Notice of Motion’s shall be referred to the appropriate Committee meeting. The mover of the motion can outline the proposal and then it will stand adjourned. The motion may be debated to assist debate later if agreed by two-thirds of Council Members.
The following motion in conservation areas has been presented by Cllr Mullone and supported by Cllrs Daws, Bradford, Macgregor, Radford, J Taylor and Gearon.
Large parts of residential Teignbridge are designated Conservation Areas. The rules for a conservation area come under Article 4 Directions that, unlike listed status for an individual building which are nationally codified, may be set and amended by a district council.
The rules for Conservation Areas in Teignbridge have not been re-examined for a long time. They do not take into account the sweeping changes in technologies, materials or group aesthetics. Neither do they account for the Climate Emergency that has been declared by many councils including this one.
Amendment to these rules is seriously overdue, most urgently in regard to windows and solar panelling. The rules on windows were drafted to stem the tide of shiny white plastic PVC windows being installed without thought in Georgian and Victorian houses that began to detract from areas of archirtectural heritage in the 1980s. These insist on like-for-like replacement of timber frame louvre windows. Today windows are being made from airtight, scientifically advanced materials that are, to any observer, entirely in keeping with older houses and which would bring them up to environmental standards with no loss of area aesthetics.
Solar panels, meanwhile, may need a change in our culture. We have decided as a society that wind turbines do not ruin a landscape; in fact most of us are pleased to see them. We might adjust our sensibilities to accommodate solar panels on the roofs of older, architecturally attractive dwellings. None of them, after all, have the original roof anymore so it seems somewhat contrarian to object to solar panels being installed on them.
We need to permit sensible ecological adjustment in Conservation Areas, as blanket bans make no sense, run contrary to our declared Climate Emergency and the rules are currently being applied with no consistency at all. At the Forde Park Conservation Area in College Ward we have residents being persecuted for high-quality modern upgrades next to houses full of PVC that have got away with it for years, seemingly because they weren’t ‘dobbed in’ by a neighbour within the required time.
I therefore propose that:
A) A task and finish group be put together to look at reassessing the limits of remodelling in the area’s Conservation Zones with an eye to allowing green improvements, and
B) Any resident with a current notice against them be given a stay of execution on any remodelling requirement until the rules can be examined and reframed.
Motion 2
The following motion on Devon County Council library service has been presented by Cllr Daws and supported by Cllrs Bradford, Macgregor, Radford, J Taylor, P Parker and Gearon.
Devon County Council has made the decision that the 'Mobiles' Mobile Library Service will be closing at the end of February 2024. This is an essential service for a large rural area which operates 4 vehicles making 374 stops per month. Teignbridge District Council would like to put as a matter of record that it does not support the removal of this service and formally requests Devon County Council to review its decision. As a council that has made public its commitment to being community led, Teignbridge District Council will make a formal request in writing that Devon County Council review the decision before closure. The review should entail full public engagement with input from credible stakeholders across the County and should utilise a more creative, community led and collaborative approach with a view to finding a solution to retaining the service for the long term, health, wellbeing and overarching benefit of the residents of Devon.
Motion 3
The following motion regarding Planning Committee has been presented by Cllr P Parker and supported by Cllrs J Taylor, MacGregor, J Nutley, Bradford, Lake, Radford, Purser, Gearon, Smith and Daws.
In light of recent presentations by supporters and objectors at recent planning committee meetings it is apparent that the quality and clarity of presentations can vary.
There are instances where councillors would benefit from being able to request clarification for a point made during a presentation enabling a better decision to be reached.
For this reason I request that standing orders for planning committee meetings are altered to allow, through the chair, questions requesting clarification of a point made during the presentation to be put to an applicant/ objector and answered by them.
Motion 4
The following motion regarding the refurbishment of Broadmeadow Leisure Centre has been presented by Cllr J Taylor and supported by Cllrs P Parker, Macgregor, Bradford, Radford, Mullone, Ryan, Gearon and Daws.
At full council on the 25th July this year, my fellow councillors were asked to vote on the approximately £3m refurbishment of the Broadmeadow Leisure Centre. As part of the plans, there was to be a complete redesign of the changing and showering facilities resulting in loss of single sex and team changing rooms and a significant reduction in area provided for members using the facility.
It is increasingly evident that decisions are being taken to accommodate minorities in one area, that negatively impact others, including other minority groups. A glance through the Equality Act 2010, shows nine protected characteristics which are; age, sex, sexual orientation, religion or belief, pregnancy and maternity, gender reassignment, race, disability.
The officer presenting stated that this decision was in line with Teignbridge's Trans inclusion policy. Trans is not a protected characteristic.
Women's rights to safety, dignity and privacy are both protected characteristics under the act, and are based on actual evidence of need. 25% of all women and girls in the UK are victims of sexual abuse or sexual violence. 1.6 million per year become victims according to charity Refuge UK. Refuge UK is a charity offering safety and escape for women and children from sexual violence, psychological intimidation and coercion.
There is a clear need as well as an expectation of the right to single sex spaces. Gender reassignment whether with a Gender Recognition Certificate or not does not alter a woman's right to single sex spaces.
The loss of single sex spaces impacts women with multiple protected characteristics. Muslim women are likely to be put off by having to share with men, but that might also apply to Hindu women, Orthodox Jewish women etc. many older women might also feel intimidated by having to share facilities and this may discourage many from accessing the leisure centre.
The proposed motion is that this council commits to retaining single sex facilities at its leisure centres in order to protect the dignity, safety and privacy of girls and women in line with legislation, legal advice and strive to remain inclusive for all those covered by a protected characteristic.
Minutes:
Motion 1
Cllr Braford in Cllr Mullone absence presented the motion on the remodelling of conservation areas zones to allow green improvements.
As two-thirds of Members did not agree to a debate the matter it was referred to Procedures Committee.
Motion 2
Cllr Daws presented the motion on the Devon County Council decision to close the Mobiles Library Services.
Members debated the item and were in full support of this Notice of Motion. The Leader would write to Devon County Council asking them to reconsider their decision.
Motion 3
Cllr P Parker presented the motion on at Planning Committee enabling through the chair, questions requesting clarification of a point made during the presentation to be put to an applicant/ objector and answered by them.
The matter it was referred to Procedures Committee.
Motion 4
Cllr J Taylor presented the motion on the changing facilities at Broadmeadow Leisure Centre.
More than five members asked for a roll-call to decide if two thirds of Members present wanted to debate this matter today.
Recorded vote under Procedure Rule 4.13.5
For Cllrs Bradford, Bullivant, Daws, Dawson, Gearon, Hall, Lake, MacGregor, P Parker, Peart, Purser, Radford, Rogers, Ryan, Smith, J Taylor, webster Total 17
Against Cllrs Buscombe, Farrand-Rogers, Goodman-Bradbury, Hayes, Jackman, James, Keeling, Morgan, Nutley, Palethorpe, C Parker, Parrott, Rollason, Sanders, Swain, G Taylor, Williams, Wrigley, D Cox Total 19
Abstain Cllrs Nuttall, Steemson, Thorne, Clarance Total 4
Absent: Cllrs Atkins, H Cox, Henderson, Foden, Hook, Mullone, Jeffries,
Total 7
As two-thirds did not agree to a debate the matter it was referred to Executive.