Agenda item
Member Questions
A Member of the Council may ask the Chair, the Leader, a Cabinet Member or the Chair of any Committee a question on any matter in relation to which the Council has powers or duties or which affects the Cotswold District. A maximum period of fifteen minutes shall be allowed at any such meeting for Member questions.
A Member may only ask a question if:
a) the question has been delivered in writing or by electronic mail to the Chief Executive no later than 5.00 p.m. on the working day before the day of the meeting; or
b) the question relates to an urgent matter, they have the consent of the Chair to whom the question is to be put and the content of the question is given to the Chief Executive by 9.30 a.m. on the day of the meeting.
An answer may take the form of:
a) a direct oral answer;
b) where the desired information is in a publication of the Council or other published work, a reference to that publication; or
c) where the reply cannot conveniently be given orally, a written answer circulated later to the questioner.
The following questions were submitted prior to the publication of the agenda:
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Question 1 from Councillor Tom Stowe to Councillor Tristan Wilkinson, Cabinet Member for Economy and Environment |
In a recent press release CDC claimed that its economic growth strategy had created 500 new jobs in the district. Please could you quantify this claim and confirm where these jobs have been created?
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Question 2 from Councillor Gina Blomefield to Councillor Juliet Layton, Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning Cotswold District Council agreed in March 2024 to the implementation of the Second Homes Premium – doubling council tax for dwellings that are no one’s sole or main residence. |
How many properties are estimated to be second homes in the Cotswold District and what work is being carried out to identify these properties?
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Question 3 from Councillor Tom Stowe to Councillor Mike Evemy, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance and Transformation
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Many measures recently announced in the Government’s budget were devasting for Cotswold Businesses and Residents. What impact will the various measures, including for example, increases in employer NI, have on the CDC budget?
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Question 4 from Councillor Julia Judd to Councillor Tristan Wilkinson, Cabinet Member for the Economy and Environment
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As discussed at the last two Council Meetings, the revised waste collection service in Ermin Ward, implemented on 24 June has improved but continues to be erratic. Please could Ubico be invited to address this Council on this topic?
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Question 5 from Councillor Tony Slater to Councillor Tristan Wilkinson, Cabinet Member for Economy and Environment
Now that (hopefully) the worst of the missed collections associated with the new bin collection rounds have been resolved and the crews are less rushed, we must now focus on the quality of delivery. I am receiving many complaints about emptied bins and bags being carelessly discarded in piles or even just left on the road, rather than being returned to their original position. I am also aware of a Cotswold resident sustaining severe injuries caused by tripping on recycling bags discarded on the road. The current slap-dash approach not only leaves the council open to compensation claims, but also undermines our commitment to fostering “pride in place,” often leaving the street scene in a state of disarray. |
What measures are in place and what training is being given to ensure the bin crews leave empty bins and bags in a safe and tidy position?
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Question 6 from Councillor Len Wilkins to Councillor Tristan Wilkinson, Economy and Environment
Whilst waste is a statutory service for CDC to deliver, our green bin service is contractual between CDC and residents who opt for the service. In view of the recent problems with Green Bin collections, especially in rural areas, is CDC going to apologise to residents and offer either a repayment of part of their annual charge or a reduction in next year's charges?
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If the anticipated £500,000 annual savings from the reorganisation of rounds comes to fruition surely some token should be forthcoming.
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Question 7 from Councillor Jeremy Theyer to Councillor Tristan Wilkinson, Economy and Environment
Please could you confirm what happens to the cardboard that is collected kerbside by UBICO on behalf of CDC, what onward processing is carried out and where does it take place?
Question 8 from Councillor Daryl Corps to Councillor Joe Harris, Leader of the Council
We have all seen the new and extensive rebranding of Cotswold District Council.
From the redesigned Crest to the ‘new look’ social media campaigns being rolled out, new email signatures and stationery, new security cards and straps for members and staff, printed branded bags, notebooks and water flasks, the list goes on!
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Please could you confirm all costs and officer time incurred so far with this exercise and whether any external companies or consultants were employed in any way to create the new rebrand?
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Question 9 from Councillor David Fowles to Councillor Tristan Wilkinson, Cabinet Member for Economy and Environment
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Following the decision to close a number of the public toilets in the District and the reaction from Stow Town Council, what reaction have you and your predecessor had from other Town Councils, residents, the hospitality sector and tour operators?
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Question 10 from Councillor Daryl Corps to Councillor Juliet Layton, Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning
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Have the Grampian Conditions relating to Thames Water/Sewage on the Dunstall Farm development in Moreton in Marsh been breached?
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Question 11 from Councillor David Fowles to Councillor Mike Evemy, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance and Transformation
I was very sad to read on the front page of the Standard on 14th November that the Living Memory Historical Association Museum have been evicted from the CDC owned cottage they have occupied for a number of years.
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Beyond helping them financially with the storage of their artefacts, Could the Deputy Leader brief us on what support we are giving to the museum in their quest to find a new home?
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Question 12 from Councillor Dilys Neill to Councillor Juliet Layton, Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning
I believe that Cabinet will be reviewing the Council’s empty property strategy.
A recent article form the BBC reported that there were about 700,000 empty properties in the UK, 260,000 could be regarded as long term empty. Earlier this year, it was reported that therefore more than 900 known empty properties in Cotswold District.
In addition, in my ward, while there has been some building in Stow over the last twenty years, the number of permanent residents has declined due to the proliferation of holiday lets.
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Members of this council represent the opposition parties in National Government. Can we challenge the current government’s policy that the only way to deal with the national housing shortage is by building 1.5 million new houses?
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Question 13 from Councillor Angus Jenkinson to Councillor Juliet Layton, Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning
Cotswold Gate in my ward is an example of a development suffering under the effects of a developer failing to comply with their obligations under a Section 106 agreement on a development with a large public open space (POS) offering ecological, flood, and community benefits to the whole town. As development neared completion the developer was required to obtain a certificate of compliance with its varied obligations before occupancy of the final properties. Trees, roadways, meadowland and more should have been finished. The land should have been offered to the Town Council and to CDC. An annual payment of £10,000 p.a. (index linked from planning permission) was required for 10 years. A maintenance company with only residents as directors was to be set up. None of this happened! It has cost residents over £250,000. It has been and remains stressful despite CDC now tackling the issue energetically. I am advised that this is a national problem.
What is the scale of this issue in the Cotswold District and do Government legal and financial provisions enable us to tackle it adequately? |