Peterborough councillors debate 'the purpose of us being here' at 'pointless' meeting

Peterborough councillors questioned “the purpose of us being here” at a meeting called to discuss a report on children’s transport appeals.

“I’m just slightly puzzled as to what the purpose of us being here is,” Cllr Nick Sandford (Liberal Democrats) said. “We’re being asked to review the outcomes of these appeals but apart from numbers on a sheet of paper – we don’t have any information.”

Peterborough City Council (PCC) leader Cllr Wayne Fitzgerald (Conservatives) said that he would “agree I’m not quite sure what we’re here for”.

The numbers on that sheet of paper councillors were given show that, between April 2022 and February 2023, PCC received 26 appeals from parents after handing them decisions on their children being provided with home to school transport.

Factors such as parental income, distance from school and special educational needs determine whether or not the council provides this.

Four of these appeals were approved, one of which was for transport on a short-term basis.

In the same period, four second-stage appeals were lodged (these are an escalation on stage one appeals, when the issue is brought to an independent panel rather than the council).

Two were dismissed, one was allowed and two – both from February 2023 – await a decision.

The hearings were held in private, meaning councillors who didn’t attend these weren’t aware of the details of each case.

Council leader ‘happy’ to rely on process being followed

But Cllr Andy Coles (Conservatives) said that, as chair of most of those hearings, he was satisfied “process was followed appropriately”.

Cllr Fitzgerald added he was “happy to rely on the fact that the people doing what they’re doing are doing it properly”.

Cllr Sandford asked for the process to be reviewed.

“If I were to say this committee is supposed to have carried out an assessment as to whether these appeals are being held in a fair way, what actual evidence have I got to decide that?” he said.

“We seem to be reliant on Cllr Coles having been at the meetings. Can I just ask that you maybe go away and review the process as it does seem rather pointless.”

Council officers said that committee members can attend the hearings and that the report and subsequent meeting fulfilled statutory requirements.

But they added that they would take away reviewing the process as an action point.