The second Full Council meeting of the new administration took place on Wednesday 24 July at the Council’s modern offices in Honiton. The temperature all day had been high and so the Council Chamber, despite having air conditioning, was very warm. So warm that the Chair invited “gentlemen can remove their jackets”!
To be honest, I was rather bemused at this invitation both in terms of its language and because surely an event such as a Council meeting shouldn’t be so formal as to either expect the wearing of jackets or having a situation whereby attendees have to wait to be told that they can remove their jackets! Anyway, as I was wearing neither a jacket nor a tie, I was unable to respond positively to the Chair’s entreaty.
Prior to the start of the meeting the Council had held a Civic reception for Honiton Rugby Club to celebrate their successful last season which was topped off in May when they won the RFU Senior Vase at the home of English rugby, Twickenham. The club and players were then invited to come into the Council Chamber to receive the Chair’s congratulations and to receive a warm round of applause for their success.
Honiton Rugby Club getting ready to receive plaudits from the Council Chair –
We then moved onto addresses to Council from members of the public. Two people addressed us both urging the Council to be bolder when it determines how to respond the climate emergency that the Cabinet had called. This set the scene for the rest of the evenings events as virtually all of the discussions and decisions taken related to climate change, which is fitting given that the Chief Executive has indicated to Councillors that the top priority for the Council should be responding to the difficulties of climate change.
It was then down to business! Here’s the Council in session –
Councillors are able to put questions to the Leader of the Council and Portfolio Holders in writing which in turn receives a written response. All of this is provided prior to the meeting and issued as part of the set of papers for the meeting. All of this can be read at –
There were 12 questions put through this process and each questioner is able to ask a supplementary verbal question in response to the written answer. This additional question then has to be responded to. Each of the 12 questions were followed up with supplementary questions at the meeting.
Included in the issues that the questions explored included the distribution of Section 106 monies as held by the Council on behalf of Town and parish Councils, wanting the Council to bid for East Devon to become a Tourism Zone, how the Council will deal with its anticipated budget deficit, what the new Administration’s top priorities will be, seeking an independent inquiry into the sale of the Council’s previous main offices at the Knowle, how much revenue the Council’s car parks bring in and 4 politically motivated questions from the Leader of the Conservative Group.
We then moved into receiving the minutes of the various committees. Here we ventured once more into debates around climate change as amendments were proposed to the minutes of the recent Cabinet meeting which had declared a climate emergency. This all resulted in the majority of councillors, including me, agreeing to the Council setting a target of East Devon becoming carbon neutral by 2014, which is a full decade earlier than the target date that many neighbouring Councils, including the County Council, have set. I believe it is right to set a challenging date such as 2040 so that we all can move heaven and earth to respond quickly and positively to this most important of issues.
As part of further amendments to the Cabinet’s minutes we, including me, agreed to widen the range of organisations that the Council should work with in responding to climate change and to also maximise the amount of publicity that the Council will give to this matter.
In response to consideration of the minutes of the Overview Committee we, including me, agreed that the issue of poverty in the District which the committee had considered should be referred back to it for further detailed consideration. In other words, we felt that the actions taken so far by the Overview Committee on responding to local poverty, had not been sufficient. I fully concur with that and as a member of that Committee I look forward to us taking this important matter forward and building upon the Committee’s previous members considerations.
Finally, we considered a motion “Electrical Charging points for Vehicles and light transport in East Devon District Council Car Parks across the District”. I had added my name to the list of Councillor’s who supported this motion, which read –
“That in supporting the Devon Declaration on Climate Change Emergency this Council should;
1. Prepare a costed roll out 5-year programme that would ensure at least 10 electrical charging points for cars and light vans in all its principal car parks.
2. Assess the viability of charging points for all types of cycles.
3. Have as a priority in both the Greater Exeter Structure Plan and the review of the Local Plan the provision of EV charging points for all properties where parking spaces are provided”.
We again had good debate and many Councillors made excellent points on a broad range of issues associated with climate change and the need to support non fossil fuelled vehicles in East Devon. Unfortunately, a Councillor proposed and had it seconded that “the question be put”. In other words, enough debate has taken place and so we should now vote on the motion.
Sadly, at this point a degree of chaos ensued as it became very apparent that many Councillors didn’t understand this procedural motion and so when they were asked whether the supported the motion that “the question be put”, they thought that they were being asked to vote on the main motion. The confused majority agreed that “the question be put” and so the Chair swiftly invited Councillors to vote on the main motion. Here it really became most obvious that many Councillors didn’t understand what was going on and many didn’t vote. Despite this the main motion was agreed.
At this point the meeting concluded with still so many Councillors both confused and annoyed at the situation they found themselves in. This must be seen as a lesson that needs to be learnt from. I will be asking that the Council provides all Councillors with training on meeting procedures and asking that the Chair in future, when he’s handling motions, makes it crystal clear what Councillors are being asked to vote upon and what the implications of doing so would be.
It’s a shame that such an engaging and positive meeting ended so confusingly for so many Councillors and members of the public.
John Loudoun 4 Sidmouth Rural 