Agenda item

Notices of Motion

i)          Councillor Hallam to propose and Councillor Kilby-Shaw to second:

 

“This Council recognises that the rapid growth of Hybrid and Electric vehicles. 

 

Council welcomes the recent news that it has been awarded a grant to put 2x new Rapid Charging Points in its Town Centre car parks to add to the network of points we already have in the Borough.

 

Council also recognizes the contribution of the private sector in ensuring that Northampton already has a substantially larger network of points available compared to similar towns nearby. Council welcomes the work of companies such as Nationwide in providing an extensive network of points in the town for its employees and welcomes a recent announcement by BP that it intends to deploy publically available charging points at many of its forecourt sites.

 

Council agrees to work with companies seeking to deploy such technology and to work with Northamptonshire County Council as the Highways Authority to aim to increase the amount of Rapid Charging Points available to the general public in Northampton.” 

 

 

ii)         Councillor Hallam to propose and Councillor Hill to second:

 

“At the council meeting on the 3rd June there was unanimous cross party support for action to be taken to address the “climate emergency”.

Making Northampton carbon neutral by 2030 must be accompanied by conserving and enhancing biodiversity across Northampton and managing its green Infrastructure.

 

This council adopted a Biodiversity Supplementary Planning document in May 2015 and this will influence new developments but will not affect the general conservation and enhancement of the existing environmental infrastructure that is vital to reducing Northampton’s carbon footprint.

 

In August 2011 under the Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government the Department for Environment and Rural Affairs issued a report entitled:- BIODIVERSITY 2020 : A strategy for England’s wildlife and ecosystem services.

The mission for this strategy was to halt overall biodiversity loss, support healthy well-functioning ecosystems and establish coherent ecological networks, with more and better places for nature for the benefit of wildlife and people.

 

The council requests that, following a cross party meeting on 18th June, where these issues will have been discussed, a report to be presented to a future Council meeting, allowing time for this significant workload and effect on services, as well as, financial impact to be assessed. 

This report would look to set out how this council has responded to the Biodiversity 2020 challenge and highlighting the areas that still need to be addressed that needed to be considered in the preparation of the 2020/21 budget.”

 

 

iii)        Councillor B Markham to propose and Councillor Meredith to second:

 

“At the council meeting on the 3rd June there was unanimous cross party support for action to be taken to address the “climate emergency”. Making Northampton carbon neutral by 2030 must be accompanied by conserving and enhancing biodiversity across Northampton and managing its green Infrastructure.

 

This council adopted a Biodiversity Supplementary Planning document in May 2015 and this will influence new developments but will not affect the general conservation and enhancement of the existing environmental infrastructure that is vital to reducing Northampton’s carbon footprint.

 

In August 2011 under the Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government the Department for Environment and Rural Affairs issued a report entitled:- BIODIVERSITY 2020: A strategy for England’s wildlife and ecosystem services. The mission for this strategy was to halt overall biodiversity loss, support healthy well-functioning ecosystems and establish coherent ecological networks, with more and better places for nature for the benefit of wildlife and people.

 

The council requests a report to be presented to the Council meeting in September setting out how this council has responded to the Biodiversity 2020 challenge and highlighting the areas that still need to be addressed that needed to be considered in the preparation of the 2020/21 budget.”

 

 

iv)        Councillor B Markham to propose and Councillor Beardsworth to second:

 

“Air Quality Policy 2 of The Northampton Low Emissions Strategy states:

“We will aim to reduce the vehicle emissions that have a harmful effect on air quality, by increasing the attractiveness of low polluting alternatives to the private car and encouraging modal shift.”

 

Air Quality Policy no 6 states:

“We will work with operators and Government to seek the introduction of buses fuelled by alternative fuel sources in Northamptonshire.”

 

Other Local Authorities with similar policies have imposed target dates to ensure the introduction of alternative fuelled buses in their areas. Northampton does not have such a target and as a result we are getting older more polluting vehicles that other areas have banned.

 

We therefore call on NBC to work with public transport operators, Northamptonshire County Council and Michael Ellis MP, ( Minister of State, Department of Transport, ) to take urgent action to :-

 

1: Ban all diesel buses that do not meet EURO 5 Emissions standards or higher, from scheduled bus and coach services, in Northampton by 1st April 2023.

 

2: To ensure that buses and coaches that do not meet EURO 6 standards are withdrawn from scheduled service routes by 1st April 2025.

 

3: Produce a public transport plan for the Northampton Travel to Work Area that will enable the councils and successor authorities to secure funding for a Low and Ultra-Low Emissions Public Transport Infrastructures. With the aim of getting rid of diesel powered buses from Northampton and the county by 1st January 2030.”

 

 

v)         Councillor B Markham to propose and Councillor Beardsworth to second:

 

“The council is currently consulting on Part 2 of the Local Plan with the view of submitting the draft for public inspection in 2020.

 

The draft plan has introduced a more detailed categorisation of open space which differentiates between Parks and Gardens and Amenity Green Space.

 

Many well-known parks have been categorised as Amenity Green Spaces (AGS) which is defined as Informal recreation and green spaces in and around housing, with a primary purpose of providing opportunities for informal activities close to home or work.

 

The council is concerned that the public would not recognise their local park as complying with this definition and requests that consideration is given to all open spaces, with play equipment supplied and maintained by this council, be classified as Parks and Gardens and not as Amenity Green Spaces.

 

 

vi)        Councillor Birch to propose and Councillor Eales to second:

 

This Council recognises that poverty, as an issue in the county, has a major impact on the life chances of our citizens. We have 18,000 plus children living in poverty. We are seeing an increasing number of our elderly, vulnerable residents living in poverty.

We will therefore, working with partners and services, develop an anti-poverty strategy that will:

·         seek to prevent people and families becoming poor;

·         support people and families with appropriate measures when they are poor, and;

·         support people to maximise their income to get them, and the following generation, out of poverty.

This strategy will be offered to the new Unitary Authority as a working document.”

Minutes:

At this point a point of order was called citing Article 4 indicating there was a need for members to have a clear understanding of the role of motions and it was asked that a meeting be held to discuss this.

 

i)       Councillor Hallam proposed and Councillor Kilby-Shaw seconded the motion:

 

“This Council recognises that the rapid growth of Hybrid and Electric vehicles. 

 

Council welcomes the recent news that it has been awarded a grant to put 2x new Rapid Charging Points in its Town Centre car parks to add to the network of points we already have in the Borough.

 

Council also recognizes the contribution of the private sector in ensuring that Northampton already has a substantially larger network of point’s available compared to similar towns nearby. Council welcomes the work of companies such as Nationwide in providing an extensive network of points in the town for its employees and welcomes a recent announcement by BP that it intends to deploy publically available charging points at many of its forecourt sites.

 

Council agrees to work with companies seeking to deploy such technology and to work with Northamptonshire County Council as the Highways Authority to aim to increase the amount of Rapid Charging Points available to the general public in Northampton.” 

 

Members debated the motion.

 

Upon a vote the motion was carried.

 

ii)         Councillor Hallam asked to withdraw the motion and this was agreed by Councillor Hill the proposed seconder. 

 

Council agreed this proposal.

 

iii)     Councillor B Markham proposed and Councillor Hill seconded the motion:

 

“At the council meeting on the 3rd June there was unanimous cross party support for action to be taken to address the “climate emergency”. Making Northampton carbon neutral by 2030 must be accompanied by conserving and enhancing biodiversity across Northampton and managing its green Infrastructure.

 

This council adopted a Biodiversity Supplementary Planning document in May 2015 and this will influence new developments but will not affect the general conservation and enhancement of the existing environmental infrastructure that is vital to reducing Northampton’s carbon footprint.

 

In August 2011 under the Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government the Department for Environment and Rural Affairs issued a report entitled: - BIODIVERSITY 2020: A strategy for England’s wildlife and ecosystem services. The mission for this strategy was to halt overall biodiversity loss, support healthy well-functioning ecosystems and establish coherent ecological networks, with more and better places for nature for the benefit of wildlife and people.

 

The council requests a report to be presented to the Council meeting in September setting out how this council has responded to the Biodiversity 2020 challenge and highlighting the areas that still need to be addressed that needed to be considered in the preparation of the 2020/21 budget.”

 

An alteration to the amendment was submitted by Councillor B Markham to amend the final paragraph to read ‘The council requests that, and following on from the cross party meeting on 18th June 2019, a report be presented to the Council meeting in September setting out how this council has responded to the Biodiversity 2020 challenge and highlighting the areas that still need to be addressed that needed to be considered in the preparation of the 2020/21 budget.

 

The Mayor asked Council if they accepted the alteration to the motion.  Council accepted.

 

Members debated the altered motion.

 

Upon a vote the motion was carried.

 

iv)        Councillor B Markham proposed and Councillor Beardsworth seconded the motion:

 

“Air Quality Policy 2 of The Northampton Low Emissions Strategy states:

“We will aim to reduce the vehicle emissions that have a harmful effect on air quality, by increasing the attractiveness of low polluting alternatives to the private car and encouraging modal shift.”

 

Air Quality Policy no 6 states:

“We will work with operators and Government to seek the introduction of buses fuelled by alternative fuel sources in Northamptonshire.”

 

Other Local Authorities with similar policies have imposed target dates to ensure the introduction of alternative fuelled buses in their areas. Northampton does not have such a target and as a result we are getting older more polluting vehicles that other areas have banned.

 

We therefore call on NBC to work with public transport operators, Northamptonshire County Council and Michael Ellis MP, ( Minister of State, Department of Transport, ) to take urgent action to :-

 

1: Ban all diesel buses that do not meet EURO 5 Emissions standards or higher, from scheduled bus and coach services, in Northampton by 1st April 2023.

 

2: To ensure that buses and coaches that do not meet EURO 6 standards are withdrawn from scheduled service routes by 1st April 2025.

 

3: Produce a public transport plan for the Northampton Travel to Work Area that will enable the councils and successor authorities to secure funding for a Low and Ultra-Low Emissions Public Transport Infrastructures. With the aim of getting rid of diesel powered buses from Northampton and the county by 1st January 2030.”

 

An alteration to the amendment was submitted by Councillor B Markham to add two additional recommendations numbered 4 to read ‘To campaign to stop cars and buses idling, enforcing this with fixed penalties under the Road Traffic (Vehicle Emissions) (Fixed Penalty) Regulations 2002’ and numbered 5, to read ‘ To establish car free zones around schools wherever possible.’

 

The Mayor asked Council if they accepted the alteration to the motion.  Council accepted.

 

Members debated the altered motion.

 

Upon a vote the motion was carried.

 

v)         Councillor B Markham proposed and Councillor Beardsworth seconded the motion:

 

“The council is currently consulting on Part 2 of the Local Plan with the view of submitting the draft for public inspection in 2020.

 

The draft plan has introduced a more detailed categorisation of open space which differentiates between Parks and Gardens and Amenity Green Space.

 

Many well-known parks have been categorised as Amenity Green Spaces (AGS) which is defined as Informal recreation and green spaces in and around housing, with a primary purpose of providing opportunities for informal activities close to home or work.

 

The council is concerned that the public would not recognise their local park as complying with this definition and requests that consideration is given to all open spaces, with play equipment supplied and maintained by this council, be classified as Parks and Gardens and not as Amenity Green Spaces.

 

Members debated the altered motion.

 

Upon a vote the motion was carried.

 

vi)        Councillor Birch proposed and Councillor Roberts seconded the motion:

 

This Council recognises that poverty, as an issue in the county, has a major impact on the life chances of our citizens. We have 18,000 plus children living in poverty. We are seeing an increasing number of our elderly, vulnerable residents living in poverty.

We will therefore, working with partners and services, develop an anti-poverty strategy that will:

·         seek to prevent people and families becoming poor;

·         support people and families with appropriate measures when they are poor, and;

·         support people to maximise their income to get them, and the following generation, out of poverty.

This strategy will be offered to the new Unitary Authority as a working document.”

 

Anya Willis addressed Council speaking on behalf of Restore Northampton.  She indicated that poverty in the town was a very real problem with people using food banks and being employed on zero hours contracts.  Families were having to choose between having a roof over their heads, food on the table and getting the essentials for their new baby.  The Council needed to recognise the issues in the town and work collaboratively with these third sector agencies.

 

An alteration to the amendment was submitted by Councillor Birch to replace the last line of the motion with the following ‘We commit to setting up a six member cross party working group by the end of November 2019, to develop a strategy and this will be brought back to full Council.

 

Members debated the altered motion.

 

Upon a vote the motion was carried.