Agenda item

To consider the recommendations from the meeting of the Cabinet held on 13^th March 2024.

Recommendations from the meeting of the Cabinet held on 13^th March 2024 were presented for the Council’s consideration.

Cost of Living Funding Proposal

The Leader of the Council introduced the report and in doing so updated the information which had been circulated with the agenda for the meeting.

The recommendation before the Council included figures for a 12-month period, but the content of the report had recommended funding should be provided for a 14-month period.  Updates to the figures quoted would therefore be required as follows:

a)    Citizen’s Advice Specialist Housing Adviser - £62,000 (Instead of £52,000)

b)    Voluntary Sector Money Adviser - £38,000 (instead of £32,000) and

c)     Enhancing the support of the Council’s Financial Inclusion Team - £50,000 (instead of £42,000)

The Leader then proposed the recommendation but with the exclusion of the Voluntary Sector Money Adviser at (b) consideration of which would be deferred.  She explained that she had asked for the areas proposed to be covered by this work to be mapped to avoid potential duplication and to understand where there were gaps in provision.

Further to a query raised at the Cabinet meeting, the Leader reported that the Council had been awarded funds from the Household Support Fund Round 5 of £106,570 for a 6-month period.  £29,500 would be spent on supporting Food Banks in the District.

Councillor S. Baxter seconded the recommendation.

During consideration of this item the following were the main points raised:

·       How the potential duplication of housing advice with the role of new posts recently agreed in the budget would be avoided.

·       Whether the proposals to enhance the Financial Inclusion Team would include outreach work in the community as residents were not always aware of where they could go for help.

·       In response to these queries, the Leader gave an assurance that the proposal relating to housing advice was aimed to support and advise landlords to reduce the likelihood of evictions.  The principle of outreach work lay behind the proposal for the Financial Inclusion Team.

·       A member referred to the essential living fund as an example of good practice and suggested that the proposed extra resource to tackle the cost of living pressures was welcome. 

·       A member expressed concern at the proposal to remove the Voluntary Sector Money Adviser from the proposal.  In response to a request for further details, the Leader reported that she wanted to understand the outcomes from the work the post would undertake and the needs it would address in the community.  For example, she was aware that some voluntary organisations in the District were currently also providing money advice.  Members also expressed the view that the voluntary sector currently carried out a range of work effectively and it was important that any additional resource provided should not undermine this.

·       The view was expressed that the proposed Citizen’s Advice (CAB) Specialist Housing Adviser should carry out outreach work to reach communities across the District.  A member suggested that the proposed funding would act as a lever to achieve outreach work by the CAB.

·       The additional funding for foodbanks was welcomed and members were urged to promote its availability.

·       Councillor B.M. McEldowney suggested that additional funding should be awarded to support the white goods scheme.  The Leader responded that NewStarts ran a scheme for this and would provide further detail to him outside the meeting.

·       When the details about the Voluntary Sector Money Adviser would be brought back to the Cabinet for consideration.  The Leader responded that officers were carrying out research at the moment and she was aiming to have a report back as soon as possible. In the meantime, the funding would be ringfenced. 

·       The work of the Food Bank Task Group could help inform members’ understanding of the situation across the District.

RESOLVED that £150,000 contained within earmarked reserves be allocated as a one-off investment to support the estimated costs of the following cost of living initiatives:

a)    Citizen’s Advice specialist housing adviser - £62k, and

b)    Enhancing the support of the Council’s Financial Inclusion Team - £50k

(Prior to consideration of the recommendation in respect of the Cost of Living Funding Proposal, Councillor S. Ammar declared an interest due to her membership as a trustee of the Citizens Advice Bureau – CAB.  She left the room and did not participate in the debate on this recommendation nor vote thereon. 

During the consideration of this item, Councillor B. Kumar, Vice Chairman of the Council, chaired the meeting.  Councillor Ammar returned to chair the meeting once this matter had been resolved.)

Quarter 3 2023-24 – Financial and Performance Report

The Cabinet Member for Finance and Enabling reported that the proposed changes to the Worcestershire Regulatory Services (WRS) charges resulted from changes to statutory fees since the fees and charges had been agreed in the Council’s budget.

Councillor K. May seconded the recommendation.

Arising from consideration of this item, the lack of performance information being presented to member meetings relating to planning was discussed.  A member referred in particular to the Government performance requirements for speed and quality of decision making and the risks to the Council of being placed in ‘designation’ if these were not met.  Concerns were raised that Councillors would not currently be aware of planning performance in full and as a consequence whether it was at risk of being put into special measures.  An agreed Council resolution from October 2023 for planning appeal and performance information to be reported to the Planning Committee had not yet been actioned.

The Cabinet Member and Chairman of the Planning Committee also expressed concern at this and undertook to pursue the inclusion of the two measures in performance reporting to both the Planning Committee and Cabinet.  

A member also raised the performance measure relating to affordable housing and queried the definition of affordable housing when property prices had risen.  Members expressed the view that housing in the District was expensive, especially in relation to average (mean) earnings.  Reference was made to the Council’s First Home policy which aimed to enable local people to get a home in the area where they grew up and had family connections. 

In response to a query from a member, the Chief Executive outlined the difference between the definition of market rental and affordable housing. 

RESOLVEDthat the updated WRS 2023/4 charges be approved.