Agenda item

 (A)  Sporting Success

The following motion was moved by Cllr Simon Jeal and seconded by Cllr Tony McPartlan -

“The London Borough of Bromley has had a wonderful recent spell of sporting success - from Emma Raducanu at the US Open, to Bromley FC men's FA Trophy win and women's league title.

To ensure we keep delivering more sporting successes, tackle childhood obesity and promote the importance of physical activity for good health and well-being, this Council pledges to work with key stakeholders and local sports clubs to ensure that high quality:

- sporting facilities

- organised physical activity sessions 

- green spaces 

Are available across the Borough, with adequate financial resources, to ensure that all residents, particularly young people, can participate in sport and physical activity, regardless of financial means.

The Council also agrees that a member should be appointed as ‘Sports and Active Champion' to lead on these efforts.”

On being put to the vote, the motion was LOST.

(B)  Cost of Living Crisis

The following motion was moved by Cllr Julie Ireland and seconded by Cllr Graeme Casey.

“Britain is undergoing the most severe cost-of-living crisis in recent history. In low-income households, particularly, people are having to choose between eating and heating. Bromley Council has a duty and the means to act. So, we are calling on the Council to declare a cost-of-living emergency and for it to refocus resources on helping Bromley residents at this dire time.

This Council should therefore take these urgent steps:

·  Immediately declare a cost-of-living emergency in Bromley – making this the highest political priority and marshalling existing Council resources to help Bromley residents. This would include undertaking urgent cost-of-living assessments for the most vulnerable residents.

·  Review the use of debt proceedings against struggling residents and follow the lead of other councils by choosing not to take these cases to court.

·  Speed up the release of the council tax rebate discretionary payments.

·  Urgently establish a local Cost-of-Living Emergency Summit, with stakeholders, including Citizens Advice, Food Banks, Local Trades Unions, Age Concern and Chambers of Commerce and invite local MPs to attend this hybrid meeting.

We hope you share our aspirations in making sure that the Council does everything in its powers to support our residents in this cost-of-living emergency.”

The following Members voted in favour of the motion -

Councillors Jeremy Adams, Kathy Bance, Graeme Casey, Will Connolly, Alisa Igoe, Julie Ireland, Simon Jeal, Kevin Kennedy-Brooks, Josh King, Ruth McGregor, Tony McPartlan, Chris Price, Chloe-Jane Ross, Mark Smith, Alison Stammers, Ryan Thomson, and Sam Webber.

The following Members voted against the motion -  

Councillors Jonathan Andrews, Felicity Bainbridge, Kim Botting, Mike Botting, Aisha Cuthbert, Peter Dean, Simon Fawthrop, Adam Grant, Dr Sunil Gupta, Christine Harris, Colin Hitchins, Jonathan Laidlaw, Andrew Lee, Christopher Marlow, Alexa Michael, Tony Owen, Angela Page, Will Rowlands, Shaun Slator, Colin Smith, Diane Smith, Melanie Stevens, Harry Stranger, Michael Tickner, Pauline Tunnicliffe, and Thomas Turrell.

The following Members abstained -

The Mayor, Cllr Hannah Gray, and Cllr Sophie Dunbar.

The motion was LOST.

(C)  The Mayor of London's proposal to extend the Ultra-Low Emission Zone to Outer London

The following motion was moved by Cllr Colin Smith and seconded by Cllr Aisha Cuthbert -

“This Council supports the objective of improving air quality and to this end has published a comprehensive Air Quality Action Plan 2020-2025 with a matrix of twenty-five actions. The Council is committed to ensuring that its operation is carbon net zero by 2027. In addition, a further 5,000 trees are being planted on the borough’s roads to add to the existing 36,000. We are also continuing our rollout of LED street lighting, installing new electric charge points, and investing in renewable energy. The Council, however, disagrees strongly with the proposal to extend the Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) to outer London by August 2023. Bromley is, geographically, the largest London Borough, and contains many rural areas which have little public transport and where, unlike inner London, residents are dependent on their cars. The Council is particularly concerned about the impact on the self-employed, small businesses which rely on their vehicles to conduct their trade and on elderly residents and others on fixed incomes. Already facing substantial increases in fuel costs, the imposition of a daily charge to drive in the borough will be an additional financial burden and, for many, without the means purchase a compliant vehicle, it will mean they can no longer trade or afford to drive. The imposition of the ULEZ charge on motorists, including those entering Bromley from neighbouring counties will also be detrimental, especially for those like nurses, police officers, supermarket shelf fillers and others working anti-social hours when public transport is not available. The Council therefore calls on Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, to abandon his plans to extend the ULEZ.”

The following amended version of the motion was moved by Cllr Alisa Igoe and seconded by Cllr Jeremy Adams –

“The Council, however, has concerns about the proposal to extend the Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) to outer London by August 2023. Bromley is, geographically, the largest London Borough, and contains many rural areas which have little public transport and where, unlike inner London, residents are dependent on their cars. The Council is particularly concerned about the impact on the self-employed, small businesses which rely on their vehicles to conduct their trade and on elderly residents and others on fixed incomes. Already facing substantial increases in fuel costs, the imposition of a daily charge for those with non-compliant vehicles, estimated to be fewer than one in five in outer London, to drive in the borough, will be an additional financial burden and, for many, without the means to purchase a compliant vehicle, it could mean they can no longer trade or afford to drive. The imposition of the ULEZ charge on motorists who have noncompliant vehicles, including those entering Bromley from neighbouring counties, could also be detrimental, especially for those like nurses, police officers, supermarket shelf fillers and others working anti-social hours when public transport is not available. The Council therefore calls on the new Prime Minister and Sadiq Khan to work constructively to agree adequate funding for a scrappage scheme that will leave no one who has to change their vehicle significantly out of pocket while removing these polluting vehicles from London’s roads, improving air quality and reducing the harm to residents’ health caused by air pollution.”

On being put to the vote, the amendment was LOST.

The following Members voted in favour of the original motion -

Councillors Jonathan Andrews, Felicity Bainbridge, Kim Botting, Mike Botting, Aisha Cuthbert, Peter Dean, Sophie Dunbar, Simon Fawthrop, Adam Grant, Dr Sunil Gupta, Christine Harris, Colin Hitchins, Jonathan Laidlaw, Andrew Lee, Christopher Marlow, Alexa Michael, Tony Owen, Angela Page, Will Rowlands, Shaun Slator, Colin Smith, Diane Smith, Alison Stammers, Melanie Stevens, Harry Stranger, Michael Tickner, Pauline Tunnicliffe, and Thomas Turrell.

The following Members voted against the original motion -  

Councillors Jeremy Adams, Kathy Bance, Graeme Casey, Will Connolly, Alisa Igoe, Julie Ireland, Simon Jeal, Kevin Kennedy-Brooks, Josh King, Ruth McGregor, Tony McPartlan, Chris Price, Chloe-Jane Ross, Mark Smith, Ryan Thomson, and Sam Webber.

The Mayor, Cllr Hannah Gray abstained.

The original motion was CARRIED.

(During consideration of this item the Mayor drew attention to the fact that the meeting had reached the three hour limit set out in Council Procedure Rule 8; members agreed to continue the meeting until all business was completed.)