councillor Matthew Atkins

Seconded by Councillor Steve Wemyss

In view of considerable pressure by residents and heritage supporters who wish to see the future of the former Records Office Store in Museum Road, Southsea, re-examined, as illustrated by a petition which has attracted 947 signatures, the council asks for the outline plan for demolition and re-development for housing on the site to be reconsidered.

Proposed by Councillor  Matthew Winnington

Seconded by Councillor Darren Sanders

Council notes with regret the continued discharge of storm water by Southern Water into Langstone Harbour, despite the protests it raised with the company following the motion it passed two years ago.

Southern Water's reliance on regular storm water discharges to fulfil its mandate is unacceptable and a sign that it is a failing infrastructure provider. The discharges lead to pollution which is damaging these sites of international environmental significance and harbour users who regularly report sickness related to the sewage which is pumped into the harbour in periods of increased rainfall. It is clear that there needs to be large, nationally led changes to achieve real improvements in sewage infrastructure and water quality.

Council welcomes the recent decision of Chichester Council to complain to OFWAT about discharges into Chichester Harbour.

Council also welcomes the resolution of the Langstone Harbour Board - including City Council members - to work with other councils to improve matters and notes the support in principle the Board has received from Havant Borough, Chichester District and Hampshire and West Sussex County Councils, as well as the Chichester Harbour Conservancy, for taking further action. 

It also welcomes the work Harbour staff have been doing to resolve issues around licences and giving evidence to the recent review by the Environmental Audit Committee on this subject.

It also recognises the work of all MPs on this matter and welcomes the establishment of a regional Forum on these issues by the MP for Havant.

On that basis, Council:

1.    Reiterates what it agreed in March 2019, that the practice of discharging sewage into the Harbour ceases and an alternative method found.

2.    Believes that the penalties for unauthorised discharges are derisory and fail to provide a deterrent.

3.    Calls on Government to conduct an urgent review of the frequency of allowable discharges and the conditions attached to those discharges.

4.    Endorses the Harbour Board's desire for an urgent response from the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, starting with a roundtable discussion with relevant stakeholders, including local MPs and councils.

5.    Asks the MP for Havant to invite both Portsmouth MPs and a representative of the City Council to join his regional Forum to demonstrate the cross-party desire for change.

6.    Backs Philip Dunne MP's Sewage (Inland Waters) Bill, which places a duty on water companies to ensure that untreated sewage is not discharged into rivers and other inland waters.

7.    Agrees that enclosed coastal waters such as harbours should be included in the scope of the Environmental Audit Committee's ongoing review.

Proposed by Councillor Tom Coles

Seconded by Councillor Cal Corkery

We are seeing a crisis of food poverty borne out of the political choices and systemic failings created over the past four decades, which have now reached a tipping point for so many in our communities. The figures are devastating for one of the richest nations in the world and highlight the inequality of the UK in 2021.

The Trussell Trust reports a soaring 81% increase in emergency food parcels from food banks in its network during the last two weeks of March 2020 compared with the same period in 2019, including a 122% rise in parcels given to children as the coronavirus pandemic continued to unfold.

This council notes the consistent high rates of poverty across large areas of Portsmouth. In January 2020 some 25% of children in the city were entitled to Free School Meals and that figure is thought to have increased significantly over the course of the pandemic.

We recognise the growing concern amongst our health and care professionals of the current situation and the likely exacerbation of poverty figures through the impact of the Covid19 pandemic and economic uncertainty continuing through 2021.

The National Food Strategy is the first independent review of England’s entire food system for 75 years.  Its purpose is to set out a vision for the kind of food system we should be building for the future, and a plan for how to achieve that vision. It is headed by Henry Dimbleby and next reports to Government in the first half of 2021.

The Right To Food campaign is arguing that the 11 million people in food poverty should be central to this strategy. Enshrining the ‘Right To Food’ into law would clarify Government obligations on food poverty and would introduce legal avenues to hold Government bodies accountable for violations.

Full Council therefore calls for the ‘Right To Food’ to be incorporated into the ‘National Food Strategy’ and asks that the Chief Executive write to Henry Dimbleby to further this request.

To receive and consider the attached report from Cabinet held on 9 March (recommendation to follow)