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Motion 1 – Received 14th February 2024 @ 10:52

Mover: Cllr Dr Barrett                   Seconder: Cllr Aspinell

The council notes

• The obligations it owes to the Armed Forces community within the Borough of Brentwood as enshrined in the Armed Forces Covenant; that the Armed Forces community should not face disadvantage in the provision of services and that special consideration is appropriate in some cases, especially for those who have given the most.

• Brentwood Borough Council, along with all other local authorities in Great Britain, has proudly signed the Armed Forces Covenant.

• That in the course of their service in His Majesty’s Armed Forces, some members of the Armed Forces Community, by virtue of the often dangerous and risky nature of their work, or environments in which they are required to operate, become wounded, injured or sick in such a way that affects their life in a permanent or significant way.

• That a number of military compensation schemes exist to recognise and compensate Service Personnel and sometimes their families, for the hardship, inconvenience or ongoing impact conditions such as PTSD, limb loss, hearing loss etc.

• Military compensation can be awarded through the War Pension Scheme (WPS), Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) or through a veteran’s occupational Armed Forces Pension Scheme (AFPS), known as Service Invaliding Pensions (SIPs) or Service Attributable Pensions (SAPs). Compensation awards under these schemes may also include supplementary payments. This compensation often interacts with benefits issued through Local Authorities and may impact a veteran’s entitlement to such benefits.

• That whilst some benefits such as Universal Credit rightly disregard military compensation as income, others administered by or subject to the discretion of Local Authorities, do not always do so, meaning that some veterans must give up their compensation in order to access essential financial support.

• A 2022 Freedom of Information request by the Royal British Legion showed that only one in five (20%) of Local Authorities in Great Britain rightly disregarded all military compensation when assessing local benefits claims for Housing Benefit, Council Tax Support, Discretionary Housing Payments and Disabled Facilities Grants.

The council resolves

• That no member of the Armed Forces Community should be forced to give up their military compensation to access the same welfare support as their civilian counterparts.

• That all compensation paid under any of the relevant military compensation schemes should be treated as such and not regarded as income when the Local Authority assesses applications for benefits over which they exercise discretion: Council Tax Support scheme, Housing Benefit, Discretionary Housing Payments and Disabled Facilities Grants. Rather it should be treated as intended, as a compensatory payment made in recognition of the often significant and life changing service or sacrifice an individual has made in the course of their service in our nation’s Armed Forces.

• To support the Royal British Legion’s call for all forms of military compensation to be disregarded as income in the assessment and administration of locally administered benefits over which this council exercises discretion.

Cllr Dr Barrett added: That a report be presented to the next Finance, Asset and Recovery Committee on the options for implementation and any impacts of this motion.

Members voted by a show of hands and this was CARRIED.

Motion 2 was deferred.

Motion 3 – Received 23rd February 2024 @ 17:31

Mover: Cllr Gorton                                     Seconder: Cllr Munden

In Essex, Local Highway Panels are made up of a representative number of Members from the County and the individual Borough, City or District. They also have Parish representatives where appropriate. The Membership criteria are set out in the Terms of Reference. While incorrectly stated on the Essex Highways website, a decision was made in May 2023 that for Brentwood, the LHP would only have representatives from the County Council.

The LHP Members meet on a quarterly basis to discuss and consider Highways concerns within their local Borough, City or District boundaries. The Panels are designed to prioritise local concerns and make recommendations to the Cabinet Member for the implementation of highway schemes that meet the concerns of local people. The meetings are not open to the public except by invitation.

Motion

The Council notes:

1. The Brentwood Local Highway Panel is currently made up of the four County Councillors who represent Brentwood’s County Divisions.

2. That the make-up of the Panel is at the discretion of the Chair, in consultation with the Essex Cabinet Member for Highways.

This Council believes:

1. A collaborative relationship with the County Council on opportunities for Highways improvements is beneficial.

2. That individual Borough Councillors will be made aware of opportunities for Highways enhancement, which could be submitted directly to the Panel without an increased workload for the County Councillors.

3. Openness on what schemes are being considered and decisions made helps better inform democracy, increases trust in politics and helps make better decisions.

This Council resolves:

1. To request a mechanism for Borough Councillors and Parish Councils to submit schemes, in an appropriate format, to Highways Officers so that they may be raised at the Local Highway Panel.

 2. To request the opportunity to observe, either live or recorded, the decision-making process and debate over new schemes at Local Highway Panels.

3. To request that we receive prompt minutes, actions and updates on Local Highway Panel meetings and decisions.

Cllr Wagland left the Chamber and did not take part in the debate or voting due to a registrable interest.  

A recorded vote was requested by Cllrs Mynott, Russell, Laplain, M Cuthbert and Kendall. 

FOR:  Cllrs Barrett, Haigh, Aspinell, Dr Barrett, M Cuthbert, N Cuthbert, Fulcher, Gorton, Kendall, Laplain, Lewis, Mayo, Munden, Mynott, Naylor, Sankey and Worsfold (17)

ABSTAIN:     Cllrs: Barber, Bridge, Francois, Gelderbloem, Hirst, Marsh, McCheyne, Murphy, Parker, Poppy, Pound, Reed, Russell and Slade (14)

The motion was CARRIED. 

Motion 4 – Received 26th February 2024 @ 08:08

Mover: Cllr Kendall                                    Seconder: Cllr Naylor

In Europe, only the UK and authoritarian Belarus still use archaic single-round First Past the Post for general elections. Internationally, Proportional Representation (PR) is used to elect the parliaments of more than 80 countries. These countries tend to be more equal, freer and greener.

PR ensures all votes count, have equal value, and that seats won match votes cast. Under PR, MP’s and Parliaments better reflect the age, gender and characteristics of both local communities and of the nation.

MP’s better reflecting the communities they represent in turn leads to improved decision-making, wider participation and increased levels of ownership for decisions taken.

PR is already used to elect the parliaments and assemblies of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It’s use should now be extended to include Westminster and local government in England.

In Scotland a proportional voting system was introduced for local elections in 2007. We believe a similar system should be introduced for local elections in England. Town Halls would benefit from increased political diversity and a clearer link between votes and seat share could be a major boost to people’s political engagement and sense of place.

Brentwood Borough Council therefore resolves to write to H.M. Government calling for a change in our outdated electoral laws to enable Proportional Representation to be used for UK General and English Local elections.

A recorded vote was requested by Cllrs Laplain, M Cuthbert, Naylor, Mynott and Sankey.

FOR:               Cllrs Barrett, Haigh, Aspinell, Dr Barrett, M Cuthbert, N Cuthbert, Fulcher, Gorton, Kendall, Laplain, Lewis, Mayo, Munden, Mynott, Naylor, Sankey and Worsfold (17)

AGAINST:     Cllrs: Barber, Bridge, Francois, Gelderbloem, Hirst, Marsh, McCheyne, Murphy, Parker, Pound, Reed, Slade and Wagland (13)

The motion was CARRIED.