Agenda item

QUESTIONS TO THE MAYOR, CABINET MEMBERS AND COMMITTEE CHAIRS

Minutes:

Questions to the Mayor, Cabinet Members and Committee Chairs could be found on page 111 of the supplementary agenda.

 

 

Councillor Parker asked the Portfolio Holder for Community Safety and Wellbeing what measures the Council was taking to deal with the possible threat of the Corona Virus in the Borough.

 

Councillor Helena Maxfield advised that there was no need for alarm.

 

In terms of business continuity at the Council, there was a cascade mechanism to provide cover.  Hand sanitisers had been installed within Castle House and posters put up around the building providing advice for people who had recently returned from China.

 

There were no reports of anyone local having contracted the virus but this would continue to be monitored by officers.

 

 

Councillor Graham Hutton, asked the Portfolio Holder for Planning and Growth if the Council would take legal action to have buildings built without planning permission removed.

 

Councillor Paul Northcott stated that the answer was a caveated yes. The Council would investigate the matter, undertake the expediency test, invite an application if appropriate and, if the application was refused or no application  made, enforcement action would be considered in light of the seven exemptions in the legislation. If none of those applied, officers would commence the steady but ruthless process of enforcement action to secure demolition of the building and the restoration of the site to its former use and appearance.

 

 

Councillor Fox-Hewitt asked the Leader to update members on what investigations had been undertaken relating to recent complaints of staff ill health to rule out potential links with mould spores or poor air quality.

 

The Leader advised that a small number of officers had complained of headaches which could possibly be linked to the air handling units and glare.

 

Two strategies were in place; to make sure that the units were operating as they should and the installation of darker blinds where officers had reported their workspace as too bright giving glare off computer screens for example.

 

A company (BISRA) had been brought in to undertake tests to monitor noise and temperature levels and the results would be received within the next few weeks.  Occupational Health would monitor officers who had reported ill health.

 

The mould spores issue was a separate matter.  These had been discovered during works to repair a leak and this had been isolated to the two meeting rooms / Registrars area on the ground floor.  This area had now had a deep cleanse and there had been no reported health issues relating to that.

 

Newcastle was working with Stoke City Council and Staffordshire County Council to improve air quality across the area but officers had advised that the area around Castle House was not of any concern.

 

Councillor Fox-Hewitt stated that in previous air samples taken in 2010 and 2017 there had been fractions of fine particulate matters.  The Leader was asked if he could advise of levels of Nitrogen Dioxide and fragments both inside and outside of Castle House.

 

The Leader advised that he would send a written response to the above question to all Members.

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