Agenda and draft minutes

The Lord Mayor welcomed all attendees to the meeting and issued the safety information.

Apologies for absence were heard from Councillors Lesley Alexander, Bailes, Davies, Francis and Hussain.

To note any declarations of interest from the Councillors.  They are asked to indicate the relevant agenda item, the nature of the interest and in particular whether it is a disclosable pecuniary interest.

Any declarations of interest made at the meeting which is not on the register of interests should be notified to the Monitoring Officer for inclusion.

None received.

To agree the minutes of the previous meeting as a correct record.

On the motion of the Lord Mayor, seconded by Councillor Parsons, it was

RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the meeting of the Full Council held on the 12 December 2023 be confirmed as correct record and signed by the Lord Mayor.

To note any announcements from the Lord Mayor

There was none.

Members of the press and public who plan to attend a public meeting at City Hall are advised that you will be required to sign in when you arrive, and you will be issued with a visitor pass which you will need to display at all times.

Public forum items can be about any matter the Council is responsible for or which directly affects the city. Submissions will be treated in order of receipt and as many people shall be called upon as is possible within the time allowed within the meeting (normally 30 minutes).

Further rules can be found within our Council Procedure Rules within the Constitution.

Please note that the following deadlines apply to this meeting:

a. Public petitions and statements: Petitions and written statements must be received by 12 noon on Friday 5 January 2024 at latest. One written statement per member of the public is permitted.

b. Public questions: Written public questions must be received by 5pm on Wednesday 3 January 2024 at latest. A maximum of 2 questions per member of the public is permitted. Questions should be addressed to the Mayor or relevant Cabinet Member.

Public forum items should be e-mailed to

democratic.services@bristol.gov.uk

Public Petitions and Statements:

Full Council received and noted the following petitions and statements (which were referred to the Mayor for his consideration)

Within the time available, Petition PP01 and statements PS01, 02, 04, 06, 07, 08, 11, 12 and 14 were presented by individuals at the meeting.

Public Questions

Full Council noted that the following questions had been submitted:

Within the time available, the Mayor responded verbally to questions PQ01, 02, 03, 04 and 05 also responding to supplementary questions.

Please note: Up to 10 minutes is allowed for this item.

Petitions notified by Councillors can be about any matter the Council is responsible for or which directly affects the city. The deadline for the notification of petitions to this meeting is 12 noon on Monday 8 January 2024.

The Full Council received and noted the following petitions:

Recommendation: That Full Council debates the petition and refers it to the Mayor / relevant Cabinet member for a formal response.

The Full Council considered a report of the Director – Legal and Democratic Services setting out details of a petition ‘Israel – Gaza Conflict’. The petition had reached the 3,500 signature threshold to qualify for a Full Council debate.

Councillor Zoe Goodman, the petition organiser, was invited by the Lord Mayor to present the objectives of the petition.

The Full Council debated the petition.

Following the debate it was:

RESOLVED: That the petition and the comments from the debate be noted and referred to the Mayor for response.

Recommendation: That Full Council note the report.

This item was deferred.

Recommendation: Agree, in accordance with the Local Authorities (Calculation of Council Tax Base) (England) Regulations 2012, the amount calculated by Bristol City Council as its Council Tax base for the financial year 2024/25 shall be 134,752.

Full Council considered a report on the Council Tax Base 2024/25.

Councillor Craig Cheney moved the reports for item 10 and item 11.

Recommendations:

1. That an estimated surplus as at 31 March 2024 on the Council Tax element of the Collection Fund of £0.835m be declared for 2023/24 and shared between this Council, the Police and Crime Commissioner for Avon and Somerset and the Avon Fire and Rescue Service in proportion to their 2023/24 precepts on the Collection Fund.

2. That an estimated deficit as at 31 March 2024 on the Non-Domestic Rates (NDR) element of the Collection Fund, net of grants, of £4.545m be declared for 2023/24 and shared between this Council, Avon Fire and Rescue Service and the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) in proportion to the appropriate year demands (Bristol 95%, WECA 4%, Avon Fire and Rescue Service 1%).

Full Council considered a report on the Collection Fund Surplus / Deficit 2023/24.

Following debate for items 10 and 11, there were two votes, and it was:

RESOLVED (63 For, 0 Against, 0 Abstentions):

That Full Council agreed:

In accordance with the Local Authorities (Calculation of Council Tax Base) (England) Regulations 2012, the amount calculated by Bristol City Council as its Council Tax base for the financial year 2024/25 shall be 134,752.

RESOLVED (61 For, 0 Against, 0 Abstentions):

That Full Council agreed:

1. That an estimated surplus as at 31 March 2024 on the Council Tax element of the Collection Fund of £0.835m be declared for 2023/24 and shared between this Council, the Police and Crime Commissioner for Avon and Somerset and the Avon Fire and Rescue Service in proportion to their 2023/24 precepts on the Collection Fund.

2. That an estimated deficit as at 31 March 2024 on the Non-Domestic Rates (NDR) element of the Collection Fund, net of grants, of £4.545m be declared for 2023/24 and shared between this Council, Avon Fire and Rescue Service and the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) in proportion to the appropriate year demands (Bristol 95%, WECA 4%, Avon Fire and Rescue Service 1%).

Recommendation: That Full Council pass a byelaw enabling the council to commence charging for storing of deceased people at Flax Bourton Mortuary where the funeral director delays collection.  

Full Council considered a report on the Flax Bourton Mortuary Bylaw.

Councillor Craig Cheney moved the report and Councillor Tim Rippington seconded the report.

There was no debate, and it was:

RESOLVED: That Full Council passed a byelaw enabling the council to commence charging for storing of deceased people at Flax Bourton Mortuary where the funeral director delays collection.

Recommendation: That Full Council adopts the Members’ Allowances Scheme for publication within the Constitution.

Full Council considered a report on the Members Allowance Scheme.

The Lord Mayor moved the report and Councillor Paula O’Rourke seconded the report.

There was no debate, and it was:

RESOLVED: That Full Council adopted the Members’ Allowances Scheme for publication within the Constitution.

Recommendation: that Full Council note the report.

Full Council considered a report on Local Government Ombudsmen Decisions.

The Lord Mayor moved the report.

Following debate, it was:

RESOLVED: That Full Council noted the report.

Recommendation: That Full Council accepts the report of the Audit Committee and notes the key areas the Committee is monitoring to support improvements required in internal control, risk management and governance.

Full Council considered the Audit Committee Half-Year Report.

Councillor Andrew Brown moved the report as Chair of the Audit Committee.

Following debate, it was:

RESOLVED: That Full Council noted the report.

Recommendation: That Full Council adopts the Constitution for the Committee Model of governance which will come into effect on 6 May 2024.

Full Council considered a report on the Constitution for the Committee Model.

Councillor David Wilcox moved the report and Councillor Andrew Brown seconded the report.

Following debate there was a vote, and it was:

RESOLVED: (61 For, 0 Against, 1 Abstention) That Full Council adopted the Constitution for the Committee Model of governance which will come into effect on 6 May 2024.

Note:

Under the Council’s constitution, 30 minutes are available for the consideration of motions. In practice, this realistically means that there is usually only time for one, or possibly two motions to be considered.

With the agreement of the Lord Mayor, motion 1 below will be considered at this meeting, and motion 2 is likely to be considered, subject to time.

Details of other motions submitted, (which, due to time constraints, are very unlikely to be considered at this meeting) are also set out for information.

MOTIONS RECEIVED FOR FULL COUNCIL

GOLDEN MOTION (GREEN PARTY): MAXIMISING THE SUPPLY OF HOUSING FROM EXISTING BUILDINGS AND COUNCIL LAND

Full Council notes that:

1.         UK Government data released in March 2023 identified 1.2m families on housing waiting lists across England [1] Meanwhile the costs of providing temporary accommodation have increased by 62% in the last five years to £1.7bn. [2]

2.         UK Government data released in October 2022 shows that over one million homes were classed as unoccupied in England, with over 300,000 of those reported as being long-term empty - vacant for six months or longer. [3]

3.         Savills have identified that there is an oversupply of retail space nationally of approximately 150 million square feet. With the average UK flat being 625 square feet, this is enough floor space to provide up to 240,000 average size flats (including 96,000 in long term empty retail space). They forecast that the level of excess retail space will double by 2030 as the retail economy continues to evolve. While some vacant space may be valuable to diversify local centres and high streets with new uses, much could offer housing opportunities.

4.         It is common for commercial letting agents to inflate quoted prices of empty properties beyond the rateable value, and/or gatekeep interested businesses from making offers, resulting in properties being empty for longer periods. This also results in areas not having the retail offering required to support sustainable communities.

5.         In Bristol there are around 21,000 families are on the housing waitlist and the cost of providing temporary accommodation remains a significant budget pressure. Shelter have recently estimated that on any given night in Bristol in 2023 there are approximately 3,224 people in some form of homelessness, the overwhelming majority of whom are in temporary accommodation. This is an increase of 639 compared to 2022. [4]

6.         In Bristol, between 2022/23, almost 400 council homes were empty at any one time, whilst some 400 private sector homes were brought back into occupation over the same period. [5] Live table 615 on vacant Local Authority dwelling stock- maintained by central government - show that on 3rd October 2023, 5,251 mostly privately owned dwellings in Bristol were shown as vacant, of which 1,881 were classified as long term vacant. [6]

7.         In Bristol, Savills have identified some 185,000 square feet of long-term retail voids (over half of which have been vacant for over three years) – equivalent to almost 300 average size flats. Cost pressures to  ...  view the full agenda text for item 17.

Following a short adjournment, it was then moved by the Lord Mayor that standing order CPR2.1(xi) be suspended to allow the meeting to go past the 30 minutes time limit for motions.  Following a vote, it was agreed to proceed up until 6.00pm.

GOLDEN MOTION (GREEN PARTY): MAXIMISING THE SUPPLY OF HOUSING FROM EXISTING BUILDINGS AND COUNCIL LAND

Councillor Tony Dyer moved the following motion:

Full Council notes that:

1.         UK Government data released in March 2023 identified 1.2m families on housing waiting lists across England [1] Meanwhile the costs of providing temporary accommodation have increased by 62% in the last five years to £1.7bn. [2]

2.         UK Government data released in October 2022 shows that over one million homes were classed as unoccupied in England, with over 300,000 of those reported as being long-term empty - vacant for six months or longer. [3]

3.         Savills have identified that there is an oversupply of retail space nationally of approximately 150 million square feet. With the average UK flat being 625 square feet, this is enough floor space to provide up to 240,000 average size flats (including 96,000 in long term empty retail space). They forecast that the level of excess retail space will double by 2030 as the retail economy continues to evolve. While some vacant space may be valuable to diversify local centres and high streets with new uses, much could offer housing opportunities.

4.         It is common for commercial letting agents to inflate quoted prices of empty properties beyond the rateable value, and/or gatekeep interested businesses from making offers, resulting in properties being empty for longer periods. This also results in areas not having the retail offering required to support sustainable communities.

5.         In Bristol there are around 21,000 families are on the housing waitlist and the cost of providing temporary accommodation remains a significant budget pressure. Shelter have recently estimated that on any given night in Bristol in 2023 there are approximately 3,224 people in some form of homelessness, the overwhelming majority of whom are in temporary accommodation. This is an increase of 639 compared to 2022. [4]

6.         In Bristol, between 2022/23, almost 400 council homes were empty at any one time, whilst some 400 private sector homes were brought back into occupation over the same period. [5] Live table 615 on vacant Local Authority dwelling stock- maintained by central government - show that on 3rd October 2023, 5,251 mostly privately owned dwellings in Bristol were shown as vacant, of which 1,881 were classified as long term vacant. [6]

7.         In Bristol, Savills have identified some 185,000 square feet of long-term retail voids (over half of which have been vacant for over three years) – equivalent to almost 300 average size flats. Cost pressures to retrofit existing retail space, coupled with increasing use of online retail, may well see additional floorspace become available for residential use.  At present over 90% of Bristol City Centre retail stock is EPC rating C or worse – with cost estimates  ...  view the full minutes text for item 17.