The following Motions have been submitted in pursuance of paragraph 31.1 Council Procedure Rules:
MOTION TO FULL COUNCIL
Proposer: Cllr Caroline Topping
Seconder: Cllr Peter Byatt
This Council notes that:
Suffolk’s five district and borough councils have conducted an engagement survey about Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) and the most popular priority from over 1,500 respondents is: “Being Local - Ensuring decisions that affect you, and where you live, are made close to you - by councillors and a council that understand your needs and represents your area”. This is consistent across each district and borough in the county.
The voices of residents, businesses and organisations are essential in shaping the future of Suffolk.
Research from the University of Cambridge’s Bennett Institute for Public Policy has found that ‘public satisfaction is higher with authorities that are smaller in size’.
An analysis of existing unitary councils has further identified that there is no link between councils’ size and their performance. For example, almost twice as many councils with the smallest populations obtained the CQC’s (Care Quality Commission) highest ‘outstanding’ rating than councils with larger populations.
A vast Suffolk-wide council would most likely create a barrier to truly local representation, reducing the total number of Councillors from c.300 to between 90 and 140 and therefore significantly increasing the number of residents represented by each elected member, risking poor democratic representation.
New financial analysis by KPMG, based specifically on Suffolk, shows that a three-unitary model is affordable'
This Council resolves to:
Further develop the case which presents a preferred option for a three-unitary model. This will enable decision-making to remain close to communities and offer genuine value for money.
Consult further with KPMG to present the detail which establishes that a three unitary model provides high quality, sustainable public services whilst delivering efficiencies.
Prioritise the needs of our residents throughout the process of Local Government Reorganisation by engaging with them throughout.
MOTION TO FULL COUNCIL
Proposer; Councillor Rosie Smithson
Seconder; Councillor Tess Gandy
This Council notes that
Our environmental impact strategic priorities include a focus on reduction, re-use and recycling of materials through our own practices and by encouraging others.
In East Suffolk the percentage of household waste sent for recycling or composting remains below target at around 40% of all domestic waste we produce. A key area where we could easily do better is in the recycling of drinks cans and plastic bottles.
A simple yet highly effective way to increase recycling and reduce litter is the installation of public reverse vending machines (RVMs) that accept bottles and cans, giving back rewards such as points, money or vouchers. Ubiquitous in many parts of Europe, RVMs are usually part of a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS), under which people pay a small deposit when buying a drink and are refunded the deposit when they return the bottle or can for recycling.
West Suffolk Council has recently installed RVMs in three Suffolk towns that earn users points for each item recycled. These points are then used to redeem rewards from local and national retailers. The scheme incentivises recycling, reduces the carbon footprint, fosters greater public engagement in environmental initiatives and helps local businesses by encouraging footfall.
This Council resolves to
Investigate the West Suffolk Council deposit return scheme for cans and plastic bottles with the ambition to adopt the same initiative here.
Provide Full Council with a report on the investigation with recommendations within six months.