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'Divesting' services, Archives, Cabinet, Council reports, County Council Surgery, Libraries, Olympic torch, Policing, Public Protection, Roads, Suffolk County Council

November Report: whats happening at SCC

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To be frank, I’ve covered many of the details of this month’s report to Woodbridge town council in other posts, but people might well be interested in the proposals about  Libraries, Highways and Archives – all of which are decided outside full council by the Conservative-run Cabinet. Some of these will definitely bear keeping in mind.

Cabinet: Archives, Libraries, Highways and Social Outcomes

At this month’s Cabinet meeting (today, 8th of November) cabinet will be voting on proposals to:

  • create a new heritage organisation to look after Archives and Archaeology in Suffolk. The suggestion is that this should be in partnership with with the Museum of East Anglian Life – a folk museum in Stowmarket. At the briefing I raised concerns that this should end up midSuffolk-oriented and aimed at the tourism spectrum rather than fully considering the academic/research element

  • create an Industrial and Provident Society (IPS) to run the future Suffolk Library service. This is anticipated to run local libraries and outreach services according to individual circumstances.

  • divestment of most of the future Suffolk highways services to a private sector company on the basis that “a fully integrated service model is considered to have the greatest potential to drive out savings and efficiencies whilst protecting the resilience of the service,” Please note the use of the passive tense in that sentence. At the briefing for this I asked who this passive was referring to – eg. who it was who considered this option to have the ‘greatest potential’? I was told it was ‘the market’.I asked who ‘the market’ was? The answer was ‘a number of large and medium-size private companies’  with an interest in making a profit from this option.
    I leave you to draw your own conclusions as to how disinterested this ‘market’ advice was. I would also like to remind you of the success of many past privatisations of public services in terms of customer service and cost. The railways, for example.

  • developing an investment fund to achieve social outcomes in Suffolk in collaboration with The Suffolk Foundation.

Olympic torch coming to Woodbridge

I’m delighted to say that Woodbridge has been chosen to be be one of the 16 towns in Suffolk through which the Olympic torch relay passes on its way to London next year. The other  Suffolk towns through which the Olympic  flame will be carried between 5-7 July 2012 are: Lowestoft, Wrentham, Reydon, Southwold, Kelsale, Saxmundham, Aldeburgh, Wickham Market, Ufford, Melton, Felixstowe, Ipswich, Haverhill, Bury St Edmunds, and Newmarket

Suffolk has new Chief Executive

By now, I’m sure its old news that Deborah Cadman has been appointed as SCC Chief Executive. The unanimous choice of the Staff Appointments Committee, she’s currently Chief Executive at the East of England Development Agency, and prior to that Chief Executive at St Edmundsbury Borough

I’m sure that you will also be pleased that her pay is significantly less than that of the previous incumbent: £155,000 with no bonuses or annual pay increments.

Suffolk Police introduce non-urgent 101 number

Suffolk Police have launched a new easy-to-remember number – 101- for non-urgent contact . This replaces the not-at-all- easy-to-remember standard switchboard number of 01473 613500.

The new 101 service is not for emergencies. For immediate, urgent police assistance, people should continue to ring 999

County councillor’s surgery

I have started a surgery for constituents: 3rd Saturday of each month, 10-12 in Woodbridge library; the first one being on October 22nd. The next one will be 19 November.

eXplore card, Libraries, NEET, Suffolk County Council, Transport, Uncategorized, Woodbridge, young people

My October Report: Woodbridge Town Council

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Probably the most interesting thing to be happening in Suffolk County Council this month is the appointment of a new Chief Executive. Details were announced too late to go into this report,but merely announced that the final interviews would take place whis upcoming week.  A shortlist has been published in the EADT, but it is speculative, so I’m not passing it on.

Petitions and how they are handled

At the last Full Council meeting (22nd of September) a number of constitution amendments, SCC looked at  how the Council was to deal with petitions from members of the public , following disgraceful debacles over Libraries, Explore Cards, etc. The Lib Dems are still pushing for far more clearcut and SMART targeted amendments to the petitions process,  to improve democratic accountability and allow the people who sign petitions to have their concerns adequately examined and addressed at long last.  

Young People’s travel 

The group is examining the difficulties of transport for young people in Suffolk, particularly as a result of the removal of the eXplore card.  I  am a member of this group, and have asked that the evidence-gathering should be extended to half-term because people were initially asked during the school/college holidays. This means there is still time to give evidence.  The on-line survey can be found using the following link: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/transport4yp. 

Alternatively, individuals and organisations can send their comments for the attention of the Task and Finish Group on Transport Issues for Young People to Democratic Services, Suffolk County Council, Endeavour House, Russell Road, Ipswich, Suffolk; or by Email to: committee.services@suffolk.gov.uk.

If you feel strongly, please do remember to respond.

Prostitution and Sexual Exploitation

This month  Cabinet discussedSuffolk’s Prostitution and Sexual Exploitation strategy to reduce off-street prostitution and sexual exploitation across Suffolk. In the briefing I was told that worrying evidence of exploitation was emerging all over Suffolk. I have therefore asked for details of issues and concerns local to Woodbridge and will pass on what information I receive.

Stars of Suffolk

 You can now nominate for  the Stars of Suffolk Awards 2011. These are a joint venture between the Evening Star and Suffolk County Council, with sponsorship from local businesses and organisations. Categories are:

  • Carer of the year
  • Courageous Young Person of the Year
  • Community Group or Champion of the Year
  • Fire Service Person of the Year
  • Healthy Lifestyle Champion of the Year
  • Hospital/Ambulance Hero/Heroine of the Year
  • Outstanding Bravery
  • Police Person of the Year
  • School Team of the Year
  • Search and Rescue Person of the Year
  • Social Worker of the Year
  • Unsung Hero/Heroine of the Year
  • Volunteer of the Year

Nominations for the awards will close on the 28th of October at 5pm, and can be made via http://www.onesuffolk.co.uk/starsofsuffolk

Last Stages of Mobile Library consultation

 The deadline for  SCC’s  Mobile Library Consultation is the 16th of October. The council is consulting on the plans to move from fortnightly to monthly or four-weekly Mobile Library stops and  to remove stops in communities that are served by a static library. SCC argues that this would save an estimated £225,000 a year, while maintaining the mobile library service to communities that do not have a static library.http://www.suffolk.gov.uk/CouncilAndDemocracy/Consultations/MobileLibraryConsultation.htm

The results of this consultation will be published the Cabinet meeting,  8th of November , where the administration will decide the future structure of Suffolk’s Library Service.  This will then be put to Full Council in December. With the current majority, don’t expect an overwhelming vote against.  Changes approved will be put in place in April 2012.

SCC’s  Budget consultation

 This is to remind you again of SCC’s ongoing budget consultation. The Council has announced that it needs to reduce the size of its budget by £50m over the next two years, and wants to know the County’s view before decision are made. ( However, they have already cut £43m from its budget last year, without any sort of consultation.)

The consultation will allow everyone in Suffolk  to submit their views on what they feel are the most important parts of the County Council’s budget, as well as make comments about potential future savings that the Council may not have considered yet http://www.suffolk.gov.uk/CouncilAndDemocracy/Consultations/WeAreListening.htm

 

Buses, Council reports, Libraries, Suffolk County Council

Town Council report July 2011

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This  month’s report deals with the long-anticipated  departure of Suffolk’s Chief Executive, the Library scrutiny, my proposed motion re concessionary travel passes to next full council and a few words about a telecom mast…

Departure of SCC Chief Executive

Last week finally saw the departure of Chief Executive Andrea Hill from  Suffolk County Council.  I’m giving you the County Council statement in full:

“The Dismissals and Appeals Committee of Suffolk County Council has today (4 July 2011) concluded its investigation into the ‘whistle-blowing’ allegations made against Chief Executive, Andrea Hill.

“Bullying and harassment allegations were robustly investigated by an independent firm of solicitors. Although it remains a concern that such a perception existed, the Committee is satisfied that there was no evidence to support those claims or that she was responsible for the death of David White (former Head of Legal Services). The Committee wants to reassure staff that all allegations are treated extremely seriously.

“The Committee also received a report into Mrs Hill’s expense claims during her tenure as Chief Executive.  It has concluded that whilst there were undoubtedly claims which, in the current climate, might not represent best use of public money, the Committee accepted that there was no dishonesty in the claims made.

“Following a lengthy discussion last Friday, and negotiations between representatives of both parties over the weekend, the county council can now confirm that Mrs Hill will be leaving her post with immediate effect.

“There has been significant media attention attached to Mrs Hill which has become a distraction and both parties accept that with new political leadership of Suffolk County Council in place, it is better to allow the organisation to move forward with new managerial leadership.

“The county council would like to thank Mrs Hill for all she has done over the past three years and wish her well for her future.

“The total value of compensation to be paid to Mrs Hill is £218,592.  This figure includes her contractual notice period.”

Until a new appointment is made, Lucy Robinson will continue to stand in as interim Chief Executive.

Mrs Hill’s appointment and salary package were not ratified unanimously by the council: my party, for example, voted against both. However, as I understand it, any future appointment will be undertaken:

  • relatively slowly
  • in a spirit of considerably greater consensus
  • without this time incurring the expense of a recruitment agency (this is not only the expense of using one, but the expense that occurs by the possible ramping up of salaries by the agency to maximise its own profit on the transaction)

These days no public sector appointment can offer a salary greater than the prime minister (about £142,000) without specific permission being sought and gained. It is  therefore expected that Suffolk’s next Chief Executive  will be paid considerably less than our last one was.

County Council – Public questions & Agenda

The next Full Council meeting will take place on the 14th of July.

At this meeting, I will personally be putting forward a motion to extend the time that concessionary bus passes can be used for free in Suffolk.  For the last months the County Council provided  only basic free travel between 9:30 and 11.  I’m proposing a start time of 9am for those those who have the concessionary pass on the basis of age, and no time limitations at all for those  who are eligible for the pass on the basis of disability.  Implementing this  – as many other County Councils do – will help increase social mobility, and allow individuals to reach places of work, socialise, and to make hospital appointments without unneccessary restriction.

In addition to this,  the petitions to Save Suffolk Libraries – amounting to well over 36,000 signatures in toto  – will be heard and spoken to.

Libraries – Scrutiny Committee Recommendations

At the last Scrutiny Committee on the 14th of June Councillors discussed the County Councils Library policy, and made a number of recommendations in order to influence the policy decision which will take place later in July at the Cabinet meeting.  The papers for this meeting have now been published, and can be found on the County Council website. I would like to draw your attention to an anomaly in the paperwork for this:  there is a graph representing responses to the consultation, but it says:

NB The chart above does not include the response “Maintain as is”. This received 3099 out of the 3893 responses and therefore made a meaningful graph-based representation with the other responses impossible

This is not the case: you can see a graph showing all responses at James Hargraves’  blog.

The full Scrutiny Committee recommendations are:

a)                   the classification of County Libraries and Community Libraries referred to in the Consultation document is not a reasonable basis for a policy;

b)                   the potential community interest company agrees individual budgets for each library;

c)                   the business case considered by Cabinet should clearly demonstrate how the community interest company service would operate across the whole of Suffolk;

d)                   that the Council retain the ability to ensure that the terms offered by the community interest company were sufficient to maintain a sustainable service;

e)                   any claims on secondary taxation from Parish, Town, District or Borough Councils be carried out on an equitable basis across Suffolk;

f)                     due consideration be given to innovative ideas that have already come forward and any others that are received  from communities on how their services might be run;

g)                   the policy on mobile libraries be clearly stated in the report to Cabinet;

h)                   the Council provide absolute clarity to communities interested in running their libraries on issues they were likely to raise such as finance, staffing and legal issues;

i)                     the Council must satisfy itself on the financial viability of the plans put forward and that they are sustainable.

j)                     further expressions of interest are welcome and will be considered.

Health Scrutiny

The county council  having cancelled the Health Scrutiny committee last year, it has now become clear that health issues are occupying a disproportionate time of the one Scrutiny committee now remaining to us. The County Council has therefore decided to reinstate the Health Scrutiny Committee, which will  be meeting  next on the 20th of July.

Woodbridge matters: proposed new telecoms mast

Delivered verbally at the meeting

I have had several concerned people talking to me about the proposal of a new telecoms mast in Old Barrack Road.  It is for a 12.5 metre mast with 4 antennae and 2 dishes on it, in a very residential area and next to a mature sycamore tree. It ts also within 100 metres of Kyson school and Kyzone playgroup.

I have talked to a couple of officers in the SCC Highways department about this and it seems that the primary problem is that the telecommunications industry have a statutory right by licence to erect masts on public highway land. (Do not ask me how this iniquitous law which appears to support private enterprise at the expense of public opinion came into force but it goes back to 1984, say no more)

This statutory right is subject to the following:

“Mobile phone companies are granted a licence by central government under the Telecommunications Act 1984 which allows them to install their equipment (masts, cabinets) within the public highway, subject to approvals outlined below:

1.  SCC (as highway authority) approvals The licence requires mobile phone companies to ensure their equipment doesn’t cause safety hazard ie to ensure the masts and cabinets do not obscure visibility at junctions or obstructions to pedestrians. The area offices provide advise as required.

2. District council (local planning authority) approvals Planning legislation requires mobile phone companies to follow a 42-day prior approval procedure before erecting masts. This requires the company to erect a notice on site and write to the district council. During this period the district council can require details of the siting and appearance of the equipment and can approve or refuse permission for the mast.

3.  Planning permission Any freestanding mast in excess of 15 metres in height requires planning permission from the district council irrespective of prior approval procedure.

From the Suffolk County Council angle, therefore, one can only make an objection to the siting of the mast if it is considered that the siting of the mobile mast causes a traffic risk. I asked the SCC officers’ opinion  on this, and their opinion was that it did not, although maybe local residents with a greater understanding of living in the area might be able to prove differently. I am very happy to broker any concerns

However, you may notice points 2 and 3 which is where Suffolk Coastal District Council come into the picture as the local planning authority. I don’t know how far down the route this has gone.  I notice that SCDC has to grant planning permission for the mast to go up, in addition to  the prior approval procedure.