• To receive apologies for absence

Minutes: none

• To confirm the non- exempt minutes of the meeting held on Thursday 20 and Wednesday 26 October 2022.

Minutes: none

• The chairman to identify any items of urgent business.

Minutes: none

•  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.

Minutes: none

Minutes: none

• The Chair would like to invite members of the public, officers and members of the council to join her in a one minutes silence as a mark of respect of two former colleagues.

• Former Head of Paid Service for the Forest of Dean District Council and Publica Director, Sue Pangbourne and Ted Roberts who represented the Dymock Ward, and also served on Dymock Parish Council.

Minutes: none

• The Chair would like to convey sincere thanks to the Street Wardens for assisting with the parking and Democratic Services for their help at the carol service on Tuesday 6 December. £366.00 was raised and will be split between St Stephen’s church, Forest Pulse and FVAF

Minutes: none

• Questions from members of the Public

Minutes: none

• We see a troubling decrease in support for democracy and democratic principles around the world. Russia, China, the Republican Right of the USA and many others. Even at home, at a national level, there is on occasion cause to question our commitment to democracy. In its work for the people of the Forest of Dean, is this Council fully committed to uphold democracy and democratic principles and would the Chair be prepared to make a declaration to this effect?

Minutes: none

Minutes: none

• Will the Flood Fair that was scheduled for 4th October be re-scheduled? And if so - When?

Minutes: none

• Has the Shared Prosperity Fund Investment Plan received Government approval?

Minutes: none

• Is there a report showing all the projects included in the whole 3 years of the Shared Prosperity Fund Investment Plan rather than just the first year?

Minutes: none

• In 2019 it was noted that the lighting on the CNQ Spine Road was “too bright for bats living in the area” (CRB minutes July 2019). In December 2020 Full Council, it was stated that “the specialist consultant ecologist engaged by the Council has completed an initial assessment and already begun having conversations with key stakeholders with regard to lighting revisions”. Has the correct lighting now been installed on the Spine Road and endorsed by the specialist consultant ecologist?

Minutes: none

• In relation to CNQ plot F2, Are the ‘interested party’ (identified in SOSC on 1st September as the source of an enquiry) still in negotiations with the Council? When did the Council last hear from them / meet with them?

Minutes: none

• Arguably the most important responsibility of the Head of Paid Service role is to ensure the successful and effective delivery of all council services. There is currently a level of dissatisfaction among many elected members about the performance of Publica in some important areas of service.

• What is the process whereby the Head of Paid Service monitors the successful and effective delivery of all council services?

• How specifically has the Head of Paid Service been relaying any member dissatisfaction to the relevant parts of Publica?

• How specifically does the Head of Paid Service report back to FoDDC the response received from Publica if areas of dissatisfaction with service have been raised?

• How has the Head of Paid Service promoted any change necessary to achieve all round service excellence and the Council’s corporate aims and objectives? How has such necessary change been identified and by whom?

Minutes: none

• Before appointing a new Head of Paid Service, it should be considered appropriate that elected members understand the role in enough detail to guarantee that the chosen candidate can ensure the successful and effective delivery of all council services. Will members be given sufficient information to understand in detail the activities required to achieve the required key outcomes?

Minutes: none

• It was agreed that the Monitoring Officer would spend 2 days per week assisting the Head of Paid Service in overseeing the Publica Contract. On what date did this arrangement commence in practice?

Minutes: none

• Councillor Richard Leppington, Cabinet Member for Finance & Waste to present report F.595.

Minutes: none

• Councillor Bernie O’Neill, Cabinet Member for Economy, to present report LD.698.

Minutes: none

• Councillor Richard Leppington Cabinet Member for Finance & Waste to present report F.596.

Minutes: none

• Cllr Moore, Chairman of the Constitution Working Group to present report LD.702.

Minutes: none

Minutes: none

• That Motocross is a popular past time. However, it is noisy and can disturb communities in the immediate vicinity. As there is little regulation of such occasional activities, a good relationship between organisers and the local community is important. Such a relationship could be promoted by the organisers of Motocross events conforming with guidelines and by publishing dates of meets in advance

• Stroud District Council have guidelines for motor sport events and publish forthcoming motocross event dates on their website, which Forest of Dean District Council could consider as a guide.

• Accordingly, Council therefore

• Proposes to emulate Stroud District Council by publishing guidelines for motocross events and publishing dates of such on FoDDC’s website.Proposes that the Council asks the Environmental Protection Service to undertake work necessary to produce guidelines that can be used to  make an assessment of sites used for Motocross events and to comment to the organiser and the land owner on the suitability of the site and the arrangements being proposed.

Minutes: none

• Council notes that our two supreme rivers, Wye and Severn, are dying from raw sewage discharge and phosphate leaching. Rivers are our most threatened habitat today. Having declared a biodiversity emergency, it is incumbent on us to do as much as we can to help protect wildlife in our district.  The Nutrient Management Board were informed recently that the River Wye will be in an irreversibly worse condition within two years unless swift action is taken by politicians and regulators.

• That this should be taking place on our watch is unacceptable and although we don’t have all the powers and funds we would like to protect our natural heritage, this council could do much to influence new development and explore ways to reduce raw sewage pollution as other authorities have done. (e.g. Herefordshire Council, Test Valley Borough Council, East and Mid Suffolk councils et al)) Therefore:

• The Council resolves to:

• Recognise this Council’s policy aim to protect the catchments of our rare and precious habitats, the Wye Valley SAC and the River Severn SSSI in the Forest of Dean as far as possible from the cumulative impacts of pollution, including in line with its developing local planning policy and the National Planning Policy Framework.

• Be aware that there is evidence of deterioration of water quality from both private and statutory waste treatment systems due to the cumulative impact of nitrates, phosphates, micro-plastics, pharmaceuticals and multiple sewage discharge events in the district, and seek to employ SMART* measures to better reduce the impact on our local rivers, wildlife and the health of our residents

•  Draw on relevant evidence that assesses the cumulative impact of pollution so that this is appropriately factored into the local plan, including the overall level of future development. Target current 30% sewage discharge rates into our rivers to drop to 15% by December 2023.

• Ask the Scrutiny Committee to invite together, separately or virtually, senior representatives from Severn Trent Water, Welsh Water, the Environment Agency, Friends of the Lower Wye, Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust, The Wye and Usk Foundation, the Rivers Trust and Natural England to attend a meeting improve our understanding of the current levels of river pollution in our rivers, and the remedial action being taken by them in this regard together with the urgent action partners can take today to rescue our two rivers before its too late

• Request that our planning officers explore the option of asking Severn Trent Water, and other water treatment companies in the Forest of Dean, from this date forward, in its planning consultation responses for major developments in the Forest of Dean, to clarify which treatment works will be managing the sewage; whether it has the information available to assess the impact on the number or duration of sewage discharges into local rivers or seas, and if it does have this information, to share it (noting that this can only be requested not required).

Minutes: none

• The Leader of the Council and the chairman of the 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 reports.

• Cabinet

• Strategic Overview and Scrutiny Committee

Minutes: none

• Cllr Leppington, Cabinet Member for Finance and Waste to present report F.598.

Minutes: none