43/20
It was
noted that four motions had been received in accordance with
Council Procedure Rule 10:
(a)
By Cllrs Bastone and
Holway
1.
‘This Council supports the
adoption of the Healthy Homes principles and
notes:
§
The powerful evidence which
demonstrates the link between people’s homes and their
health, wellbeing and life chances;
§
That the COVID-19 emergency has
reinforced the need for healthy environments which provide space
for recreation, children’s play and walkable
streets.
§
That well-designed homes that meet
all our citizens’ needs over their lifetimes can radically
reduce costs to NHS and social care budgets.
§
That people have a basic right to
live in environments free from unacceptable
pollution.
§
That homes must be affordable to
heat and built to as near zero carbon standards as
possible.
§
That current government policy to
deregulate planning is creating thousands of substandard homes
through conversion of existing buildings into homes through
permitted development.
§
That this council is determined to
create the highest quality places for residents which will be a
fitting legacy for future generations.
2.
This Council agrees (or to the
extent that the below concern Executive functions, recommends to
the Executive) to:
·
Adopt the Healthy Homes Principle so
that:
o
all new homes must be safe in
relation to the risk of fire;
o
all new homes must have, as a
minimum, the liveable space required to meet the needs of people
over their whole lifetimes, including adequate internal and
external storage space;
o
all main living areas and bedrooms
of a new dwelling must have access to natural light;
o
all new homes and their surroundings
must be designed to be inclusive, accessible, and adaptable to suit
the needs of all;
o
all new homes should be built within
places that prioritise and provide access to sustainable transport
and walkable services, including green infrastructure and play
space;
o
all new homes must secure radical
reductions in carbon emissions in line with the provisions of the
Climate Change Act 2008;
o
all new homes must demonstrate how
they will be resilient to a changing climate over their full
lifetime;
o
all new homes must be built to
design out crime and be secure;
o
all new homes must be free from
unacceptable and intrusive noise and light
pollution;
o
all new homes must not contribute to
unsafe or illegal levels of indoor or ambient air pollution and
must be built to minimise, and where possible eliminate, the
harmful impacts of air pollution on human health and the
environment, and;
o
all new homes must be designed to
provide year-round thermal comfort for inhabitants;
·
Review all policies, processes and
procedures to ensure that new homes meet the requirements of the
principles. Draw up a list of appropriate suggested changes to any
JLP polices in time for when work begins on the JLP first revision,
detailing how South Hams, with partner LPAs, envisages delivering
on the requirements of these principles;
·
Review the corporate plan to ensure
the healthy homes principles are a priority;
·
Make the principles an integral part
of activity throughout the council, including all decision making
on housing and planning in so far as policy will permit;
and
·
Investigate ways to ensure that
future local plans ensure that all new development is in line with
the Healthy Homes Principles at the earliest possible
date.
3.
This Council calls on
the Government to:
§
Return full powers of conversion of
buildings to residential use to local Planning Authorities
requiring full planning applications to be submitted;
and
§
Support the Heathy Homes Bill being
promoted by Baron Nigel Crisp.’
In discussion, the importance of this
motion was recognised and the proposer and seconder were thanked
for bringing it forward.
It was then:
RESOLVED
1.
This Council supports the adoption of the Healthy Homes principles and
notes:
·
The powerful evidence which demonstrates the link
between people’s homes and their health, wellbeing and life
chances;
·
That the COVID-19 emergency has reinforced the need
for healthy environments which provide space for recreation,
children’s play and walkable streets.
·
That well-designed homes that meet all our
citizens’ needs over their lifetimes can radically reduce
costs to NHS and social care budgets.
·
That people have a basic right to live in
environments free from unacceptable pollution.
·
That homes must be affordable to heat and built to
as near zero carbon standards as possible.
·
That current government policy to deregulate
planning is creating thousands of substandard homes through
conversion of existing buildings into homes through permitted
development.
·
That this council is determined to create the
highest quality places for residents which will be a fitting legacy
for future generations.
2.
This Council agrees (or to the extent that the below
concern Executive functions, recommends to the Executive)
to:
·
Adopt the Healthy Homes Principle so
that:
§
all new homes must be safe in relation to the risk
of fire;
§
all new homes must have, as a minimum, the liveable
space required to meet the needs of people over their whole
lifetimes, including adequate internal and external storage
space;
§
all main living areas and bedrooms of a new dwelling
must have access to natural light;
§
all new homes and their surroundings must be
designed to be inclusive, accessible, and adaptable to suit the
needs of all;
§
all new homes should be built within places that
prioritise and provide access to sustainable transport and walkable
services, including green infrastructure and play space;
§
all new homes must secure radical reductions in
carbon emissions in line with the provisions of the Climate Change
Act 2008;
§
all new homes must demonstrate how they will be
resilient to a changing climate over their full
lifetime;
§
all new homes must be built to design out crime and
be secure;
§
all new homes must be free from unacceptable and
intrusive noise and light pollution;
§
all new homes must not contribute to unsafe or
illegal levels of indoor or ambient air pollution and must be built
to minimise, and where possible eliminate, the harmful impacts of
air pollution on human health and the environment, and;
§
all new homes must be designed to provide year-round
thermal comfort for inhabitants;
·
Review all policies, processes and procedures to
ensure that new homes meet the requirements of the principles. Draw
up a list of appropriate suggested changes to any JLP polices in
time for when work begins on the JLP first revision, detailing how
South Hams, with partner LPAs, envisages delivering on the
requirements of these principles;
·
Review the corporate plan to ensure the healthy
homes principles are a priority;
·
Make the principles an integral part of activity
throughout the council, including all decision making on housing
and planning in so far as policy will permit; and
·
Investigate ways to ensure that future local plans
ensure that all new development is in line with the Healthy Homes
Principles at the earliest possible date.
3.
This Council calls on the Government to:
·
Return full powers of conversion of buildings to
residential use to local Planning Authorities requiring full
planning applications to be submitted; and
·
Support the Heathy Homes Bill being promoted by
Baron Nigel Crisp.
(c) By
Cllrs Pannell and Abbott
‘Recognising the duty placed on Members of
the Council “to represent their communities and bring their
views into the Council’s decision making process”,
“act as an advocate for constituents” and ”to
contribute to the good governance of the area” (Articles of the Constitution 2.3 Roles and functions of all
Councillors) Council resolves to amend, with immediate
effect, the Council Constitution to give Members more opportunity
to ask questions, thus:
1.
ORDINARY
MEETINGS:
In addition to the annual meeting, delete
three and insert five
ordinary meetings of the Council will take place in accordance with
a programme decided at the Council’s annual meeting. (Part 4:
Rules of Procedure: Council Procedure Rules).
2.
MEETINGS OF THE EXECUTIVE
2.3.2 Members of the public may speak only to ask
questions at the start of the meeting in accordance with Article 3
of the Council’s Constitution and the guidance currently in
place. Add “and Members
of the Council may ask questions at the start of the
meeting”; and
1.4
What business? At each
meeting of the Executive, the following business will be conducted:
i) consideration of the minutes of the
last meeting; ii) declarations of interest, if any; iii) public
questions; insert iv) Members’
questions, v) the Executive Forward Plan
etc.”
As stated earlier in the meeting
(Minute 40/20 above refers), it was noted that this Motion on
Notice had been withdrawn by its proposer and seconder.