Proposed by Councillor Ian Lewis

Seconded by Councillor Chris Blakeley

Council is concerned that 3,000 homes and employers in Leasowe and Moreton were without mains gas supply for up to eight days during November, caused by a leaking water main.

(1)  Council thanks members of the local community, including Leasowe Estate Tenants Association and the Autumn Club who immediately gave support to their more vulnerable neighbours, including the delivery of portable electric heaters and hotplates and those residents who worked to provide hot meals at the Leasowe Community Centre and Leasowe Millennium Centre for those who were unable to cook. 

(2)  Council also expresses its gratitude to the engineers from National Grid who worked throughout this period to restore supply; the engineers from Scottish Power who responded quickly to loss of electricity supply in some roads; staff from the Council's Emergency Planning Team and Social Services Department and staff from Leasowe Community Homes, who all responded quickly to support residents.

(3)  Council while welcoming compensation payments of £30 per day, confirmed by National Grid on the first day of the loss of supply, is concerned that payment arrangements do not recognise the difficulties caused to people on prepayment meters or that many people do not hold a current account.

Council requests that the Chief Executive of the Council write to National Grid to thank his engineers for their work and outline the concerns expressed in this motion.

Amendment submitted in accordance with Standing Order 7(2)

Proposed by Councillor Anne McArdle

Seconded by Councillor Ron Abbey

Add the following:

Council also notes that at the request of the Leader and the Cabinet Member for Social Care and Inclusion that United Utilities and National Grid have been invited to attend a meeting of the next Sustainable Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee to present their reports on their response to the loss of supply.

It is also noted that letters of thanks to the local community for their support in the crisis have been sent from the Chief Executive.

Amendment submitted in accordance with Standing Order 7(2)

Proposed by Councillor Bob Wilkins

Seconded by Councillor Dave Mitchell

Add to the end of the motion:

Council also requests that the Director of Technical Services prepares a report for the Sustainable Communities OSC, setting out lessons learnt, including appropriate recommendations on improving community resilience in the event of any future interruptions to energy supplies.

Having applied the guillotine in accordance with Standing Order 7(8) the Council did not debate this matter.

The mover of the motion agreed to accept both amendments and the motion, as amended, was put and it was -

Resolved (64:0) (One abstention) –

Council is concerned that 3,000 homes and employers in Leasowe and Moreton were without mains gas supply for up to eight days during November, caused by a leaking water main.

(1)  Council thanks members of the local community, including Leasowe Estate Tenants Association and the Autumn Club who immediately gave support to their more vulnerable neighbours, including the delivery of portable electric heaters and hotplates and those residents who worked to provide hot meals at the Leasowe Community Centre and Leasowe Millennium Centre for those who were unable to cook. 

(2)  Council also expresses its gratitude to the engineers from National Grid who worked throughout this period to restore supply; the engineers from Scottish Power who responded quickly to loss of electricity supply in some roads; staff from the Council's Emergency Planning Team and Social Services Department and staff from Leasowe Community Homes, who all responded quickly to support residents.

(3)  Council while welcoming compensation payments of £30 per day, confirmed by National Grid on the first day of the loss of supply, is concerned that payment arrangements do not recognise the difficulties caused to people on prepayment meters or that many people do not hold a current account.

Council requests that the Chief Executive of the Council write to National Grid to thank his engineers for their work and outline the concerns expressed in this motion.

Council also notes that at the request of the Leader and the Cabinet Member for Social Care and Inclusion that United Utilities and National Grid have been invited to attend a meeting of the next Sustainable Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee to present their reports on their response to the loss of supply.

It is also noted that letters of thanks to the local community for their support in the crisis have been sent from the Chief Executive.

Council also requests that the Director of Technical Services prepares a report for the Sustainable Communities OSC, setting out lessons learnt, including appropriate recommendations on improving community resilience in the event of any future interruptions to energy supplies.