Issue - meetings

1.1    Following on from consideration of Opposition Business, Councillor Anderson moved and Councillor Chibah seconded the following motion:

“Fly tipping is endemic across the country costing taxpayers up to £850m each year.  Earlier this year, the Communities and Local Government Select Committee accused Westminster of a “lack of vigour, if not complacency” on tackling this growing problem.

Though Enfield Council has one of the best records in the country in tackling this scourge, we recognise that more needs to be done.  This Council, therefore, calls on the Government to heed the conclusions of the Select Committee report by creating a National Litter Strategy for England with a clear framework for action, underpinned with a coordinating role for local councils.

In addition we ask the Government:

(1)     to re-invest the millions from landfill tax receipts into tackling commercial fly-tipping;

(2)     to introduce a £1,000 fixed penalty notice for fly-tipping offences and make it easier for local authorities to enforce it; and

(3)     to address the outdated, slow and resource intensive process for dealing with waste on private land with a 7 day enforcement process along with higher fines for land owners who fail to comply.”

Having been moved and seconded, Councillor Laban then moved and Councillor Neville seconded the following amendment to the motion:

·                To delete the second sentence in the first paragraph and replace the second paragraph with the following:

“We recognise that more needs to be done.  Therefore Enfield Council agrees to send a joint letter from the Cabinet Member for Environment and Shadow Cabinet Member for Environment to the Rt Hon. Elizabeth Truss M.P., Secretary of State for Environment and ask for the creation of a National Litter Strategy to aid in combating the problem of fly tipping.”

In response to the amendment, Councillor Anderson advised that the Majority Group would have no objection to the proposal for a joint letter but would not be willing to accept deletion of reference to the outcome of the review undertaken by the Communities and Local Government Select Committee.

Prior to any further debate, John Austin (Assistant Director Governance Projects) advised that if it was not possible to agree a way forward on the amendment then its consideration would to be subject to the usual rules of debate under the Council Procedure Rules.

In order to clarify matters Councillor Laban advised that the Opposition Group would be willing to proceed on the basis of their amendment now requiring the following changes to the original motion:

·                Reference to “Westminster” in the second sentence of the first paragraph being amended to “the former coalition government”; and

·                To the letter for which approval was being sought in the second paragraph to be a joint letter from the Cabinet Member for Environment and Shadow Cabinet Member for Environment to the Rt Hon. Elizabeth Truss M.P., Secretary of State for Environment and ask for the creation of a National Litter Strategy to aid in combating the problem of fly tipping.

Councillor Anderson advised that the Majority  ...  view the full minutes text for item 34

Councillor Stewart moved and Councillor Jiagge seconded the following motion: 

“This Council believes that, since the General Election in 2010, the current Government has presided over one of the most devastating attacks on our society.  Our communities in Enfield have felt the effect of the Conservative led coalition government’s destructive policies and ideology to shrink the state and rely on market forces.  We now live in a borough that has over 1,000 claimants affected by the bedroom tax, two food banks operating in the borough to feed the rising number of hungry families, and an increase in homelessness.  These are just some of the indicators of a failed Government.  Enfield Council has been left to pick up the pieces, while facing increasing financial pressures imposed by Central Government. 

This Council calls upon the next Government elected on 7 May 2015 to put an end to this callous way of governing and to take responsibility for supporting the vulnerable and the rebuilding our society.” 

Following a short debate the motion was put to the vote and agreed, with the following result:

For: 32

Against: 21

Abstentions: 0