Agenda item

A 45-minute period in which members may ask questions of the Leader, Cabinet Members, the Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen of the Overview and Scrutiny Committees and opposition group leaders excluding the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Planning Committee, Licensing and Alcohol, Entertainment and Late Night Refreshment Licensing Committees and Governance and Audit Committee.

Note:  Councillor Ian Stokes left the Council Chamber and did not return.

 

Question 1 – Councillor Murray Turner to Councillor Rhys Baker, Cabinet Member for Environment and Waste

 

Councillor Turner asked the Cabinet Member for an update on the progress of the rollout of new LED street lighting in the district.

 

Councillor Rhys Baker highlighted the report due to be tabled at Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 7 October. 1137 streetlights had been upgraded, a completion rate so far of 51.5%. Heritage streetlights would be updated towards the end of the programme.

 

Question 2 – Councillor David Bellamy to Councillor Paul Stokes, Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Leisure and Culture

 

Councillor Bellamy asked the Deputy Leader whether he would take the opportunity to confirm the replacement of the swings at the Wild Witham play area following their removal in February, taking into account a petition signed by almost 200 residents to reinstate them?

 

Councillor Paul Stokes highlighted the recent report on the Play Area Strategy discussed at Culture and Leisure Overview and Scrutiny Committee in September. As part of this Strategy there was an action plan for the future. The Council had recently bid for monies from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) and the swings at Wild Witham were one of the schemes being brought forward.

 

Question 3 – Councillor Paul Wood to Councillor Virginia Moran, Cabinet Member for Housing

 

Councillor Paul Wood asked the Cabinet Member to organise a meeting with Helping Hands, a local group dealing with homelessness, as he understood that the Council were not engaging with this group.

 

Councillor Moran outlined the numerous efforts made to date to engage with the group and reported that communications received in response to the Council’s contact were not conducive to building a working relationship.

 

Question 4 – Councillor Max Sawyer to Councillor Virginia Moran, Cabinet Member for Housing

 

Councillor Sawyer asked for the number of additional traders that had been added to an internal ‘approved’ list since the Council had decided to expand it, in the hope of getting housing voids repaired?

 

Councillor Moran confirmed that no additional traders had been added to date as the local framework was not yet in place. A workshop to which all Councillors had received an invite to on this subject had taken place.

Question 5 – Councillor Charmaine Morgan to Councillor Rhea Rayside, Cabinet Member for People and Communities

 

Councillor Morgan asked the Cabinet Member to clarify what support the Council was planning to offer pensioners affected by the governmental changes to the winter fuel payments?

 

Councillor Rayside had emailed all Councillors regarding the winter fuel payment update. A process for reaching those eligible for payment needed to be put in place and then subsequently reviewed, as it was not an option to have some individuals not receiving payment. Councillor Rayside advised any Councillors that were concerned about this issue and wanted assistance to contact her directly.

 

Question 6 – Councillor Paul Martin to Councillor Phil Dilks, Cabinet Member for Planning

 

The South Kesteven Local Plan review from October 2020 referred to allocations of new housing and recommended a minimum of 50% growth in housing developments for Grantham. Revised allocations under the new government, using this calculation would mean 912 new homes per annum for the town.

 

Should the update to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) be carried forward by government in December, would the Council consider a review of the 50% uplift in new housing for Grantham?

 

Councillor Dilks had reported to Cabinet on 24 September the government’s manifesto commitment to speed up housing delivery across the country. The work to update the Local Plan was at an advanced stage; however, nothing would change until the final NPPF was published.

 

The government consultation ended on 24 September; the Cabinet Member paid tribute to the Assistant Director of Planning & Growth and her team for putting together a comprehensive response to the consultation. This would now be considered by government, along with many other responses from across the country.

 

Grantham had been identified as a ‘growth’ area for housing. Both the national Conservative and Labour parties had been committed to accelerating house building. It would be a huge challenge to deliver the number of new houses promised.

 

Question 7 – Councillor Steven Cunnington to Councillor Paul Stokes, Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Leisure and Culture

 

Councillor Cunnington asked the Deputy Leader whether there had been any public feedback on the works that had taken place on the roof and roof lighting for Bourne Leisure Centre?

 

Councillor Paul Stokes highlighted the Bourne Leisure Centre project as an efficient way in which the property team worked together with the operational team. The project had been worth approximately £800,000, but it had been completed with very little interruption. LeisureSK Limited and the property team should take credit for the completion of the project.

 

Customers were very happy with the outcome and it had provided a perfect solution.

 

Question 8 – Councillor Rob Shorrock to Councillor Ashley Baxter, Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Finance, HR and Economic Development

 

Councillor Shorrock asked the Leader what authority he had used when drafting a response letter in advance of the winter fuel motion later on in the agenda?

 

Councillor Baxter confirmed he had drafted a letter concerning a review of winter fuel payment to the Chancellor in advance of the winter fuel motion from Councillor Graham Jeal, requesting an urgent review of Parliament’s decision. The letter would only be submitted if there was confidence from the Council to do so – Councillor Baxter had not made any comments regarding abolishing winter fuel payments. This letter was not posted in advance of Full Council as there was a motion on this subject on the agenda.

 

Councillor Baxter wanted all pensioners to feel supported by all Councillors; no-one wanted to see pensioners struggle through the winter through lack of finances or fuel.

 

Question 9 – Councillor Zoe Lane to Councillor Rhys Baker, Cabinet Member for Environment and Waste

 

Councillor Lane asked whether internal issues related to the grounds maintenance contract would be resolved immediately?

 

Councillor Rhys Baker agreed to seek an immediate update and would feedback to Councillors when in receipt of further information.

 

Question 10 – Councillor Tim Harrison to Councillor Paul Stokes, Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Leisure and Culture

 

Councillor Harrison requested up to date attendance figures for the Guildhall Arts Centre, Grantham.

 

Councillor Paul Stokes highlighted the hard work of officers at all of the Council’s arts venues. Attendance figures at the Guildhall Arts Centre were on the increase. September 2022 to September 2023 had previously seen 11,000 visitors, but from September 2023 to September 2024 there had been 19,000 visitors.

 

The increase for the same period from Stamford Arts Centre was a leap from 37,000 to 39,500. Bourne’s arts figures had also improved. All of these increases had led to an increase in enquiries about tickets for events.

 

Question 11 – Councillor Robert Leadenham to Councillor Ashley Baxter, Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Finance, HR and Economic Development

 

Note:  The question was addressed to the Cabinet Member for Housing but it was not appropriate for her to respond due to her involvement as the Chairman of the Deepings Community Interest Company (CIC)

 

Councillor Leadenham asked for the latest update on the Deepings Leisure Centre.

 

Councillor Baxter highlighted the £850,000 that the Council had set aside for the Deepings Leisure Centre, with a similar amount accepted from Lincolnshire County Council. A bid had been submitted to the Community Ownership Fund; there had been progress with this and then the General Election was called and progress halted. The new government had not yet expressed an opinion but the Autumn Statement may give a further steer.

 

Discussions were ongoing between the community groups, Lincolnshire County Council and South Kesteven District Council.

 

Question 12 – Councillor Anna Kelly to Councillor Phil Dilks, Cabinet Member for Planning

 

Councillor Kelly asked whether specific reference had been made to almshouses as part of the Council’s submission on the National Planning Policy Framework and requested that almshouses have their own specific category?

 

Councillor Dilks did not recall any specific mention of almshouses but was very happy to look at this issue in detail with Councillor Kelly and officers.

 

Question 13 – Councillor Peter Stephens to Councillor Paul Stokes, Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Leisure and Culture

 

Councillor Stephens asked when the maintenance on the wave machine at Bourne Leisure Centre would be completed?

 

The Deputy Leader understood that the repairs to the wave machine at Bourne had been carried out.

 

Question 14 – Councillor Gareth Knight to Councillor Paul Stokes, Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Leisure and Culture

 

Councillor Knight highlighted the opportunities to access funds available through combined mayoral authorities, and asked the Deputy Leader whether a submission would be prepared alongside a backup plan for swimming in the Deepings?

 

Councillor Stokes assured Full Council that he was prepared to look at any funding opportunities for the District when they arose.

 

Question 15 – Councillor Graham Jeal to Councillor Lee Steptoe, Chairman of the Housing Overview and Scrutiny Committee

 

Councillor Jeal asked Councillor Steptoe to join him in sending Sir Keir Starmer MP a gift of finest Lincolnshire sausages; this offer was declined.