Agenda item

The Cabinet Member Economy and Development reported that she had submitted the council’s response to the government consultation on Planning for the Future. She wrote to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Robert Jenrick, highlighting CBC’s concerns. These included the lack of information given about climate change measures, the effect of centralised control on local democracy, proposals for enhanced design and build quality conflicting with local planning, and the proposed simplification of the system through zoning.

The Cabinet Member Healthy Lifestyles reported that the projection onto the Municipal Offices had been submitted to Imperial War Museum as an example of commemorating the WW1 centenary, and accepted as part of their ‘mapping the centenary’ webpage. She thanked everyone involved in making the projection possible, and expressed her pride that their work had been recognised. She added that the Food Network was doing important work in feeding families and providing them with bedding and other essentials at a time of great need. Local support was hugely important, especially since the government was offering these families as little as £14.60 over four weeks.

The Cabinet Member Clean and Green Environment updated Members on the Environmental Services Strategy, which was approved at the last Cabinet meeting. He stressed the importance of driving down residual waste and increasing recycling, and the importance of engaging with residents. He added that in the weeks to come, residents would see Ubico workers out and about with stickers reminding and encouraging them to follow proper recycling guidelines. He noted that residents just need assistance to make the right decisions, and that there was always more that could be done. He thanked Ubico workers for continuing to deliver a high quality service.

The Cabinet Member Cyber and Safety reported that he had contributed to the county council’s consultations on potential improvements to Junction 10 of the M5. He was supportive of making the junction four-way, as it would boost Cheltenham’s economy and give particular relief to residents. He stressed that any solution needed to be as accessible as possible, and that he would continue to consult local residents about their needs.

The Leader of the Council noted that the second nationwide lockdown was underway, which was not ideal but was unavoidable considering the rate of spread of Covid. He reported that there would soon be further government funding, as part of its plans to treat all council areas as though they were at Tier 3. He was expecting in the region of £2m discretionary funding which the council could allocate as it saw fit, as well as some specific grants. He emphasised that it was important to maximise the value of this funding and ensure that it lasts into the next financial year. He added that the Extraordinary Cabinet meeting on 17^th November would meet to hopefully authorise the process and allow the finance team to get the funding out as efficiently as possible.

Decisions of Cabinet Members

The Cabinet Member Clean and Green Environment reported that he had made a decision on the 14^th October to join the Gloucestershire Resources and Waste Partnership, which replaced the Glos Joint Waste Committee. The decision came into effect on the 23^rd October. He added that CBC had joined the Glos Joint Waste Committee several years ago, but ultimately deemed that it did not constitute value for money or meet its goals on improving recycling rates and cutting down on residual waste. This new partnership would enable CBC to meet with its partners to discuss ideas and move forward on its waste and recycling agenda, without incurring a financial cost.