Issue - meetings

This report sets out the impacts of cost of living pressures on the Council and our communities and describes some of the Council's responses, working with key public and private sector partners to support our communities.

Pressures are being seen across our communities arising from the significant increase in energy prices and the effects of rapidly increasing inflation on a wide range of items and commodities. The Council itself is also suffering from these impacts with increasing costs and therefore faces the need to increase fees and charges to reflect the increased cost of production and of providing services.

This report describes the pressures and our responses.

RESOLVED that Cabinet: -

(a)        Notes the pressures that are being felt by many of our communities and supports the actions taken to alleviate those; and

(b)       Supports the proposed approach to reassessing fees and charges levied by the Council for services.

Voting: Unanimous

Portfolio Holder: Leader of the Council

Reason

The council is providing significant services to support our communities through the effects of the rising cost of living but is also suffering the effects through increased costs.

The Portfolio Holder for Communities, Health and Leisure presented a report, a copy of which had been circulated to each Member and a copy of which appears as Appendix 'B' to these Minutes in the Minute Book.

Cabinet was advised that the report set out the impacts of cost of living pressures on the Council and our communities and describes some of the Council's responses, working with key public and private sector partners to support our communities.

In relation to this Cabinet was informed that pressures are being seen across our communities arising from the significant increase in energy prices and the effects of rapidly increasing inflation on a wide range of items and commodities, and that the Council itself is also suffering from these impacts with increasing costs and therefore faces the need to increase fees and charges to reflect the increased cost of production and of providing services.

The Chair and other councillors urged the local press to cover the support being outlined within the paper to ensure that as wide an audience as possible is made aware of the support available during this period. A Cabinet member commended the Portfolio Holder for the work in bringing this together

RESOLVED that Cabinet: -

(a)        Notes the pressures that are being felt by many of our communities and supports the actions taken to alleviate those; and

(b)       Supports the proposed approach to reassessing fees and charges levied by the Council for services.

Voting: Unanimous

Portfolio Holder: Leader of the Council

To consider the Cost of Living Pressures report scheduled for Cabinet consideration on 26 October 2022.

The Committee is asked to scrutinise and comment on the report and if required to make recommendations or observations as appropriate.

Cabinet members invited to attend for this item: Councillor Drew Mellor, Leader of the Council and Portfolio Holder for Finance and Transformation

The Portfolio Holder for Communities presented a report, a copy of which had been circulated to each Member and a copy of which appears as Appendix 'C' to these Minutes in the Minute Book.

The Committee was given an overview of the impacts which the cost ofliving pressures were having and an outline of some of the Council’s responses, working with key public and private sector partners to support communities. Many of these actions were set out in sections 29 to 64 of the report. As the Council was also suffering from the same pressures, it was also faced with a need to increase fees and charges to mitigate the impact. The Portfolio Holder and Officers responded to questions and comments on the following issues:

• An introduction of overnight parking fees could have implications for those residents in flats without allocated parking. This may necessitate a review of the Council’s Parking SPD.
• There was a need to harmonise fees across the Council which was acknowledged in the report.
• Retrospective repayment of the energy rebate by second home-owners was necessary because fewer second home owners were known to the Council since the abolition of the associated council tax discount.
• There was concern about the unsustainable pressure being placed on the charitable sector, about how the Council was preparing for the serious consequences and whether a local welfare assistance mechanism for those in crisis could be reintroduced.
• The Council had managed to ensure that the second round of the Household Support Fund was spent, with help from partners to identify qualifying pensioners. It was welcomed that the third round would not be ringfenced in the same way.
• In response to concerns that the Council was not doing enough, it was explained that the actions being taken by the Council and its partners, as set out in the report, was specifically to address the reality of the current situation. It was reported that there were additional new staff in the Community Development team to help identify people needing support.
• The Portfolio Holder agreed to report back to the Committee regarding  the BCP Affordable Warmth Partnership, specifically that the Council’s local provider Ridgewater Energy was advising residents that it had no funding available.
• There was concern that the Council was looking to increase fees and charges in the same report which detailed the pressures and actions being taken to support the hardest hit. The Portfolio Holder reported that fees and charges applied to all whereas the support provided to mitigate cost of living pressures was targeted.

There were no formal recommendations from the Committee to Cabinet on this report.