Agenda item

Councillor Andrew Parker asked the Leader the following:

The Leader would be aware that residents had been complaining about the poor standard of Highway grass verge cutting across the Borough by the County Council’s contractor. The frequency and quality of the cuts this year had been abysmal.

Was there anything the Borough Council could do about the situation?

Issues had been identified in the Spring regarding the length of time it was taking to do one division and the poor quality of the cut.  It appeared that the contractor was not doing a full week.  County Councillors applied pressure for the matter to be resolved to a degree by getting the contractor back to do the cuts much quicker, although the quality was still an issue.  The Council had been in negotiation to take back the grass cutting so that the Borough teams could do it.

Councillor Parker asked if the Leader agreed that after the next cut, residents would begin to see an improvement.

The Leader agreed that they would but the quality would still be an issue.

Councillor Joel Edgington-Plunkett asked the Leader the following question:

All wards across the borough had seen vital bus services reduced or removed. Local affordable public transport was vital for the economy, work, medical access and social isolation. Could the borough prosperity fund explore subsidising money for local transport to get the people of the borough moving again?

The borough prosperity fund was called the shared prosperity fund. One of the criteria was supporting decarbonisation and improving the natural environment whole growing the local economy.  Bids coming forward could be looked at from a transport angle.  Through the Town Deal, a new bus service was already planned, going through Keele University, Knutton and Silverdale and into Newcastle.  This would be sought to be a green bus service – possibly hydrogen or electric.   It was hoped that new services could be replicated out to the north and east of the Borough too.

Councillor Edgington-Plunkett asked if people with bus passes would be included when demand was considered.

The Leader confirmed that the normal discretionary travel situation would be on any new routes which were brought in.   When new planning applications were brought in, it needed to be ensured that there were bus services and funding for them to ensure that green travel plans were part of it.

Councillor Mike Stubbs asked the Leader:

On the 15th of June, Lord Giedt was forced to quit as the Prime Minister's Ethics Advisor, the second to do so after Alex Allan quit in November 2020. On Monday, Lord McDonald was forced to write to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards Kathryn Stone over No 10's statements on MP Chris Pincher "to ensure confidence is not eroded in our local democratic process". Does the Leader condone the behaviour of the Prime Minister or does he think that the seven principles of public life are to be ignored like the Prime Minister?

A process was underway regarding the MP in question and nobody could condone that behaviour.  The Leader had ensured that this Council’s Constitution contained the latest LGA Code of Conduct, relating to Standards and the seven principles.  All Members signed up to them and the public could hold the Council to account.

Councillor Stubbs asked:

Staffordshire Police had been told it must improve after being placed in 'special measures' and Staffordshire Fire had also just released figures that their second fire engine had seen its availability go from 95% last year to 70% this year.  Would the Leader of the Council apportion the blame for this substandard performance at the door of the Conservative Staffordshire Commissioner Ben Adams, or maybe that of the former Conservative Police and Crime Commissioner Mathew Ellis? Could the Leader guarantee to the residents of Newcastle that the Fire Service would not follow the Police into special measures after the pending HMI report.

The Leader stated that it had been a body blow for the Police coming at a time when changes were taking place with Ben Adams and a new Chief Constable and team.  The Leader had confidence that they could deliver for the Police and also the Fire Service which was part of the new joint Commissioner role.

Watch the debate here