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The decisions as the council's minutes record them. A plain-language summary follows once it has been written.
RESOLVED – That the Notice of Motion be supported as follows: (iii) That Wrexham County Borough Council note : • Shift work was widespread in many industries, particularly hospitality as well as health and care workers, retail, cleaning, security and porter staff and can often entail late night working. • Many workers, especially women were increasingly worried about their safety travelling to and from work at night. • While employers may feel that their duty of care to staff ends when an employee finishes a shift, they also need to take into consideration journeys home, especially during unsocial hours. • Information from Unite indicates the weakness of enforcement of the law against sexual assault, including up-skirting, on public transport is appalling and it is understood that only 2% of victims go onto report sexual harassment on public transport. • Unite, the Union’s Get me Home Safely campaign which calls on all employers to take all reasonable steps to ensure workers are able to get home safely from work at night is greatly needed and should be supported. • Greater numbers of public transport staff trained in how to identify and report sexual harassment and stronger enforcement of the law against sexual assault and harassment on public transport are urgently needed. (iv) That Wrexham County Borough Council will: · Support Unite, the Trade Union’s Get Me Home Safely Campaign. • Reaffirm its commitment to taking positive action to prevent violence against women and girls and ensuring that people feel safe in public areas across all areas of Wrexham. This Council would continue to actively contribute to achieving the goals of the Welsh Government Violence against Women, Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence Strategy 2022-2026. • Continue to work with the licensed trade to operate a safe night-time economy in line with our Licensing Policy Objectives, working with licensees, employers, the Police and Community Safety partners to ensure our communities are safe places late at night. • Work with our late night premises and organisations employing shift workers to promote the safety of workers and encourage licensees and employers to consider staff transport as an integral part of operating a safe and sustainable business, helping to ensure workers in these sectors are valued This will significantly benefit the safety and wellbeing of hospitality workers, particularly women, who often cannot afford or access safe transport options late at night and benefit our community and the business through improved staff recruitment and retention. • Continue to work with Welsh Government and the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) to bring forward Welsh Government’s commitment to reforming the national minimum standards for taxis and private hire and how the legislative framework operates in Wales.
RESOLVED - That it be recommended to the Annual Meeting of the Council that Councillor Andy Williams be nominated for the office of Mayor of the County Borough for the year 2023/24, subject to his acceptance of the office of Mayor.
RESOLVED - That Council do not support the recommendations made within the report COEP/26/23. REASON FOR DECISION To meet the requirements of The Town and Country Planning (Local Development Plan) (Wales) Regulations 2005 to adopt the LDP within 8 weeks of receiving the Inspectors’ Report.
Apologies for absence were submitted on behalf of Councillors I David Bithell, Tina Mannering and Kate Wilkinson.
Members were reminded of their responsibility, under Paragraph 11 of the Members’ Code of Conduct, to declare any interests in relation to any of the business to be transacted at this Meeting. The following declarations were made: Agenda Item 3 – Notice of Motion Councillors Bryan Apsley, Brian Cameron, Annette Davies, Frank Hemmings, Corin Jarvis, Stephen Jones, Stella Matthews, Beverley Parry-Jones, Mark Pritchard, Graham Rogers, Anthony Wedlake, Derek Wright – Personal and non prejudicial – Member of UNITE Union. The Councillors remained in the Meeting taking part in the discussion thereon. Agenda Item 5 – Local Development Plan Councillors Hugh Jones, Jeremy Kent, Michael Morris, Paul Roberts and Ross Shepherd – Personal and non prejudicial – Known to land owner. Councillor Phil Wynn – Personal and non prejudicial – Local Authority representative on the Parochial Trust who are local landowners with a pending planning application for a housing development. The Councillors remained in the Meeting taking part in the discussion thereon.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED – That the Notice of Motion be supported as follows: (iii) That Wrexham County Borough Council note : • Shift work was widespread in many industries, particularly hospitality as well as health and care workers, retail, cleaning, security and porter staff and can often entail late night working. • Many workers, especially women were increasingly worried about their safety travelling to and from work at night. • While employers may feel that their duty of care to staff ends when an employee finishes a shift, they also need to take into consideration journeys home, especially during unsocial hours. • Information from Unite indicates the weakness of enforcement of the law against sexual assault, including up-skirting, on public transport is appalling and it is understood that only 2% of victims go onto report sexual harassment on public transport. • Unite, the Union’s Get me Home Safely campaign which calls on all employers to take all reasonable steps to ensure workers are able to get home safely from work at night is greatly needed and should be supported. • Greater numbers of public transport staff trained in how to identify and report sexual harassment and stronger enforcement of the law against sexual assault and harassment on public transport are urgently needed. (iv) That Wrexham County Borough Council will: · Support Unite, the Trade Union’s Get Me Home Safely Campaign. • Reaffirm its commitment to taking positive action to prevent violence against women and girls and ensuring that people feel safe in public areas across all areas of Wrexham. This Council would continue to actively contribute to achieving the goals of the Welsh Government Violence against Women, Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence Strategy 2022-2026. • Continue to work with the licensed trade to operate a safe night-time economy in line with our Licensing Policy Objectives, working with licensees, employers, the Police and Community Safety partners to ensure our communities are safe places late at night. • Work with our late night premises and organisations employing shift workers to promote the safety of workers and encourage licensees and employers to consider staff transport as an integral part of operating a safe and sustainable business, helping to ensure workers in these sectors are valued This will significantly benefit the safety and wellbeing of hospitality workers, particularly women, who often cannot afford or access safe transport options late at night and benefit our community and the business through improved staff recruitment and retention. • Continue to work with Welsh Government and the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) to bring forward Welsh Government’s commitment to reforming the national minimum standards for taxis and private hire and how the legislative framework operates in Wales.
Members considered a Notice of Motion in the following terms proposed by Councillor Dana Davies and seconded accordingly: “ (i) That Wrexham County Borough Council note : • Shift work was widespread in many industries, particularly hospitality as well as health and care workers, retail, cleaning, security and porter staff and can often entail late night working. • Many workers, especially women were increasingly worried about their safety travelling to and from work at night. • While employers may feel that their duty of care to staff ends when an employee finishes a shift, they also need to take into consideration journeys home, especially during unsocial hours. • Information from Unite indicates the weakness of enforcement of the law against sexual assault, including up-skirting, on public transport is appalling and it is understood that only 2% of victims go onto report sexual harassment on public transport. • Unite, the Union’s Get me Home Safely campaign which calls on all employers to take all reasonable steps to ensure workers are able to get home safely from work at night is greatly needed and should be supported. • Greater numbers of public transport staff trained in how to identify and report sexual harassment and stronger enforcement of the law against sexual assault and harassment on public transport are urgently needed. (ii) That Wrexham County Borough Council will: · Support Unite, the Trade Union’s Get Me Home Safely Campaign. • Reaffirm its commitment to taking positive action to prevent violence against women and girls and ensuring that people feel safe in public areas across all areas of Wrexham. This Council would continue to actively contribute to achieving the goals of the Welsh Government Violence against Women, Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence Strategy 2022-2026. • Continue to work with the licensed trade to operate a safe night-time economy in line with our Licensing Policy Objectives, working with licensees, employers, the Police and Community Safety partners to ensure our communities are safe places late at night. • Work with our late night premises and organisations employing shift workers to promote the safety of workers and encourage licensees and employers to consider staff transport as an integral part of operating a safe and sustainable business, helping to ensure workers in these sectors are valued This will significantly benefit the safety and wellbeing of hospitality workers, particularly women, who often cannot afford or access safe transport options late at night and benefit our community and the business through improved staff recruitment and retention.” RESOLVED – That the Notice of Motion be supported as follows: (iii) That Wrexham County Borough Council note : • Shift work was widespread in many industries, particularly hospitality as well as health and care workers, retail, cleaning, security and porter staff and can often entail late night working. • Many workers, especially women were increasingly worried about their safety travelling to and from work at night. • While employers may feel that their duty of care to staff ends when an employee finishes a shift, they also need to take into consideration journeys home, especially during unsocial hours. • Information from Unite indicates the weakness of enforcement of the law against sexual assault, including up-skirting, on public transport is appalling and it is understood that only 2% of victims go onto report sexual harassment on public transport. • Unite, the Union’s Get me Home Safely campaign which calls on all employers to take all reasonable steps to ensure workers are able to get home safely from work at night is greatly needed and should be supported. • Greater numbers of public transport staff trained in how to identify and report sexual harassment and stronger enforcement of the law against sexual assault and harassment on public transport are urgently needed. (iv) That Wrexham County Borough Council will: · Support Unite, the Trade Union’s Get Me Home Safely Campaign. • Reaffirm its commitment to taking positive action to prevent violence against women and girls and ensuring that people feel safe in public areas across all areas of Wrexham. This Council would continue to actively contribute to achieving the goals of the Welsh Government Violence against Women, Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence Strategy 2022-2026. • Continue to work with the licensed trade to operate a safe night-time economy in line with our Licensing Policy Objectives, working with licensees, employers, the Police and Community Safety partners to ensure our communities are safe places late at night. • Work with our late night premises and organisations employing shift workers to promote the safety of workers and encourage licensees and employers to consider staff transport as an integral part of operating a safe and sustainable business, helping to ensure workers in these sectors are valued This will significantly benefit the safety and wellbeing of hospitality workers, particularly women, who often cannot afford or access safe transport options late at night and benefit our community and the business through improved staff recruitment and retention. • Continue to work with Welsh Government and the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) to bring forward Welsh Government’s commitment to reforming the national minimum standards for taxis and private hire and how the legislative framework operates in Wales.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED - That it be recommended to the Annual Meeting of the Council that Councillor Andy Williams be nominated for the office of Mayor of the County Borough for the year 2023/24, subject to his acceptance of the office of Mayor.
The Chair of the Constitution Working Group submitted a report COGC/34/23 allowing Council to consider nominations for the election of a Mayor for 2023/24. A number of Members advised that following the concerns raised at the Council meeting held on 15 March 2023, relating to the process for the nomination of Mayor and Deputy Mayor, they would not be supporting the recommendation contained within the report. The Monitoring Officer responded to questions accordingly and explained the process that had taken place to date. In accordance with Standing Order 18(2), a recorded vote was then taken on the recommendation within the report, the voting being as follows: For – Councillors William Baldwin, Trevor Bates, David A Bithell, I David Bithell MBE, Beryl Blackmore, Terry Evans, Hugh Jones, Steve Joe Jones, Jeremy Kent, Claire Lovett, John McCusker, M G Morris, Jeremy Newton, Beverley Parry-Jones, Paul Pemberton, John Phillips, John Pritchard, Mark Pritchard, Fred Roberts, Paul Roberts, Rondo Roberts, Ross Shepherd, Alison Tynan, Debbie Wallice, Rob Walsh, Andy Williams, Nigel Williams, Roberts Ian Williams and Phil Wynn (28) Against – Councillors Bryan Apsley, Paul Blackwell, Gary Brown, Brian Cameron, Krista Childs, Annette Davies, Dana Davies, Mike Davies, Andy Gallanders, Carrie Harper, Frank Hemmings, Emma Holland, Peter Howell, Corin Jarvis, Jon Jolley, Marc Jones, Malcolm King OBE, Becca Martin, Graham Rogers, Anthony Wedlake, Jerry Wellens and Derek Wright (22) Abstained – Councillor Ronnie Prince (1) The vote was carried and it was: RESOLVED - That it be recommended to the Annual Meeting of the Council that Councillor Andy Williams be nominated for the office of Mayor of the County Borough for the year 2023/24, subject to his acceptance of the office of Mayor.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED - That Council do not support the recommendations made within the report COEP/26/23. REASON FOR DECISION To meet the requirements of The Town and Country Planning (Local Development Plan) (Wales) Regulations 2005 to adopt the LDP within 8 weeks of receiving the Inspectors’ Report.
The Chief Officer Economy and Planning submitted a report COEP/26/23 which presented to the Council the findings of the Inspectors’ Report into the examination of the Local Development Plan and set out the Council’s legal duties to adopt the Plan. The Chief Officer Economy and Planning introduced his report and responded to Members questions accordingly thereafter. A number of Members spoke in support of the Plan, making the following points in particular: · A substantial and robust consultation and engagement process had taken place at various stages over many years of Plan preparation. This had included both statutory and non-statutory consultation and engagement with Elected Members. · All sites contained in the Plan had received majority Member support via Planning Policy meetings and were in line with the sustainability criteria set by the Welsh Government. · If the Plan was supported then a review could take place immediately. If it was refused then this would create a great deal of uncertainty and could still result in outcomes that were not deemed to be more favourable. · Adoption of the Plan would not result in immediate planning permission and each site would still be subject to planning application. · Internal planning guidance, some of which was out of date, could not be updated until a policy was in place. A number of Members advised that they would not be supporting the plan and referred to the following, in particular: · The Plan was not deemed to be ‘community led’. · The figures provided by the Welsh Government were out of date. · The phosphate issue. · The Gypsy and Traveller allocation at Brymbo. · The Roads Review and the capacity of the road network to accommodate new developments including KSS1. · The Plan did not support the need for more affordable housing. · Implementation of the Plan would place too much pressure on current infrastructure and services. · The need for greater consideration of environmental factors. An amendment was proposed and duly seconded as follows: “Members have considered the Local Development Plan inspection report and concluded that it does not meet the demand of the County Borough in its overall provision and that the failure to comply with the Future Generations Act 2015 and the failure to comply with Wales Future Plan 2014 means that we cannot adopt the report as drafted but instead make representation to the Welsh Assembly Government to intervene in the process”. The Monitoring Officer advised that the amendment was not valid as there was no provision within the legislation that allowed for intervention by Welsh Government. In accordance with Standing Order 18(2), a recorded vote was then taken on the original recommendation, the voting being as follows: For – Councillors Bryan Apsley, David A Bithell, Paul Blackwell, Brian Cameron, Krista Childs, Dana Davies, Frank Hemmings, Corin Jarvis, Steve Joe Jones, Malcolm King, Stella Matthews, John McCusker, M G Morris, Jeremy Newton, John Phillips, John Pritchard, Fred Roberts, Graham Rogers, Alison Tynan, Anthony Wedlake, Jerry Wellens, Derek Wright and Phil Wynn (23) Against – Councillors William Baldwin, Trevor Bates, Beryl Blackmore, Gary Brown, Annette Davies, Mike Davies, Terry Evans, Andy Gallanders, Carrie Harper, Emma Holland, Peter Howell, Jon Jolley, Marc Jones, Jeremy Kent, Claire Lovett, Becca Martin, Beverley Parry-Jones, Paul Pemberton, Ronnie Prince, Mark Pritchard, Rondo Roberts, Ross Shepherd, Debbie Wallice, Rob Walsh, Andy Williams, Nigel Williams and Roberts Ian Williams (27) Abstained – Councillor Paul Roberts (1) RESOLVED - That Council do not support the recommendations made within the report COEP/26/23. REASON FOR DECISION To meet the requirements of The Town and Country Planning (Local Development Plan) (Wales) Regulations 2005 to adopt the LDP within 8 weeks of receiving the Inspectors’ Report.
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