Agenda item

Councillor C Martin to Move

 

Council notes that many people who experience long-term homelessness and transient housing may have multiple and complex needs, including mental health difficulties, family breakdown, trauma, past criminal offending, and substance dependency. Homelessness (in particular street homelessness) has serious adverse effects on mental and physical health.

 

Council supports the production of a revitalised homelessness strategy and believes that access to good quality housing is a human right.

 

Council believes that a key part of the strategy should include a 'Housing First' approach, so that those with multiple and complex needs are supported to prevent and relieve homelessness, in line with Housing Link's principles of Housing First. Providing this intense support to people with multiple and complex needs provides good value to the tax payer, as it is proven to be effective in reducing longer term demands on healthcare, policing, and other public services.

 

Therefore, Council would welcome a long-term commitment to commissioning of Housing First provision as the effective and efficient homelessness reduction strategy for multiple and complex needs in any new homelessness strategy brought for Council for approval.

 

Council requests that the portfolio holder and council officers, working with stakeholders, write to local MPs and the Secretary of State to support additional funding to deliver a joined-up policy of increasing Housing First provision across all councils in the UK.

 

 

Councillor S Deinali to Move

 

This Council condemns the Conservative Governments decisions since 2010 to cut capital spending on school improvements and its failure to adequately fund schools across County Durham.

 

The Council will write to the Secretary of State for Education outlining these views.

The Chair informed Council that there were two Motions for consideration.

 

Moved by Councillor C Martin, Seconded by Councillor D Haney

 

Council notes that many people who experience long-term homelessness and transient housing may have multiple and complex needs, including mental health difficulties, family breakdown, trauma, past criminal offending, and substance dependency. Homelessness (in particular street homelessness) has serious adverse effects on mental and physical health.

 

Council supports the production of a revitalised homelessness strategy and believes that access to good quality housing is a human right.

 

Council believes that a key part of the strategy should include a 'Housing First' approach, so that those with multiple and complex needs are supported to prevent and relieve homelessness, in line with Housing Link's principles of Housing First. Providing this intense support to people with multiple and complex needs provides good value to the tax payer, as it is proven to be effective in reducing longer term demands on healthcare, policing, and other public services.

 

Therefore, Council would welcome a long-term commitment to commissioning of Housing First provision as the effective and efficient homelessness reduction strategy for multiple and complex needs in any new homelessness strategy brought for Council for approval.

 

Council requests that the portfolio holder and council officers, working with stakeholders, write to local MPs and the Secretary of State to support additional funding to deliver a joined-up policy of increasing Housing First provision across all councils in the UK.

 

Councillors R Ormerod and Councillor A Shield addressed Council in support of the Motion.

 

An Amendment was Moved by Councillor K Shaw, Seconded by Councillor A Surtees

 

Council notes that many people who experience long-term homelessness and transient housing may have multiple and complex needs, including mental health difficulties family breakdown, trauma, past criminal offending, and substance dependency. Homelessness (in particular street homelessness) has serious adverse effects on mental and physical health.

 

Council supports the production of a revitalised homeless strategy and recognises the previous administrations homelessness strategy which enabled it to be recognised as the fifth highest performing authority in dealing with homelessness in the country and for which it was commended by government, and it will build upon best practice as it draws up the new homelessness strategy that is currently out for public consultation as it believes that access to good quality housing is a human right.

 

Council believes that a key part of the strategy should include a 'Housing First' approach, so that those with multiple and complex needs are supported to prevent and relieve homelessness, in line with Housing Link's principles of Housing First and it will look at the barriers within the Durham Key Options policy which prevent people with complex needs accessing social housing to identify how greater access can be achieved and how working with stakeholders it can then successfully help to deliver the strategy.

 

Providing this intense support to people with multiple and complex needs provides good value to the taxpayer, as it is proven to be effective in reducing longer term demands on healthcare, policing, and other public services.

 

Therefore council would welcome a long term commitment to commissioning of Housing First provision as the effective and efficient homelessness reduction strategy for multiple and complex needs in any new homelessness strategy brought for Council for approval.

 

Council requests that the portfolio holder and council officers, working with stakeholders, write to local MPs to request and the Secretary of State provide additional funding to deliver a joined-up policy of increasing Housing First provision across all councils in the UK

 

Councillor C Marshall addressed Council in support of the Amendment.

 

Councillor M Wilkes, Portfolio Holder for Neighbourhoods and Climate Change informed Council he could not support the Amendment.

 

Upon a vote being taken the Amendment was Lost

 

A named vote on the Substantive Motion was requested.

 

A further vote was taken on the Substantive Motion.

 

For

Councillors M Abley, R Adcock-Forster, V Andrews, J Atkinson, P Atkinson, A Batey, K Batey, A Bell, R Bell, C Bihari, G Binney, J Blakey, D Boyes, D Brown, L Brown, J Charlton, I Cochrane, B Coult, R Crute, S Deinali, T Duffy, K Earley, J Elmer, L Fenwick, C Fletcher, O Gunn, D Hall, C Hampson, D Haney, A Hanson, K Hawley, P Heaviside, T Henderson, S Henig, J Higgins, L Holmes, C Hood, A Hopgood, L Hovvels, D Howarth, J Howey, C Hunt, G Hutchinson, A Jackson, M Johnson, N Jones, P Jopling, C Kay, C Lines, L Maddison, R Manchester, C Marshall, C Martin, E Mavin, L Mavin, B McAloon, S McDonnell, M McGaun, D McKenna, M McKeon, I McLean, S McMahon, J Miller, P Molloy, D Mulholland, J Nicholson, D Oliver, R Ormerod, E Peeke, R Potts, P Pringle, J Purvis, J Quinn, S Quinn, A Reed, G Richardson, I Roberts, K Robson, K Rooney, J Rowlandson, E Scott, J Scurfield, K Shaw, A Shield, J Shuttleworth, M Simmons, A Simpson, G Smith, T Smith, M Stead, W Stelling, A Sterling, D Stoker, T Stubbs, A Surtees, D Sutton-Lloyd, P Taylor, F Tinsley, S Townsend, A Watson, M Wilkes, M Wilson, S Wilson, D Wood, R Yorke and S Zair.

 

Abstain

Councillor C Varty.

 

The Substantive Motion was Carried.

 

Councillor R Crute Moved a Motion without Notice that Standing Order 10.7 be suspended to extend the time for debating Motions on Notice by up to one hour.  Seconded by Councillor D Wood.

 

The Council agreed the suspension of Standing Order 10.7 which related to the time allowed for the discussion of Motions.

 

Moved by Councillor S Deinali, Seconded by Councillor L Fenwick.

 

This Council condemns the Conservative Governments decisions since 2010 to cut capital spending on school improvements and its failure to adequately fund schools across County Durham.

 

The Council will write to the Secretary of State for Education outlining these views.

 

An Amendment was Moved by Councillor M Wilkes.

 

This Council calls on condemns the Conservative current and all future Ggovernments decisions since 2010 to cut to increase capital spending on school improvements and its failure to adequately fund schools across County Durham. The Council will  agrees to write to the Secretary of State for Education, outlining these views. the need for additional funding both for ongoing repairs and capital rebuilds to our schools; whilst acknowledging that the joint administration running this council has invested more council funding into school rebuilds in the last two years than at any equivalent time under the previous administration.

 

Councillor C Marshall challenged the validity of the amendment by Councillor Wilkes on the grounds that he considered it to be factually incorrect.  The previous administration invested hundreds of millions of pounds in new schools through the local authority ‘Building Schools for the Future’ programme.

 

The Head of Legal and Democratic Services replied that the test for whether or not an amendment was valid related to the addition or deletion or insertion of words and whether or not the amendment negated the original motion.  It would not be appropriate for the Head of Legal and Democratic Services to make an assessment on a political statement and therefore the amendment was valid.  Members may well take issue and debate and vote against its content.

 

Councillor Wilkes on a point of clarification informed Council that the amendment stated Council funding and BSF was not necessarily Council funding, it was from central government.

 

The Amendment was Seconded by Councillor D Sutton-Lloyd.

 

Councillor C Bihari spoke against the amendment and urged Members to support the original Motion.

 

Councillor C Kay spoke against the amendment.

 

Councillor T Stubbs informed Council he could not support the original Motion and would be supporting the amendment.

 

Councillor L Mavin informed Council she would be supporting the amendment.

 

Councillor J Quinn spoke in support of the amendment.

 

Councillor F Tinsley informed Council he would not be supporting the amendment because he believed it was right to condemn Government underinvestment.

 

Councillor D Mulholland informed Council he would not be supporting the amendment and supported the original motion.

 

Councillor S Wilson spoke against the amendment.

 

Councillor R Bell spoke in favour of the amendment which he considered to be positive and forward looking.

 

Councillor S Quinn informed Council she could not support the amendment.

 

Councillor C Marshall spoke against the amendment and in support of the motion which he considered to be straight forward.  Councillor Marshall requested a named vote.

 

Councillor A Batey informed Council she would be supporting the original motion.

 

Councillor M McKeon spoke in support of the original motion.

 

Councillor T Henderson spoke in support of the amendment.

 

Councillor O Gunn informed Council she opposed the amendment and supported the original motion which condemned the Government’s investment into schools in County Durham.

 

Councillor D Wood informed Council that he supported the original motion and urged all Members to vote against the amendment.

 

Councillor P Taylor spoke against the amendment and in support of the original amendment.

 

Councillor J Howey spoke in support of the amendment which she would be supporting.

 

Councillor A Hopgood spoke in support of the amendment and considered the motion to have no substance.

 

Councillor L Holmes spoke against the motion and in support of the amendment.

 

A named vote on the Amendment was requested.

 

For

Councillors M Abley, A Bell, R Bell, J Blakey, D Brown, L Brown, J Charlton, B Coult, T Duffy, J Elmer, D Haney, P Heaviside, T Henderson, L Holmes, C Hood, A Hopgood, J Howey, C Hunt, G Hutchinson, A Jackson, N Jones, P Jopling, C Lines, L Maddison, C Martin, E Mavin, L Mavin, S McDonnell, M McGaun, P Molloy, J Nicholson, D Oliver, R Ormerod, E Peeke, R Potts, J Quinn, A Reed, G Richardson, K Robson, K Rooney, J Rowlandson, E Scott, A Shield, J Shuttleworth, M Simmons, A Simpson, M Stead, W Stelling, A Sterling, D Stoker, T Stubbs, D Sutton-Lloyd, A Watson, M Wilkes and S Zair.

 

Against

Councillors R Adcock-Forster, V Andrews, J Atkinson, P Atkinson, A Batey, K Batey, C Bihari, G Binney, D Boyes, I Cochrane, R Crute, S Deinali, K Earley, L Fenwick, C Fletcher, O Gunn, D Hall, C Hampson, A Hanson, K Hawley, S Henig, J Higgins, L Hovvels, D Howarth, M Johnson, C Kay, R Manchester, C Marshall, B McAloon, D McKenna, M McKeon, I McLean, S McMahon, J Miller, D Mulholland, P Pringle, J Purvis, S Quinn, I Roberts, J Scurfield, K Shaw, G Smith, T Smith, A Surtees, P Taylor, F Tinsley, S Townsend, C Varty, M Wilson, S Wilson, D Wood and R Yorke.

 

The Amendment was carried and therefore became the Substantive Motion.

 

A named vote on the Substantive Motion was requested

 

For

Councillors M Abley, A Bell, R Bell, J Blakey, D Brown, L Brown, J Charlton, B Coult, T Duffy, J Elmer, D Haney, P Heaviside, T Henderson, L Holmes, C Hood, A Hopgood, J Howey, C Hunt, G Hutchinson, A Jackson, N Jones, P Jopling, C Lines, C Martin, E Mavin, L Mavin, B McAloon, S McDonnell, M McGaun, P Molloy, J Nicholson, D Oliver, R Ormerod, E Peeke, R Potts, J Quinn, A Reed, G Richardson, K Robson, K Rooney, J Rowlandson, E Scott, A Shield, J Shuttleworth, M Simmons, A Simpson, M Stead, W Stelling, A Sterling, D Stoker, T Stubbs, D Sutton-Lloyd, A Watson, M Wilkes and S Zair.

 

Against

Councillors R Adcock-Forster, V Andrews, J Atkinson, P Atkinson, A Batey, K Batey, C Bihari, G Binney, D Boyes, I Cochrane, R Crute, S Deinali, K Earley, L Fenwick, C Fletcher, O Gunn, D Hall, C Hampson, A Hanson, K Hawley, S Henig, J Higgins, L Hovvels, D Howarth, M Johnson, C Kay, L Maddison, R Manchester, C Marshall, D McKenna, M McKeon, I McLean, S McMahon, J Miller, D Mulholland, P Pringle, J Purvis, S Quinn, I Roberts, J Scurfield, K Shaw, G Smith, T Smith, A Surtees, P Taylor, F Tinsley, S Townsend, C Varty, M Wilson, S Wilson, D Wood and R Yorke.

 

The Substantive Motion was carried.