Agenda item

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 (LABOUR): The Caring Economy

 

This Council notes:

• The UK is one of the most expensive countries in the world for childcare. Parents continue to face huge difficulties finding the right care for their children. Likewise, carers face a number of challenges.

• The West of England Combined Authority has adopted a local industrial strategy, and Bristol City Council is in the early stages of developing an economic strategy. Research has found that a 2% investment in care produces double the number of jobs for women and almost as many jobs for men as the same investment in construction.

• Following a campaign from Labour MPs, the Government now recognises childcare as a form of infrastructure, meaning the Community Infrastructure Levy could be spent on capital costs for childcare provision.

 

This Council believes:

• Further action needs to be taken to ensure that children across Bristol get the best start in life, regardless of the post-code and economic background they were born into.

• Early years intervention is crucial for improving life outcomes. The council and its partners should continue to prioritise the outcomes of Bristol’s children and young people and embed their interests in all its work. 

• Childcare remains far too expensive, and it is unacceptable that in 2023, some parents are unable to go back to work due to childcare costs.

• Likewise, action needs to be taken to support carers, both through the council, through its partners, and throughout Bristol.

• Bristol needs a National Care Service introduced, that follows the principles outlined in the Fabian Society’s pamphlet ‘A National Care Service for all’

 

This Council resolves to:

• Call on members of the Strategy and Resources Committee to continue to protect maintained nurseries as a priority and reject any proposals to reduce funding for them in budgets put forward to Full Council in future. Furthermore, work alongside the Schools Forum to explore reforming the budget setting model by moving to a benchmarked model based on final summer term registrations from each September, giving nurseries the flexibility they need to maintain the best possible provision for our children.

• Call on Party Group Leaders to write to the Government to ask it recognises state nursery provision a statutory service and provide additional funding to local government to fund this, and lobby the Government to follow the lead of the Welsh Government and exempt nursery schools in Bristol from paying business rates.

• Call on the Children and Young People committee to explore other ways of making childcare more accessible in Bristol.

• Call on the Mayor to instruct appropriate officers to explore allocating future Strategic Community Infrastructure Levy raised in regeneration areas towards capital costs of new establishing new childcare centres and / or nursery schools.

• Call on the Mayor to request West of England Combined Authority explores options of using its investment fund to offer grants to new childcare providers and subsidise the salaries of new employees in the childcare sector. Should this not be viable, call on Party Group Leaders to lobby the Government to do so, with council officers supporting these efforts.

• Recognise childcare as infrastructure and have it included referenced as such in Bristol’s upcoming economic strategy.

• Call on the Mayor to instruct officers to adopt the asks of the Caring Economy campaign  and request officers report back to Full Council on its progress in future.

 

Motion Submitted 29 February 2024

Proposed by Councillor Amal Ali

 

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SILVER MOTION (KNOWLE COMMUNITY PARTY): VALUING THE COMMUNITY SECTOR

 

This council is facing a considerable financial shortfall and there is general concern that even more valued community services will be closed. In some cases, a much better solution is to encourage the community to take over the service with an asset transfer or to let the community become involved in managing the venture or facility.

 

Too often the option of community management is considered late in the day after the salami slicing council department has made the task twice as hard.

 

Cllrs from all parties will no doubt have examples from their own wards of ventures that are working or others that could be given a chance. I have added in notes a list of the ventures within Knowle ward as an example.

 

Asset transfers give the new owners access to grants that the council could not and are able to tap into enthusiasm and willingness to volunteer. Customers become more flexible and forgiving of small errors.

 

This Council has the services of a very good specialist officer to deal with asset transfers but there is concern that the back-up is not always as positive as it should be and a short consideration of asset transfers by Communities Scrutiny has led to the need for a second report. This could be done by extending time available to Communities Scrutiny or even better by a scrutiny enquiry day.

 

In the meantime, some positive factors that should provide encouragement:

1.      We should look at the community value and not just a narrow and potentially misleading financial calculation as it affects the council in the short term.

2.      we should look at how partners (e.g. police and NHS) can be involved.

3.      we should be encouraged if the income is commercial from the public and not purely grants.

4.      we must have the option of a responsive licensing facility prior to actual CAT.

5.      we should be encouraged if a recognised problem is being tackled that has not been effectively up until now.

6.      help in kind in early stages should be considered by the council.

This Council therefore calls for the Administration to show a more positive attitude towards asset transfers and community management and taking into account points 1-6, calls for action to follow a scrutiny enquiry and that a regular review be set up to consider progress and potential new opportunities.

 

NOTES

Examples from Knowle Ward:

1.      Arnos Vale Cemetery - compulsorily purchased for £1 from “developer” and handed to trust formed by campaigners. Huge grants attracted and successful commercial and community activity. Voted one of the best cemeteries in the country.

2.      The Park Daventry Road - old Merrywood school on closure 20+ years ago given to trust that brought together charities investing in training, education and community benefit. Turbo charged by asset transfer and recently completed a new £10M + new community building and a key partner in new secondary school opening shortly on part of the site. A good example of council cooperation.

3.      Redcatch community centre - some 20+ years ago a group of local people took over a dilapidated unwanted council building and with grants and local effort turned it into a massively popular, high quality community centre with low hourly charges. All volunteer, no wages taken by anybody involved. Asset transfer followed and used as an example by officers of a successful CAT in report to scrutiny.

4.      Jubilee pool - council failed to run this much-loved community facility efficiently. Despite unfriendly conditions imposed by Mayor and severe challenges of energy costs memberships has doubled and there is a trading profit. Cat completed 30/9/22.

5.      Redcatch Community Garden - took over redundant bowling green 5 years ago. Have attracted grants, despite failure of council to extend license efficiently and attract 200,000 visits a year for training, social activity and environmental and horticultural education. Asset transfer finally after much delay getting started.

6.      Redcatch Park Pavillion- parks department a few years back aborted investment plans for urgent repairs and said they wanted to asset transfer instead. Partnership formed between community garden and The Park football club who needed extra facilities because of Daventry Rd developments. Parks departmen have failed to progress CAT or even licence and sports changing facilities unusable. In the biggest irony, the football club had previously done exactly the sort of renovation needed and the lowest bidder for the aborted scheme is a local sponsor of the club and stands ready to do the work for them for free. One of the most successful sporting organisations in Bristol with an emphasis on disabled and female teams frozen out.

7.      There are many other community organisations, including our parks group, that have transformed Redcatch Park, that do excellent work and what bands the vast majority of them together is a desire to benefit the local community, roll up their sleeves and contribute positively. Being held back by the council is very frustrating. 

Proposed by Councillor Gary Hopkins (Knowle Community Party)

 

Received 29 February 2024

 

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 9.30pm

GOLDEN MOTION (LABOUR): The Caring Economy

 

Councillor Amal Ali moved the following motion:

 

This Council notes:

• The UK is one of the most expensive countries in the world for childcare. Parents continue to face huge difficulties finding the right care for their children. Likewise, carers face a number of challenges.

• The West of England Combined Authority has adopted a local industrial strategy, and Bristol City Council is in the early stages of developing an economic strategy. Research has found that a 2% investment in care produces double the number of jobs for women and almost as many jobs for men as the same investment in construction.

• Following a campaign from Labour MPs, the Government now recognises childcare as a form of infrastructure, meaning the Community Infrastructure Levy could be spent on capital costs for childcare provision.

 

This Council believes:

• Further action needs to be taken to ensure that children across Bristol get the best start in life, regardless of the post-code and economic background they were born into.

• Early years intervention is crucial for improving life outcomes. The council and its partners should continue to prioritise the outcomes of Bristol’s children and young people and embed their interests in all its work. 

• Childcare remains far too expensive, and it is unacceptable that in 2023, some parents are unable to go back to work due to childcare costs.

• Likewise, action needs to be taken to support carers, both through the council, through its partners, and throughout Bristol.

• Bristol needs a National Care Service introduced, that follows the principles outlined in the Fabian Society’s pamphlet ‘A National Care Service for all’

 

This Council resolves to:

• Call on members of the Strategy and Resources Committee to continue to protect maintained nurseries as a priority and reject any proposals to reduce funding for them in budgets put forward to Full Council in future. Furthermore, work alongside the Schools Forum to explore reforming the budget setting model by moving to a benchmarked model based on final summer term registrations from each September, giving nurseries the flexibility they need to maintain the best possible provision for our children.

• Call on Party Group Leaders to write to the Government to ask it recognises state nursery provision a statutory service and provide additional funding to local government to fund this, and lobby the Government to follow the lead of the Welsh Government and exempt nursery schools in Bristol from paying business rates.

• Call on the Children and Young People committee to explore other ways of making childcare more accessible in Bristol.

• Call on the Mayor to instruct appropriate officers to explore allocating future Strategic Community Infrastructure Levy raised in regeneration areas towards capital costs of new establishing new childcare centres and / or nursery schools.

• Call on the Mayor to request West of England Combined Authority explores options of using its investment fund to offer grants to new childcare providers and subsidise the salaries of new employees in the childcare sector. Should this not be viable, call on Party Group Leaders to lobby the Government to do so, with council officers supporting these efforts.

• Recognise childcare as infrastructure and have it included referenced as such in Bristol’s upcoming economic strategy.

• Call on the Mayor to instruct officers to adopt the asks of the Caring Economy campaign and request officers report back to Full Council on its progress in future.

 

The motion was seconded by Councillor Katja Hornchen.

 

Councillor Lisa Stone then moved the following amendment:

 

‘That the motion be amended to read as follows:

 

This Council notes:

• The UK is one of the most expensive countries in the world for childcare. Parents continue to face huge difficulties finding the right care for their children and their loved ones. Likewise, carers face a number of challenges because we undervalue caring at a cost to care workers.

• The West of England Combined Authority has adopted a local industrial strategy, and Bristol City Council is in the early stages of developing an economic strategy.  We undervalue caring at the cost of those who may be cared for, those whose personal allowances and care package limitations fail to provide time for dignified interactions and the support they need. We undervalue caring at the cost of the planet: investing in the care sector could create 2.7 times as many jobs as the same investment in construction and produce 30% less greenhouse emissions.

• Following a campaign from Labour MPs, the Government now recognises childcare as a form of infrastructure, meaning the Community Infrastructure Levy could be spent on capital costs for childcare provision.

 

This Council believes:

• Further action needs to be taken to ensure that children across Bristol get the best start in life, regardless of the post-code and economic background they were born into.

• Early years intervention is crucial for improving life outcomes. The council and its partners should continue to prioritise the outcomes of Bristol’s children and young people and embed their interests in all its work.

• Childcare remains far too expensive, and it is unacceptable that in 2024 some parents are unable to go back to work due to childcare costs.

• Likewise, action needs to be taken to support carers, both through the council, through its partners, and throughout Bristol.

• Bristol needs a National Care Service introduced, that follows the principles outlined in the Fabian Society’s pamphlet ‘A National Care Service for all’

 

This Council resolves to:

• Call on members of the Strategy and Resources Committee to continue to protect maintained nurseries as a priority and reject any proposals to reduce funding for them in budgets put forward to Full Council in future. Furthermore, work alongside the Schools Forum to explore reforming the budget setting model by moving to a benchmarked model based on final summer term registrations from each September, giving nurseries the flexibility they need to maintain the best possible

provision for our children. In addition, call on members of the committee to create a strategy using Bristol City Council assets to ensure provision is provided in the locations it is needed with a long-term city-wide plan.

• Ensure all Bristol City Council employee contracts include paid time allowances and flexible working conditions to recognise and support those with caring responsibilities and childcare needs.

• Call on Party Group Leaders to lobby their national party leaders to ask it recognises state nursery provision a statutory service and provide additional funding to local government to fund this, and lobby the Government to follow the lead of the Welsh Government and exempt nursery schools in Bristol from paying business rates.

• Call on the Children and Young People committee to explore other ways of making childcare more accessible in Bristol.

• Call on the new committee that will oversee strategic CIL to instruct appropriate officers to explore allocating future Strategic Community Infrastructure Levy raised in regeneration areas towards capital costs of establishing new childcare centres and / or nursery schools.

• Call on the Mayor to request West of England Combined Authority explores options of using its investment fund to offer grants to new childcare providers and subsidise the salaries of new employees in the childcare sector. Should this not be viable, call on Party Group Leaders to lobby their national party group leaders to do so and to also actively lobby all national party leaders to adopt the TUC strategy for the Care Workforce including: decent pay and conditions developed with those in the workforce, secure contracts, a minimum wage of £15 per hour, sick pay and pay for all hours worked; skills training and progressive pathways across the health, social care, education and early years sector.

• Recognise and ensure childcare is articulated as infrastructure and have it included in local and strategic plans referenced as such in Bristol’s upcoming economic strategy.

• Lobby national leaders for investment in free early education, childcare and social care as economic infrastructure reinforcing the Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill.

• Call on the Mayor to instruct officers to adopt the asks of the Caring Economy campaign and request officers report back to Full Council on its progress in future.

• Call on Party Group leaders to collectively write to all parties and ask them that should they form the next government, to ensure that they provide councils with sufficient resources to implement the National Care Service, in particular fair wages, more support for carers ‘free for people with lifelong disabilities.’ and ensuring ‘Disabled and older people will have a new right to choose where they live’ which will mean not taking costs of care into account during the assessment process.

 

The amendment was seconded by Councillor Christine Townsend.

 

Following debate, upon being put to the vote, the amendment was CARRIED (39 FOR, 12 AGAINST, 2 ABSTENTION).

 

The Lord Mayor then invited Councillor Amal Ali, as mover of the original motion to speak.

 

Following final remarks, upon being put to the vote, the original motion was CARRIED (40 FOR, 12 AGAINST, 1 ABSTENTION) and it was

 

RESOLVED:

 

This Council notes:

• The UK is one of the most expensive countries in the world for childcare. Parents continue to face huge difficulties finding the right care for their children and their loved ones. Likewise, carers face a number of challenges because we undervalue caring at a cost to care workers.

• The West of England Combined Authority has adopted a local industrial strategy, and Bristol City Council is in the early stages of developing an economic strategy.  We undervalue caring at the cost of those who may be cared for, those whose personal allowances and care package limitations fail to provide time for dignified interactions and the support they need. We undervalue caring at the cost of the planet: investing in the care sector could create 2.7 times as many jobs as the same investment in construction and produce 30% less greenhouse emissions.

• Following a campaign from Labour MPs, the Government now recognises childcare as a form of infrastructure, meaning the Community Infrastructure Levy could be spent on capital costs for childcare provision.

 

This Council believes:

• Further action needs to be taken to ensure that children across Bristol get the best start in life, regardless of the post-code and economic background they were born into.

• Early years intervention is crucial for improving life outcomes. The council and its partners should continue to prioritise the outcomes of Bristol’s children and young people and embed their interests in all its work.

• Childcare remains far too expensive, and it is unacceptable that in 2024 some parents are unable to go back to work due to childcare costs.

• Likewise, action needs to be taken to support carers, both through the council, through its partners, and throughout Bristol.

• Bristol needs a National Care Service introduced, that follows the principles outlined in the Fabian Society’s pamphlet ‘A National Care Service for all’

 

This Council resolves to:

• Call on members of the Strategy and Resources Committee to continue to protect maintained nurseries as a priority and reject any proposals to reduce funding for them in budgets put forward to Full Council in future. Furthermore, work alongside the Schools Forum to explore reforming the budget setting model by moving to a benchmarked model based on final summer term registrations from each September, giving nurseries the flexibility they need to maintain the best possible

provision for our children. In addition, call on members of the committee to create a strategy using Bristol City Council assets to ensure provision is provided in the locations it is needed with a long-term city-wide plan.

• Ensure all Bristol City Council employee contracts include paid time allowances and flexible working conditions to recognise and support those with caring responsibilities and childcare needs.

• Call on Party Group Leaders to lobby their national party leaders to ask it recognises state nursery provision a statutory service and provide additional funding to local government to fund this, and lobby the Government to follow the lead of the Welsh Government and exempt nursery schools in Bristol from paying business rates.

• Call on the Children and Young People committee to explore other ways of making childcare more accessible in Bristol.

• Call on the new committee that will oversee strategic CIL to instruct appropriate officers to explore allocating future Strategic Community Infrastructure Levy raised in regeneration areas towards capital costs of establishing new childcare centres and / or nursery schools.

• Call on the Mayor to request West of England Combined Authority explores options of using its investment fund to offer grants to new childcare providers and subsidise the salaries of new employees in the childcare sector. Should this not be viable, call on Party Group Leaders to lobby their national party group leaders to do so and to also actively lobby all national party leaders to adopt the TUC strategy for the Care Workforce including: decent pay and conditions developed with those in the workforce, secure contracts, a minimum wage of £15 per hour, sick pay and pay for all hours worked; skills training and progressive pathways across the health, social care, education and early years sector.

• Recognise and ensure childcare is articulated as infrastructure and have it included in local and strategic plans referenced as such in Bristol’s upcoming economic strategy.

• Lobby national leaders for investment in free early education, childcare and social care as economic infrastructure reinforcing the Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill.

• Call on the Mayor to instruct officers to adopt the asks of the Caring Economy campaign and request officers report back to Full Council on its progress in future.

• Call on Party Group leaders to collectively write to all parties and ask them that should they form the next government, to ensure that they provide councils with sufficient resources to implement the National Care Service, in particular fair wages, more support for carers ‘free for people with lifelong disabilities.’ and ensuring ‘Disabled and older people will have a new right to choose where they live’ which will mean not taking costs of care into account during the assessment process.