To consider questions (if any) by members of the Council of which the appropriate notice has been given to the Assistant Director (Corporate and Contracted Services).
Decision:
Questions from Councillor Pringle to Councillor Williams:
Q1. Does the Leader of the Council support me in calling for HCC to publish the aggregate statistics of the prevalence of CV19 in Dacorum schools and across the county, given that, as we enter another lockdown, with a new variant of CV19 and R-rate currently out of control, it is more important than ever that our local residents and businesses have a full understanding of the prevalence of CV19 in our communities.
Response: No, I don’t support that. Hertfordshire County Council have released considerable amounts of information through various mechanisms and have enabled people to see infection rates almost on a ward-by-ward basis. In relation to schools, I trust that HCC have released what they feel is appropriate and I do not support the call to ask them to release further information.
Q2. I completely understand and appreciate Councillor Williams’ points about releasing information that could identify individuals, however does the portfolio holder not agree that as we have seen the highest of death rates today it is incredibly important that residents are fully aware of the extent of this virus in every community. Just over a week ago parents were told schools were safe and parents I know relied on that information. I am aware that parents have a misconception about the rates in Hertfordshire schools. Buckinghamshire is doing aggregate numbers, I’ve seen the correspondence and I only ask that we take similarly responsible steps to represent the fundamental needs of our residents to be kept safe.
Response: I can only reiterate what I have already said, I do believe HCC are publishing the information through its educational public health route or through more national bodies. The information is out there and I think given that the majority of schools are now closed beyond the February half term the information for school settings is clear. It is not relevant because for the majority of parents their children are off school for the foreseeable future and their return will be a decision based on infection rates and how things can be controlled. It will be a very different scenario when parents need to consider their options towards the end of February and I think we would need to look at the national picture in light of the situation at that time.
Q3. Does Councillor Williams agree that when we see waves they come in curves and given that this will not go away overnight, I can foresee into the future beyond half term and it is when the students go back to school that we will desperately need this granulated school by school aggregate information. Would he support me in trying to get that information for parents so that they can make informed decisions about the safety of their children? This is not just their right but their duty to exercise parental responsibility.
Response: I think I have already made my position perfectly clear in that similar line of questioning to the first two questions. I rely on the County Council issuing information that they think is personal to the situation and there is more than sufficient information out there for people to make decisions.
Q4. Councillor Williams previous answers appear to be premised on the view that he foresees that the virus will recede in an almost perpendicular manner rather than go down a gradual curve whereby schools will resume but the risk will remain. Can he clarify how he sees us coming out of this through a perpendicular drop in the virus or a very gradual decline, such that there will still remain a risk in the schools that parents will need to have full information about.
Response: I think that’s a very scientific question which I’m not qualified to make a judgement on. I think it’s very likely that come the end of the lockdown period we will still be in a significant degree of restrictions, maybe a return to the tier system. I’m not in any way making any judgement in any of my answers about how the rate of decline might go because I’m not qualified to make such a judgement. As previous indicated I think we are likely to be in a period of some degree of control for many months to come.
Questions from Councillor Woolner to Councillor Griffiths:
Q1. In the first lockdown of the Covid-19 crisis, the Government launched a much needed programme of measures, ‘Everyone In’, to aid rough sleepers over the lockdown period. It appears that the initial work to securing accommodation has wound down, with efforts being concentrated on securing more permanent accommodation.
Although lawful restrictions are now in place for this current national lockdown on a par with the virus’ initial onset, the ‘Everyone In' policy does not appear to have been brought back into action, despite it being the coldest part of the year.
Will the Portfolio Holder for Housing & Services please give us her assurance that this is being addressed and arrangements are being made to ensure that the vulnerable don’t spend this lockdown outside through the winter?
Response: The strategic housing service has continued to provide support and access to accommodation for all clients at risk of homelessness and rough sleeping irrespective of eligibility. This service is delivered in partnership to ensure that whenever possible no household slips through the net. It is important to note that there are households that do not accept offers of accommodation or support. Where this is the case support and engagement will continue in line with the ask as all services recognise the importance of safeguarding the individual or household. Whilst the government has not repeated it’s ask of March 2020 to bring everyone in, it has since requested that local authorities protect those at risk of rough sleeping. Ministry of housing, communities and local government has confirmed that the ethos behind ‘protect’ is of the previous ask. This is validated by a further request from the Secretary of State on 8th January 2021.
Q2. I have heard that in the Marlowes in particular there are more homeless on the streets than ever recently. How confident are you that the plans in place are effective? Do you have any numbers of take up of offers?
Response: I am aware of an increase of rough sleepers in the town centre as are officers and it is important to acknowledge that despite the range of services on offer from strategic housing, DENS and other partners that not all individuals that appear to be rough sleeping accept help from the council. Members should note that those partaking in street activities such as begging are not necessarily rough sleeping or bedding down outside and some have access to accommodation. Others with more complex needs and additional housing related issues may take time to establish the trust with officers before agreeing to come into accommodation. There are also incidents where accommodation is refused because clients do not wish to pay for the accommodation charges which are eligible for housing benefit or to follow the licence conditions and Covid-19 guidance which are requirements for being bought in to accommodation so we can ensure the safety of all residents and staff. I can assure members that all individuals that have been reported to us are all taken seriously and investigated and offered accommodation. Officers are also actively looking for rough sleepers. We are doing the best we can. I don’t have the figures but I can get them and circulate to members.
Questions from Councillor Symington to Councillor G
Sutton:
At the last Council Meeting on 18 November 2020,
· Conservative members of the Council voted to press ahead with the Regulation 18 consultation process for the Draft Local Plan against strong representations by the Liberal Democrats.
· This decision was taken during the second national lockdown and just two days after the announcement of a significant change in central government planning policy in acknowledgement of the difficulties that members of the public may have in responding to the government.
· The only acknowledgement of this changed situation was the Conservative agreement to extend the consultation period from 8 to 10 weeks, thus the consultation was scheduled to end on 7 February 2021.
· As of 6 January, the United Kingdom has been in a third and even stricter lockdown, one which is overshadowed by a rampant variant of the Covid-19 coronavirus and additional extreme pressures on NHS hospitals; a lockdown expected to last for at least 6 weeks and to be followed by a gradually easing down through the tiers.
Q1. Given the difficult conditions in which the Council is having to conduct this Consultation, would the Portfolio Holder:
a. Confirm what additional measures have been taken to ensure that all residents of the Borough have access to the version of the Local Plan under consultation, and
b. Confirm what amendments, additions or deletions have been made to the Local Plan to comply with the Government changes, and
c. Identify how many residents have made representations to the Council having found difficulty in accessing the Local Plan under the restricted Lockdown conditions.
Having regard to these circumstances, would the Portfolio Holder:
d. Agree that it would be appropriate to extend the Regulation 18 Consultation process to allow for the period of consultation be not less than eight weeks from the end of the Lockdown whenever that will be, in recognition that such an extension would enable full consultation with all residents and stakeholders?
Response:
a. The Council put in place an extensive publicity campaign to notify residents of the Local Plan consultation. This included:
· an article in the Dacorum Digest (63,000 copies)
· the digital digest (11,400 subscribers)
· newspaper articles – public notice in the Hemel Hempstead Gazette and Online Hemel Today
· a mail out to those on the Council’s Local Plan database
· a permanent virtual exhibition where residents could view documents and leave a message for officers
· a local plan video explaining the consultation
· making arrangements for residents to access the documents (by appointment) at the Forum and to loan documents from Hemel Hempstead, Berkhamsted and Tring library
· Printed copies of the documents to all town and parish councils.
As at 12th January 2021 there have been a total of 14,185 hits on the Local Plan website since the start of the consultation. There have been 1,862 individual users access the virtual exhibition viewing a total of 20,295 items.
b. The consultation commenced on 27 November 2020. No changes have been incorporated to the Local Plan since the consultation commence on 27 November. It should be noted that the current consultation pre-dates the Government’s announcement that it will revert back to the previous standard methodology figure of 1,023 homes per year for Dacorum.
c. Officers have only received a very small number of enquiries from residents asking for further assistance in accessing the documents. At the time of writing no requests have been made for paper copies of the documents to be provided and no resident has complained that they have been unable to view a document.
d: The Council has previously extended this consultation to ten weeks which is significantly more than the statutory 6 weeks required by the Local Plan regulations. However, we do recognise that the recently imposed Lockdown places further restrictions on movement and so we will extend the consultation to midnight on 28 February 2021. This would be more than double the required consultation period.
Q2. I welcome the small extension of three weeks. Does the portfolio holder accept that as the Dacorum Digest did not show Tring on the map, the residents of Tring might be justified in feeling they were not adequately informed of the impact it might have on their community.
Response: I have already indicated to Mr Bright and to Councillor Ransley that I will speak to the Communications team to see if there is any issues in getting the information out to residents in Tring.
Q3. What are you proposing can be done to rectify this? I would welcome a leaflet with a map of those most affected.
Response: We are working on a simplified version of the Local Plan which will be more readily available as a printed form and more accessible online. Some of the documents are quite lengthy and would require a laptop or desktop computer to access them. It is quite difficult to safely distribute leaflets on a door to door basis with contact being restricted due to Covid-19 so we would have to find another way to get that information to residents.
Q4. Does the portfolio holder agree that the efficacy and effectiveness of a consultation is based on the quality and breadth of access that stakeholders have to the information rather than the period of time given over to that consultation?
Response: I fully agree. There has been a lot of interest shown and as the consultation reaches its completion I’m sure there will have been a lot more. The last time we had a public consultation we had some extremely valuable results and I’m sure we will finish up with a clear picture and the end of this consultation.
Minutes:
Questions from Councillor Pringle to Councillor Williams:
Q1. Does the Leader of the Council support me in calling for HCC to publish the aggregate statistics of the prevalence of CV19 in Dacorum schools and across the county, given that, as we enter another lockdown, with a new variant of CV19 and R-rate currently out of control, it is more important than ever that our local residents and businesses have a full understanding of the prevalence of CV19 in our communities.
Response: No, I don’t support that. Hertfordshire County Council have released considerable amounts of information through various mechanisms and have enabled people to see infection rates almost on a ward-by-ward basis. In relation to schools, I trust that HCC have released what they feel is appropriate and I do not support the call to ask them to release further information.
Q2. I completely understand and appreciate Councillor Williams’ points about releasing information that could identify individuals, however does the portfolio holder not agree that as we have seen the highest of death rates today it is incredibly important that residents are fully aware of the extent of this virus in every community. Just over a week ago parents were told schools were safe and parents I know relied on that information. I am aware that parents have a misconception about the rates in Hertfordshire schools. Buckinghamshire is doing aggregate numbers, I’ve seen the correspondence and I only ask that we take similarly responsible steps to represent the fundamental needs of our residents to be kept safe.
Response: I can only reiterate what I have already said, I do believe HCC are publishing the information through its educational public health route or through more national bodies. The information is out there and I think given that the majority of schools are now closed beyond the February half term the information for school settings is clear. It is not relevant because for the majority of parents their children are off school for the foreseeable future and their return will be a decision based on infection rates and how things can be controlled. It will be a very different scenario when parents need to consider their options towards the end of February and I think we would need to look at the national picture in light of the situation at that time.
Q3. Does Councillor Williams agree that when we see waves they come in curves and given that this will not go away overnight, I can foresee into the future beyond half term and it is when the students go back to school that we will desperately need this granulated school by school aggregate information. Would he support me in trying to get that information for parents so that they can make informed decisions about the safety of their children? This is not just their right but their duty to exercise parental responsibility.
Response: I think I have already made my position perfectly clear in that similar line of questioning to the first two questions. I rely on the County Council issuing information that they think is personal to the situation and there is more than sufficient information out there for people to make decisions.
Q4. Councillor Williams previous answers appear to be premised on the view that he foresees that the virus will recede in an almost perpendicular manner rather than go down a gradual curve whereby schools will resume but the risk will remain. Can he clarify how he sees us coming out of this through a perpendicular drop in the virus or a very gradual decline, such that there will still remain a risk in the schools that parents will need to have full information about.
Response: I think that’s a very scientific question which I’m not qualified to make a judgement on. I think it’s very likely that come the end of the lockdown period we will still be in a significant degree of restrictions, maybe a return to the tier system. I’m not in any way making any judgement in any of my answers about how the rate of decline might go because I’m not qualified to make such a judgement. As previous indicated I think we are likely to be in a period of some degree of control for many months to come.
Questions from Councillor Woolner to Councillor Griffiths:
Q1. In the first lockdown of the Covid-19 crisis, the Government launched a much needed programme of measures, ‘Everyone In’, to aid rough sleepers over the lockdown period. It appears that the initial work to securing accommodation has wound down, with efforts being concentrated on securing more permanent accommodation.
Although lawful restrictions are now in place for this current national lockdown on a par with the virus’ initial onset, the ‘Everyone In' policy does not appear to have been brought back into action, despite it being the coldest part of the year.
Will the Portfolio Holder for Housing & Services please give us her assurance that this is being addressed and arrangements are being made to ensure that the vulnerable don’t spend this lockdown outside through the winter?
Response: The strategic housing service has continued to provide support and access to accommodation for all clients at risk of homelessness and rough sleeping irrespective of eligibility. This service is delivered in partnership to ensure that whenever possible no household slips through the net. It is important to note that there are households that do not accept offers of accommodation or support. Where this is the case support and engagement will continue in line with the ask as all services recognise the importance of safeguarding the individual or household. Whilst the government has not repeated it’s ask of March 2020 to bring everyone in, it has since requested that local authorities protect those at risk of rough sleeping. Ministry of housing, communities and local government has confirmed that the ethos behind ‘protect’ is of the previous ask. This is validated by a further request from the Secretary of State on 8th January 2021.
Q2. I have heard that in the Marlowes in particular there are more homeless on the streets than ever recently. How confident are you that the plans in place are effective? Do you have any numbers of take up of offers?
Response: I am aware of an increase of rough sleepers in the town centre as are officers and it is important to acknowledge that despite the range of services on offer from strategic housing, DENS and other partners that not all individuals that appear to be rough sleeping accept help from the council. Members should note that those partaking in street activities such as begging are not necessarily rough sleeping or bedding down outside and some have access to accommodation. Others with more complex needs and additional housing related issues may take time to establish the trust with officers before agreeing to come into accommodation. There are also incidents where accommodation is refused because clients do not wish to pay for the accommodation charges which are eligible for housing benefit or to follow the licence conditions and Covid-19 guidance which are requirements for being bought in to accommodation so we can ensure the safety of all residents and staff. I can assure members that all individuals that have been reported to us are all taken seriously and investigated and offered accommodation. Officers are also actively looking for rough sleepers. We are doing the best we can. I don’t have the figures but I can get them and circulate to members.
Questions from Councillor Symington to Councillor G
Sutton:
At the last Council Meeting on 18 November 2020,
· Conservative members of the Council voted to press ahead with the Regulation 18 consultation process for the Draft Local Plan against strong representations by the Liberal Democrats.
· This decision was taken during the second national lockdown and just two days after the announcement of a significant change in central government planning policy in acknowledgement of the difficulties that members of the public may have in responding to the government.
· The only acknowledgement of this changed situation was the Conservative agreement to extend the consultation period from 8 to 10 weeks, thus the consultation was scheduled to end on 7 February 2021.
· As of 6 January, the United Kingdom has been in a third and even stricter lockdown, one which is overshadowed by a rampant variant of the Covid-19 coronavirus and additional extreme pressures on NHS hospitals; a lockdown expected to last for at least 6 weeks and to be followed by a gradually easing down through the tiers.
Q1. Given the difficult conditions in which the Council is having to conduct this Consultation, would the Portfolio Holder:
a. Confirm what additional measures have been taken to ensure that all residents of the Borough have access to the version of the Local Plan under consultation, and
b. Confirm what amendments, additions or deletions have been made to the Local Plan to comply with the Government changes, and
c. Identify how many residents have made representations to the Council having found difficulty in accessing the Local Plan under the restricted Lockdown conditions.
Having regard to these circumstances, would the Portfolio Holder:
d. Agree that it would be appropriate to extend the Regulation 18 Consultation process to allow for the period of consultation be not less than eight weeks from the end of the Lockdown whenever that will be, in recognition that such an extension would enable full consultation with all residents and stakeholders?
Response:
a. The Council put in place an extensive publicity campaign to notify residents of the Local Plan consultation. This included:
· an article in the Dacorum Digest (63,000 copies)
· the digital digest (11,400 subscribers)
· newspaper articles – public notice in the Hemel Hempstead Gazette and Online Hemel Today
· a mail out to those on the Council’s Local Plan database
· a permanent virtual exhibition where residents could view documents and leave a message for officers
· a local plan video explaining the consultation
· making arrangements for residents to access the documents (by appointment) at the Forum and to loan documents from Hemel Hempstead, Berkhamsted and Tring library
· Printed copies of the documents to all town and parish councils.
As at 12th January 2021 there have been a total of 14,185 hits on the Local Plan website since the start of the consultation. There have been 1,862 individual users access the virtual exhibition viewing a total of 20,295 items.
b. The consultation commenced on 27 November 2020. No changes have been incorporated to the Local Plan since the consultation commence on 27 November. It should be noted that the current consultation pre-dates the Government’s announcement that it will revert back to the previous standard methodology figure of 1,023 homes per year for Dacorum.
c. Officers have only received a very small number of enquiries from residents asking for further assistance in accessing the documents. At the time of writing no requests have been made for paper copies of the documents to be provided and no resident has complained that they have been unable to view a document.
d: The Council has previously extended this consultation to ten weeks which is significantly more than the statutory 6 weeks required by the Local Plan regulations. However, we do recognise that the recently imposed Lockdown places further restrictions on movement and so we will extend the consultation to midnight on 28 February 2021. This would be more than double the required consultation period.
Q2. I welcome the small extension of three weeks. Does the portfolio holder accept that as the Dacorum Digest did not show Tring on the map, the residents of Tring might be justified in feeling they were not adequately informed of the impact it might have on their community.
Response: I have already indicated to Mr Bright and to Councillor Ransley that I will speak to the Communications team to see if there is any issues in getting the information out to residents in Tring.
Q3. What are you proposing can be done to rectify this? I would welcome a leaflet with a map of those most affected.
Response: We are working on a simplified version of the Local Plan which will be more readily available as a printed form and more accessible online. Some of the documents are quite lengthy and would require a laptop or desktop computer to access them. It is quite difficult to safely distribute leaflets on a door to door basis with contact being restricted due to Covid-19 so we would have to find another way to get that information to residents.
Q4. Does the portfolio holder agree that the efficacy and effectiveness of a consultation is based on the quality and breadth of access that stakeholders have to the information rather than the period of time given over to that consultation?
Response: I fully agree. There has been a lot of interest shown and as the consultation reaches its completion I’m sure there will have been a lot more. The last time we had a public consultation we had some extremely valuable results and I’m sure we will finish up with a clear picture and the end of this consultation.