Agenda item

Motions

To receive any motions from Councillors in accordance with Standing Order 19.  The following 5 motions were received by the deadline of Monday, 14 October 2019.

 

1.    “This council supports the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of Anti-Semitism (decided on 26 May 2016 at Bucharest) and henceforward adopts this definition and the illustrative examples for all relevant aspects of Council policy particularly in the field of anti-discrimination and the promotion of human rights.”

 

Proposed by Councillor I.T.E. Harvey

Seconded by Councillor R.W. Sider BEM

 

2.    “The Council is currently working on the development of its new Corporate Plan to cover the next three years of this administration.  In doing so it will be reaffirming its four Corporate Priorities of:

1.    Housing

2.    Economic Development

3.    Clean and Safe Environment

4.    Financial Sustainability

 

This Council notes that many other Councils have recently declared a “climate emergency”. We understand that there is rightly much concern about climate change and that urgent action is needed.  This Council is committed to its priorities including a clean and safe environment.  It is the right thing to do to tackle climate change for future generations and to further community wellbeing.  

 

Therefore, this Council commits to establishing a Leader’s task group to work towards delivering a strategy in 2020 that clearly outlines how we plan to deliver the target of net zero carbon emissions by 2050. We are also committed to delivering to our residents safe and secure homes, and secure employment, as sustainably as possible.”  

 

Proposed by Councillor I.T.E. Harvey

Seconded by Councillor A.C. Harman

 

3.    “This Council caveats its support for a third runway and appropriate and proportionate expansion, subject to Heathrow meeting:

a)   the 16 requirements as recommended by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee at its extraordinary meeting on 3 September 2019; and

b)   our demands that our impacted communities be properly compensated via the Wider Property Offer Zone scheme.”

 

Proposed by Councillor I.T.E. Harvey

Seconded by Councillor J.R. Boughtflower

 

4.    “Following the Prime Minister’s announcement that the UK will eradicate its net contribution to climate change by 2050:

This Council resolves to:

1.    Commit to working closely with the Government, the Environment Agency, our County colleagues, local businesses, our residents and other partners in meeting this target;

2.   Deliver a strategy in 2019/20 that clearly outlines how we plan to deliver the target; and

3.   Write to the government asking them to confirm what support will be made available to local authorities to help achieve this goal.”

 

Proposed by Councillor R.A. Smith-Ainsley

Seconded by Councillor J.R. Boughtflower

 

5.    “The Council notes the position of Spelthorne at the bottom of the Friends of the Earth table of the most climate-friendly areas in England and Wales. It is resolved that Spelthorne Borough Council will take steps to become a national leader in addressing carbon emissions and climate change. To achieve this aim, it is recognised that it is essential that there is genuine engagement across all segments of society.

In order to become a leading Council in addressing Climate Change and environmental degradation Spelthorne Council resolves to take the following actions:

  • To recognise that responding to Climate Change spans Council Election cycles and as such cannot only be considered within the Cabinet Environment portfolio.
  • All Council policies will be required to directly address their environmental and climate change impacts and ensure that negative consequences are eliminated or at least minimised.
  • To establish an Environmental Partnership group, involving Councillors across all parties, residents, young citizens, businesses and experts. The remit of this group would be:

1.    To consider the latest best practice and expert advice on solutions and to consider systematically the climate change impact of each area of the Council's activities.

2.    To recommend ways to maximise local benefits of the actions in other sectors such as employment, health, agriculture, transport and the local economy

This group will report directly to the Cabinet as the ruling body. And should be operational within 10 weeks

  • To develop a concrete Climate Action Plan scorecard, within a 3 month period, against which progress can be measured.  Once established, regular updates of progress are to be provided at every Council meeting.
  • To commit the Council to being net-zero carbon before 2030.”

Proposed by Councillor B.B. Spoor

Seconded by Councillor T. Lagden

Minutes:

In accordance with Standing Order 17 the Council received five written Notices of Motions.

 

Councillor I.T.E. Harvey moved and Councillor R.W. Sider BEM seconded the following Motion:

 

“This Council supports the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of Anti-Semitism (decided on 26 May 2016 at Bucharest) and henceforward adopts this definition and the illustrative examples for all relevant aspects of Council policy particularly in the field of anti-discrimination and the promotion of human rights.”

 

Councillor S.M. Doran, proposed the following amendment (additional words have been italicised) which was seconded by Councillor C.L. Bateson:

 

“This council supports the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of Anti-Semitism (decided on 26 May 2016 at Bucharest) and henceforward adopts this definition and the illustrative examples for all relevant aspects of Council policy particularly in the field of anti-discrimination and the promotion of human rights.

 

Additionally, Council welcomes, endorses and hereby adopts, the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) definition of Islamophobia including all of its examples, again for all relevant aspect of Council policy particularly in the field of anti-discrimination and the promotion of human rights.

 

Spelthorne is rightly proud of its diverse community and recognises the valuable part played by the communities of all faiths and beliefs.

 

The amendment was not carried and the original Motion put to the vote.

 

The original Motion was carried.

 

Resolved that this Council supports the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of Anti-Semitism (decided on 26 May 2016 at Bucharest) and henceforward adopts this definition and the illustrative examples for all relevant aspects of Council policy particularly in the field of anti-discrimination and the promotion of human rights.

 

The second Motion was moved by Councillor I.T.E. Harvey and seconded by Councillor A.C. Harman:

 

“The Council is currently working on the development of its new Corporate Plan to cover the next three years of this administration.  In doing so it will be reaffirming its four Corporate Priorities of:

1.         Housing

2.         Economic Development

3.         Clean and Safe Environment

4.         Financial Sustainability

 

This Council notes that many other Councils have recently declared a “climate emergency”. We understand that there is rightly much concern about climate change and that urgent action is needed.  This Council is committed to its priorities including a clean and safe environment.  It is the right thing to do to tackle climate change for future generations and to further community wellbeing. 

 

Therefore, this Council commits to establishing a Leader’s task group to work towards delivering a strategy in 2020 that clearly outlines how we plan to deliver the target of net zero carbon emissions by 2050.   We are also committed to delivering to our residents safe and secure homes, and secure employment, as sustainably as possible.”

 

Councillor I.T.E. Harvey spoke and gave a commitment that the proposed task group would be a members’ cross-party group which would report back to Cabinet regularly on proposed actions on climate change, monitoring and delivering on carbon neutrality by 2050 in line with current Government policy.  The target date would be continually reviewed and amended in line with Government Policy changes.

 

Councillor L.E. Nichols proposed and Councillor C.L. Bateson seconded the following amendment (additional words have been italicised and deleted words struck through):

 

“The Council is currently working on the development of its new Corporate Plan to cover the next three years of this administration.  In doing so it will be adding a new priority of Environmental Sustainability and reaffirming its four existing Corporate Priorities.of The Corporate Priorities will be:

 

  1. Environmental Sustainability
  2. Housing
  3. Economic Development
  4. Clean and Safe Environment
  5. Financial Sustainability

 

This Council notes that many other Councils have recently declared a “climate emergency”.  We understand that there is rightly much concern about climate change and that urgent action is needed and this is why Environmental Sustainability is to be added as a Corporate Priority.  This new priority will place emphasis on the need for carbon reduction, waste and recycling, sustainable housing and energy efficiency.  This Council is committed to its priorities including a clean and safe environment.  It is the right thing to do to tackle climate change for future generations and to further community wellbeing. commit to an increased and special emphasis on Environment Sustainability.

 

Therefore, this Council commits to establishing a Leader’s task group to work towards delivering a strategy in 2020 that clearly outlines how we plan to deliver the target of net zero carbon emissions by 2050.  We are also committed to delivering to our residents safe and secure homes, and secure employment, as sustainably as possible.”

 

The amendment was not carried.

 

Councillor L.E. Nichols proposed and Councillor C.L. Bateson seconded a second amendment to the Motion (additional words have been italicised and deleted words struck through):

 

“The Council is currently working on the development of its new Corporate Plan to cover the next three years of this administration.  In doing so it will be reaffirming its four Corporate Priorities of:

 

1.         Housing

2.         Economic Development

3.         Clean and Safe Environment

4.         Financial Sustainability

 

This Council notes that many other Councils have recently declared a “climate emergency”. We understand that there is rightly much concern about climate change and that urgent action is needed.  This Council is committed to its priorities including a clean and safe environment.  It is the right thing to do to tackle climate change for future generations and to further community wellbeing. 

 

Therefore, this Council commits to establishing a Leader’s task group to report to the Cabinet and the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.  This task group to comprise a minimum of 7 members drawn from all political groups.  The task group will work to towards delivering a strategy in 2020 that clearly outlines how we plan to deliver the target of net zero carbon emissions by 2050.   We are also committed to delivering to our residents safe and secure homes, and secure employment, as sustainably as possible.”

 

The amendment was not carried.

 

A third amendment was proposed by Councillor L.E. Nichols and seconded by Councillor C.L. Bateson (additional words have been italicised and deleted words struck through):

 

“The Council is currently working on the development of its new Corporate Plan to cover the next three years of this administration.  In doing so it will be reaffirming its four Corporate Priorities of:

1.         Housing

2.         Economic Development

3.         Clean and Safe Environment

4.         Financial Sustainability

 

This Council notes that many other Councils have recently declared a “climate emergency”. We understand that there is rightly much concern about climate change and that urgent action is needed.  This Council is committed to its priorities including a clean and safe environment.  It is the right thing to do to tackle climate change for future generations and to further community wellbeing. 

 

Therefore, this Council commits to establishing a Leader’s task group to work towards delivering a strategy in 2020 that clearly outlines how we plan to deliver the a target of net zero carbon emissions for Spelthorne Borough Council by 2050 2030.   We are also committed to delivering to our residents safe and secure homes, and secure employment, as sustainably as possible.”

 

Councillor L.E. Nichols requested a recorded vote on the amendment.

 

The voting on the amendment was as follows:

 

FOR (14)

Councillors: Bateson, Cornes, Doerfel, J. Doran, S. Doran,

R. Dunn, S. Dunn, Fidler, Grant, Lagden, Nichols, Siva, Spoor and Vinson

AGAINST (21)

Councillors: I. Harvey, Harman, Attewell, Barnard, C. Barratt, R. Barratt, Boughtflower, Brar, Buttar, Chandler, Gibson, H. Harvey, Islam, Leighton, Madams, McIlroy, Mitchell, Noble, Sexton, Sider and Smith-Ainsley.

ABSTAIN (1)

Councillor Beardsmore

 

 

The amendment was not carried.

 

The original Motion was put to the vote and carried.

 

Resolved that the Council is currently working on the development of its new Corporate Plan to cover the next three years of this administration.  In doing so it will be reaffirming its four Corporate Priorities of:

1.         Housing

2.         Economic Development

3.         Clean and Safe Environment

4.         Financial Sustainability

 

This Council notes that many other Councils have recently declared a “climate emergency”. We understand that there is rightly much concern about climate change and that urgent action is needed.  This Council is committed to its priorities including a clean and safe environment.  It is the right thing to do to tackle climate change for future generations and to further community wellbeing. 

 

Therefore, this Council commits to establishing a Leader’s task group to work towards delivering a strategy in 2020 that clearly outlines how we plan to deliver the target of net zero carbon emissions by 2050.   We are also committed to delivering to our residents safe and secure homes, and secure employment, as sustainably as possible.

 

Councillor N. Cornes left the meeting at this point.

 

The third Motion was proposed by Councillor I.T.E. Harvey and seconded by Councillor J.R. Boughtflower:

 

“This Council caveats its support for a third runway and appropriate and proportionate expansion, subject to Heathrow meeting:

a)            the 16 requirements as recommended by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee at its extraordinary meeting on 3 September 2019; and

b)            our demands that our impacted communities be properly compensated via the Wider Property Offer Zone scheme.”

 

The Motion was carried.

 

The fourth Motion was proposed by Councillor R.A. Smith-Ainsley and seconded by Councillor J.R. Boughtflower.  A request by Councillor R.A. Smith-Ainsley to alter his Motion was agreed.  The altered Motion was:

 

“Following the Prime Minister’s announcement that the UK will eradicate its net contribution to climate change by 2050 and in the light of the recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, declaring a climate emergency: This Council resolves to:

 

1.    Commit to working closely with the Government, the Environment Agency, our County colleagues, local businesses, our residents and other partners in meeting this target;

2.    Update our strategy in 2019/20 which clearly outlines how we plan to deliver the target; and

This to be undertaken by a cross-party task group and their findings shall be presented to Cabinet.

3.    Write to the Government asking them to confirm what support will be made available to local authorities to help achieve this goal.

4.    Update our target date following the publication of the IPCC Synthesis Report, due in 2022.”

 

An amendment to the Motion was proposed by Councillor I.J. Beardsmore and seconded by Councillor R.O. Barratt (additional words have been italicised):

 

“Following the Prime Minister’s announcement that the UK will eradicate its net contribution to climate change by 2050 and in the light of the recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, declaring a climate emergency: This Council resolves to:

 

1.    Commit to working closely with the Government, the Environment Agency, our County colleagues, local businesses, our residents and other partners in meeting this target;

2.    Update our strategy in 2019/20 which clearly outlines how we plan to deliver the target; and

This to be undertaken by a cross-party task group and their findings shall be presented to Cabinet.

3.    Write to the Government asking them to confirm what support will be made available to local authorities to help achieve this goal.

4.    Update our target date following the publication of the IPCC Synthesis Report, due in 2022.

 

Further, this Council requests that the Local Plan Working Party considers putting in a specific policy on this into the next draft of the Local Plan”

 

The amendment was carried and the new substantive Motion put to the vote.

 

The substantive Motion was carried.

 

The fifth Motion was withdrawn by Councillor B.B. Spoor.