Issue - meetings

To receive an update from the Overview and Scrutiny Committee following its consideration of the Motion on 19 January 2016.

60.1           The Mayor explained that the following Motion had been proposed and seconded at the last meeting of the Council and had stood referred to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee for consideration:

‘Tewkesbury Borough Council notes that more than six million Syrian people have been displaced by civil war within their homeland and three million have fled to neighbouring countries.

The Prime Minister and the United Kingdom government are keen to support twenty thousand refugees seeking sanctuary and have pledged £215m over the next five years to help rebuild their lives within this country.

I would ask Members of this Council to join with other agencies, including ‘Severn Vale Housing Trust’ and ‘GARAS’ to help coordinate and support limited numbers of displaced Syrian families settle within the County of Gloucestershire’

60.2           Accordingly, at its meeting on 19 January 2016, the Overview and Scrutiny Committee had considered a report, circulated at Pages No. 103-114 of the papers for the current meeting, which provided information to enable the consideration of the Motion; the Mayor also reminded Members that additional information about this issue had been circulated prior to the Council meeting.

60.3           On invitation from the Mayor, the Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee explained that the Committee had had a lively debate on the Motion and asked some probing questions before deciding that it should be supported. However, it was his understanding that an amendment to the Motion was to be presented to the Council.

60.4           It was then proposed and seconded that ‘Tewkesbury Borough Council acknowledges that the Prime Minister and the United Kingdom Government are keen to support twenty thousand vulnerable refugees seeking sanctuary from parts of Syria, and have pledged £215million over the next five years to do so. Tewkesbury Borough Council confirms it will fulfil its obligation to this programme by providing practical support when and where it is appropriate’.

60.5           Upon the amended Motion being proposed and seconded, the Mayor asked the proposer and seconder of the original Motion whether they wished to proceed with their original Motion or whether they were prepared to accept the amended version. The proposer and seconder confirmed acceptance of the amended version and, accordingly, this became the substantive Motion for debate.

60.6           During the discussion which ensued, a Member questioned whether the funding for refugees from the Government would be received by the Borough Council or the County Council and whether there would be careful management of the letting of properties to ensure no one already on the Homeseeker Register was disadvantaged. In response, the Deputy Chief Executive advised that the funding from the Government would be channelled through the County Council; the Borough Council had no housing stock and therefore would not receive any funding directly. In terms of property, she explained that, at the moment, there were no proposals to use a particular type of housing but the most likely approach at this stage was to use the private sector; this meant there would be  ...  view the full minutes text for item 60

To recommend to Council whether or not the Motion to work with partners across Gloucestershire to assist displaced Syrian families to settle within the county should be supported.

69.1           The report of the Environmental and Housing Services Group Manager, circulated at Pages No. 25-36, related to the following Notice of Motion which had been referred to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee from the Council meeting on 8 December 2015:  ‘Tewkesbury Borough Council notes that more than six million Syrian people have been displaced by civil war within their homeland and three million have fled to neighbouring countries.  The Prime Minister and the United Kingdom government are keen to support 20,000 refugees seeking sanctuary and have pledged £215M over the next five years to help rebuild their lives within this country.  I would ask Members of this Council to join with other agencies, including Severn Vale Housing Trust and Gloucestershire Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers (GARAS), to help coordinate and support limited numbers of displaced Syrian families settle within the county of Gloucestershire’.  Members were asked to recommend to Council whether or not the Motion should be supported.

69.2           The Environmental and Housing Services Group Manager explained that many Districts Councils and Registered Housing Providers had offered to house families within Gloucestershire.  Three Syrian refugee families had already come through the rehousing scheme with one going to Gloucester and two to Cheltenham.  Whilst the family in Gloucester had settled in well and the children were attending school, the two in Cheltenham had been more complex as it had emerged that they were actually from the same extended family.  Assurance was provided that all of those initial teething problems had been resolved and the families had been successfully managed through existing links to social care, health etc.  Gloucestershire had agreed to a coordinated countywide approach to Syrian refugees and representatives had access to a ‘move-it’ portal which contained details of the families who needed rehousing.  Gloucester City Council was looking at accommodating 10 families within the first year, not necessarily from its own housing stock; Cheltenham Borough Council had indicated that it would look to rehouse up to 15 families; and Cotswold District Council had housed five families in private rented accommodation.  As a non-stock holding authority, Tewkesbury Borough Council would have a very limited role, however, Officers had held discussions with the principal local social housing provider, Severn Vale Housing Society, which would like to be involved in rehousing, pending the outcome of the motion.  Two Members of the public had offered properties in the Borough to be used by Syrian refugees but this would not be possible without a commitment from Tewkesbury Borough Council.  GARAS had 18 years of experience of working with refugees and would be looked to for support; it was noted that GARAS had helped to rehouse several families in Churchdown as part of a different scheme.  There were already a number of organisations in place to assist refugees with learning and translation etc. and Government funding had been made available for a five year period on a tariff basis to assist local authorities with the costs of resettlement.  There was an expectation from  ...  view the full minutes text for item 69