To receive petitions and public questions in accordance with Standing Order 9.
Minutes:
The Mayor invited Honorary Alderman Wilkinson to ask his public question as follows:
“A letter was sent to residents in Archdale Street signed by the Neighbourhood Officer Sue Payne sates “Do not leave your rubbish out other than on the collection day” this means that a resident has to get up early to put their rubbish out before 7.00 am and on the collection day because a leaflet that residents received from the Council in March 2016 stated that rubbish should only be put out between 7.00 pm on the day prior to your collection and 7.00 am on the day of your collection.
The present ruling by the Neighbourhood Officer means residents who rely on a carer, and those with a medical condition have difficulty in meeting this ruling.
Mr Mayor do you agree with me that Officers should have another look at this ruling with the view of altering the times back to 5.00 pm and 8.00 am as prior to March 2016.”
Councillor Devereux responded as follows:
"The Council’s policy for over 10 years has been to ask residents not to put their bins or rubbish bags out before 7.00pm on the day prior to collection to avoid congestion, damage and infestation. I believe that this simple policy has worked and should continue to help us achieve an efficient and cost-effective service. The council asks residents to present their bins or bags before 7.00a.m to coincide with the start of collections. Although for many residents collection will be much later in the day there are occasions when routes have to change for operational reasons and schedules vary, particularly after bank holidays --when the service catches up for the bank holiday period as will be happening over the coming Easter weekend. We would not want to create a situation when bins or rubbish bags are not collected because of our guidance.”
“I can, however, advise that at present, for most collections in Archdale Street and the surrounding area, the crew do not start to collect the bags first thing. So, if a resident with particular problems relating to health and social care needs did not have their bagged waste presented until 8 am, at present it would not cause us a problem.”
As a supplementary question, Honorary Alderman Wilkinson sought clarification that the letter circulated by Sue Payne, the Neighbourhood Officer did not apply.
Councillor Devereux responded by reiterating that the Borough Council’s policy, which had been in operation for 12 years, was that residents are asked not to put their bins or rubbish bags out before 7.00 pm on the day prior to collection and before 7.00 am on the day of collection. The letter circulated by the Neighbourhood Officer was in response to an action from a SNAP meeting.
The Mayor invited Jo Rust to ask her public question as follows:
“Over the last two years the Borough Council has had significant input into schools and education in our area. With that in mind can they advise what representations they will be making to the county to ensure that the £4 million of cuts that are coming out of children’s services will not fall disproportionately onto the schools in our area.”
The Leader responded that “It was quite unusual for a District level Council such as ours to invest in educational attainment, but over the past few years the Council had invested along with partners from the West Norfolk Partnership into a scheme to help drive educational attainment and inspiration in our pupils locally.
We have done this for we appreciate that aspiration in our young people drives a desire to do better and achieve more.
This input from us was recognised and applauded at Norfolk County Council Children’s Services Committee over a year ago I asked the question of the then Assistant Director, Gordon Boyd and he confirmed it was the work being done by us and our partners locally that was helping to drive up the results we were being shown, presented on that agenda.
So the question arises what impacts will the reduction in funding to Children’s Services make to this.
The answer Mr Mayor is none, in simple terms the funding for Children’s Services and schools is entirely separate.
As a supplementary, Mrs Rust stated that her question on the £4m cuts that were coming out of children’s services would not fall disproportionately onto the schools in our area had not been answered.
The Leader responded that funding for schools came from a designated school grant, passed through Norfolk County Council directly to schools, unless of course for Academies/free Schools and new Grammar Schools that will be funded directly from the Department of Education.
The Leader explained that the cuts that were coming out of Children’s Services would not fall disproportionately onto the schools in our area and advised Mrs Rust to direct any questions regarding Children’s Services to Norfolk County Council.
The scheme to support learning in the West would continue as the Borough Council want young people to do the best they can in our local schools.