Agenda item

Notice of Motion – Referred from Council 17 May 2006

At its meeting held on 17 May 2006. the Council received the following motion and referred it to the Executive for determination:

Motion to be proposed by CouncillorPeter Saunders, seconded by Councillor Robert Sharp:

“This Council requests the Executive to reconsider how rural parishes can get fairer funding from the Vale for street cleansing and grass cutting”.

This item was deferred at the last meeting of the Executive on 2 June 2006 to allow the collation of further information to assist the Executive. 

To receive and consider the attached briefing paper of the Strategic Director. 

Notice of Motion – Referred from Council 17 May 2006

(Time: 2.45pm to 3.06pm)

At its meeting held on 17 May 2006. the Council received the following motion, proposed by CouncillorPeter Saunders and seconded by Councillor Robert Sharp, and referred it to the Executive for determination:

“This Council requests the Executive to reconsider how rural parishes can get fairer funding from the Vale for street cleansing and grass cutting”.

This item had been deferred at the last meeting of the Executive on 2 June 2006 to allow the collation of further information to assist the Executive. 

Appended to the agenda was a briefing note from the Strategic Director setting out the history of Parish Cleansing Grants and presented three options for Members' consideration:

·         Option 1: Status quo - continuation of the present scheme whereby Area Committees had discretion to award grants for street cleansing purposes out of their grants budget

·         Option 2: No further support - The Council could focus on its statutory duties, by withdrawing all support for Parish Council street cleansing, allowing individual Parish Councils to determine and finance their own arrangements.  Street cleansing would no longer be eligible for Area Committee grants

• Option 3: Centralising grants - if the Council wished to continue supporting Parish Council street cleansing it could centralise street cleansing grants so that each Area Committee’s available grant budget was not distorted

Councillor Peter Saunders was invited to address the Executive.  He reported that the West Area Committee had spent £4,000 of its budget on parish cleansing grants, only allowing grants of 25% of the requested amount.  If full grants were given, the Committee would have no funds to allocate to community groups.  He asked for information on the level of cleansing the Council's contractors were required to carry out.  For example, Shrivenham Parish Council was unsure of the frequency and level of cleaning that should take place and as such were unable to check it was carried out and unable to avoid any duplication.  He preferred option 3 above, thereby removing the parish cleansing grants from Area Committee budgets to allow them to support local community projects. 

Councillor Robert Sharp was also invited to address the meeting.  He also preferred option 3.  He believed that most parishes undertook their own street cleaning and the Council's contract with Cleanaway probably resulted in some duplication. 

Members considered that option 2 should be dismissed and considered that option 3 - centralising the parish cleansing grants - was too costly.  The Executive supported option 1, being the most affordable.  If parishes were not satisfied with the standards of the Council's contractor, they should approach the District Council.  However, the evidence showed that the contractor was carrying out its responsibilities.  The Scrutiny Committee would be looking at this in July and September 2006.  Members suggested that the West Area Committee could allocate grants of a smaller percentage and Parish Councils could encourage volunteer litter picks.  Alternatively, Parish Councils might consider raising their Parish Precepts to cover the cost of an increased service.  The Assistant Director (Environmental Health) agreed to inform Parish Councils of Cleanaway's responsibilities. 

RESOLVED    (by seven votes to nil)

that option 1 be supported, resulting in no change to be made to the way Parish Cleansing Grants are administered by Area Committees.