To receive apologies for absence.

Apologies were received from Cllrs Roy Birch, Max Coborn, Maria Edey, Clive Elsmore, Andrew Gardiner, Julia Gooch, Paul Hiett, Brian Jones, Paul McMahon, Graham Morgan, David Thomson, Marion Winship and Roger Yeates,

The minutes of the meetings held on 14 and 20 July 2011 were approved at the adjourned meeting on 6 October 2011

This item was considered at the meeting held on 6 October 2011.

The chairman to identify any items of urgent business

To receive any declarations of interest in any matter to be discussed at the meeting.  Members and officers are requested to identify the nature of the interest and indicate whether it is personal or prejudicial.

Councillor Marrilyn Smart OBE declared a personal interest in item 10.3 of the agenda, (motion from Councillor Lynn Sterry relating to the Health and Social Care Services), as a member of Gloucestershire County Council, Health, Community and Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

Councillor Carole Allaway Martin declared a personal interest in item 10.3 of the agenda, (motion from Councillor Lynn Sterry relating to the Health and Social Care Services) as an employee of the National Health Trust.

As members of Gloucestershire County Council, Councillors Brian Robinson, Terry Glastonbury, Martin Quaile, Terry Hale and Graham Morgan each declared a prejudicial interest in item 10.1 of the agenda, (motion from Councillor Bill Evans requesting that the county council urgently liaise with Community Team Network Rail and other relevant parties to provide a pedestrian access/egress).

Councillor Terry Hale declared a personal interest in item 10.3 of the agenda, (motion from Councillor Lynn Sterry relating to the Health and Social Care Services), as a member of Gloucestershire County Council, Health, Community and Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee

Councillor Sterry declared a personal interest in item 10.3 of the agenda, in relation to her motion on Health and Social Care Services.

Councillor Frank Baynham declared a personal interest in item 10.1 of the agenda, (motion from Councillor Bill Evans requesting that the county council urgently liaise with Community Team Network Rail and other relevant parties to provide a pedestrian access/egress), and in item 10.3 of the agenda, (motion from Councillor Lynn Sterry relating to the Health and Social Care Services), as the Secretary of the Forest of Dean Health Forum.

This item was considered at the meeting on 6 October 2011

Cllr Norman Stephens, Chairman of the Council, invited members and officers of the council and members of the public to join him in observing one minute's silence as a mark of respect to former councillor Frank Williams who had died earlier in the week. He then invited group leaders and other members to pay tribute to Frank.

Cllr Martin, Leader of the Labour Group, said that Frank had been born 82 years ago to a Bream mining family with roots in the Forest going back over 150 years. Educated in Lydney, after 7 years in the Royal Navy, he taught for 27 years in a Gloucester School. She said that many Lydney people would remember him from their youth as leader of Bream Youth club from 1957-73. He was a Labour stalwart, a socialist to the last, championing fairness for all and fighting injustice.

He was a dedicated Town and District Councillor, being initially elected in 1982, dedicating his efforts to get the best for the forest as a whole and the Lydney area particularly. He left the district council in 2006.

Frank had a wonderful sense of humour and a love of life and of people.

He can be remembered for many things but the most important to this council was his involvement with the Coalfield Community Campaign, as a result of which the council was awarded substantial funding. He would be missed by all.

Cllr Glastonbury said that he had known Frank since he was 15 years old through the youth club in Lydney, where Frank had always put the youngsters on the straight and narrow. He had been funny and well respected by the young people. Cllr Glastonbury had also respected him for his work on the town and district councils and would miss him personally.

Cllr Osborne had known Frank for 11 years and found him to be a genuine person and fierce debater who was always friendly outside the chamber. He had done his best for Lydney and would be missed by councillors of all political parties who had known him.

Cllr Hogan remembered Frank as a complex and fascinating character. His external informality had given an impression of superficiality, but he had been a true polymath, humanitarian, internationalist, socialist and a dear friend. When Cllr Hogan had been leader, Frank had been his deputy and had never been afraid to say that his leader had got it wrong and had been correct 90 per cent of the time. Even though he was 20 years older than himself Cllr Hogan would miss him tremendously as an ageless character, who could communicate equally well with people aged 11 or 80. The Forest would be poorer for his passing.

Cllr Molyneux, Leader of the Conservative Group, said he had not known Frank well, but hoped that the council would do justice to his work on the coalfields alliance through what it was doing with the northern quarter in Cinderford.

Cllr Stephens had known Frank for 25 years  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

This item was considered at the meeting on 6 October 2011

This item was considered at the meeting held on 6 October 2011.

This item was considered at the meeting on 6 October 2011

This item was considered at the meeting held on 6 October 2011.

This item was considered at the meeting on 6 October 2011

This item was considered at the meeting held on 6 October 2011.

This item was considered at the meeting on 6 October 2011

This item was considered at the meeting held on 6 October 2011.

The following motions were deferred from the council meeting on 6 October 2011

That the Forest of Dean District Council request that Gloucestershire County Council urgently liaise with Community Team Network Rail and other relevant parties in order to provide a pedestrian access/egress,  (Disability Discrimination Act compliant), at platform 4 to Great Western Road and Gloucestershire Royal Hospital. Gloucestershire County Council having already committed resources and provisionally drawn up an access route off Great Western Road is aware that currently disabled persons who are not able to use the arch bridge have to cross the railway line on foot or by wheelchair. Gloucestershire County Council is encouraged to use their good offices to ensure that Network Rail remove the risk to those using the railway station and observe the provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act legislation and complete the new access/egress.

Cllr Bill Evans proposed and Cllr Pugh seconded the motion as at the agenda.

Speaking to his motion Cllr Bill Evans explained that all trains from Lydney arrived at platform 4 in Gloucester, which was 100 metres from Great Western Road. If there were direct access from the platform, it would be a short walk for anyone with an appointment at Gloucester Royal Hospital. Currently, people in wheelchairs needed to go around the city, even if escorted across the track by the station manager. His motion was a simple request to write to the relevant authorities to provide access, which he had been told would not be a difficult task.

Cllr Baynham said that the issue had been long running and while Network Rail had dedicated funds to improve the station internally, there were no planned works to provide access to Great Western Road. He hoped the motion would find all-party support to promote the health and well being of the people in the district.

Cllr Quaile applauded the motion and wanted to go further by addressing the inadequacies of the access to Lydney station. He commented that the current access arrangements were not to Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) standards, either in the tunnel, across the level crossing or on the platform. He had been told that Network Rail did not have the funds to ensure that access complied with DDA standards, but believed that the council should do all it could to ensure compliance.

Cllr Bill Evans accepted Cllr Davies' friendly amendment/addendum to add the following to the original motion:

That this council also express concerns to Gloucestershire County Council about disabled access at Lydney Station and representation to Monmouthshire County Council about Chepstow Station

Cllr Martin commented that Network Rail was installing lifts at Gloucester station, but even with this improvement, wheelchairs were still not able to use the underpass to Great Western Road because of the steps.

Cllr Osborne supported the amended motion, stating that Lydney Town Council had been trying to influence the issue for a long time. He wondered how Network Rail was able to ignore health and safety rules.

Cllr Diana Edwards added that the council should keep constant pressure on this and not give up.

RESOLVED - That the Forest of Dean District Council request that Gloucestershire County Council urgently liaise with Community Team Network Rail and other relevant parties in order to provide a pedestrian access/egress (D.D.A. compliant) at platform 4 to Great Western Road and Gloucestershire Royal Hospital.

Gloucestershire County Council, having already committed resources and provisionally drawn up an access route off Great Western Road is aware, that currently, disabled persons who are not able to use the arch bridge have to cross the railway line on foot or by wheelchair. Gloucestershire County Council are encouraged to use their good offices to ensure that Network Rail remove the risk to those using railway station and observe the provisions of the D.D.A legislation and complete the new access/egress and;

That this  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10.1

This item was considered at the meeting on 6 October 2011

This item was considered at the meeting held on 6 October 2011.

That this Council deplores both the recent and on-going attacks on the National Health Service and calls on the Coalition Government to engage in immediate and meaningful consultation with staff, stakeholders and local communities on the future direction, delivery and commissioning of publicly funded Health and Social Care services.

Cllr Sterry proposed and Cllr Martin seconded the motion as at the agenda.

Speaking to her motion Cllr Sterry said that she hoped that members would regard her as friendly, since it was designed to open dialogue about the changes in the health service. She noted that the House of Lords had begun to debate the issue.

Cllr Smart gave notice of an amendment and made the following statement:

'As a member of the cross party Gloucestershire Community & Care Scrutiny Committee (HOSC) I wish to make the following points:

No one is attacking the delivery of service.  What is being attacked is spending on things that do not lead to good health incomes, including too much on managers, too complex and expensive, centrally driven and managed. The NHS needs to move to a more responsive locally led 21 century model focused on better outcomes. An organisation that spends £120b a year and employs over 1m people must constantly challenge itself to do better with tax payers’ money.  There can be no status quo

• The decision by NHS Gloucestershire to form a social enterprise trust for the delivery of community services in Gloucestershire is in line with Transforming Community Services Guidance that NHS Gloucestershire is separating commissioning and provision of services – to do nothing or carry on as before is not an option. 
• It is consistent with Government Policy – the last Labour Government put in place the legislative need for PCT’s to split commissioning from funding and this was confirmed by the Coalition Government. 
• The formation of a CIC is entirely separate from the Health and Social Care Bill and a huge amount of consultation has happened with staff on both subjects. The Bill’s progress was halted for 6 months to allow for additional consultation and is now in its final stages in the House of Lords.

• At our meeting on the 20 September, in response to widespread concerns evidence was heard that throughout the process NHS Gloucestershire has worked closely with NHS South West and the Strategic Health Authority to ensure that the case for the formation of a social enterprise organisation and the associated business plan was robust.
• Members of the committee agreed the move to a social enterprise trust is an organisational change and not a change to the provision of services and therefore does not constitute a substantial variation. 
• The committee was also very clear in its intentions that it will closely monitor the performance of the CIC.  If proposals for service change come forward then the committee will scrutinise them and offer the appropriate challenge
• There has been significant staff, community and GP engagement. Over 60 meetings have been held since the autumn of 2010. A wide range of community partner meetings have also been held. 
• On the 6 September, the Forest Health Forum heard a presentation from the Chief Executive designate of Gloucester Care Services and there was a further stakeholder meeting held at The Main Place on the 17 September.
• On the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10.3

This item was deferred at the meeting on 6 October 2010

The Leader of the Council and the Chairman of the Strategic Overview Scrutiny Committee to report on recent activities, followed by questions from members.

Depending on time, the Chairman will rule and only take one question per member relating to the following reports: -

a)     Cabinet – Leader of the Council, Councillor Patrick Molyneux

b)     Strategic Overview and Scrutiny Committee – Councillor Philip Burford

The chairman invited questions on the cabinet and scrutiny committee reports.

Cllr Martin asked if Cllr Burford, Chairman of the Strategic Overview and Scrutiny Committee, would clarify the current position regarding the parking management call-in meeting mentioned on agenda page 60.

Cllr Burford replied that it had been suggested that the whole committee undertake the scrutiny inquiry into this matter. He would like committee members to meet informally before the scheduled Strategic Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting on 20 October to draft a scoping document and action plan to be approved at the committee meeting. Democratic Services would contact committee members to determine the best day and time.

Thursday 15 December 2011 at 7pm

Thursday 23 February 2012 at 7pm

Thursday 26 April 2012 at 7pm

Thursday 24 May 2012 at 7pm

Thursday 15 December 2011 at 7pm

Thursday 23 February 2012 at 7pm

Thursday 26 April 2012 at 7pm

Thursday 24 May 2012 at 7pm