Agenda and minutes

Venue: This meeting will be held remotely, the meeting can be viewed live by pasting this link into your browser: https://youtu.be/gmlFWLzDEzs

Contact: Usha Patel/Suzanne Bennett  024 7697 2301 / 2299

Items
No. Item

13.

Correspondence and Announcements of the Lord Mayor

Minutes:

 

1.  Condolences

 

a)  Bill Shakespeare

 

The Lord Mayor referred to the recent death of Bill Shakespeare.

 

Bill served as a parish councillor and had represented his local community in Allesley for more than three decades.He hit global headlines on December 8 last year when he became the first man to have the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to fight against coronavirus at UHCW.

 

b)  Penny Walker

 

The Lord Mayor referred to the recent death of Penny Walker. Penny founded the Coventry Refugee and Migrant Centre in 1998.  She was an inspirational, courageous, and positive lady who dedicated her life to helping others and campaigning for peace. 

 

Tributes were paid to Bill and Penny during the meeting and Members noted that a letter of condolence has been sent from the Lord Mayor and the Leader to both their families.

 

2.  Visit of HRH Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall

The Lord Mayor referred to the recent visit by their Royal Highnesses the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall on Tuesday 25th May to Coventry Cathedral.  The date marked the anniversary of the consecration of the new Cathedral which was attended by HRH The Queen exactly 59 years before to the day.

At the end of their visit the Duchess of Cornwall visited Pagahghar to commend the support Panahghar offer to Black, Minority Ethnic women. Panahghar provides free dedicated BME multi-lingual support, advice, advocacy and access to safe refuge for victims and their families from domestic, sexual or gendered abuse in Coventry over the pandemic.

 

3.  Queen’s Birthday Honours

 

The Lord Mayor referred to the awards made to the following people associated with the City in the recent Queen’s Birthday Honours List:

 

OBE: To Michael Robert Ramsey, Home Office, for Services to Public Protection

 

MBE: To Gavin Stuart Kibble, for Services to the community in Coventry, particularly during Covid-19

 

MBE: To Professor Margaret Johnston Low, University of Warwick, for services to Public Engagement and Widening Participation

 

MBE: To Jane Mary Nickerson, Swim England Chief Executive, for services to Swimming during the Covid-19 Pandemic

 

OBE: To Professor Matthew James Keeling, University of Warwick, for services to SAGE during the Covid-19 Response

 

OBE: Wendy Tomes, Sidney Stringer Multi Academy Trust, for services to Education

 

MBE:  Melanie Irene Coombes, Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust, for services to Nursing

 

Members noted that a letter of congratulations has been sent to all of the recipients, on behalf of the City Council.

 

14.

Petitions

Minutes:

RESOLVED that the following petitions be referred to the appropriate City Council bodies/external organisations:

 

a)  Residents requesting the Council to install a children’s play are in Moseley Avenue Park, 305 signatures, presented by Councillor S Walsh with support from Councillor G Lloyd

 

b)  Petition requesting the introduction of traffic calming and other highway interventions on Parkville Highway, 34 signatures, presented by Councillor R Lancaster

 

c)  Residents of Silverton Road requesting the Council to sort the problem of rubbish and rats in the area, 9 signatures, presented by Councillor S Nazir

 

d)  Residents of Foleshill area petition the Council to sort out the problems of rats, fly-tipping and weekly bin collection to control rubbish build up, 24 signatures, presented by Councillor S Nazir

 

e)  Petition requesting traffic calming methods on Binley Avenue to deter drivers from speeding, 49 signatures, presented by Councillor C Thomas

 

f)  Petition requesting the Council to introduce parking restrictions along the full length of Gardenia Drive, including the layby in front of the shopping parade, 177 signatures, presented by Councillor J Birdi

 

g)  Petition requesting pavement repairs and replacement on Dane Road, 113 signatures, presented by Councillor K Caan with support from Councillor G Hayre

15.

Declarations of Interest

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest.

16.

Question Time pdf icon PDF 101 KB

(a)  Written Question – Booklet 1

 

(b)  Oral Questions to Chairs of Scrutiny Boards/Chair of Scrutiny

Co-ordination Committee

 

(c)  Oral Questions to Chairs of other meetings

 

(d)  Oral Questions to Representatives on Outside Bodies

 

(e)  Oral Questions to Cabinet Members and Deputy Cabinet Members on any matter

 

Minutes:

Councillor AS Khan provided a written answer to the question set out in the Questions Booklet together with oral responses to supplementary questions put to him at the meeting.

 

The following Members answered oral questions put to them by other Member as set out below, together with supplementary questions on the same matters:

 

No

Questions asked by

Question put to

Subject matter

1

Councillors M Heaven, P Male, G Ridley, T Jandu J Lepoidevin and M Lapsa

Councillor P Hetherton

Missed bin collections

2

Councillor P Male

Councillor O’Boyle

Sports centre and swimming pool, Fairfax Street

 

17.

Statements

Minutes:

There were no statements.

18.

Debate: Call for an immediate public enquiry into the Government's handling of the COVID 19 pandemic

7.1 To be moved by Councillor G Duggins and seconded by Councillor AS Khan:

 

“This Council calls for a public inquiry to begin immediately into the Government’s handling of the COVID 19 pandemic”.

 

7.2 To be moved by Councillor P Male and seconded by Councillor R Simpson:

 

“This Council supports a national plastic bottle, deposit return scheme and resolves to explore the feasibility of Coventry becoming a pilot area”.

Minutes:

The following Motion was moved by Councillor G Duggins and seconded by Councillor AS Khan:

 

“This Council calls for a public inquiry to begin immediately into the Government’s handling of the COVID 19 pandemic”.

 

 

RESOLVED that the Motion, as set out above, be adopted.

 

(Note: A vote on this was taken by name)

 

19.

Debate: National Plastic Bottle Deposit Return Scheme

Minutes:

The following Motion was moved by Councillor P Male and Seconded by Councillor R Simpson:

 

“This Council supports a national plastic bottle, deposit return scheme and resolves to explore the feasibility of Coventry becoming a pilot area”.

 

The following amendment was moved by Councillor P Hetherton and seconded by Councillor A Tucker and carried:

 

“This Council supports a national plastic bottle deposit and return scheme”

 

Delete the rest of the Motion and insert the following: -

 

“However, we note that the Government carried out a consultation exercise in 2019 and decided to introduce such a scheme by 2023. This timetable has now been amended because the Government decided to carry out yet another consultation (which closed 2 weeks ago) and the new date for introduction of the scheme will be late 2024 at the earliest.

We call on the Government to stop dithering, stop the delays of their own making, and get their act together and bring forward a DRS by the original date of 2023.”

 

RESOLVED that the amended Motion, as set out above, be adopted.

 

(Note: A vote on this was taken by name)