To debate any motions submitted in accordance with Council Procedure Rules.
Minutes:
The Mayor read out the first Council Debate Motion on behalf of the Administration:
“This council is seriously concerned that the Government’s Planning White Paper will silence the voices of local people in the Planning process and reduce the ability of democratically elected councillors to require developers to improve local infrastructure and provide much needed affordable homes.”
Madam Mayor invited Councillor Clark to propose the motion. Councillor Clark stated that the UK had a housing crisis. There was a lack of affordable homes and that a Government was needed that was fit to address this by providing decent homes to live in that were net carbon neutral. The Government’s Planning White Paper was not the plan to achieve this objective. It fundamentally misdiagnosed the issues because it contained no measures to force developers to use unimplemented permissions. Councillor Clark, the Chair of the Planning Committee, wanted to give residents the opportunity to have more say and not less on planning applications. To this end, changes were planned to the Council’s constitution to allow objectors to answer questions. The Government’s White Paper showed its lack of commitment to local infrastructure by increasing from 40 to 50 homes the threshold for developer contributions to the Community Infrastructure Levy with no clear plan for replacing the local funds lost. The Government was accused of side-lining local community in exchange for the £11m of donations received from developers to the Conservative Party. The Planning for the Future White Paper had been dictated by property developers with the Council Debate Motion providing all Members with the opportunity to rejects its proposals.
Councillor Ben-Hassel seconded the motion and reserved the right to speak.
Madam Mayor invited Councillor Streeter to speak. Councillor Streeter stated how it had been known for many years that Croydon Labour was Blairite and friends with big business. It was described how the White Paper was the basis for a consultation with the Government looking for input and MPs debating its content. There was every indication that Ministers were listening and had acknowledged the sensitivities involved in applying the proposals suggested. It was being suggested that there was a need to treat London differently. This was compared to the operation of the planning system in Croydon where consultations were conducted with a foregone conclusion and a suburban character assassination was ongoing. The Administration was described as reluctant to listen to its own Mayor of London when it had been judged that its development targets were too high. Croydon Labour was described as having undermined trust in the planning system and that things could only get better.
Madam Mayor invited Councillor Perry to speak. Councillor Perry highlighted that whilst the Administration claimed to value local views it rode rough shod over the views of residents expressed about Local Transport Neighbourhoods and at the Planning Committee. The Administration’s Council Debate Motion was described as grand standing. The approach to the planning system in Croydon was described as a developers’ charter and that the Administration had spent six years silencing the people of Croydon and allowing the character of the borough to be destroyed. Brick By Brick was permitted to build on the green spaces vital to counter the effects of climate change and to support health and wellbeing especially during the pandemic. The Conservative Group had already met to discuss White Paper. The group would be making its own response to the consultation as part of the democratic process and expressing its concerns. The Group would therefore be supporting the motion but would not take any lectures.
Councillor Ben-Hassel exercised her right to speak. Whilst this was an opportunity for reform, Councillor Ben-Hassel described how alarm had been raised. With the reduction in the Community Infrastructure Levy and Section 106 monies, fewer homes would be built with less affordable homes available. Whilst sustainable and mix communities could have been the objective, the zoning approach would lead to permitted development rights and substandard schemes. The main barrier to improving the planning system was the lack of resources in local authorities. A zonal approach would mean that schemes which were policy compliant could not be refused. This would work to prevent residents from being at the centre of development. The Opposition was called on to use its influence to encourage the Government to reconsider its plans.
The motion was put to the vote and was approved unanimously.
The Mayor read out the second Council Debate Motion on behalf of the Opposition:
““This Labour Administration has consistently failed to listen to local residents, takes no notice of their views on any local issue and cannot be trusted to act in the interests of Croydon.”
Madam Mayor invited Councillor Bennett to propose the motion. Councillor Bennett described how she did this in sorrow rather than anger. The Administration had brought Croydon to its knees. There had been a refusal to listen to advisers, officers and electorate. This had led to over 10,000 residents expressing their voice by signing a petition to hold a referendum on having a directly elected Mayor. They had been asking for a democratic vote which had been denied under Covid regulations. Brick By Brick was sucking up every green space in the borough despite the impact that this would have on the wellbeing of residents. Whilst more homes were needed, hundreds of one bedroom flats were not good enough. The Administration was paying lip service to saving the planet; the traffic restrictions brought in with Local Traffic Neighbourhoods did not make sense because they concentrated traffic on the main roads with more travel caused by having to circumnavigate restricted roads. Councillor Bennett described how anger was rising but that the Administration was not listening and was not replying to emails.
Councillor Roche seconded the motion and reserved the right to speak.
Madam Mayor invited Councillor Newman to speak. The Leader stated that the Administration did listen to the people including those in the Opposition. The local elections in 2018 saw a record 41 Labour Councillors elected. Now in the mid-term period, the Conservative Group was making its attacks. The Leader acknowledged that the Administration would not get everything right and that it needed to learn including on governance. The Leader cited a range of initiatives that demonstrated the Administration listened including the Legacy Youth Zone, the fully funded Family Justice Centre, the refurbished Fairfield Halls, increased recycling rates and environmental measures including improving air quality. The Conservative Group was described as making plenty more noise but with no constructive ideas. The Leader anticipated that once the people of Croydon were listened to again through the ballot box, there would be another Labour victory.
Madam Mayor invited Councillor Degrads to speak. Councillor Degrads expressed how she was unsure what the Opposition meant as she was able to give numerous examples of how the Administration was listening. This included setting up a Citizen’s Assembly to listen to concerns about the climate emergency. Advice and suggestions had been gathered in response to concerns about heavy polluting vehicles that had fed into setting up Local Traffic Neighbourhoods. Further steps were envisaged to ensure all voices were heard. The Opposition’s Council Debate Motion was described as dangerous rhetoric with the accusation made of political point scoring during a pandemic. Councillor Degrads called on Members of Council to unite to be able to support residents to the best of their ability and not to add to the distress being caused by Covid. The Conservative Group was called on to support the Council on its improvement journey.
Councillor Roche exercised his right to speak and described how the operation of the Planning Committee proved the Administration did not listen to residents when it was choosing to ignore valid objections in addition to local planning policies. The Leader was choosing to ignore the thousands who had requested a referendum on a directly elected Mayor. The poor implementation of Local Traffic Neighbourhoods, which Councillor Roche had witnessed first-hand had caused chaos and damage to local business at a time when the Council should be aiding small business recovery. It was described how the implementation of the Local Traffic Neighbourhood on Stambourne Way had prevented a fire engine responding to an emergency. This was a scheme that had been implemented without any prior consultation, demonstrating that the Administration was not capable of listening. It may ask for views but these were not what it wanted.
The motion was put to the vote and fell.