Agenda, decisions and minutes

There were none.

The Cabinet Member Safety and Communities declared a non-pecuniary interest in the St Peters Playing Field report as Chair of the Big Local, which was a partner in the scheme. The Deputy Monitoring Officer confirmed that she could remain in the meeting and vote on the item.

The Cabinet Member Climate Emergency declared a possible interest as a sponsor of a player at Cheltenham Town Ladies Football Club, who intended to use the ground in the future. The Deputy Monitoring Officer confirmed that he could remain in the meeting and vote on the item.

Minutes of 9^th November meeting.

The minutes of the 9^th November meeting were approved and signed as a correct record.

These must be received no later than 12 noon on Tuesday 23^rd November.

There were none.

Report of the Cabinet Member Waste, Recycling and Street Services and the Cabinet Member Climate Emergency

The Cabinet Member Waste, Recycling and Street Services presented the report, describing it as a good news story for the council and summarising the key background details. The council had declared a climate emergency in 2019 and was serious about achieving net zero by 2030. This required tangible action as soon as possible, and the recent COP26 summit had reinforced the need for global action.

The council was responsible for the procurement of vehicles used by Ubico in delivering waste and recycling services. These vehicles emitted a total of 1,394 tons of CO2, the largest individual contribution at the council, despite the majority of them using the latest Euro 6 engine technology delivering the most stringent limits on harmful emissions when burning traditional mineral B7 diesel.

The council had already installed electric charging points at the Swindon Road depot, and ordered two electric vehicles, which would be operational as replacements for two diesel vehicles in early 2022. He noted that not all the fleet could move across to electric immediately, due to the high cost of installing the electric charging infrastructure and the available supply of electricity locally, particularly for the heavy goods vehicles.

He added that they were moving to certified palm oil-free hydrotreated vegetable oil, enabling a rapid move away from burning traditional mineral B7 diesel for many vehicles. This would deliver up to a net 91% reduction on well-to-wheel greenhouse gas emissions, and up to a 48% reduction in particulate emissions. It would function as an interim solution to help reach net zero by 2030, while more environmentally friendly technology was further developed. He stressed that the report aligned with the council’s commitments to deliver rapid reductions in CO2, improve air quality and deliver net zero by 2030.

The Cabinet Member Climate Emergency echoed these points, noting that the declaration of a climate emergency in 2019 had set off a chain of actions at all levels of the council. It was important to get our own house in order first, and the Ubico fleet was a big part of this. Reducing emissions was an obvious and urgent step that formed just one step of a wider movement towards electric vehicles and other environmentally beneficial technologies. He was excited to see the effect it had on the town’s carbon footprint going forward, and stressed the need for actions rather than words.

The Cabinet Member Housing thanked both Cabinet Members and the officers involved for producing a fascinating report with detailed information on a challenging topic. Moving towards net zero would certainly require investment but it was hugely important work.

The Cabinet Member Customer and Regulatory Services added that there would likely have been some scepticism when the council declared a climate emergency that it was just empty words, but this was clear action towards that goal. The flexible approach would allow them to exercise due diligence regarding things like biofuels as more information became available about their impact, and more technologies became available.

The Leader moved to the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

Report of the Cabinet Member Finance and Assets

The Cabinet Member Finance and Assets presented the report, which related to the disposal of land at St Peters Playing Field. He emphasised the key reasons for granting the lease: not only would it enable the Saracens to apply for financial support, but it would also encourage regeneration of the property. He also stressed the importance of the club as a community organisation that played a valuable role in the town alongside its partners.

The Cabinet Member Housing thanked the Cabinet Member and officers for their work on the report, and highlighted the social value of sport as a way to provide positive role models and a genuine community hub.

The Cabinet Member Culture, Wellbeing and Business added that this area of St Peters was in need of regeneration, and the club needed a proper home of its own. The lease would enable it to be a huge asset to both the club and the wider community.

The Cabinet Member Safety and Communities stressed the importance of bringing the community together by providing a hub for people to congregate around. It would keep young people out of harm’s way and help them to build friendships while growing as people. She praised the work of the Big Local in making this happen.

The Cabinet Member Finance and Assets thanked colleagues for their contributions, emphasising that it was part of the council’s commitment to support its communities. Looked forward to seeing the effects of this in the future.

The Leader moved to the vote, where it was unanimously:

RESOLVED THAT:

1.    The Saracens’ proposals for the improvement of the sports and community facilities at St Peters Recreation Ground be approved;

2.    Officers be authorised to advertise the proposed disposal of public open space at St Peters Recreation Ground and instructs the officers to report back to the Cabinet with any objections that may be received;

3.    The surrender and grant of a new lease to the Saracens for 25 years at £4,000 per annum as set out in Appendix 2 be approved, provided that no objections are received to the proposal to dispose of public open space.

The Cabinet Member Cyber and Strategic Transport reported that Cheltenham was currently being represented at the Slush 2021 tech startup convention in Helsinki. This was a key part of promoting the town as the cyber centre of the UK, and the Golden Valley project.

The Cabinet Member Safety and Communities reported on the status of defibrillators around the town. Five were now available in the Town Centre and would be operative just before Christmas, with five more possible locations being explored. She thanked colleagues in the Chamber of Commerce, the BID and Spirax-Sarco for their help. She added that following on from her Safety of Women and Girls at Night update at the 9^th November meeting, she would soon meet with the university and students’ union to find out their views on how things could be improved. Finally, she reported that the No Child Left Behind awards had received over 30 nominations, and the shortlist was being put together. The young people active in NCLB would decide who won.

The Cabinet Member Customer and Regulatory Services updated members on the status of the proposal for a ride-hailing app that could connect disabled users with the 70 wheelchair accessible vehicles (WAVs) in the town. The development of the app was going well, and it was expected to launch in January. He added that consultation had opened on the licensing policy revision making it compulsory to use technology aimed at increasing accessibility.

The Cabinet Member Waste, Recycling and Street Services reported on the success of the Pod Back scheme aimed at recycling aluminium and plastic coffee pods. More than half a million pods had been recycled in the town, which was an amazing feat. The pods were being recycled in this country and not going into the waste system. The money generated from this would be allocated towards ecological projects which he hoped to announce soon. He thanked the people of Cheltenham for making the scheme so successful.

The Cabinet Member Culture, Wellbeing and Business congratulated the Cheltenham Trust for putting on an excellent event with Father Christmas in the Pittville Pump Rooms. It was great to see families and children having fun and a packed Christmas market.

The Cabinet Member Finance and Assets updated members on two urgent waivers, one relating to the reception of the Municipal Offices and the other to the courtyard roof of the Wilson Art Gallery.

The Cabinet Member Climate Emergency thanked those who ran the COP26 climate vigil on the Promenade, noting that they had produced a tapestry with all the people who visited them during it which would be presented to the council in due course. He added that the first meeting of the Gloucestershire Climate Leadership Group had taken place, bringing together the county council, private enterprise, the police and the health service. There was lots to build on in the future, and it was important to all work together towards carbon neutrality.

The Cabinet Member Housing added that the CBC-CBH partnership had  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.