Motion 1
“Members - Do you not think that the first priority of any government or governing body should be to ensure the ability to protect food sources and not become reliant on imports which adds to their carbon footprint?
Using farmland for housing and solar farms means an ever-downward shift to an unacceptable inability to be self-sufficient in food production and recent events on the world stage shows how short-sighted that could be in an emergency.
Food and water is the first basic need for life surely we should be protecting these. We need to ensure that no more productive farmland is taken and if farmers are unable to be sustainable then we need to lobby the government for a fairer package or new cooperatives to make farming work and feed our nation.
I would like Council to support this motion by requiring our representatives on the Central Lincolnshire Joint Strategic Planning Committee (CLJSPC) to ensure West Lindsey views on this matter be reported to future meetings of the (CLJSPC) and that this Council lobby relevant Government Ministers in a similar manner.
I so move
Councillor Anne Welburn”
Motion 2
Additional financial support for the Socially Vulnerable Households
“WLDC Corporate Plan for 2019 to 2023 has in its aims ‘improving the lives of its residents’ and the development of the ‘social and economic prospects’ of the district. It highlights Health & Wellbeing, Vulnerable Groups & Communities, Leisure, Skills, Educational Attainment and Social Regeneration as being priorities to obtain these aims.
Many households are facing the very real risk of poverty as a result of the current cost of living crisis with its associated price rises. This is definitely placing pressure on achieving these aims and objectives, with a high level of risk that they worsen rather than improve. Poverty not only effects living standards but also brings about social unrest and deterioration of both the physical and mental health. The long-term effects of these can be devastating as it brings about a deterioration in education, skills and enterprise adding to the material difficulties, time and pace of recovery. It also has the effect of adding to the already unaffordable burden of Health Services, Adult, and Children’s Social Care. In short it creates a self-generating worsening cycle of social decline. It is imperative that we all together to prevent this from happening.
The Chancellor of The Exchequer has during the year announced funding for various measures to help reduce this poverty. However, Think Tanks, Including the well-respected Joseph Rowntree and Resolution Foundations, do not believe that the measures are likely to last long enough or indeed are of a sufficient level to avert all of the problem. They are also concerned that not all households facing poverty will be eligible for the much-needed support. It is likely that being in receipt of Free School Meals will be used to define child poverty. Whilst this makes sense for some it will not catch all in this category as Free School Meals are not available to all low-income families depending on which benefits they receive. Also, they are dependent on a household’s income and do not take into account the number of children in the unit.
To mitigate this in the West Lindsey area, we believe that the District Council should look to topping up this support by releasing funds from the general fund working balance. The General fund working balance is currently £5.406m, which exceeds the minimum level of £2.5m.
In particular, this support could be provided to vulnerable households by extending the Household Support Grant Scheme, currently being devised by Lincolnshire County Council on behalf of The Government, by including a discretionary element to extend the time length of the scheme and by making it available to as many low-income households as possible.
Council requests The Chief Executive and The Director of Corporate Services to ask Officers to develop such a scheme and bring it to the next appropriate meeting of The Council or relevant Committee.
I so move.
Councillor Stephen Bunney”
Minutes:
The Chairman advised the meeting that two motions pursuant to Council Procedure Rule No.10 had been submitted to the meeting, these were as set out in the agenda.
Councillor Anne Welburn, was invited to put her motion to the meeting, as follows:
“Members - Do you not think that the first priority of any government or governing body should be to ensure the ability to protect food sources and not become reliant on imports which adds to their carbon footprint?
Using farmland for housing and solar farms means an ever-downward shift to an unacceptable inability to be self-sufficient in food production and recent events on the world stage shows how short-sighted that could be in an emergency.
Food and water is the first basic need for life surely we should be protecting these. We need to ensure that no more productive farmland is taken and if farmers are unable to be sustainable then we need to lobby the government for a fairer package or new cooperatives to make farming work and feed our nation.
I would like Council to support this motion by requiring our representatives on the Central Lincolnshire Joint Strategic Planning Committee (CLJSPC) to ensure West Lindsey views on this matter be reported to future meetings of the (CLJSPC) and that this Council lobby relevant Government Ministers in a similar manner.
I so move
Councillor Anne Welburn”
With the motion duly seconded, lengthy debate ensued.
Numerous Members from across all political affiliations spoke at concerns in losing food producing land to large scale solar farms. Many acknowledged that farming and food production specifically did not attract the tariffs and support it previously had and for many farmers in food production this offered a route out of a not always viable way of living. Members considered it was this offer that needed to change. Food production needed to be given greater priority and financial protection. Solar farms had a place in tackling climate change and sustainability challenges, but the Chamber agreed that this should not be at a cost of losing food producing land, citing current global affairs as an indication of further reason to ensure self-sufficiency not further reliance.
The impact on the land was as yet unknown and once “developed” the likelihood of it returning to its original use was slim, Members were all agreed that the country should not be losing food producing land for any reason, with Lincolnshire being responsible for not only feeding the county but producing 30% of the nation’s crops. It was suggested that any land granted a solar farm development, would be from then on deemed a brownfield site and could be re-developed, which was another matter of concern. Members considered the Government needed a land Strategy, protecting and increasing food production and ensuring any such large-scale developments of this nature were not at the expense of such valuable land.
Members’ attention was drawn to a current group campaigning against the large-scale solar farms planned for the District and Wider Lincolnshire, and the planning process for such developments in general. An on-line petition seeking to secure 100,000 signatures - the trigger for parliamentary debate, had been established and Members were encouraged to sign up.
During the debate Members expressed concern at the lack of local involvement in such decisions, having it confirmed that it would not be a matter for the District Council to determine but one which would involve considerable resource to respond to in the framework required. Members were also of the view this process needed to be overhauled, favouring local determination or much more favourable local in-put.
Members were unanimous in the view that the protection of food producing land was paramount.
On being put to the vote, the MOTION AS SUBMITTED was declared CARRIED and as a result it was
RESOLVED that: -
(a) the Council’s representatives on the Central Lincolnshire Joint Strategic Planning Committee (CLJSPC) be required to ensure West Lindsey views on this matter (subject of motion on 4 July 2022) are reported to future meetings of the CLJSPC and;
(b) the Council lobby relevant Government Ministers in a similar manner regarding this matter (subject of motion on 4 July 2022).
The Chairman invited Councillor Bunney, to put his motion to Council as follows: -
“Additional financial support for the Socially Vulnerable Households
WLDC Corporate Plan for 2019 to 2023 has in its aims ‘improving the lives of its residents’ and the development of the ‘social and economic prospects’ of the district. It highlights Health & Wellbeing, Vulnerable Groups & Communities, Leisure, Skills, Educational Attainment and Social Regeneration as being priorities to obtain these aims.
Many households are facing the very real risk of poverty as a result of the current cost of living crisis with its associated price rises. This is definitely placing pressure on achieving these aims and objectives, with a high level of risk that they worsen rather than improve. Poverty not only affects living standards but also brings about social unrest and deterioration of both the physical and mental health. The long-term effects of these can be devastating as it brings about a deterioration in education, skills and enterprise adding to the material difficulties, time and pace of recovery. It also has the effect of adding to the already unaffordable burden of Health Services, Adult, and Children’s Social Care. In short it creates a self-generating worsening cycle of social decline. It is imperative that we all together to prevent this from happening.
The Chancellor of The Exchequer has during the year announced funding for various measures to help reduce this poverty. However, Think Tanks, including the well-respected Joseph Rowntree and Resolution Foundations, do not believe that the measures are likely to last long enough or indeed are of a sufficient level to avert all of the problem. They are also concerned that not all households facing poverty will be eligible for the much-needed support. It is likely that being in receipt of Free School Meals will be used to define child poverty. Whilst this makes sense for some it will not catch all in this category as Free School Meals are not available to all low-income families depending on which benefits they receive. Also, they are dependent on a household’s income and do not take into account the number of children in the unit.
To mitigate this in the West Lindsey area, we believe that the District Council should look to topping up this support by releasing funds from the general fund working balance. The General fund working balance is currently £5.406m, which exceeds the minimum level of £2.5m.
In particular, this support could be provided to vulnerable households by extending the Household Support Grant Scheme, currently being devised by Lincolnshire County Council on behalf of the Government, by including a discretionary element to extend the time length of the scheme and by making it available to as many low-income households as possible.
Council requests The Chief Executive and The Director of Corporate Services to ask Officers to develop such a scheme and bring it to the next appropriate meeting of The Council or relevant Committee.
I so move.
Councillor Stephen Bunney”
With the motion duly seconded and with no debate, on being put to the vote, the MOTION AS SUBMITTED was declared CARRIED and as a result it was:-
RESOLVED that a Scheme to offer additional financial support for the Socially Vulnerable Households, as described in the motion submitted to Council on 4 July 2022, be developed and brought to the next appropriate meeting of the Council or relevant Committee for consideration.
Note: During this item of business Councillor Dobbie left the meeting at 8.05 and returned at 8.07pm
At the conclusion of this item of business Councillor Welburn left the meeting at 8.08 and returned at 8.10pm – prior to the next item of business commencing.