Cabinet – Tuesday, 6th February, 2024 4.00 pm
Papers: https://democracy.bristol.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=135&MId=10644
Agenda:
1. Welcome and Safety Information 00:00
2. Public Forum 1:03
3. Apologies for Absence 1:19
4. Declarations of Interest 1:28
5. Matters referred to the Mayor for reconsideration by a scrutiny commission or by Full Council 1:38
6. Reports from scrutiny commission 1:47
7. Chair’s Business 1:55
8. Review of High Needs Block (HNB) Element 3 non-statutory top up funding 6:54
9. Green Recovery Fund – Public Electric Vehicle Infrastructure 11:34
10. Highway Contract Procurement 16:14
11. Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Energy Efficiency Strategy 20:50
12. New Property Licensing Schemes 24:56
13. A37/A4018 Victoria Street & Colston Avenue Full Business Case (FBC) 32:13
14. Frome Gateway Regeneration Framework 45:45
15. Recommissioning of adult homelessness supported accommodation pathways 1:02:46
16. Extension of We Can Make area of operation 1:05:30
17. Estate Rationalisation and Disposals 1:13:03
18. Hard Facilities Management Contract Extension, re-procurement and Capital Health and Safety Programme 1:19:51
19. The future of the Homelessness Prevention Youth Hub Service 1:21:19
20. Critical Assets Harbour River Wall Asset – Remedial Works 1:26:56
21. Bristol’s first Citizens’ Assembly recommendations 1:31:04
22. Finance Exception Report (P9) 1:57:17
Uh welcome to uh cabinet members I’ll saying uh welcome to councilors in advance of their arrival and members of the public uh to our cabinet meeting at City Hall today as usual agenda uh papers uh and uh public forum submissions are available on our website um on housekeeping if I can just
Draw your attention to the emergency evacuation procedure which is outlined on the agenda and current being displayed on the screens this meeting is being webcast so can I ask you please to speak into the microphone to make sure that uh people watching at home uh can be heard
Um agenda item 13 today contains an exempt appendix with commercially sensitive information uh so any discussion on the content of this appendix will need to happen in exempt session and cabinet members have been been given access to this appendix agenda item two today public forum just a remind that statements and questions
Will be taken at the time the relevant agenda item is discussed and I will reply to questions or ask the relevant Cabinet member to respond at the time onto agenda item three apologies uh for absence been given by uh Nicola Beach and Marley Bennett he’s on well today agenda item four
Declarations of Interest can ask any cabinet members if you have any interest to declare in relation to agenda today’s agenda no okay thank you agenda item five matters referred for consideration by scrutiny or full Council there have been no referrals from scrutiny or full Council uh today thank you agenda item
Six reports from scrutiny commissions there are no reports from scrutiny commissions uh today so on to gend item seven uh chair’s business and there are two two uh things are are rais in in under my business today um both incredibly sad first um are the uh the
Murders of the two young men uh Mason rist and Max Dixon in nor West um on Saturday uh the 27th of January um the murder inquiry uh was launched Le by aan and somerset’s major crime investigation team um people have now been arrested um and charged in relation to
These boys murder and they’ve been remanded in custody um you know I’ve been up to the area a couple of times I know other the cabinet members have been there too uh We’ve there’s been a an incredible uh mobilization within the community and from across our city Partners in Health across uh Community
Um organizations in community work both local residents Robins found foundation and and others um everyone’s working with the police as we would uh want um and I think there’s been a a real positive response in what is a really horrific situation to this community response uh and at the vigil we just saw
How the community was coming together to support each other to grieve um and with a real resolution to do all uh they can we can as a city to stop this happening again and fortunately it’s important to note that this this is not the first uh we’ve had previous young people lose
Their lives uh through at stabbings uh just before this we had young um Eddie uh and we saw similar kind of community mobilization and outpouring um it’s an incredibly uh challenging sequence of uh losses uh for the city uh and just to assure people
That as a city we will do what we can to support the families and to understand how we can uh take action to reduce and I think that’s unfortunately we can’t we can never totally eliminate the risk but to minimize the risk of uh further young people or anyone losing
Their lives to life crime um in Bristol uh the second um is we’ve obviously this week had the news of his Royal Highness King Charles III as cancer diagnosis and uh I say on behalf of Bristol that we we are sincerely hoping for a full recovery and to get
Well soon and I say that on my own behalf as well having had uh you know a great opportunity over the last few years to uh meet on a number of occasions and I and I will say in line with the work we’ve done in Bristol on the national and international stage on
Climate change uh urbanization and finance that uh he is one of the most important and um significant uh players uh that we have in our Corner as the leaders of UK cities in in facilitating that conversation with uh uh international finance uh that we must have if we’re going to actually get hold
Of the money we need that will pay for things like retrofitting heat networks heat pumps um EV charging networks new transport infrastructure um because he really has been a real um agent on that front and not just in the UK I would say I was up
At dumre house just a few weeks ago uh and we had representatives from across the Commonwealth uh and I think current numbers suggest that 90% of urbanization in the world up to 2050 is going to happen in the Commonwealth uh and for those of you that obviously follow it we know that
Increasingly people are of the understanding that the battle against climate change will be one or lost in the world cities it’s where most people going to be living if urbanization happens in a poor poorly designed CTIC way it will be inefficient and we will disproportionately use the Earth’s
Resources if urbanization happens in an organized way we can increase human efficiency uh and minimize the amount of resources used per human life um and so getting ahead of that um urbanization is absolutely essential and and and again just a few weeks ago at dy’s house I was
Involved in conversations with uh the Commissioners from high Commissioners from Australia Rwanda uh Kenya other representatives from across the combo from Pakistan uh looking at that challenge of not only how do we do good urbanization but how do we get the money that’s needed to ensure good
Urbanization so we wish the king uh a a full and speedy recovery uh uh but also we uh we wish it because we wish it in and of itself but because of the contribution he’s been making to this vital work on on climate change so let’s move on now to agenda
Item eight which is a review view of the high needs block element three non-statutory topup funding and Asher you’re bring in this paper thank you so the report um before you outlines the findings and recommendations from an external review into topup funding for children and young people with special educational
Needs and disabilities in Bristol recognizing pressures within the local systems the council plans to reform send Services by implementing an effective plan and the aim is to create a sustainable financial future for children young people and families the report emphasizes the importance of collaboration across health education care and finance to devise Innovative
Strategies for deliver service delivery the council was awarded a million pounds in 2023 from the df’s delivering better value incend program the funding was used to review the use of the high needs block topup funding and the review recommended redesigning the Top-Up funding system to improve outcomes and enhance long-term
Sustainability the review suggested that our current processes were com cumbersome and lack transparency and therefore needed to be tightened it also identified a significant opportunity to rethink the use of How High needs funding um is used Shifting the focus from primarily discharging statutory duties to investing strategically in early identification intervention and
Inclusion the report also outlines a potential cost of 9 million uh pounds to continue supporting those currently receiving non-statutory topup plans and proposes an annual budget of a million pounds for both the targeted support fund and Outreach Services overall the recommendations aim to build a more inclusive school system leading to
Better outcomes comes and long-term sustainability so the main recommendations within the report include creating a targeted support fund and commissioning two School Outreach Services the goal is to enhance send capability within mainstream schools and improve the quality and consistency of their provision the recommendations also uh propose ending the current
Nonstatutory topup funding arrangements with a transition period to minimize impact this would provide schools with flexible time-bound funding for students with emerging needs allowing for more effective And Timely early intervention over the next 5 years the council will continue to invest in specialist places early identification early intervention and support for
Mainstream schools and implementation of these recommendations will be developed in partnership with schools our post6 providers and families to ensure the need needs of children and young people are at the center of decision making this Cooperative approach is intended to Foster improved relationships with schools and provide shared leadership
Around effective send practice so in terms of funding the review has proposed as I said an annual budget of a million pounds for both the targeted support fund and Outreach Services and it’s acknowledged that these changes will result may result in an initial increase an assessment request but it’s expected
That the long-term outcome would be a more inclusive School Sy system better outcomes for children and financial sustainability thank you thank you Asha uh so on this report we’ve had uh no public for statements or questions uh nothing from any counselors um but can I um offer it up to any
Cabinet members before I come back to you aser no okay okay thanks very much so I’ll now hand back to you aser to take the decision which I I think I need to finish my bit Sor right which will now be displayed on the screen so in terms of
The decision to be made today I approve the um recommendations as set out in the report have you got someone you need to be trying to get us through the agenda Qui L it’s all good okay let’s move to agenda item nine uh green Recovery Fund uh public electric vehicle
Infrastructure this is with you Kai thanks Marvin this report sets out how we uh will aim to spend the grant funding from the uh from W’s green Recovery Fund to develop and Implement electric vehicle charging infrastructure Bristol city council is part of the revive Network that’s been going for um
A number of years now and the funding from the green Rec Recovery Fund will allow us to uh construct additional charging sites Strate strategically across the region uh the paper gives the detail on how the INF infrastructure expansion and funding will roll out and it will it
Will start in the summer and the focus will be on community Char charging hubs destination charging that’s places like supermarkets and things like that and on Street residential uh the total funding is uh for the for the project across the regions uh 4.9 million but the Bristol element of
That is probably about 2.5 million pounds uh the program will be developed by Bristol City leap with um installation of the charge points by amarco the Strategic partner for delivery of of low carbon infrastructure through the city leap partnership or potentially alternative um alternatively another contractor should they for some
Reason not do it which which is very unlikely um the investment will mean more residents opt for electric vehicles um and confidence in the Avail availability of um convenient charging Solutions will be improved with this uh investment thank you thanks very much Kai um so we’ve received no public form statements
Uh but we have had uh three public forum questions submitt from two people uh neither of whom are here Tim why um anded plen unless I see a hang I missed him no okay um so let’s move on now can I offer it to any cabinet members who wish to comment uh
Don yeah just to say that um as the highways Authority we’re very supportive of this uh EVS will be part of the solution but we recognize there are also uh some downsides in an urban context uh partic cules and uh congestion for instance but we’re very supportive of this but we’re also as
Ever very mindful of the needs of people with disabilities and the needs to keep the need to keep footways uh clear for people who uh are not not able to to work their way around uh and I’ve seen one of two they have been one of two examples publicly posted
On social media of where charging uh points have gone in in a way which do not recognize the needs of people in wheelchairs Etc uh that won’t be happening here thank you thanks Don any any else anyone else okay I mean I’ll just throw this up
Because it is an issue that’s come up is going to come up uh later with the agenda that the actual delivery is about is is not just about the Declaration it’s not just wearing a t-shirt waving a flag or or you know writing a piece on some online whatever
Is actually getting money in getting it spent and then putting it into the programs of work um and and the what I would say is all of our core City events at 3ci uh whether we’re talking um with Mayors around the world that that challenge of how you actually make
Delivery real is you know is the key one and this is about making stuff real so you know really appreciate your leadership on this and obviously City leap is uh both a national and an international example actually now if our local Authority can work with Blended Finance begin to get access to
The money to make stuff real get it spent so thanks for your leadership on that Kai I’ll now hand back to you now to take the decision which I support and which will be displayed on the screen yeah thanks Marvin um and also just to say in terms of the sites for the
Charges they haven’t been decided yet you know we’ll go through a proper process and it’ll be the the right charger for the right location and also people can go on to the travel West website if they want to suggest a location near them as well just to make
People aware of that um but in terms of the the uh in terms of the decision to be made today I approve the recommendations as set out in the report thanks Kai uh so let’s come to you now Don for agenda item 10 Highway contract procurement Thank You Marvin so it’s
Coming to the time again when we need to uh procure for the coming years some of the basic um contracts that we uh contractors that we need for our maintenance work uh and we’re looking for approval here for the procurement of new highways contracts uh including procurement of
New contracts for Gully cleansing Subway drainage uh Highway Asset Management Associated Works framework highways defect response and emergency Works term contract and structures Professional Services contract this essentially ual funding is going to cost us over £300 million the coming years which uh is very important
We are very proud to be able to to continue to invest um in in the key infrastructure and transport networks are so important for our economy and important too for people’s safety as they travel thank you uh thanks Don uh so we’ve received one public forum statement on this and
This is from uh d redwell from Bristol uh Bristol disability equalities form I I do I see you over there Dave do you want to come do you want to come forward yeah I mean obviously we’re pleased with this I think our concerns has been the
State of the Subways to be honest the Subways which on many occasions have been flooded out and unable to access through so anything that can be done to had uh maintenance Dawn to the Subways and make sure they’re safe I mean we did see a picture of um Lawrence Hill
Roundabout with a BBC reporter in a boat um which is not great from a point of view of disabled access but until such time as we’re actually able to get rid of these Subways in the city and that would obviously be the ultimate goal um then uh we have to make sure they’re
Safe everything from the Hay Market to Wick Church to hartcliffe um to Lawrence Hill which ones have become very problematic and flood out and obviously in many of those locations there isn’t alternative traffic signals or alternative ways of Crossing those roads in a bright near future hopefully wo
Will supply the money to put Crossings in but until that happens um we and or they’re going to be filled in and used for um development purposes which I would support in the local plan but we do need to make them safe and make sure that the ratings are there and make sure
They’re pumped out and regularly kept um accessible for disabled people mothers with buggies and fathers to use within the city thank you thanks very much Dave and and as as as usual with yourself in know Point uh very well made and and we’ll go along the reason
We set the combin authority up was to get influence uh with government profile with government uh get scale and get money but to get stuff done it wasn’t just about having uh more meetings lasting five six hours so you know we absolutely you know agree with you about
The need to focus the whole uh structure uh combin Authority on actual delivery making tangible changing people’s lives so I appreciate that point okay um we’ve had a question from councelor Wilcox who’s not here uh and I think that was uh that was it so let me come to any cabinet members
Now who may wish to make a comment for anyone no okay so just work on keeping his highways cleared um let me hand back to you now Don to take the decision which I support and which will now be displayed on the screen uh thanks and just to reassure you Dave
We have now got the data on all of our um on all of our Subways um we have started work Lawrence hill we have drilled it out uh we’ve got a lot of like calite and stuff in there um and we’re making a plan now which we will I
Think we’ll go we’ll go public on in the next few months um we’re aware that they are something that’s whose time has passed uh and once we see people change modes to more sustainable modes and there’s less traffic there will undoubtedly be a different way of using
What’s a considerable amount of land in some cases so but thank you for your comments in terms of the decision to be made today I approve the recommendations as set out in the report you thank you Don uh so on to agenda item 11 housing revenue account Energy Efficiency
Strategy Kai this is with you thank you Marvin um around 7,400 homes current in in our h h stock are currently not achieving um the Energy Efficiency standard Target that we’ve got for our so is about a quarter of our stock um what this report does is sets out our
Plan to reach an EPCC standard by 2030 across all our Bristol city council homes this aligns with um our commitments made in the in the one city plan and also we’re anticipating um regulations in this area to tighten up over over the coming years um for for
The um rented sector and the social rented sector obviously this the work that we’re proposing is obviously good news for tenants as it um will obviously help in terms of reducing energy bills during the cost of living crisis but also um reduce the carbon emissions in
Line with our um Net Zero Ambitions um we’ve done detailed analysis on our um housing stocks conditions uh calculating the energy performance in homes and the the strategy sets out uh an approach needed for the worst insulated homes and also what we’re calling a shallow retrofit for those that are only
Marginally um below the standard and um we’ll be working with City leap on this to achieve um our our targets and actually this was one of the key kpis in the city leap procurement exercise in terms of um helping us achieve this goal um by getting to an EPCC by 30 so
They’re they’re contractually obliged to support us getting there um we’re also going to prioritize the installation of solar PV in flats are the ones that are most risk of fuel poverty and all new roofs where where feasible we’ll also develop a heat de decarbonization plan sorry uh which sets out the risks
And opport and opportunities of transitioning away from gas the report highlights changes to the National framework included including changes in methodology uh which will have an impact impact on how our performance is reported um and finally um the strategy commits to introduce Energy Efficiency Works budgets to build a predictable
Pipeline of work to help us maximize grant funding as well as exploring other models of um funding that we can um attract to secure the interests of our our residents um thank you thank you Kai uh again for your leadership on this uh we’ve had one public form statement but no questions
The statement is uh uh councelor Martin Fodor who unless he puts a hand up is not here missed him okay so nothing nothing on this uh can I ask any uh cabinet members if they’ wish to comment on this one okay well I’ll just say again just
Emphasize just how important it is uh this is to not just a transition but to adjust transition uh that the benefits of the action we take are taking in the city to uh reduce emissions reduce energy use make our lives more efficient are benefiting uh those people who uh
Who who Al may not have the finances to drive it themselves as well so making these these interventions you know accessible so again Kai really thank you for your leadership on this let me hand back to you now to take the decision which I support and which will now be displayed on the
Screen yeah thanks Marvin and and we are taking this issue seriously you know set aside 80 million pounds to deal with this in the 30-year business business plan and obviously hopefully with an incoming labor government there’ll be a lot more uh grant funding available in this area for us to do a lot
More uh in terms of the decision to be made today I approve the recommendations as set out in the report thanks KY so on to agenda item 12 new proper licensing schemes uh yeah okay thank you Marvin um first of all I’d like to say uh thanks for councelor
Tom Renard who’s done most of the L work on this I’m just uh I’ve just got my name on the paper really but thanks for your for your work on that um what we’re doing with this paper is um we’re delivering on our Manifesto commitment to expand uh landal licensing scheme
Scheme in the city our Administration believes that having a safe and secure roof over your head is key to ensuring that we will have the best possible opportunity to live a happy and healthy life the pr the paper I’m bringing forward will be uh vital for residents
Across Bristol it’s a tool that will help us improve the quality and management of private rented properties across the city the report seeks to implement LIC licensing requirements for houses of multiple occupancy hmos is a known known Citywide and to certain properties in bishopston and Ashley D
Cotum and Eastern Wards the the new schemes would cover two types of Licensing additional licensing includes a house or flat that is occupied by three or four unrelated people who live together and share some facilities including kitchens and or bathrooms selective licensing includes private rented properties that are occupied by
One or two tenants or family but not hmos we want to make sure that tenants across the city live in safe and comfortable homes and have more power to take action if this this is not the case this is a continuation of some great work we’ve been doing previous land land
ORD licensing schemes saw 9,000 licenses issued across the city with almost 6,000 properties being improved to meet new standards uh we’re going as far as we can with existing powers in terms of regulating the private rental sector in Bristol to go any further we need secretary state Secretary of State
Approval we’re lobbying government for more Powers we want to trial rent controls um although and um work with the uh living rent Commission on that which we have been doing um in in recent um uh recent years our work impr proving existing homes sits alongside our work in building new homes with um
12534 new homes already built since 2016 and more than 3,000 3,000 under under construction as of April 2023 so this is um an important tool in in uh regulating uh the private renting sector a ra rather sizable sector compared to other cities um in the UK were well
Above average in that respect thank you thank you Kai so on I mean just to recognize that just the sheer scale of the housing uh challenge uh we face uh within the city and challenge is a very gentle way of putting it with the crisis
Uh that we have with our people on the waiting list people in temporary accomodation of R leapers And for those people in housing insecurity as well um on that front uh we’ve had one public forign statement from councelor Tom haway who’s not here um we’ve had three public forum
Questions um and I don’t think I can see canc Jackson Tom hathway I don’t think anyone’s here who submitted a question okay uh so let me offer it up to any cabinet members Tom um just briefly well done um for getting this over the line implementing a licensing scheme is is a huge
Undertaking and not a quick process um as well you know this work probably began in 2022 uh in in the summer so it’s such a long process but it’s really kind of tightly regulated um uh so you know it’s brilliant we’re at this point it’s going to make a huge difference uh
To renters across City and driving up standards and you’ve outlined the work that previous schemes have have achieved and and shows why we need this so you know rather than brilliantes today thank you Tom I me know the cabinet members Asher so as um I think in the early part
Of 2017 2018 we kind of introduced this scheme um I remember when we started out and we introduced it in St George so I really welcome the fact that we’re kind of going wider and even deeper and really protecting the interests of those individuals who are caught up in hmos
And uh and all of that so yeah welcome welcome this change positive move thank you Asha um I think it would just point out as well that um for uh we do sometimes get lobbied and there are comments made on P rental stock but as you pointed out in the paper you also
Actually have to build homes uh and uh what we need is a lot more political support on actually housing delivery we can’t have a situation where people support things in principle but not in practice um delivering affordable homes is not a matter of principle it’s a matter of delivery and practice and
We’ve had uh too much opposition to actually Building Homes when we actually point to the places that we’re going to build them um and I would also so I think the the public the debate that’s been facilitated in public has not enabled people to Grapple with the reality that
We have 42 square miles we’re not getting any more land we have a growing population on top of an existing housing crisis um and if we if we are going to tackle the housing crisis we have to build and if we have to build we have to build somewhere and there is a
Fundamental decision that we have to make as a city region well certainly as a city within our 42 square miles uh between between sprawling and building in and up with a concentration of homes on Brownfield sites um and it’s not possible to uh to tackle the housing crisis without making that decision and
Unfortunately uh it’s it’s not uh it’s not a reality that much of the debate has been compelled to uh has been held accountable to um to which has been unfortunate but Kai let me hand back to you now to take the decision which I support and which will now be displayed
On the screen yeah thank thank you for the uh support everybody and obviously the evid the evidence from the earlier schemes are clear has it has driven up standards so often you might hear like the landlord Lobby complaining this is just a you know tax and we’re you know
Trying to raise revenue or whatever but actually you know um it has driven up Revenue we’ve got people going out inspecting properties and that and it and it’s worked so more than not Revenue what’s that you said driven up Revenue I think driven up standards did I sorry
What’s what’s in the water don’t anyway yeah I’ll move on uh in terms of the uh decision to be made today I approve the recommendations as set out in the report hey all right on to agenda item 13 a37 a 4018 Victoria Street and Coulson Avenue um full business case um and Don
I think we have it on a good authority this is a very impressive scheme so I’m going to welcome you to bring this paper great introduction it is an impressive scheme and um if you’ve been to Victoria Street recently you will have noticed that since the bus gate uh
Was installed at Bristol Bridge it’s it’s very quiet there’s an awful lot of space there which isn’t uh well used well that was part of the purpose of the bus gate on Bristol bridge and now actually this is where we kind of harvest the fruit of that by um making something really spectacular
Out of Victoria Street both in terms of the active travel infrastructure um buses bus passengers and also um just the street space as well trees and restaurants being able to be given some of that um enormous amount of pavement space and Road space that’s now been made available so this paper is
Seeking approval for a full business case to be submitted to the west of England kab Authority for City region sustainable transport settlement funding The Wider work includes sustainable transport improvements covering 16 mile corridor from henbury to Stockwood a highlight of this project is a completed work on Bristol Bridge implementation of a bus
Gate two-way segregated cycle Lane zebra Crossings which has all helped to reduce congestion and improve sustainable transport routes Victoria Street interventions include public realm and public transport improvements alongside continuation of two-way cycle Lane for Bristol Bridge connecting the center and Temple me station work on coulston Avenue includes extension on an inbound
Bus lane our Administration has a long list of delivery on sustainable uh transport from the past few months alone we’re getting on improving Bristol’s transport Network for residents Improvement works on on Nelson Street Bristol Bridge Müller Road completed alongside our city center and cottam Hill pedestrianization schemes we’ve
Started work at Ashley down station the entrance and we finished the portway park and ride uh We’ve reopened jail ferry bridge and redcliffe bascle Bridge little more work to do on that later in the month final work uh and more vital investment now to Kings Western Ironbridge the other new cut Bridges
And the new cut River wall as we’ll hear about in a later paper we’ve just also announced uh consultations on Rosemary Lane uh and on East Bristol livero neighborhood and also on the four schemes linked to active travel fund tranch 4 which are Deery Road philwood quiet way malago Greenway old and Old
Market uh and that those when done will will complete uh the cycle infrastructure from Bristol and bath Railway path through to the center of the city and through to Temple me station um a long held aspiration uh I know by many cyclists in this city uh thank
You thank you uh don um so on this we’ve received two public forum statements the first is from rail future Sev side uh Southwest Transport Network Dave I forgot to say last time you have a minute you know I always give you 20 seconds on top just um this is excellent
Really I mean I remember all the opposition to this scheme from God news they were going to block the bridge it’s going to be terrible but the air quality is better and the bus services are improving and also obviously with this work it makes a good walking route
Cycling route willing route to Temple Station from the city center I’m pleased to see not see pleased to see historic building knock down but pleased to see find you getting rid of the Grove in a hotel and hopefully we can bring back all the bus interchange which is closed
At Temple meet station at the moment and I think that’ be welcome be received as part of this scheme as soon as possible Don please um but also the other issue really is the frequency of the buses when this was signed that get a bus deal with first well of course that’s no
Longer with Bristol city council that’s with the combined Authority um as a member of the bus Advisory board for the combined Authority and North Somerset Council I just like to press that we make sure we hold first group to account on the frequencies of the number two and
The number one which are the main corridors along here and we actually increase the frequencies in investment because we’re putting in all the track and what we need to see them do along with public seity from wer is obviously improve the bus services but also Al since um that uh Situation’s come along
We’ve also got Stage Coach running a bus service loop here to um Bristol Parkway for Astic West and also trans transfor is also interested in having buses now in the city region so I just ask that we ask wer to make sure that with all the infrastructure going through on the city
Regional transport strategy that they actually step up to the platee and provide the bus services that they’re supposed to do as the transport Authority thank you thank you very much Dave and as have a good suggestions remember there’s a couple of places working one is it’s
Great to have the voice here in the cabinet but you know as you do uh both for yourself and for other people it’s important to remember um how many decisions uh around the city Region’s um infrastructure both hous and transport uh now uh will be uh driven through the
Combined Authority so it’s important that people have their say at those combined Authority meetings um also so uh we had a statement from councelor Ed plowden uh not here uh we had four public forum questions submitted uh between three people uh the first is from yourself
Dave so um yeah it really is the frequency and is that actually being discussed with wer formally I think that is extremely important that we raise with them we signed the original Bristol bus deal but it’s not a valid situation the DFT now has to go through them so
Can we just ask them where they are with the commissioning of those particular routes and also I also note that two and two the two and 2A don’t go into South Hospital bus station and it would be good to Loop them in there so that
Actually we can get to and from the main hospital so don’t to walk up and down the access road into the hospital thanks Dave uh don yeah thank you for your observations that very much does lie with wer and our discussions with wer on bus services are ongoing one of the
Things to note about improved um bus infrastructure is it does make the services more commercial so actually wer is more able to commission those bus services on the grounds that well the number four I was on yesterday what was full at 3:30 p.m. in the afternoon it’s
The point I keep making TWA is actually improved infrastructure leads to Fuller buses it leads to a more commercial Network ultimately and less need for subsidy um and that’s part of what this this project is about is making uh those buses get through quicker pick up more passengers better experience for the
Customer and more commercial for the company under the current Arrangements that we have which obiously under labor government we have the potential to change Dave you have a supplementary or your second question my second question really um I think we’re the only area in in only only the only combined Authority
Area in England where the bus shelters are split between the combined Authority and the city council and South CL and bank I think something has to be done here to make sure this functions for passengers and I know Bristol puts in the new shelters and then we end up with
Wer coming along with a man with van and putting up a timetable and trying to do the real time information um and then Bristol going back sending a cleaning company to come and clean it I really would ask Don that we do try and find a way of transferring all this over
Including them paying for it under their budgets um the shelters in the city um region because the present system needs needs some streamlining I think it would be the best thing to say thanks it’s it’s an offer I made a long long time ago which has not been
Taken up my supplement then joing your last few months Marvin perhaps you could try and push the push that across to them that would be very gratefully Reed on on behalf of passengers in the city region thank you Dave that a deliverable mass transit system a ring of Park and rides Regional
Agreement on housing numbers flood defense lots of things we’ll continue to try and push uh through the combin authority over our final months I will just say it’s worth remembering and you backed it at the time but we did try to we made a huge offer with our whole
Transport function uh moving over to the combined Authority as reasonable transport authority to get that level of coordination there was considerable uh vocal opposition in this chamber unfortunately because they didn’t understand the Strategic uh decision that was being made uh but the command Authority ultimately didn’t take up the
Offer so it’s left us with the very situation that you’ve just described unfortunately uh but we will do our best to make sure that uh uh we’re getting as much alignment across our city region and and across the bus Network as possible so thank you for not your unions they should go
Across so we’re fully behind you in making that happen thank you well we’ll we’ll we I mean we have to be respectful of that there are people involved so we can’t go back and forth but it it would make sense to get that transport function at a
Regional level in one place managing our infrastructure and our and our services and Our Roots so thank you uh for that uh we had a uh a question another question uh from I think it’s from councelor David Wilcox yeah okay um but I can’t see uh David here
Okay and Philip who I can’t see here either okay so let’s um thank you for that David as the sum total of that public forum section um can I ask any cabinet members if they wish to comment on this item no okay well Don let me hand back
To you now to take the decision which I support and which will now be displayed on the screen just just while we are no let me just carry on with that and we we’ll raise it another time so don over to you thank you thanks and before I do
Perhaps I could just take the opportunity to correct uh a misunderstanding that might have been created by councelor Will Cox’s question where he he doesn’t understand what continuous footways are they are actually a way in in in terms of Highways design of um making clear the transport hierarchy we have which uh in
Which puts uh pedestrians and cyclist at the top uh and also of of demonstrating that by using a sort a ramp area which makes it areas of low traffic you makes it slightly more difficult for cars to get or at least they notice the junction
More and it means that the level of the pavement continues and the same which is easier for people uh with uh wheelchairs etc etc and we’ve had discussion with other disability grp groups regarding um you know not having a curb etc etc if you’ve got uh if your eyesight is not so
Good you would often use the curb so it’s part of a long running discussion quite new to Bristol uh but Amsterdam Glasgow uh London certainly have started to bring them in um so um it’s good that councelor Wilcox is is aware of new developments um in the area of active travel infrastructure
Uh and I will conclude by uh in terms of the decision to be made today I approve the recommendations as set out in the report thank you thanks Don uh appreciate your leadership on this uh once again so on to agenda item 14 from Gateway regeneration framework
And this items uh with me uh so I just want to introduce the report by setting out what this framework what this vision for FR Gateway sets out deliver looking at 1,000 new homes including a mix of larger family and affordable homes the provision of a range of new
Work and employment spaces for businesses uh bringing uh forward quality training and employment opportunities for local people open and restore the uh river through to become a a thriving Wildlife Corridor and increase the amount of Green Space uh through a network of new pocket Parks provide safer streets for walking and
Cycling uh community and cultural organizations have space to grow their reach into the community including uh young people improving public health and well-being and support more sustainable active living um and adapt to the impacts of climate change um and support ecological recovery not least by building on Brownfield land in the
Middle of the City MO at higher density to prot to we make best use of Bristol’s land surface so this is an incredibly exciting opportunity that piece of land that really is a gateway uh to Bristol at the bottom of the M32 um it it the the area that we’re
Talking about uh is the land that sits either side of the river FR in the area in St Jude’s in Lawrence Hill um it is east of Bristol City Center and is bordered by New Foundland way in the M32 to the West Pennywell Road uh to the
East Holton Street and Wade Street to the uh South and to the north by Eastern way so quite a significant area of land um and it comes forward at the right time as we need to get things done get homes delivered get homes delivered in a way that respects the climate and
Ecological emergencies um and I would say the social emergencies and housing emergency that we are uh uh facing that we are continuing to drive forward uh uh delivery uh any regeneration uh we do we are being clear must create uh social value uh what we don’t want is a regeneration that Steamrollers over
Existing communities we want to tackle uh gentrification we want to make sure the benefits are kept locally and that’s not just for the people that live in the area but that means uh local skills uh local Supply chains benefi in local uh Bristol uh businesses and uh we’re
Getting quite practiced at that now and uh we’re making sure that we build that into the whole plan of delivery I’m really pleased to say that our community development team over the last few years led by Muhammad Al Sharif has done absolutely incredible work at engaging
With the local residents in the area uh we’ve had uh great events at the Mixed Martial Arts uh space uh um which is owned run by Mario uh at the moment as well I’ve been to some of these Community meetings uh myself and so it’s fantastic that local people local
Residents have had the opportunity to get there their hands and share their share their Vision uh for this uh regeneration opportunity so that is truly um owned by them so this FR Gateway is one of those areas of the city which is so in need of investment
So it can better meet the needs of local people um and our city and offer the fitting Gateway into Bristol at the bottom of the M32 that uh that the city needs um and certainly deserves and we’ve been working with local businesses also I should add uh to
Shape the vision uh for the future area uh and while we continue to address the challenges uh you know of brist as I said this will make a an incredible uh contribution to that as it comes to uh uh fruition and obviously it’s not something that we in this particular
Cabinet will oversee the delivery of but it’s absolutely essential that we put the foundations in place for uh future iterations of of City leadership uh to deliver and for future Generations in in Bristol to benefit from so we’ve received one public forum statement on this from Ian Becky of living Eastern
Heritage and environment group is Ian here no no okay well we we’ll we’ll keep that um on record we have uh four public forum questions submitted between three people the first is from Susan Audrey no okay uh the next two questions from councelor Tessa Fitz John is she here I
Am okay okay thank you um my question relates to the land transfer from Manco management um who are giving this strip of land this is talking about Bedminster green by the way it doesn’t appear to have anything to do with the FR Gateway project um not quite sure why it’s been
Popped in there um but Manco uh are based in Isle of Man they’re attx Haven and um we’re interested one of my questions relates to who else um is involved with Manco because they mentioned other businesses um of course we welcome the you mind just doing your question counselor well I’m not reading
It off here CU you’ve all got copies of that but I’m trying to give it to you in a pricey which makes it more interesting for you to listen to a bit of a statement you you would have had an opportunity to submit a statement if you
Want to make a statement but if it’s a question we do need to do the question so I don’t mind a bit of setup but when it begins to sound like a statement you know then that’s not the purpose of the question so if you could get your
Question that would be fantastic okay fine uh well my question is um who else is involved with Manco management and the second question is why has it been put in with the FR Gateway what has it got to do with that okay so I think you you specifically
Asked about dandara is that right as well I did but we can widen it out if you like okay if You’ like to widen it then I’ll get you a written you know a full of written response but in terms of your question being is dandara a part of
Manco uh dandor is not part of Mano or involved in this land transfer uh and I’ll ask the team to get back to you on if you want the full range of everyone who’s involved you know I’ll ask the team to come back to you on that um on
Question two why is it uh in involved here is because we needed to move at PACE on the piece of Landover and bster green to take action around that uh the recovery of the of the malago over there we needed to to do and this was an opportunity to bring that forward thank
You okay thank you okay we had a question from Ed plowden who I think’s not here still okay thank you very much uh let me uh come to the cabinet now um if any of you would like to comment I see a few hands going up here let me start I’ll start
With you as I’m spoking for a little while yeah it really is around the employment and skills and I really kind of Welcome this new framework and particularly the emphasis I had a conversation or I was speaking at an event a couple of weeks ago with property developers about yes we
Understand they’re in it to make money at the end of the day but what they can’t do is displace uh certain communities um particularly in terms of like the whole gentrification so I just wanted to remind everybody about the work that we’ve been doing over the last couple of
Years through the building Bristol initiative which allows property where we will support property developers to develop an employment and skills plan that sits alongside their proposals uh when they put in for planning permission so we can clearly see how what they are doing is going to benefit uh the
Immediate and wider wider area but yeah well welcome the uh framework but emphasis on don’t forget that the communities that you are surrounding um and and ensure that they are very much engaged in this process thanks aure uh Tom um as you can imagine really welcome to paper um you know projected delivery
Of a thousand homes um you know it’s going to be really good news for the city and I think one of the things that is really important here as well is we have a landowner quite a significant land owner in the area as well so we’ve
Got that extra leverage um that we can utilize to make sure that we do get as much affordable housing as possible as part of building mixed and balanced communities um which I think is going to be really important um and you know particular thinking about the role that key worker homes
Could play Within that as noted in the paper is really good to see one of the things we know we’ve got challenges around is certain professions at the moment you know particularly in the NHS social care and also the hospitality sectors um so really good to see this
All being thought about and and what’s like a really coherent master plan I think it’s also a testament one to The Wider engagement work you outlined but also to the Regeneration team that have done you know a huge amount of work to get it to this stage thanks Tom Don
Thank you yeah those who’ve read the detail of this paper will notice that we in transport have um got a little bit of an eye on the um on this uh Master planning exercise as part of our work on freight consolidation uh both from the point of view of congestion and and decarbonizing
Transport in the city because we know that Freight is a contributor to on both those fronts as well as pollution um the council working on freight consolidation isn’t new um Helen would remember uh when she was very young 20 years ago uh that there was it was more than 20
Years ago actually the council was working on freight consolidation that’s taken on a new urgency and a new activity uh especially actually as part of the one City Transport Board where we got some very key players on there this coming year and we’re looking forward to doing more on that so
Uh we’ve got our eyes on what’s going on here as part of that and other places as well in the city in order to um to get some of that that Freight into smaller vehicles and and to get into electric and pedal powered vehicles were appropriate uh another thing is that
This the FR Gateway is inseparable from the motorway the M32 uh the M32 to we know that National highways have said publicly that they’re they’re going to spend £200 million repairing the M32 because it’s coming towards the end of its life for us as a region it’s very very
Important uh that that 200 200 isn’t 200 million isn’t spent just uh recreating what’s basically a 1960s uh piece of Transport infrastructure because there’s so many more possibilities uh for using that space and using that amount of money uh I could go on for a long time but one
Thing I would like to highlight today is buses uh you know if we could um reassign some of that space and this is a a project that that’s been rumbling on for about 20 years now if we could reassign some of that space to buses that is currently given to
Cars then the amount of patronage would turbocharge our bus network not just here in Bristol but in South gloss we’ve done the calculations on that uh that’s important for Bristol but it’s critical for South gler where many of their buses are are requiring um ongoing subsidy so as a region as a unitary
Authority uh we want that project to move at PACE we don’t want it to to uh be kicked down the road it’s a very challenging project we recognize that but the benefits to it potentially are absolutely enormous so thank you thank you Don if there was anyone
Else I’ll just pick up on that final point I mean a couple of the points you made first off Tom yeah the numbers coming through again there are lots of aspects to delivering good quality homes but you can’t get away from the need for volume right because it is 22,000 on the
Waiting list it is around 1,200 in temporary accommodation we need to produce volume but obviously what we wanted to produce is quality as should a point you make about local skills as I raised at the front end we did actually meet in this building um just about two weeks ago uh
Uh with building Bristol City Bristol college and uh about 25 people from uh some of the businesses are going to be involved in building our Temple quarter and we talked with them about that local talent pipeline working with City of Bristol College work with building Bristol to make sure that we are
Investing in uh people not just young people by the way we talked about uh people come in here with English as additional language we talked about people who may have committed a crime at at 19 come out prison at 29 whatever and need a way into the economy to get a job
And the governor of hfield did tell me once one of the key issues for people uh leaving the prison was to have quality stable employment so they can uh you know reduce the reduce the chances of reoffending um and I say you what we had such a positive meeting with those
Businesses uh who we talked with about if we can set that infrastructure up using some combined Authority money using existing resource and maybe even use some of their money that be front low to build a system that that is a one touch point for people to come into and
Get access to those jobs and there was one business by the way that actually had proactively gone out and employed two homeless people um off their own back but one one went very well and the other one didn’t go well and what we talked about was that actually with our
Structures we can put the support in place to support people maybe on the edge of chaotic Lifestyles and overcoming challenges so we reduce the risk to businesses of taking in people who would not necessarily readily get access to those those regeneration employment opportunities that are happening you know across the city so
All of those things are front and center and the last thing is you mentioned about key workers and I’m just going to do transport again Hospital have been talking to us about this the struggle to recruit unless we build homes for key workers Don the point you make about buses as
Well absolutely we need that park and ride on the M32 we’ve been work it needs to be part of a ring of Park and rides uh we’ve been uh really I remember I met with Tim bows and the head of wer infrastructure some years ago with a
With a map and a table of the Ring of Park and rides we wanted to get delivered uh the price of each one the capacity of each one what it would need to be the role it would play and we’ve really driven this we’ve particularly driven the M32 Park and Ride uh not
Least because National highways do want to come and do work on the the diod duct at Tesco when they do that work and start closing off ramps and reducing Road width and reducing traffic if we don’t have uh a public transport offering in place place the misery it’s
Going to bring to morning commut coming into Bristol from South glester sh the displacement than to gluster Road um down through French and by the way it will may be made all the worse if uh some of the opposition have their way and Tred to build an overground mass
Transit system that closes cluster road we’ve got to have this we’ve got to have these these parking rides um in place uh and it will it will bring life to that route uh that that currently is a kind of just computer uh uh commuter challenge of of the am32 so thanks for
Raising that one in terms of the I will now make the decision which will now be displayed on the screen and in terms of the decision to be made today I approve the recommendations as set out in this report okay so let’s move on now to agenda item 15 recommissioning of adult
Homelessness supported accommodation Pathways Tom thank you housing landlord Services commissioned 725 units of low medium and high support accommodation for singles homeless adults aged 22 and over it’s also known as Pathways 1 to three alongside it a resettlement service provides short-term support to Pathways clients who move on to Independent
Accommodation there’s also further 140 units of Pathways accommodation that are funded by public health specifically focused on people looking to address substance use support needs the current contracts expire on the 27th of October 2024 and this report seeks to approve approval to recommission the services commencing the following day for a
Period of 3 years with the option to extend for further two years the pathways 1 to three in resettlement service are funded from housing and landlord services and these Services have an annual budget envelope of just over 4.8 million in the final extension year we’ve agreed an uplift uh to the
Pathways 1 to3 contracts and what we’re doing to make sure we’ve maintain those final year values and address other inflationary pressures is we’re going to up uplift that uh to make for a final um annual budget envelope of just over 5.3 million in year one and then they may be
Further uplifts that may get agreed that will be based on CPI um or appro an appropriate housing index um our view is that this is the minimum Baseline budget needed to make sure that we can retain a similar amount of Pathways accommodation from October of this year maximizing
Value for money for the council whilst also ensuring the financial viability of providers if we don’t uplift those contract values then due to Rising provider costs the council could see a reduction in the number of units at commissions which is not a situation we would want to find ourselves in you know
Particularly with the demand for homeless accommodation continuing uh to Rise um it’ll be less cost effective and we’ve got significant pressures on our housing Supply as it is we’ll also continue to do what we can locally to address the housing crisis we need to continue to build more counsel and
Social housing and other types of housing alongside lobbying for the need um for the rent’s Reform Bill to complete its journey through Parliament to give rent enters more security across the country I commend this report to Cabinet thanks very much Tom I appreciate your uh po so uh we have no
Public forum uh statements or questions on this item uh can I ask any cabinet members if they’d wish to comment no okay uh Tom let me hand back to you now to take the decision which I support and which will now be displayed on the screen terms of decision to be
Made I approve the recommendations are set out in the report thank you and we’re going to stay with you now for agenda item 16 extension of we can make area of operation thank you really pleased uh to be bringing this paper forward today we can make our community land trust and
Aim to develop additional affordable homes in back Gardens and other unused city council land in the Norwest area the scheme works by identifying existing tenants of council homes who have large Gardens and which to offer part of their Garden as a development site for a new home to house a household that’s in
Housing need and usually what we find is there’s a connection between the household to benefit from the new home um and the host household the garden micrite is transferred from Bristol city council ownership to week can makeer to undervalue of a pound on a long lease before the new home is developed by
Weeken make which is utilizing a panelized system with components produced locally in the weeken make Factory the area of operation currently covers the N West regeneration framework area as agreed by the Secretary of State and approved by cabinet in December 2021 and we can make completed two homes
Using this model housing two household and have agreement from cabinet to develop a further 14 units as a pilot project uh there’s been significant local and National coverage for the first completions which have made a huge difference the lives of those now in those homes and and those people also
Help to build those homes as well which I think you know makes it all the more special for those individuals um to and I’d particularly like to just take this opportunity to pay tribute to Melissa mean and the team that we can make for driving forward this trans AAL project
It’s helping us to make sure we continue to innovate in the way we’re approaching addressing the housing crisis and also keeps the council very much on its toes uh in ensuring we’re being agile enough to support community-led housing and the unique challenges and also opportunities that it can bring the paper itself sets
Out proposal that the council should apply to Secretary of State under Section 32 of the Housing Act 1985 to extend the area of operation to Encompass all of the wards in South cryistal this will provide a wider opportunity to identify suitable sites and households that may also able to
Benefit from the scheme as part of this there’ll also be a review of the pilot project during the 2025 26 Financial year the report being presented to the appropriate Committee in March 2026 to consider whether the C continue to engage with and support the project I do
Hope we continue to back this long into the future given the local and National Future potential it has I commend the report to Cabinet Tom thank you um so on this port we’ve received one public for statement that’s from councelor Tessa Fitz John uh so councelor Fitz John you you have a
Minute oh I didn’t know so okay so she’s left before giv a statement unfortunately U but we have that we’ll have that statement um on record the ne the question is from councel Jackson who’s uh not here um so um I guess it’s over to the um the cabinet members if
Any of you had any comments on this particular uh item Helen thanks Marvin I really welcome this I think it’s a fantastic project it’s been great for nor West and as Tom has said and the report says the the opportunity to um expand it to spread it
Because we all know that um you know it might be a sad state of of of Affairs but there are many underused Gardens across the Estates particularly in nor West in hartcliffe the patches that I I know best and I just hope that we also make it clear to our colleagues in
Planning that our um position should be to support people who want to either build an extension or a separate property in um in their Gardens I’ve got a case at the moment that’s a corner property it’s nothing happens in that Garden um the initi planning view was
That they wouldn’t support it and I just think that that’s a nonsense when actually the needs of that family are for a larger a larger property and it won’t disadvantage anybody by by building into into that Garden so I’m very supportive of it and I hope that it
Can be expanded um Beyond nor West thank you Helen yeah um Asha yeah just following on from Helen particularly when um I look at the the initiative in in um the decision that we’ve taken as well to uh support our foster carers um kinship carers who also need to
Potentially extend their homes to enable them to actually create more space and take on more of our children so I also welcome uh this report and I’d love to see this extended across the city thank you Asher uh I like to again I went and spent a
Night uh in a we can make the early protoype in nor West uh uh with counselor Chris Jackson some years ago actually um and so it’s uh you laugh Helen it was a great evening and um uh it was it was great and and while we were there we had members from people
From the community coming forward and again talking about that local Supply chain they had a fantastic living example there whereby a young person who got into Plumbing I think it was Plumbing had had used the work that he’ got even through the the early prototypes around week can make to
Evidence that he had the demand for the business and was able to use that to leverage and go and buy his first set of tools and equipment and a van and and and get moving and so their commitment into that local Supply chains obviously really rich too we visited a another
Home in nor West again whereas a which Helen this will go over into your patch too there was a person who lived in a home by themselves they had a very large Back Garden uh a forly well no longer formally but a man who had been homeless
Had moved into the week and mate unit in his back Garden you’ll know this and they them too had broken down their social isolation and now they had a friendship um and that has consequences not just for making Bristol better for people to live in but also for the
Pressures on our adult social care as we know the health consequences for isolation social isolation and and loneliness so there are so many benefits we can uh we can Harvest uh from we and make we just need to back and enable these fantastic uh local people driving
Uh driving the program uh so Tom let me hand back to you to take the decision which I support and which will now be displayed on the screen thank you and just one quick point to add think really response to to council Holland is one of the things I think we
Need to also look at and it’s in the report is adopting some clearer planning guidance for garden schemes as well because I think there is a lot of almost repetition of discussion going on and actually you know think developing a set of guidance in the in the committee
System I think would would be helpful to make sure that you know we can streamline the planning process for these sorts of schemes going forward and really make sure that that expansion of the area that can be utilized for this um is is is set up for Success um so in
Terms of the recommendation uh to be made today I approve the recommendation set out in the report thank you very much Tom so let’s move on to item 17 estate rationalization Surplus asset disposal Craig thank you Marv in June last year we made a commitment to reveal our operational development and investment
Estates to ensure that we are retaining the correct property assets for the correct purposes while releasing suitable properties to the disposals process to contribute to the reeven savings and capital targets we need to meet to balance the books during the ongoing funding crisis of local government following three reports last
Year requesting cabinet approval to dispose of or transfer assets this paper is the next in the ongoing work to rationalize the estate for the 2425 Financial year the main purpose of this report is to set out proposals for two groups of assets for consideration by cabinet the first assets proposed for
Transfer to the housing to housing revenue account as additional housing stock or to repurpose the assets satisfy key service requirement and to assets proposed for disposal Surplus to requirements across the council in addition there are two development sites included in the report at White House Street and hang Leisure Park where a
Sell of the freeh hold is proposed to enable the development scheme on those sites I recommend the report to C thank you very much uh Craig uh we had no public forum statements but we did have three public forum questions submitted between two people uh the
First question is from Dan akroy is that okay Dan your question yeah three of the properties listed on the to be disposed of or so moved to the housing revenue account are Chester Park infant Schoolhouse St B primary Schoolhouse compass point Schoolhouse domestic space attached to a primary school seems like
Something special and not just to be disposed of it could be very important as different less formal types of spaces for children especially for out of school care or for S provision or for children’s homes my understanding is that that after being transferred to the H they could be disposed of by an
Officer rather than a decision taken in this chamber shouldn’t these properties be retained by Council yeah thank thanks that I mean there there’s no kind of um conspiracy to move things to the HRA so that officers can sell them without coming back to Cabinet in fact I mean we introduced this cabinet reporting
Process ourselves to make sure that there was transparency of what we were doing we also introduced a process across the council where um when we were looking at selling an asset for any reason it go for a sort of Sif in process so it would be offered a r to
Services across the council firstly housing because of the obvious need of housing crisis of the housing crisis and these three old caretakers houses which aren’t necessarily on the land of the school by the way so the one in my ward the um Chester Park Junior School is is
Quite far around the corner from the school but anyway it’s just a house that could very easily be used for housing temper accommodation whatever solution we might we might be proposing and so um the the were picked up by the housing revenue account as ones that they could
Clearly develop into a solution for for the housing need of the city and will be so that’s the intention not being transferred to the H for use as housing do you have a suppl do have a supplementary that or your second question oh you you didn’t quite uh
Answer one bit of my question so probably put it in a different way should they be retained by the council yes and they are no my question my thing I wanted to ask was if they’re in the H budget they can be they could be sold off by by an
Officer I know that they in theory should be passed around would it be possible for it to be noted that these need to be come back to for a decision to be taken in this chamber before being sold off rather than maybe being missed I mean I’ll come to Tom on the
Point about the H but I don’t think we would sell things from the h without coming back to Cabinet anyway we if they were over the fresh I mean the reason they’re being allocated to the H is because we want to bring them forward for Council housing
Delivery for people on the waiting list so that that’s what we’ll be doing with the assets because the discussion takes place prior to the the cabinet paper coming here to understand which ones are viable for the h to do something with or Children’s Services to do something with
Potentially for children’s homes or for adult social care to be able to do something with potentially for support accommodation for vulnerable adults it’s quite a robust process so the reason we’ll be taking these sites um is because we can use them as suitable Council housing yes everything’s subject
To like a viability process but that would have been considered I would have hoped prior to today okay thanks thank you for your question uh Dan so the next two questions were from Joanna Booth uh but who’s not here uh today okay um so can I ask
That’s it for a public for any cabinet members wish to to comment on this item Tom just briefly you know particularly on the assets coming across the HR area you know we welcome the opportunity to have more sites that we can develop um for really vitally needed homes across
The city I think what’s helpful with some of the ones in that um in the list for disposers of the sort almost readymade houses there’ll be some work obviously to bring them up to to the necessary standard um but it’s something we really welcome and I think been
Really pleased to see how different Council departments are working closely and almost seamlessly um to work with each other to make sure we’re making effective use of the estate that we’re able to to deal with you know the many challenges we have at the moment Asher yeah I I I would also say
That um you know as part of this whole asset disposals uh I know that our uh education and Children and Families team also cast their eye over it so they they’re we’re always looking for additional um housing uh for foster caring and Residential Care Homes so um
Yeah it does its rounds before it finally comes to um a decision about what we do around disposal uh but all eyes I think from our director all over it thank you aser uh so Craig uh let me uh hand back to you to take the decision
Which I support and which will now be displayed on the screen yeah thanks I mean so the you know the process that we created for that kind of um checking around the council to make sure that no one else could use an asset has not been absolutely seamless but I think we’ve
Got to a good place of it now I think there’s been some some back and forth at time but I think we’re now at the point where every service gets an opportunity to to look at it and and comment um I think it’s working well so thank you for
Your comments um in terms of the decisions to be made today I approve the recommendations as to tight in the report thanks uh Craig so on to agenda item 18 hard facilities management ment contract extension pre-procurement and capital health and safety program Craig this is with you yeah thanks Marvin this
Report covers planned and reactive maintenance activity for our corporate estate it will allow us an extension with the current supplier so that we can continue to deliver essential and statutary maintenance ultimately enabling the continued operation of the estate and Associated service activity this extension also allows also allows
Us to use the next 12 months to enable a strategic contract which will be an essential aspect of the corporate landlord service yielding a more efficient approach for the council area and improving Service delivery the capital program of activity is also contained in this report which sees us
To continue to invest in our corporate estate ensuring it is safe and fit for purose thank you Craig we’ve had no uh public forum statements or questions on this can ier any cabinet members no and as I do periodically say it’s not necessarily stuff that catches the headlines but it’s the stuff that
Keeps the council and the city running and keeps us safe so so uh thank you for your uh doing the hard yards on this Craig with the with the team I’ll now hand back to you to take the decision which I support and which will be
Displayed on the screen yeah I mean I just thank the team I mean this is repairing School roofs and you know um other assets of the council which which are really important jobs and I just thank them for all their work on that in terms of the decisions we made today I
Approve the recommendations as set out in the report thanks Craig um agenda item 19 the future of the homelessness prevention uh youth Hub service Tom this is with you a refresh Young Person’s housing and independent pathway commissioning plan was agreed by cabinet in September 2023 including a total Baseline budget for
The new services that remained within within the envelope uh that was already agreed While most servic were approved for recommissioning from April this year the youth Hub service was extended for six months until September 2024 to enable a government funded consultant to advise on remodeling the service to
Maximize its effect Effectiveness and to enable implementation of the new joint protocol um with a separate cabinet report outline intending post for this service to be brought to the February or March cabinet hence it’s coming today the youth herb provides a positive dedicated space for young people threatened with homelessness to get
Comprehensive early advice over a quarter of all young people um 16 to 22 years old presenting at the Hub are helped to return or stay in their current home or with their wider family Network where it is safe to do so so for 16 and 17 year olds facing a housing
Crisis The Hub provides access to social workers housing advisors and support staff all within the same space there will now be an ongoing process following approval the paper today with Commissioners and practitioners from both uh the directorates of growth regeneration children services and with external Consultants input to develop a
More detailed specification for the service as well as attend documentation and what one of the things that this will also include is making sure that we update the specification to make sure it more closely reflects the reality of the service that’s actually being delivered today rather than perhaps the one um
That was commissioned you know almost seven years ago um because it’s really important that we’re thinking that through um the process will also design in best value uh considerations and measurable outcomes the total maximum budget for the Youth Hub um element will be over1 A5 million pound subject to any
Annual uplift agreed that be based on consumer price index inflation and an appropriate housing index I commend this report to cabinet Tom thank you uh very much uh uh for this again unfortunately I mean it is a real crisis for us but uh we’ve had no public form statements or questions uh
Can I offer any other cabinet members if they wish to comment on this item aser again other than to uh kind of support the request you know the the homeless uh prevention out the the youth Hub offers uh a really great service but it could be better it can you know
It can always be enhanced so I think there’s an opportunity for us to kind of enhance potentially uh the the service and so by extending um this and giving us time to start the process uh it’ll be interesting to see what comes forward as a result of that exercise but
Yeah thank you thanks very much Asha okay Helen Thank You Marvin just a brief comment just to link this to last month’s support on the extension of changing Futures because it’s not just about dealing with the issue in front of you as it it’s about all of the multip
Multiple disadvantage that many of those people who are homeless have had in their lives and that whole um project has been really about making or the the legacy of the project is about making that sustainable and that’s how we should be treating treating people then can I just make one small comment with
My um Armed Forces Champion hat on because obviously a lot of the Armed Forces Charities do a great deal of work with um homeless ex service people of whom there aren’t as many people sometimes people think that that’s a big cohort in the homeless um homeless
Numbers it it isn’t that huge but for every every person it’s but but just making sure that all of this work links in with with those Charities so that it’s about the um which again is a lesson from changing Futures isn’t it my team around we find people having a
Trusted a trusted team and a trusted individual to work with thanks heling Craig I mean there’s a line in the report I don’t know if you want to elaborate on it Tom but it’s about um establishing maximum unit cost for different types of um service because we know that some providers are maybe
Providing less service for a lot more money or similar level of service for a lot more money is an important thing that we get right and we don’t get ripped off and absolutely I think the other thing about this service as well is there’s a lot that the providers also
Expected to provide that’s actually outside of what this Arrangement funds um and that’s been you know it’s been the existing provider 1625 independent people have made a significant investment outside of what they’ve been funded to do to make that service work provide a commodation um as well and so
You really have got a model that’s a hub um that works effectively and and can kind of bring collocation Services together and and be the most effective so I think one of the things that this process that we’ll go through as as a procurement will really tease out is
Make sure we get best value um which also is going to include what else you bringing to the table as well to make sure that this service is going to deliver for our young people in the city okay thank you everyone uh Tom let me hand back to you now to take the
Decision which I support and which will now be displayed on the screen in terms of decision to be made today I approved the recommendations as set out in the report thank you uh don agenda item 20 is another exciting one for you actually
Is at the heart of what it means to be a city with a harbor critical assets Harbor River wall asset remedial works it’s it’s it’s much more important than it sounds um import this paper it is can’t be understated we’re seeking approval uh for 11.9 million pounds of
Investment to stabilize the new cut River walls and protect our floating Harbor the floating Harbor is an integral part of the city supporting a diverse range of businesses homes and livelihoods as well as Wildlife a harbor condition survey carried out in 2019 and 20 identified 194 retaining River wall assets along
The floating Harbor and newcut of these 58 were found to be in a critical or serious structural condition with 11 considered to be high risk that’s an important paragraph because we now have the information we know what assets we have and we know the condition of those
Assets and that’s about 50% actually of getting a grip of what could be a very um challenging situation if we if we don’t have a grip of it uh failure of any of these assets could lead to severe consequences a major disruption to traffic across the city as we
Know uh we are prioritizing Four River wall structures one next to lton Street bridge two next to jail fery bridge and one near Bedminster Bridge these River walls along Cumberland Road and coronation road which are a significant risk would undergo detailed design work and repairs the report recommends further investigation ecological assessments
Vegetation clearance and scoping out what the repairs would involve at four more River wall sites including next to pay Shipyard Camden Road jail Ferry ramp and feeder Road Jetty these are difficult decisions to make as in the short term construction Works can cause disruption to Residents life lives and we understand why that
Isn’t always popular but our Administration is proud to invest in the sustainability of Bristol’s key infrastructure over longterm over a short-term political gain this work sits alongside three million pounds investment in slle infrastructure and our 16 million 16 million pound Bridges investment project that seen the reopening of jail ferry bridge work on
Kings Western Iron Bridge and and the other Bridges across the newart thank you thanks very much uh Don for uh bringing this paper to us today we’ve received no public forum statements or questions on this can I offer it to any cabinet members no I mean I’ll just emphasize as
You said it is critical work uh for the ongoing mainten into the City and and often only gets attention when things go wrong uh so again thank you for as I said to Craig gone doing the hard yards uh behind the scenes uh and and and those thanks go to the whole team
Regeneration team under John Smith as well uh so I’m now going to hand back to you Don to take the decision which I support and which will now be displayed on the screen Thank You Marvin and it is uh it is sad that there aren’t um more comments particularly from counselors
Who are local to this area for which this work may be really really critical to the safety of the residents of their Ward uh and to the well-being of their uh properties in terms of the decision to be made today I approve the recommendations as set out in the
Report thank you uh very much uh don so on to agenda item 21 Bristol’s First Citizens assembly recommendations Ellie this is with you thank you led by councilor craigan Council a AOK uh the citizens assembly was initiative designed to promote delber democracy processes um it was held in
January 2020 us um utilizing 60 members of of the public um and Bristol citizens assembly fed into the report how do we recover from covid-19 and create a better future for all Bristol that was the question they were considering uh the the report resulted in 17 recommendations and 82 actions which
Have helped to shape uh bcc’s corporate strategy and a Fed into bcc’s service and business planning process including other key um strategies such as the one city strategy for my part I view the community resilience fund which was a a 4 million uh pound program to invest in
Community spaces in some of our most disadvantaged areas through resident decision- making is a key Legacy project that stemmed from the citizens assembly and furthered our work to engage residents meaningfully and that was a key outcome of the key Legacy project of the citizen assembly this this is the third and
Final update to Cabinet on recommendations um and the actions made by the citizens assembly um BCC is drafting its next business plan and the recommendations um will continue to be embedded in this plan and moving into the next Administration will reference um the citizen assembly recommendations so those actions will continue to be
Worked on attached to the report is the is the tracker which demonstrates how progress against these actions is been measured and I recommend um that those interested please take the time to look over this and see how well embedded it is across the different directorates thank
You thank you Ellie um so we have public forum on this item uh we’ve received one public form statement and then we have some questions after uh the statements from councelor Paula oo sorry councelor you have a minute uh thank you um so I’d like first
Of all just to thank um officer for putting this report together and the tracker that goes with it too I mean I think it’s recognized in the report that from the Lessons Learned was that there was no funding for for the Post work to be done so we have to acknowledge that
Officers have gone above and beyond to to put this report together and so thank you very much for that I I think there’s an awful lot to celebrate here about how the citizens assembly has been delivered I think um we’ve held a very high standard here um I think it’s you know
By by getting involved and sortition in to do it we we did it very well we set a very high standard and I think we’ve learned a lot hopefully those skills have been embedded into the organization like you Ellie I don’t think people read the citizens assembly recommendations enough I mean that’s one
Of the things I’d really like to get brought out today everybody should just Google Bristol citizens assembly read the recommendations 17 recommendations 93 actions written by bristolian in language that’s very clear and passionate and purposeful so you know absolutely do that um I think looking back on the citizens assembly I feel
Great pride for what was achieved our citizens really stepped up to the mark there were 700 applications for 60 places I’d like to um I’d like to say that you know we I really want us to follow through I’d like to thank two people I know it’s not normally uh the
Case to to thank an officer but I think John toy really went above and beyond his passion that he brought to this was commendable and I think Asher I’d like to thank you for you know we worked really well cross party so thank you for
That okay thank you so let’s move on to the uh questions now and these are with you councelor actually not the first question is actually is from Dan akroy my apologies Dan so let’s come to you first uh was the citizens assembly a productive use of council resources or
Were a different format have been more useful um I think there’s many ways to answer that question and without being too woolly I don’t think there’s a right or wrong answer I’m a big believer in in trying new ways of doing things um but that always comes with an element of
Risk um but you can’t make an omelette without cracking a few eggs so I don’t think you can make Pro progress without risk I think what’s important is the Lessons Learned um the incredible positive experience had by all involved um in sharing that experience and getting to know the workings of the
Council really well and get to know their counselors and and the offices really well and hearing from the residents um and all the Legacy projects taken forward as well um so I don’t think a Citizens assembly is the answer to all of our challenges but it plays a
Significant part in in what’s in what can form the solutions and it’s now part of our makeup as a city and um some of the Legacy projects come out of it I think will will show that how important it’s been do you have a supplementary Dan thank you all right thank you very
Much for your question that was an important question to ask about use of our resources uh so the second question is from uh Cel or what you have two questions you to ask your first question um yeah I mean it’s sort of subjective one as well uh really asking
Whether you think I don’t know whether it’s to Ellie or to You Marvin but or to aser um do do we think that the recommendations have been adopted with enough rigor um I’ll add a bit and then you guys come feel free to come in um I
Think we we’re quite pleased with the outcomes as it’s informed some of our businesses usual um and activities and I think it’s it’s really important to you know stress that it has been incorporated into our corporate strategy which is um you know very rigorous and that’s the overall plan for the council
So that’s the best place I can imagine for it to be embedded and also in our one city plan so that’s our collaborations with all our city Partners to have that reach across those different networks as well is another key way that we can take it Forward um
Like like you’ve mentioned and like referenced in the report it I felt it was really important to talk about those Lessons Learned as well and I don’t think that’s about pointing out flaws in the process it’s just these are all learning processes um and you know having that evaluation that resource
Afterwards to help Implement some of what’s been recommended is absolutely key and learning from that we had that in the community resilience fund so it’s all about the next stage and how can it get bit better what can you learn from what’s happened before um and so I don’t
Know I I think as a city and as a country when we take risks and and try new things um if there are flows of bits that didn’t work we tend to sort of you know bash each other a little bit rather than see that as a learning opportunity
And a way to sort of carve out progress and and try new things in a different way and and it’s always a learning process I think everything we do is is is um an evolution of what came before it so um yeah like you said it’s
Subjective isn’t it but I think it was well worth doing and an important part of what this council is now I’ll pick it up I got a few comment Reflections on citizens assembly I I’ll share at the end but did you have a did you want to oh
Asha no I I just wanted to say and you just reminded me actually that um yeah one of the really positive outcomes was how we took the really positive learnings out of the citizens assembly and applied that to the community resilience fund process because I was really um so grateful to all those
Citizens who uh persisted over a lengthy period of time uh to engage in the process uh in in that funding process so there are real nuggets that we have learned from that and I think you’ll agree Paula that when we had the full final list of recommendations and the
Actions agreed we’d originally gone through them knowing there are some that we we could definitely do there are some that can be part of the wider kind of City response there were some that actually are out of our control so um you know but the fact that we are commending this and
Hopefully the the next Administration through the corporate plan the one city plan many of these as we’ve heard are embedded and hopefully will be taken forward and you’ll utilize the learnings from the citizens assembly in the way in which we work we work with neighborhoods going forward you was indicating and then
We’ll come back to you for either a supplementary or a um your second question Craig sorry no I wanted to come in at the uh cabinet comments Point all right okay uh supplementary your second question well I suppose my supplementary I do have a bit of a supplementary and
It’s not it’s not a negative thing what I’m just saying is that you know it’s about interpretation I suppose and if you read the tracker carefully there is an element of where you know things have been taken literally and and said no we can’t really do that but but if it could
Have been interpreted if the will of the citizens could have been interpreted maybe a little bit more broadly that’s that’s that’s what I’m saying that maybe more could have been done and I would just want to have that you know put down as a marker I allowed a statement there
As a question but did you have a question or did you want to do supplementary question or no I’ll go on to my second my second question okay second question so and this is um it’s about the actual citizens and the report is fairly silent on um on how we have
Fed back to Citizens and and I said in the question I I was very surprised and bit disappointed at a at an event on Democracy in the Watershed to have somebody who had been part of the citizens assembly to say that the citizens had felt that they hadn’t been
Properly informed and of course I mean you know the citizens could be here why AR why aren’t they here I don’t know what we’re doing are we doing something wrong that’s probably the question then are we missing are we missing a um a trick here where we those 60 citizens are not
Constantly into this cabinet to tell us what they think about what they’re doing on the tracker Ellie um I I again that comes down to a challenge to Resource I think um but I think that’s something we could perhaps all take aart in the responsibility of
That I think that’s if you spoken to someone and and they’ve said that they would like to be involved there’s nothing to prevent you from inviting them to this meeting no no they just on a panel discussion they they said it as a criticism that was in the audience I
Guess there’s I mean it we we put it it will go out on to the mayor socials after this and and it has done every time the reports have gone up onto our website in all the feedback um so the information’s out there um if anyone
Does get in touch and they want to hear about that we’re happy to sign post to them but again it’s another lesson to take forward isn’t it in terms of finding the resource for someone to have the capacity to do that and it’s not necessarily an easy straightforward thing as well but um
Yeah so I think let’s let’s work on that moving forward together Marvin will you indulge me to say something because I think it needs to be said all right it’s you two minute statement well one one second St this is you’ll want to hear this I the reason I did this the reason
I’ve always promoted this is because I said that citizens for democracy to work you need informed citizens and a reliable media now the citizens aren’t here they probably don’t know enough about this counselors aren’t here either coun I know okay councelors aren’t here either but what I’m saying is we need
The media when when we were doing this citizens assembly we tried so hard to get some really good press about it it was very hard because it was a good positive story we need our media to be speaking about this and telling our citizens about deliberative processes luckily uh we have the media
Here and I will and and I and I will make the point that at the time when we were doing this they weren’t in they weren’t interested because it was a good new story so and a reliable media well IO see I’m long going go on that rabbit all this
Evening look just a few Reflections on the my Reflections on citizens assembly and I think it’s incredibly careful that I’m not saying you do but every where we go Extinction Rebellion started talking about citizens assembly people suddenly got very excited about this is the the golden pill of rejuvenated democracy and
Citizen engagement I think something you said at the beginning is quite telling people who’s reading the report who’s reading recommendations now we need to everything we do need to test it it’s kind of a classic line in the if you ever read the book um U is it Freakonomics where it says
What looks obvious and what looks like the answer isn’t always the answer so there is a question to be asked if there hasn’t been a ground SWR of people reading the report then has it been a pathway to people engaging with with that is it is it citizens of voice and
We need to ask that question I’m not saying it’s not I’m not saying it is I’m just saying there’s an interesting disconnect there if that’s not happening um it’s and remember 8 85,000 uh sorry 385,000 or so adults in the city you know has it been a has it been
The pathway to mass engagement in City uh leadership the second thing to realize is that there’s a cost involved now you will have a committee in a few months I suspect you’ll be on one of the Committees you will then move into the position in which it’s not just about
Value statements it’s about making decision over use of finite resources in a council where nearly 80% of our budget is consumed by Adult and Children’s Services with 20% left over to run the organization do all our it try and uh get ahead of the climate and ecological emergencies run our planning department
Fill potholes and all the rest of it and do our Harbor walls and you know and all the rest you know so so there are genuine Financial uh uh Financial uh consequences uh for for everything uh we do uh we could set up an industry in communicating with a relatively small
Number of people uh to engage but actually there is also a you know a person responsibility to come and uh uh to uh to do that so I don’t I wouldn’t say it’s a fair criticism of of ongoing um engagement for example I mean the the
The the amount of work we do just to keep communicating with Barton House Residence at this time which is of critical importance the amount of work that’s going on to communicate with people in nor West at this moment in time is of critical um important so our
A lot of our Communications uh Team are tied up in in in priorities around the city as well and it all comes at Cost but three things on the um citizens assembly um I think it’s really important when we think about those recommendations that we do not leave people under any
Illusion that there will be instantaneous change in a city just because we say something you know one of my least favorite phrases and it comes from one of your colleagues is all it takes is political will one of your colleagues said this about climate change all it takes is political will no
It takes political will and 16 billion pound to decarbonize Bristol it takes money it takes resources it takes time and as political leaders we we have political will and we have to fight to make outcomes happen both through this organization through a city over which many of the factors that determine
Whether delivery or doesn’t H does or doesn’t happen is beyond our control and actually we can influence it but it’s not under our Direct Control so we got to be very careful when we bring people into our forums that we don’t say you say it will happen because that’s just
Not the way the world works and if we do that we set people up for the level of disappointment and disillusionment that then further distances people from politics so what we have to say is we’ll engage you in a conversation we’ll take it on board it will appear in our
Strategies and it will battle with our strategies for the finite resources and uh money and time that we have to deliver it that doesn’t mean we’re not taking it seriously it means that we have 1,22 urgent priorities to deliver for the city and this is uh one of them
And hopefully we’ll get some alignment uh secondly I’m just a bit concerned uh I think there is a risk I should say and I think it’s worth discussing around citizens assemblies uh that we don’t that while we welcome it as a possible way of engaging people further uh that we don’t
Offer it up as the way uh to do democracy because we do actually have a SI we do have a system where citizens get involved in political leadership and setting the agenda and it’s called getting elected you know no one on these benches just dropped out of some
Political uh pod somewhere people have lived in the city and lived very real lives in the city and got elected so we talk about I’m just wary of that language that talks about the citizens of the citizens assembly as though people who sit in this chamber are not
Citizens we are and actually I would say that everyone I’ve talked to on these benches right here right now their motivation for getting involved in politics has been because of their experiences of growing up as Citizens in the city the challenges that they faced more often than not and then
Opportunities they found and how they extend those so we got to be careful I think it’s a be you know be careful with that and and on that front too I’m also a little bit wary that actually I want people to become counselors and I think that’s one of the shest ways of
Transforming the amount of energy and resource it takes to run citizens assembly like I said I’m not saying this right or wrong I just think it it’s worthy of discussion but we could also take that resource and put it into encouraging more people to come forward as
Counselors and actually what we need are people who come forward as counselors who come from backgrounds who do not normally come so if we’re just recruiting from the private school talent pool you know and anyway I’ve got my views on that but you if we’re just recruiting from the usual class
Backgrounds that become elected retired people who’ve got some spare cash on the to of the hand then we’re not going to get the diversity and the dynamism in this chamber and we can actually put resource into that now we’ve tried as a as a as an Administration to to get
Engaged with that but let’s not accidentally set up a parallel system that diverts people away from actually getting into this chamber I I think there’s I think there’s a discussion to be had like I I’m not making a judgment on it but let’s not just play it as
Though it is the answer to our Democratic but at no point Martin Marvin was I saying that I was going wanted to replace a representative democracy with the direct democracy I agree with a lot of what you said but there is place to engage that’s why I said that’s why I
Said let’s not accidentally do it I don’t think people intend to do it I just think we just don’t want to undermine the legitimacy of actually becoming a democratically elected politician I think is a really important role uh and uh and and it’s one that should be upheld not that I think it’s
Great not I think it’s perfect not I think it solves all ills uh but from I want people from backgrounds like mine from batrs like Craigs and ashers and the other people around here to to take their seats uh you know in this chamber but Asher let me give you and then let
Me give you a final comment and then we’ll we’ll come to Ellie yeah I just wanted because you know when we were going through this whole process citizens assembly is what we we um we we went through a whole range of different deliberative democracies and so what I
Would urge us is not to get um caught up in the citizens assembly because there are other ways in which as you know deliberative democracy that can be done at small Grassroots Community level Ward level um City level now this was an we we did this because we wanted to make
Sure that the voices of of our citizens were very very much a part of our um response to covid and how we were going to recover and I remember making that statement again and again and again as we the um economy and skills board was kind of leading on the recovery plan
Made it quite clear we need to make sure that the voices of the citizens are very much a part of it because while everything was shut down you know I was seeing some really good nuggets of you know coming through on social media from ordinary citizens in this city who had
Some really great ideas and that’s why I was you know I am still a huge fan of what we did uh it was a huge eyeopener for us but I suppose um the the point that’s been made it’s not the B end and the all end we do have we’ve captured
This information we have to find a way in which we can communicate with the wider City and the point has been made about the role of the media or the lack of the media in actually telling our telling the Bristol story because it’s a Bristol story it was about the Citizens
We’re not we weren’t trying to push what the council did what was really important was that the voices of those citizens literally have set out and we are on that Journey uh as as the um tracker can can show but you know Paula let me give you
Because it’s I I mean I give we broke some rules here and you know had a bit of a discussion I do think this is worth talking about um and I think you know so I’m going to give you a word then I’ll make the final decision like but I think
The point is um it was good right and I think the point made it was a good and I attended the session and it was good to be there and there was a really interesting reflection I had from a participant who said what he come to
Terms with for the first time is that is that setting priorities is not a straightforward of setting a priority because it doesn’t happen in an abstract there’s a trade-off to be had and and that was a really interesting insight for him it was one of the most important
Things he came away from it with which I that was was fascinating so it was good I just think we need to test it from every angle right test it to rigor and if it still stands up then it still stands up I’m just saying there were
Some questions to be asked but let me give you a final word and then I’ll come back to do my kind of sign off sentence well just listening to Asher what I did want to say just reflecting on it what was great about it was the fact that we
Stratified the attendees and what made a huge difference was we chose from 16 years up and because over 20% of the population in Bristol is is between 16 and 24 20% of the citizens were Youth and listening to them speak with you know very aged pale male stale men who
Felt that they you know they knew everything listening to that dialogue was really empowering and I think the decisions have been hugely influenced by the youth attendance at it and also because of class and region and um ethnicity and all of those things having a cross section of Bristol Society
That’s what was great about it and getting their hearing their views nothing’s ever perfect I think it was really really good I think there’s there’s so much to be really grateful for it and I’m very pleased that we’ve we’ve we’ve honored the citizens by doing the three reports we’ve got the
Tracker it’s still alive and I just don’t want it to be put on a shelf anywhere I want it to be taken down and as I said earlier I want the citizens to go any citizens to go and read the document but it is a representative democracy I agree with you Marvin it
Will be their choice to read it though that’s by the way bear in mind uh that we also do an fantastic exercise and we have done now for eight years in City engagement it’s called the city office um and uh we only a few months ago we
Had um 300 to 350 people in a hall next door uh from uh unions uh volunteer community sector Health higher education further education education local government Private Business sector and between them they chose three overarching City priorities this year from the Bristol one city plan and very
Timely actually one of those was about uh reducing to the point of elimination of school exclusions uh the second one was to tackle uh race and house the relationship between race and housing or racism and housing I and the third was to tackle the race and gender pay Gap
Within Bristol uh and those three City priorities were voted for by the people in the room I didn’t actually vote for that um and we’ll be uh putting those on the table when we have our next city gathering in early March which is going to be at Bristol Beacon again having
Done the work on well who what do we need to move and who needs to move to make sure that the city as a city delivers on those priorities so that whole one city plan has been an exercise in taking leadership uh priority setting outside of the walls of this building
And engaging people from many different sectors and many different backgrounds from across uh the city okay so thank you for that I enjoyed that discussion and there’s more to come uh so I will now hand back to councelor Ellie King to take the decision which I support and
Which will now be displayed on the screen thanks for the very interesting debate all in terms of the decision to be made today I approve the recommendations as set out in the report thank you uh Ellie um on to agenda item 22 uh this is with you Craig the finance
Exception report period n yeah thanks Marvin this is report just for noting um the the report for period 9 constitutes an exception report as such it only reports on significant financial issues and movements against the council’s forecast revenue and capital position for the fouryear since quarter 3 period
8 at period nine the council is forecasting an over spend of 5.5 million against the approved general fund foure revised budget of 4835 million additional risks and opportunities which have the potential to impact the general enal fund are currently assessed as presenting an incremental weighted net risk of 0.6 million the forecast outturn
Includes the planned delivery of 37.3 million savings except where risk of non- delivery has been included in the 0.7 million risk um mentioned above the housing revenue account continues to forecast a 2.1 million fouryear overspend any under or overspend will be balanced through the HRA General Reserves at the fouryear
Close the dedicated School Grant continues to forecast a mitigated 16.4 million full-year overspend this level of overspend woulding the dsg’s carry forward deficit at the close of 2324 to 56.1 million Public Health continues with no variance of its annual budgets at period 9 the capital program is forecasting an overspend of an
Underspend sorry of 10.4 million which represent this represents a 5.4 million underspend on general fund and 5 million underspend on the HRA Capital program this is a report just for noting and there are no decisions to approve thank you uh Craig um any cabinet members wish to comment
Okay thank you just the ongoing challenge of local government Finance have the same team tune every time isn’t it just just just how we uh keep ourselves together okay uh thank you Craig uh for that thank you everyone actually it’s just for noting that report okay that’s the end of today’s uh
Cabinet meeting thank you all uh for being here uh thanks to the uh many watching at home on YouTube and uh thanks to those of you in the public Gallery okay dating the next cabinet meeting is Tuesday the 5th of March take care