Monday's full council meeting promises to be one of the most dramatic of the year, with a packed agenda tackling everything from transgender rights to the fallout from the Armada Way tree felling debacle.
With just weeks to go before Plymouth's historic mayoral referendum, and fresh from three Labour councillor defections that have rocked Tudor Evans' administration, all eyes will be on the Council House as 57 councillors gather for what could be a politically charged session.
Trans Rights Motion Set to Divide Council
Lib Dem councillor Dylan Tippetts and Green councillor Lauren McLay are demanding gender-neutral toilets in every council building. Their motion follows recent Supreme Court rulings on gender recognition and calls for Plymouth to take a stand on transgender safety.
The proposal would see the council formally express concern for trans people's safety while demanding clearer guidance from the Equality and Human Rights Commission - a move that's likely to split the chamber down party lines.
Labour Leader Faces Uncomfortable Vote on Benefits
Council Leader Tudor Evans could find himself in a deeply uncomfortable position as the Green Party targets Labour's national policies. Councillors Lauren McLay and Ian Poyser are demanding Evans publicly oppose Keir Starmer's proposed cuts to Personal Independence Payments.
If passed, the motion would force Evans - who has been photographed alongside the Prime Minister - to effectively criticise his own party's Westminster agenda, creating a politically awkward situation for the Labour leader just weeks before the referendum.
Housing Targets Threaten Plymouth's Green Spaces
Independent councillors Patrick Nicholson and Steve Ricketts are warning that Plymouth's green spaces could fall victim to government housing targets. Their motion warns that the new National Planning Policy Framework could open the door to unwanted development on cherished local green areas.
@plymouthplus More than 100 residents gathered in protest against plans to build six houses on a valued green space | #SaveOurGreenSpace #news #fyp
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The motion calls for urgent updates to housing policies to navigate the government's controversial allocation demands - an issue that's already causing headaches for councils across the country.
Armada Way Review Finally Reaches Council
Perhaps most significantly, councillors will finally discuss the Independent Learning Review into the Armada Way tree felling controversy that saw the council's plans halted by a High Court injunction in 2023.
The review's findings are expected to make uncomfortable reading for those involved in the controversial decision-making process that led to one of Plymouth's most damaging environmental disputes.
Perfect Timing for Political Drama
The timing couldn't be more significant. This is the final full council meeting before July's mayoral referendum, where Plymouth residents will decide whether to replace the current council leader system with a directly elected mayor. With three recent defections from Evans' Labour group still fresh in everyone's minds, the political atmosphere promises to be tense.
Politics Desk
The campaign battle is heating up between two opposing sides. The 'Plymouth Knows Better' campaign, backed by Labour councillors, argues that the current system where councillors choose Plymouth’s leader provides better democratic representation and local accountability. They claim a directly elected mayor would concentrate too much power in one person's hands.
On the opposing side, the 'Mayor for Plymouth' campaign argues that a leader voted in by the people of Plymouth would provide stronger, more accountable leadership. They point to successful mayoral systems in cities like London and Manchester as examples of how elected mayors can drive economic growth and deliver major projects.
Plymouth Labour could have stopped the tree felling!
However, whilst the Conservatives were in charge of the council at the time, Plymouth Plus can reveal that all Plymouth Labour councillors abstained from the crucial vote to stop the tree felling. Had Labour voted against the proposal, the controversial felling would not have proceeded.
This revelation has prompted frustration from our readers who feel Labour councillors have been 'pretending' they were genuinely concerned about the tree removal while failing to take decisive action when it mattered.
The tension around Plymouth Labour's role in the controversy was highlighted when STRAW (the Plymouth-based campaign group established to save trees in Plymouth and hold Plymouth City Council to account) responded sharply to a Facebook post from Luke Pollard MP, in which he spoke about being proud of Plymouth's tree status. STRAW commented:
"It's genuinely insulting to local people to keep using what happened on Armada Way to score political points. Luke Pollard please please, just give it a rest. The report made clear that the plan to wipe out the trees on Armada Way had cross party support for years. It also revealed that Plymouth Labour knew about the plan to fell in March 2023 even earlier than we thought they did. Almost 3 weeks before the felling, and you all kept schtum. Shame on you for not representing your constituents, shame on you for what happened and shame on you for continually trying to benefit from it."
You're Invited to Watch Democracy in Action
Members of the public can witness the proceedings in person by attending the Council House next to the Civic Centre at 2pm on Monday, June 2nd. With political tensions running high and the mayoral referendum approaching, this promises to be anything but routine local democracy.
Full council meetings bring together all 57 Plymouth City Councillors under the Lord Mayor's chairmanship, following the formal procedures laid out in the Council's constitution. Monday's session has all the ingredients for genuine political drama.
How to Watch:
Plymouth residents can either attend the upcoming council meeting in person by heading to the public gallery at the Council House in good time for the 2pm start, or watch live online.
The meeting is set to be a pivotal moment in the lead-up to the referendum on July 17th, when Plymouth will vote on a fundamental change to how the city is governed. Monday’s gathering could mark the final major political event before voters have their say on the future of local democracy.
You can view the full agenda here.
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