The Council Rules provide for questions by any member of the Council to the Leader or any Portfolio Holder, without notice on:
(i) reports under the previous item; or
(ii) any other matter of a non operational character in relation to the powers and duties of the Council or which affects all or part of the District or some or all of its inhabitants.
Council Rules provide that answers to questions without notice may take the form of:
(a) direct oral answer from the Leader or, at the request of the Leader, from another member of the Cabinet;
(b) where the desired information is in a publication of the Council or other published work, a reference to that publication;
(c) where the reply cannot conveniently be given orally, a written answer circulated later to the questioner; or
(d) where the question relates to an operational matter, the Leader or a member of the Cabinet will request that a response be given direct to the questioner by the relevant Chief Officer.
In accordance with the Council Rules, a time limit of thirty minutes is set for questions. Any question not dealt with within the time available will receive a written reply. The Chairman may extend this period by up to a further 10 minutes at their discretion.
Minutes:
(a) Kerb Damage at Parkfields and Hansells Mead, Roydon
Councillor M Sartin asked the Housing Portfolio Holder, if she could advise a time frame for the repairs to the damaged kerbs and grassed verges in Parkfields and Hansells Mead Roydon; following the Petition received and mentioned in her Portfolio Holder Report to Council.
Councillor S Stavrou advised that a consultation had taken place with residents regarding the removal of the corners on the central green, to avoid the continuous damage caused to the grass verges. The vast majority of residents had been in favour, although off street parking had been the preferred solution and this area featured on the list of Off Street Parking Schemes to be reviewed by the Cabinet. Alterations to the kerbs would be undertaken once agreement with Essex County Council (ECC) had been reached and a contractor was mobilised, which was anticipated to be completed before the New Year.
(b) Free School Meals
Councillor S Murray asked the Leader whether he was aware of the all-party Commons report regarding the impact on the loss of free school meals during the summer holiday period; and whether he was aware of any statutory provision that were being made by either the District or ECC to help with the need of low income families to provide a hot meal during the summer holidays.
Councillor C Whitbread advised that he was aware of the impact on families and he would investigate and respond to Councillor S Murray directly.
(c) Dementia Training for Staff
Councillor J H Whitehouse asked the Leisure and Community Services Portfolio Holder what type of programme was being rolled out for staff, to make them Dementia friendly and, in particular, for front line staff.
Councillor H Kane advised that the Leadership Team had been trained and she would find out further information on the training of other staff.
(d) Fire Safety for Tower Blocks
Councillor K Chana asked the Housing Portfolio Holder whether any survey had taken place on the cladding on the tower blocks within the Limes Farm Estate and what precautions were being taken to reassure residents.
Councillor S Stavrou advised that information had been disseminated to Members within the Members Bulletin and to the general public on the website. She advised that EFDC owned no high rise tower blocks over 5 storeys and the two 5 storey blocks on the Limes Farm Estate were being investigated, although they were definitely not clad in the type used on Grenfell Tower. She reported that the flats were at a sufficient height to be accessed by the fire service and that all the doors opened out onto a decking area. Other safety measures included hard wired heat and smoke detectors in all council properties, regular fire safety risk assessments being undertaken on all communal areas within the last 2 years, 30 minute fire residence doors being installed on all council flats blocks. Furthermore, there were very few flats across the district that had been clad and those that were, did not have the same cladding as used on the Grenfell Tower. The cladding materials that had been used were being checked as a precaution, although the report had not yet been completed. Members were welcomed to attend the next Communities Select Committee which would discuss fire safety.
(e) Lindsay House
Councillor J M Whitehouse asked the Assets and Economic Development Portfolio Holder whether she could give an update on Lindsay House and whether she would consider uses that were consistent with the covenant, if there were delays in attempts to get the covenant lifted.
Councillor A Grigg advised that the Council had tried to have the covenant lifted and there were still discussion to reach such an agreement. At this present time the Council was still aiming to have the covenant lifted.
(f) Devolution
Councillor C C Pond asked the Leader if services controlled by ECC that were currently discharged to third party organisations were offered to the District, would he, in the spirt of devolution, take back these services.
Councillor C Whitbread advised that any responsibility must come with the finances to support these services and what the Council wanted was efficient services.