Agenda item

To receive a summary of decisions, reports from and to deal with any subsequent questions in relation to the following Cabinet Portfolios:

a) Leader of the Council and Lead Member for the Economy

(pages 25-33)

b) Deputy Leader of the Council and Lead Member for Partnerships and Wellbeing including Solihull Health and Wellbeing Board minutes (pages 35-49)

c) Cabinet Member for Resources (pages 51-56)*

d) Cabinet Member for Communities and Leisure (pages 57-61)*

e) Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Planning and Housing (pages 63-66)*

f) Cabinet Member for Children and Education (pages 67-68)*

g)  Cabinet Member for Environment and Infrastructure (pages 69-75)

h) Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Health (pages 77-81) 

(*Decision tables from these meetings which are held after the minute book has been published, will be circulated separately.)

The Council received a summary of decisions, reports from and dealt with any subsequent questions in relation to the following Cabinet Portfolios:

Leader of the Council and Lead Member for the Economy

The Leader of the Council presented his report. No questions were asked.

Deputy Leader of the Council and Lead Member for Partnerships and Wellbeing including Solihull Health and Wellbeing Board minutes 

The Deputy Leader of the Council presented her report.

Cllr Dr R Sexton asked a question relating to the Health & Wellbeing Board meeting and how the Council and Members can ensure the Health Inequality Strategy can be embedded into all the Council does. The Deputy Leader assured Cllr Dr R Sexton that it would be considered in all the Council does. 

Cllr D Gibbin asked the Deputy Leader if she would support brining the next Eurovision Song Contest to Solihull at the NEC to which the Deputy Leader highlighted the work that Andy Street had been doing to bring it to the West Midlands and that the Council would support hosting the contest here in Solihull.

Cabinet Member for Resources

The Cabinet Member presented his report.

Cllr A Adeyemo joined the Cabinet Member in welcoming the decision to progress talks regarding the reprovision of accommodation for the 1st Olton Scout Group and the Olton Park Guides.

Cabinet Member for Communities and Leisure

The Cabinet Member presented her report.

Cllr K Thomas welcomed the establishment of a walking orienteering programme within the borough and the Cabinet Member thanked her for supporting the initiative. Cllr P Hogarth MBE asked the Cabinet Member about the management of the Table Tennis Tables in parks across the borough and who is responsible for the equipment. The Cabinet Member welcomed the extension of provision as laid down in the report and assured Cllr P Hogarth MBE that they were a specialist design that can withstand a lot of use from the public.

Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Planning and Housing

The Cabinet Member presented his report.

Cllr D Holl-Allen MBE asked the Cabinet Member about issues pertaining to the number of houses in the Local Plan and whether Arden School was to be closed. The Cabinet Member responded saying the Local Plan was proceeding through the statutory process and that Arden School was not closing as the plan was clear that any loss of provision had to be replaced.

Cllr D Holl-Allen MBE asked the Cabinet Member about the status of the application for retirement living in the Arden Triangle. The Cabinet Member was aware of the proposals but confirmed no application had yet been received by the Council. He followed up by saying that unless and until the Local Plan is adopted the land will remain in the Green Belt and treated as such.

Cllr S Caudwell asked a question relating to 1.4.11 which talks about Electric Vehicles. He welcomed the Council looking at increasing the charging infrastructure in the borough but had noticed an increase in the level of private investment in the infrastructure which represent the latest technology. Do the Council have a view yet on what infrastructure it will invest in under the programme and the charging structure for users? The Cabinet Member said the strategy’s focus was to first invest in getting the infrastructure in place for those that don’t have drives. The scheme will look at using Council land to develop ECV points for example parks where users can park up and spend time in the park whilst the vehicle was charging.

Cllr A Feeney asked the Cabinet Member whether savings under the LED Street Lighting scheme were cumulative or in year savings? The Cabinet Member advised they were in year savings and the total saving was £2.5 million and that the scheme had also seen a reduction in the Council’s Carbon Footprint.

Cllr W Qais asked the Cabinet Member about the Green Homes and Sustainable Warmth Scheme which had benefitted her ward. She highlighted how this was one of the ways the Council was taking practicable solutions to benefit those residents on low incomes and with homes that have poor energy performance. She asked for a timeline on delivering the scheme. The Cabinet Member advised the work had started and letters had gone out with work starting on site in September 2022 and work completing in March 2023.

Cllr K Thomas asked the Cabinet Member to clarify his comments on ECV points in parks and whether he had said park land would be given up to build new spaces. The Cabinet Member advised this was not the case and that ECV points would be installed in existing spaces, within the car park.

Cabinet Member for Children and Education

The Cabinet Member presented his report, no questions were received.

Cabinet Member for Environment and Infrastructure

The Cabinet Member presented his report.

Cllr A Hodgson asked the Cabinet Member whether lessons learnt from implanting cycling schemes would be implemented for the Cranmore Boulevard scheme. The Cabinet Member advised that Councils across the Country were learning from other schemes and that they would take on board feedback. Cllr A Hodgson followed up with concerns on the level of consultation that had been carried out for the scheme to which the Cabinet Member recognised that the Covid-19 pandemic had had an impact on the level of consultation, but letter drops had been carried out before the work started.

Cllr K Thomas asked the Cabinet Member if the E-Scooters in parking enforcement were going to be used on the pavements and if it was to be through an approved scheme and therefore legal? The Cabinet Member responded as things stand E-scooters were unlawful in Solihull. He asked for clarification on the question and said he would come back to Cllr K Thomas on the issue.

Cllr J Tildesley wanted to place his thanks on the record to the Cabinet Member and officers for work that had been done for parking restrictions on Grandborough Drive.

Cllr M McLoughlin asked the Cabinet Member for clarification on item 1.4.4 on where the consultation had been posted relating to the Blossomfield Road route in relation to the final stage connecting Cranmore Boulevard to the A34 Stratford Road. The Cabinet Member advised he would provide a written response to the question.

Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Health

The Cabinet Member presented his report.

Cllr K Thomas informed the Cabinet Member about a concern she had raised with authorities about a potential case of exploitation that she felt hadn’t been taken seriously and asked the Cabinet Member what could be done to ensure that anyone who raised a concern felt it was taken seriously. The Cabinet Member responded in saying that should anyone feel their concern is not taken seriously to raise it with him directly so that it could be investigated.