Details of questions should be notified to the Democratic Services Manager at least three working days prior to the meeting - by 10am on Thursday 15 February 2024. Further information and a copy of the procedure are available from Democratic Services (Committees) with details about speaking at Council to be found here: Public Speaking at Meetings
Minutes:
The Lord Mayor reported the receipt of five questions from members of the public.
Question from Sharon Whitgreave to Councillor Bialyk, Leader.
“In the Wellbeing Exeter video, a councillor states, “Wellbeing Exeter brings people together to work in partnership, to collaborate, share ideas and best practices.” Do the councillors have a plan for Wellbeing Exeter to work with Citizens Advice to ensure that residents can access specialist and accredited advice and information?”
The Leader asked Councillor Pearce, Portfolio Holder for Communities & Homelessness Prevention, to answer Ms Whitgreave’s question. Cllr Pearce gave the following response:
Wellbeing Exeter partners already sign post people to a range of advocacy and advice services both in the city and online including CAE. This will continue as normal.
In a supplementary question, Ms Whitgreave expanded on the range of expert services provided by Citizens Advice and enquired about any formal arrangements between Exeter Wellbeing and Citizens Advice to ensure that residents received the service they deserved. Cllr Pearce responded that discussions were ongoing between Exeter City Council and Citizens Advice aimed at providing residents with the service they needed.
Question from Carolyn Naylor to Councillor Bialyk, Leader.
“The Dix’s Field office space has issues with damp, roof structure and plumbing. If Citizens advice relocates due to high rent charges, do councillors realistically think they will find alternative tenants to pay the expected rent given the number of empty office spaces in the city?”
The Leader asked Councillor Pearce, Portfolio Holder for Communities & Homelessness Prevention, to answer Ms Naylor’s question. Cllr Pearce gave the following response:
The repair of the flat roof is scheduled to take place during 2024 as part of Council’s capital programme. This information would be made available to any prospective future tenant if any office space becomes vacant.
Question from Joe Oliver to Councillor Bialyk, Leader.
“Will the Council consider and cost the impact a reduced Citizens Advice service, necessitated by a loss of funding, would have on residents; for example, the potential loss of the benefits tribunal services and court repossession services, and Citizens Advice Exeter no longer having an office in the city centre?”
The Leader asked Councillor Pearce, Portfolio Holder for Communities & Homelessness Prevention, to answer Mr Oliver’s question. Cllr Pearce gave the following response:
The council intends to offer CAE a grant transitional grant of £75,000 for 2024/25 it will be up to the management of CAE to prioritise which aspects of their work are continued. CAE have previously refused offers of alternative office accommodation in the Civic Centre including shared space within the Council’s Customer Contact Centre.
In a supplementary question, Mr Oliver sought clarity about who adjudicated on grant applications such as rent grants. The Leader explained to Mr Oliver that any application for a grant would be treated within the normal process, namely through the Leader and the Executive Committee and through Council at the appropriate time.
Question from James Banyard to Councillor Bialyk, Leader.
“Recently I reported pavement flooding due to a drain blocked with leaves. DCC said they would clear the gully, but that leaf sweeping was an issue for ECC. It’s hard for residents to know what to do next. How can co-ordination between ECC and DCC be improved?”
The Leader asked Councillor R Williams, Portfolio Holder for Place and City Management, to answer Mr Banyard’s question. Cllr R Williams gave the following response:
Every road within Exeter is on a mechanical sweeping route with visitation scheduled between 6 – 12 times a year dependent on the location. Outside of these visits, residents can report leaf litter on the council’s website and either a mechanical sweeper or deep clean team will attend as soon as resources allow. Sweeping schedules do not always prevent leaf litter that falls in between visits, from superficially covering gullies which can lead to standing water. Reporting these types of issue to us, for action is therefore an important part of keeping the city clean and safe.
The DCC gully clearance programme clears gullies in the city on average once every three years. This programme generally ensures that standing water should drain within 24 hours. If the standing water remains in place 24 hours after the rain has stopped, or where there is a speed limit of 40mph or above in force, the issue should be reported to DCC who will take action.
In a supplementary question, Mr Banyard asked what practical measures could be taken within both councils to ensure joined-up working. Cllr R Williams directed Mr Banyard to the Exeter City Council website for additional information on the subject and thanked him for bringing this matter to the attention of the Council.
Question from John Butler to Councillor Bialyk, Leader.
“The ECC report states the current level of subsidy to allotments is £15,418 which is expected to rise above £25,000 in 2024-5. The proposed rent increase (41%0 nets £21,400. Can ECC provide financial evidence to justify the excessive increase in required subsidy (65%) & how current rental is spent?”
The Leader asked Councillor R Williams, Portfolio Holder for Place and City Management, to answer Mr Butler’s question. Cllr R Williams gave the following response:
At the point the allotment report was submitted, the council subsidy for the allotment service was predicted to be approximately £15K. However, since the addition of water costs in quarter 3, and after adding National Insurance and Superannuation from the national pay rise, the final council subsidy for 2023/24 is now forecasted to be closer to £34K.
Expenditure will remain at around £98K and income expected to remain at around £63k. The budgets for 2024/25 are set to remain the same, with inflationary uplifts applied only to pay, electricity and insurance. Other costs are expected to remain largely stable, as is income. As ever, inflationary costs for materials are an unknown but these will be monitored in year. The allotment team be providing a breakdown of budget forecasts on the Council’s FAQ page so that allotment holders can review the forecasts in more depth.
In a supplementary question, Mr Butler asked if the Council would consider metrics of a non-financial nature, such as wellbeing, when setting allotment rents. Cllr R Williams assured Mr Butler that the responses from the ongoing consultation on allotments would influence the Council’s thinking and decision-making and that the wellbeing of residents was one of the many factors considered.