Agenda item
Public Open Forum
The public open forum will commence at 2.00 p.m. and the following formal business of the Council will commence at 2.30 p.m. or whenever the public open forum ends, if earlier.
Minutes:
Question 1
From: Philip Gadd, Grantham
To: Councillor Matthew Lee, the Leader of the Council
Riverside Flats, Grantham is an SKDC maintained housing complex. Its residents are mainly elderly, infirm or vulnerable people. They are not the sort of people who would complain about issues within the complex.
In the summer of 2016, the heating system was replaced by heat exchangers. Within weeks of its completion problems became apparent because of lack of hot water and heating. Many complaints were made to both SKDC and Liberty Gas in the run up to winter 2016.
A complaint made on 1st December 2016 resulted in this statement from SKDC to Grantham Matters.
“We are aware of issues at the Riverside complex and will be on site on December 2nd to make further assessment and repairs as necessary” That was 2ndDec ---2016!
Mr Boles MP was asked for help on the 4th Jan 2017 and St Wulfram’s Ward Cllr Mr Wootten was also asked to raise the issue in the summer of 2017. All of these requests for help have achieved little. Recently Cllr Smith was also contacted because the heating and water issues at the complex had reached a crisis point for some of the elderly.
I also understand the warden has continually logged the residents’ complaints and passed them on during this period.
Could you please explain WHY we are in the THIRD winter of problems and permanent repairs have still not been completed by SKDC and Liberty Gas. Could he also consider a compensation payment for the years of hardship the residents have had to put up with regarding the lack of hot water and heating.
The question was referred to the Cabinet Member for Housing who provided historical context on the installation of the heating system and stated that the action taken in 2016 in response to the issue were being investigated, including finding evidence of any risk assessments that were undertaken at that time. He provided assurance that the Council was now moving towards a programme of planned preventative maintenance with the piping system scheduled for replacement in April 2019. It was noted that it was possible that some of the pipes in individual flats may need replacing.
The Cabinet Member apologised for errors made in 2016 and gave assurance that measures were being put in place to resolve the issues that had occurred. As an interim measure temporary heating was being provided to all residents, service charges had been waived and residents would be refunded for all reasonable costs for the use of electricity.
The Deputy Leader also apologised about the situation and the amount of time it was taking to get the matter resolved. He added that residents were being provided with contact details for senior officers and reiterated that no resident would be financially worse off as a result of the situation.
Councillor Wootten raised a point of personal explanation as he had been named in Mr. Gadd’s question. He stated that any time a resident contacted him or his fellow Ward Councillor, they had taken immediate action.
Question 2
From: Chris Noon, Grantham
To: Councillor Kelham Cooke, the Deputy Leader of the Council
I am sure you are more than aware myself and other concerned citizens of SKDC looked at the way the boxing day meets in Grantham are being organised and at what cost to the tax payer of SKDC. What we found was a shambolic dereliction of duty of care for the people of SKDC and Grantham, there being almost no attempt at ensuring the event management required BY SKDC council was adhered to. We also suspect that last year’s meet was incorrectly organised and should have never gone ahead, we will return to that later this year.
At last year’s Boxing Day meet during an interview with Councillor Kelham Cooke on BBC TV he stated ‘So, it used to happen on St Peters Hill, I think the decision was taken this year by the organisers that it would be better to organise it here (that being The Paddock). It’s a better environment for the horses and the hounds and the members of the public that want to come and see’. That statement was not entirely correct, due to laws being politely explained by members of the public to SKDC it became apparent the meet could not legitimately happen on St Peters Hill and so was moved.
Let’s return to Cllr Cooke’s statement ‘it’s better for the horses, the hounds and the members of the public’. Given the position of Mr Cooke and the gravitas that comes along with that position can we now take it as read that SKDC will no longer allow these 'events' on St Peters Hill?
Councillor Cooke responded, stating that every application for events held on St. Peter’s Hill was considered at the time of receipt and on its own merits. He added that the Council required the submission of a comprehensive risk assessment and details of public liability insurance.
The speaker referred to the risk assessment, of which he had been given a copy, and stated that he did not consider it to be fit for purpose.
Question 3
From: Chris Noon, Grantham
To: Councillor Kelham Cooke, the Deputy Leader of the Council
On the 10th of December a risk assessment was submitted by the Belvoir Hunt Ltd for the event on Boxing Day being organised by The Belvoir Hunt and the Grantham Charter Trustees, this was rejected on the 11th of December.
On the 18th of December I received an email from Aidan Rave, Chief executive of SDKC stating a completed Risk Assessment had not yet been received from the Belvoir Hunt Ltd, at this point the Grantham Charter Trustees had pulled out of organising the event.
On the 24th of December a risk assessment was submitted from ‘The friends of the Belvoir Hunt’ who were not one of the original event organisers and until that Risk Assessment arrived were completely unmentioned by SKDC when a request for the event organisers was requested.
Who in SKDC do I need to talk to receive a copy of the event notice and failed risk assessment provided by the Belvoir Hunt Ltd on the 10th of December and a separate event notice with accompanying risk assessment from ‘The friends of the Belvoir Hunt’. Can I also request written assurances that the 'friends of the Belvoir Hunt' provided all the correct and agreed paperwork, signed off by the relevant SKDC employees. Omissions to satisfy GDPR (names and addresses) withstanding are perfectly acceptable.
The Deputy Leader stated that he was happy to look into Mr. Noon’s concerns and would meet with him to discuss them in detail. He stated that a redacted copy of the application had been e-mailed to Mr. Noon on 24 December 2018; an acceptance letter had been sent out the same day, which rendered void those documents that had been submitted previously. Mr. Noon stated that he had not received the updated application. Councillor Cooke apologised that Mr. Noon had not received the documents and agreed to share them with him at their meeting.
Question 4
From: Peter Moisey, Bourne and Deeping Hockey Club
To: Councillor Matthew Lee, the Leader of the Council
As chairman of Bourne and Deeping Hockey Club I wish to ask what the council have planned for the facilities within Bourne and the Deepings for artificial surfaces suitable for hockey.
Having failed to oversee that those responsible ensure maintenance of the facility at Deepings Leisure Centre, its continual neglect and under investment has rendered the pitch condemned as to use for anything other than the basic of standards.
As a result the decline of Bourne Hockey Club est1926 and Deeping Hockey Club left them with no alternative but to merge.
Now our club with 6 men’s teams, 3 ladies’ teams and a thriving junior section proudly representing Bourne and the Deepings has no alternative but to train and play its matches at amvc in Cambridgeshire.
Is it not time that the council seriously met the needs of its residents in the south of the county in provision of suitable playing surface along with the much required complimentary facilities to support the keenly followed sport of hockey in this area?
The Deputy Leader confirmed that Cabinet would be receiving a report on leisure provision within the district on 7 March 2019, which would cover new and refurbished facilities. He explained that demand at each of the four leisure centre sites had been assessed. He added that there was recognition that the leisure centres needed further investment with the replacement of some facilities.
Mr. Moisey put a supplementary question, which asked how SKDC was going to support secondary sports. He referred to the facilities that were currently available for hockey, as the new pitches that were being developed were below standard size. The Deputy Leader stated that the Council had just appointed a Sports Development Officer, whom he would put in touch with Mr. Moisey. He added that it was the Administration’s wish to support all sports and stated that the Council would work with the hockey club to find suitable facilities.
Question 5
From: Kathleen Burris, Grantham
To: Councillor Linda Wootten
My question is one of the ‘reputational damage of Grantham.’ Given the 2 court cases in which the Belvoir Hunt found themselves involved with, and found guilty of in 2018. A quick recap of these offences being, 2 men were found guilty in the court of Leicestershire, one being an employee and member of the Belvoir Hunt. Both men were found guilty of GBH, ABH, theft and criminal damage.
Also in 2018 the head gamekeeper of the Buckminster estate was found guilty of animal cruelty in the court of Lincolnshire; by keeping a fox captive, the fox was kept captive for the purpose of releasing for the Belvoir Hunt hounds to shred to pieces, a clear violation of the Hunting Act 2004.
Over the Christmas period Grantham was on the map.....for all the wrong reasons. Councillor Wootten gave an interview to the BBC defending the invitation of the notorious Belvoir Hunt to parade themselves on Boxing Day!
Councillor Linda Wootten – Did you ever consider the reputational damage caused to Grantham town by inviting and defending the Belvoir Hunt?
Councillor Wootten acknowledged that many different views were held on the Belvoir Hunt but she identified it as a long-standing ceremonial event that in previous years had been enjoyed by many people and had been well-attended. She stated that the reputation of Grantham continued to grow through events and festivals, such as the Gravity Fields Festival, and the ongoing regeneration of the town, with which she was proud to be associated.
Ms. Burris asked how Councillor Linda Wootten could be proud of inviting criminals into the town to parade on Boxing Day and said that she did not feel that it was something that they deserved to be allowed to do and added that someone should have told them that. Councillor Linda Wootten responded to the supplementary question saying that she was not proud of what had happened in another county, stating that if somebody had done something unlawful then they should be held to account by the appropriate authorities. She clarified that her pride was in the events that were taking place in the town and its regeneration.
Question 6
From: Kathleen Burris, Grantham
To: Councillor Adam Stokes
The Belvoir Hunt were collecting money for themselves and for the Mayor’s charities on Boxing Day 2018. Exactly how much did they raise for the Mayor’s charity? And exactly how much did it really cost to host the Belvoir Hunt?
Councillor Stokes stated that the return submitted by Belvoir Hunt stated that £177.63 had been raised for the Mayor’s charities and that no costs were paid to them. He added that the hunt paid for the barriers and a complete clean of the area following the event, so there were no additional costs for the Council.
Ms. Burris referred to a number of Freedom of Information requests that had been submitted that had indicated that SKDC had paid for cleaning-up after the hunt. Councillor Stokes responded that the information that he had been given stated that the Belvoir Hunt had paid for the clean-up of the area and stated that he would provide Ms. Burris with the evidence of this.