Six Public Questions had been received, as follows:

From Mrs Pat Smith:

1.     Regarding the Covid19 pandemic and support for vulnerable people in Brentwood:

Given that social care has been subjected to huge cuts by central government and as a result many vulnerable and disabled Essex people have been priced out of basic care, by Essex County Council - what are Brentwood Council’s areas of responsibility to such people in Brentwood during the Covid19 pandemic, especially during lockdown, and in what ways did the council ensure that everybody was reached and their basic needs were met?

Cllr Hossack responded as follows:

 

Brentwood Borough Council does not have responsibility for adult social services or education – these fall within the remit of the Tier One authority – Essex County Council. 

 

From the outset of the Covid19  pandemic housing have sought to provide support, guidance and signposting to all of our residents especially those most vulnerable and elderly.  Officers made over 1500 calls to those vulnerable and elderly regardless of tenure to establish needs and offer reassurance.  This continues to take place on a daily, weekly and monthly basis to those who wish to receive additional support.  All of our processes are being reviewed and amended where necessary in order to adapt to the changing landscape.  Regular communication is also sent out by post including information leaflets and letters.

 

Sheltered Housing

All sheltered housing residents were contacted in the first week of the March lockdown to discover what access they had to other support networks.  Those with either very little or no other access to additional support were prioritised to be contacted on a daily basis to ensure they were well, not only physically but also had access to any food or medical supplies, and ensuring their mental wellbeing needs were met.  Residents who were fortunate to have a strong network of support around them were contacted on a weekly basis to check that all was still well with them and their families.

 

Although a very challenging time, it enabled us to discover more about our residents.  It also enabled us to develop closer relationships with other organisations who were offering their services which was a great benefit to some of the residents who enjoyed having doorstep deliveries of little extras that were being donated by local shops.   

 

We also made contact with all of our community alarm customers and offered the same support to them, which was not a responsibility but something we were happy to offer and something which was very much appreciated. 

 

During the lockdown staff have also developed a monthly magazine which is disseminated to all sheltered residents and we are working with organisations to support our residents’ health and wellbeing, through garden and physical activity projects. 

 

 

Housing Needs & Homelessness

At the start of lockdown our Housing Advice and Homeless Prevention Officers were instructed with the support of the Temporary Accommodation Officer to contact all residents in temporary accommodation to ensure they had sufficient support during this time. They identified whether the resident had access to food and medication and also enquired to whether the individual had any communication with friends and relatives to ensure they were coping during the pandemic. Our team worked closely with Brentwood Council’s Community Support Officers as well as external agencies such as Peabody to ensure vulnerable residents were given additional support with food parcels and financial advice.

 

Particular focus was made towards vulnerable residents who we identified to have no other means of support from family, friends and other external organisations. Regular contact was made to several residents who we believed required additional support and may not have spoken to anyone else for long periods of time without our intervention.

 

Supporting our most vulnerable residents during this pandemic is our priority. As soon as lockdown was announced in March, the Council worked swiftly to coordinate a community response.  A booklet was created, printed and posted to every resident in the Borough, outlining local support services and guidance and this was replicated online.  Within 2 weeks of the lockdown announcement, the Council developed and coordinated more than 12 local support across the Borough, and an effective support system.  The Council offered a triage point for those who needed support or advice, and this was coordinated appropriately, including contacting local volunteer support systems, working in partnership with the Essex Wellbeing Service, and escalating concerns to intervention teams with social services and CCGs should that be necessary.

 

The Council has also worked closely with local help hubs to ensure that food parcels are available and delivered to vulnerable people, that residents' medications are collected and delivered, and people are connected to their community to reduce social isolation and loneliness.  We have provided grants to voluntary organisations to enable them to develop their support offers, such as community meals and local wellbeing hubs, and we continue to support these hubs to develop, providing key new information and lines of support and advice. 

 

We directly telephoned 854 clinically extremely vulnerable people and 651 community alarm holder residents directly to ensure their basic needs were met and offer support.  We continue to provide weekly up to date information to residents through as variety of means, such as through social media, local newspapers, our website and through direct phone calls.  We also work with partners such as the local CVS to continue to support printed information and other departments to ensure a coordinated response to our most vulnerable.

 

The Council also developed a number of local engagement initiatives to support vulnerable people during the pandemic, including offering free home growing and gardening kits to our most vulnerable people and free school holiday clubs with free lunches for children of working parents. Currently we are putting togetherfree arts resource packs to ensure our most vulnerable children and young people have access to creative learning opportunities outside of school and whilst home learning. 

 

 2. Regarding Residents Questions at Ordinary Council: If part of a residents question is missed out when it is read to the Leader and Councillors in the chamber (in public), or the Leader does not answer the question properly, or if the questioner has been misunderstood or is misrepresented in the answer, should the Resident be granted a right of reply, to set the record straight, to be published in the subsequent minutes of that meeting?

Cllr Hossack responded as follows:

The Council responds to public questions in accordance with the Constitution, we follow the rules of procedure in part 4. Questions are dealt with under rule 11, under these rules we answer the question as it is without any further discussions (11.1(f))).  The published minutes of this meeting will include the questions and the responses.

 

Mr Will Russell had submitted two questions:

 

1.            Brentwood Council have a responsibility to maintain a safe environment in our open spaces. There is growing concern that some dog walkers do not have their dog fully under their control.

 

Whilst the law is specific about the penalties, many are not aware of the fines or what is considered a dog not under control. Many Brentwood residents suffer from cynophobia and are fearful of using our outside spaces.

 

Will Brentwood Council liaise with Essex County Council to raise awareness of this situation either by signage on dog waste bins, their publications or on their websites?

 

Cllr Hossack responded as follows:

 

There is currently no legal requirement for a dog to be kept on a lead in open spaces or parks owned by Brentwood Borough Council or Essex County Council, including Weald Country Park and Thorndon Park. 

 

There is also no requirement for dogs to be ‘under control’, but it is an offence for a dog to be ‘dangerously out of control’ in a public place, and also on private property.  This means that the dog has injured someone or is making someone fear they may be injured. This applies to any breed or type of dog.

You can get an unlimited fine or be sent to prison for up to 6 months (or both) if your dog is dangerously out of control. You may not be allowed to own a dog in the future and your dog may be destroyed. 

A local authority has the power to ask you to keep your dog on a lead when walking along ‘designated’ roads.

 

Dogs are required to wear a collar with the name and address of the owner inscribed on the collar or on a plate or badge attached to it (Control of Dogs Order 1992).  The dog is also required to be microchipped to enable identification if found straying

Some public areas can be covered by Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs), which are used to control behaviour, including that of dogs where this is considered to be a problem, and you may have to:

• keep your dog on a lead
• put your dog on a lead if told to by a police officer, police community support officer or council officer
• stop your dog going to certain places - like parts of a park such as children’s play areas
• limit the number of dogs you have with you (this applies to professional dog walkers too)
• clear up after your dog
• carry a poop scoop and disposable bags

There are no areas in Brentwood parks currently covered by PSPOs.

When walking dogs in areas used by other people you should consider using leads as much as possible to ensure that you can maintain social distancing to reduce the risks associated with coronavirus.

 

2.            Over the last couple of months I have witnessed unsafe parking outside Thorndon Country Park and Weald Country Park. Whilst lockdown is encouraging the use of these parks there is growing concern for the dangers this irresponsible parking is causing.

 

Will Brentwood Council Liaise with Essex County Council to find a solution for this dangerous situation?

 

 

Cllr Hossack responded as follows:

 

We have as you know four county councillors who have responsibility for the four divisions that cover Brentwood.  I am aware that Cllr Kendall raised this issue with Cllr Walsh, the Cabinet Member for Parks, probably last month or the month before.  I’m also aware that Cllr Wagland who has particular responsibility for Highways and is our rural divisional member is aware of the problem and also Cllr Cloke has asked the question of his parking colleagues in SEPP to find out what measures could be taken to try to prevent people parking dangerously.  Even as far as TRO managers come back with a costed-up scheme – probably it would cost around six figures to protect the roads with double yellow lines to make it an offence to park in such a way.

So the final agency where this responsibility lies is with the police and if you look at the Traffic Management Act of 2004 and the role of the police in Section 22 of that Act, 12.19 clearly states that when an authority receives CPE power the police services specifically include yellow line parking enforcement.  We know that there are no yellow lines where Mr Russell is referring to but the police retain sole responsibility for non-yellow line enforcement in certain areas, offences such as dangerous parking and obstruction, failure to comply with police parking signs placed in emergencies.  Section 22 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 makes it an offence for the person in charge to leave a vehicle or trailer on a road in such a position as to cause danger to other road users.  So as useful as it is to suggest we liaise with County I think there are some impracticalities about the technical work that can be done and the cost involved.  Really and truly Essex Police need to make sure that if there is a situation of dangerous parking they exercise their responsibility under the Road Traffic Act 1988 and deal with the situation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ms Susan Kortlandt had submitted two questions:

 

1.            What progress has been made in negotiations with the mobile 'phone companies re the siting of new masts near Brentwood Station and when will these be installed?

 

Cllr Hossack responded as follows:

 

We are dealing with two different companies, Clarke Telecom who represent Cornerstone (the company set up by Vodaphone and O2) and Waldon Telecom (representing MBNL which is the company set up by EE and Hutchison 3G).

 

Masefield Court Roof

 

A Legal Agreement giving landlords consent for the mobile masts has been agreed by solicitors acting for MBNL and the Council. This was ratified at the Lands Tribunal on 20 November. I attach the Tribunal order but to summarise the mobile operator is meeting the following costs:

 

·         Our solicitors (Birketts) costs in drawing up the Agreement with the mobile phone operator

·         The Council’s barristers costs to attend the Tribunal hearing

·         Telemasters (our mobile mast consultants) costs

·         £750 + VAT for a revised Fire Risk Inspection that is required

·         £500 per year for managing the check electric meter that will be installed once the mobile phone company connect into our electrical consumer unit.

 

There will be additional surveyors/consultant’s costs for overseeing the installation especially the fixing of equipment to the roof and once these are fully known they can be charged back to the mobile phone company. The type of cost I am thinking of are those of a structural Engineer and a surveyor to consider the proposals especially any drilling into the roof to secure the mobile equipment.

 

We were hoping to achieve a rent of £5,000 per annum in line with a recent court case on another mast but this was knocked back to £2,500 per annum and we took the view that we would agree this rather than spend more money arguing this at the Tribunal. The mobile phone company have also agreed to pay the Council an additional £800 in the form of compensation for the disruption caused by the installation.

 

The access hours that contractors are allowed to service the mobile equipment are restricted to 8am-6pm Monday to Friday and 9am-4.30pm on Weekends and Bank Holidays. In the event of emergencies, access is permitted at any time. Arrangements will need to be agreed regarding the access to the roof and this will be clarified in further discussions with the mobile operator.

 

Further details of the proposed works and health and safety risk and method statements are expected to follow so these can be scrutinised by the Council to ensure the installation is safely undertaken. In terms of further Health and Safety precautions, the mobile phone company are installing safety barriers around the roof to protect contractors.

 

This is only a temporary installation and the mobile phone company can only have this up for a maximum of 18 months without planning approval. They are therefore expected to submit another application for planning approval (the previous one was refused) shortly

 

 

Coptfold Road Green

 

Our advisors are in discussions with Clarke Telecom to agree a heads of terms before a formal agreement can be prepared by solicitors.

 

We are awaiting details of the proposed power supply of the temporary mast (we have been told this is going to be mains fed from the road) and the health and safety aspects of this installation.

 

Pastoral Way

 

This is another temporary mast proposal. Our advisors are in discussions with Clarke Telecom who represent the mobile phone companies regarding a Heads of Terms. Birketts solicitors have been instructed to agree an access agreement so the Mobile company can do their ground investigation before confirming the site is suitable.

 

David Wellings is being kept in the picture with regard to all the three mobile phone mast proposals (listed in this email) in the light of the various recommendations of the Grenfell Enquiry. Temporary masts can be up for a maximum of 18 months whilst the installation is either confirmed as a permanent installation or an alternative site found. This is of course subject to planning consent being obtained.

 

 

 

2.            I understand that the Brentwood Centre is likely to be re-opened soon, which is very welcome. Can you tell me how this will affect organisations which have items stored in the centre?

 

Cllr Hossack responded as follows:

If any individual or organisations have equipment or items stored at the centre then they will need to contact the Council in the first instance.

 

(Cllr Reed advised that he had previously been employed at the Brentwood Centre but had been made redundant on 27 October 2020).