Issue - meetings

No petitions have been submitted for presentation to this meeting. 

The Chairman reported that no petitions had been received for presentation at the meeting.

To receive the following petition received for presentation to this meeting which meets the threshold for a Council debate.

‘Stop Bus Cuts’ – Salisbury Journal

The Chairman reported receipt of a petition for presentation to the meeting, details of which were presented. The petition called on this Council to ‘end its plans to axe dozens of bus services…’ The Chairman announced that, as the petition had passed the threshold number of signatories for a council debate, he intended to hold the debate on the petition at this meeting.

Prior to the debate, The Chairman invited Mr Bill Brown of the Salisbury Journal to present the petition. In his presentation Mr Brown emphasised the concern amongst the residents of the Salisbury and surrounding areas about the potential threat to bus services, and gave examples of how vital services were to vulnerable residents.

In his response to the petition, the Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, Councillor Philip Whitehead expressed his disappointment at the approach taken by the Salisbury Journal which he considered had created unnecessary anxiety amongst residents. He reiterated that there would be no cuts to the subsidised services in 2016/17; that the purpose of the consultation was to better understand the impact of any proposals, and that he wanted to use this evidence to plan a sustainable service.

The Leader of the Council, Baroness Scott of Bybrook OBE added that the misreporting of the consultation had increased anxiety unduly.

The Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group, Councillor Glenis Ansell, considered that the administration should do all it could to encourage people to respond to the formal consultation.

The Leader of the Independent Group, Councillor Ernie Clark, stated that questions should be framed carefully to ensure proper consultation.

The Leader of the Labour Group, Councillor Ricky Rogers implored the administration to take note of the widely held concerns of the public.

The Chairman then opened up the matter for debate in which a number of Councillors spoke in relation to the petition. Issues raised included how the consultation had been represented in the press; that local groups, such as the 24-7 group, should be engaged with; that some unsubsidised services had already been stopped by commercial companies; urging the Cabinet to consider the economic impact of potential changes; the impact of the ageing population on demand; the relative number of services that were subsidised by the council compared to other comparable councils; and how the consultation was being undertaken, including surveys and roadshows.

The Chairman proposed, subsequently seconded by the Vice-Chairman, that the petition be received; that Council note the contents of the petition; and that Council note the ongoing work of the Cabinet in this matter

Upon being put to the vote, it was,

Resolved

1. that the petition be received;
2. that Council notes the comments of the petition; and
3. that Council note the ongoing work of the Cabinet in this matter.