Housing
The following motion submitted in accordance with Procedure Rule 10 of the Meeting Procedure Rules has been proposed by Councillor P Cooper and seconded by Councillor P Canavan: -
This Council acknowledges that there is a housing crisis across the country, including within BCP. There are a variety of factors that have led to this, however, as a Local Authority, we could begin to tackle this by agreeing to use the forthcoming review of the Housing Strategy to explore:
a) Enhancing the ‘Housing First’ approach to tackling homelessness at BCP Council so that no-one has to sleep rough and that the standard of available accommodation is assessed and maintained.
b) The existing arrangements in order to make empty properties become available more quickly.
c) Lobby central government for a new definition of affordable housing that accurately reflects people’s ability to pay, with some discretion to allow for local pay and housing costs.
d) Reviewing, in consultation other appropriate bodies, the viability assessment methodology used for housing developers and ways in which existing rules can be applied or amended to increase the number of affordable homes.
e) The possibility of using Dorset Pension Fund and investors in developing an inward investment strategy to support Local Authority-built homes in the BCP area.
f) Co-produce a Tenants’ Charter with local residents to influence housing and tenancy standards across BCP.
g) The licensing of all private sector rented housing and adding its voice to local and national calls for a ban on ‘no fault’ (Section 21) evictions.
h) The existing mandatory licensing of HMOs and if additional measures are required to ensure consistent standards are applied and whether existing enforcement measures are adequate.
i) What measures are required to regulate Airbnbs and holiday lets in BCP.
j) Whether, given the announcements by the new Government, the house building targets in the Local Plan need reviewing.
Children’s Hospices
The following motion submitted in accordance with Procedure Rule 10 of the Meeting Procedure Rules has been proposed by Councillor O Walters and seconded by Councillor V Slade: -
BCP council notes that:
1. While adult hospices receive on average one-third of their income from Government, for children’s hospices it is on average one-fifth (source: Hospice UK), and for Julia’s House it is just 8%.
2. The national body for children’s palliative care, Together for Short Lives, submitted Freedom of Information requests to all local Health & Social Care boards to ask how much they spent on hospice services per child case in the 2022/23 year. The answers varied UK-wide from £511 per child to £28. In Dorset ICB area it was £99.96.
3. Julia’s House only has a small commissioning contract with Dorset ICB and has no contract with BaNES Swindon & Wiltshire (BSW) ICB.
4. There is also huge regional variation in the services available through the NHS: 24/7 end of life care at home is not available through the NHS in Wiltshire and only available in parts of Dorset, despite being required by the NICE Gold Standards Framework.
BCP Council resolves to:
a) Lobby the Dorset Integrated Care Board (ICB) to increase the funding for children’s hospice care, and to Julia’s House Children’s Hospice in particular when funds become available, and to guarantee that the funding includes for the last six weeks palliative care for any child who receives this from Julia’s House Children’s Hospice.
b) Ask BaNES Swindon & Wiltshire (BSW) ICB to commission Julia’s House from 2025 onwards as their residents already rely on these services, which are at risk for lack of funding.
c) Ensure that the Council Leaders of Wiltshire Council, Bath and North East Somerset Council and Swindon Borough Council are aware of the lack of funding for Children’s Hospices in the BaNES Swindon & Wiltshire (BSW) ICB area, with particular reference to Julia’s House being one of the least state-funded hospices in England.
d) Work with our local parliamentarians to help bring this disparity in funding to the notice of the national government.
e) Write to the Secretary of State for Health to lobby for increased funding for Children’s Hospices and recognition of their critical work for life limited children and their families.
Minutes:
The following motion was submitted in accordance with Procedure Rule 9 of the Meeting Procedure Rules and was moved by Councillor P Cooper and seconded by Councillor P Canavan:
This Council acknowledges that there is a housing crisis across the country, including within BCP. There are a variety of factors that have led to this, however, as a Local Authority, we could begin to tackle this by agreeing to use the forthcoming review of the Housing Strategy to explore:
a) Enhancing the ‘Housing First’ approach to tackling homelessness at BCP Council so that no-one has to sleep rough and that the standard of available accommodation is assessed and maintained.
b) The existing arrangements in order to make empty properties become available more quickly.
c) Lobby central government for a new definition of affordable housing that accurately reflects people’s ability to pay, with some discretion to allow for local pay and housing costs.
d) Reviewing, in consultation other appropriate bodies, the viability assessment methodology used for housing developers and ways in which existing rules can be applied or amended to increase the number of affordable homes.
e) The possibility of using Dorset Pension Fund and investors in developing an inward investment strategy to support Local Authority-built homes in the BCP area.
f) Co-produce a Tenants’ Charter with local residents to influence housing and tenancy standards across BCP.
g) The licensing of all private sector rented housing and adding its voice to local and national calls for a ban on ‘no fault’ (Section 21) evictions.
h) The existing mandatory licensing of HMOs and if additional measures are required to ensure consistent standards are applied and whether existing enforcement measures are adequate.
i) What measures are required to regulate Airbnbs and holiday lets in BCP.
j) Whether, given the announcements by the new Government, the house building targets in the Local Plan need reviewing.
Councillor D Brown moved an amendment. The amendment was seconded by Councillor M Earl and amended point € of the motion to read:
(e) the possibility of supporting Local Authority built homes in the BCP area by developing an inward investment strategy to seek investment from external investors such as Dorset Pension Fund.
Council agreed the amendment.
Voting: Nem.con
Council then debated the substantive motion as amended, and it was:
RESOLVED: That:-
This Council acknowledges that there is a housing crisis across the country, including within BCP. There are a variety of factors that have led to this, however, as a Local Authority, we could begin to tackle this by agreeing to use the forthcoming review of the Housing Strategy to explore:
a) Enhancing the ‘Housing First’ approach to tackling homelessness at BCP Council so that no-one has to sleep rough and that the standard of available accommodation is assessed and maintained.
b) The existing arrangements in order to make empty properties become available more quickly.
c) Lobby central government for a new definition of affordable housing that accurately reflects people’s ability to pay, with some discretion to allow for local pay and housing costs.
d) Reviewing, in consultation other appropriate bodies, the viability assessment methodology used for housing developers and ways in which existing rules can be applied or amended to increase the number of affordable homes.
e) the possibility of supporting Local Authority built homes in the BCP area by developing an inward investment strategy to seek investment from external investors such as Dorset Pension Fund.
f) Co-produce a Tenants’ Charter with local residents to influence housing and tenancy standards across BCP.
g) The licensing of all private sector rented housing and adding its voice to local and national calls for a ban on ‘no fault’ (Section 21) evictions.
h) The existing mandatory licensing of HMOs and if additional measures are required to ensure consistent standards are applied and whether existing enforcement measures are adequate.
i) What measures are required to regulate Airbnbs and holiday lets in BCP.
j) Whether, given the announcements by the new Government, the house building targets in the Local Plan need reviewing.
Voting: F:43 A:3 (5 abstentions)
The following motion was submitted in accordance with Procedure Rule 9 of the Meeting Procedure Rules and was moved by Councillor O Walters and seconded by Councillor V Slade:
BCP council notes that:
(i) While adult hospices receive on average one-third of their income from Government, for children’s hospices it is on average one-fifth (source: Hospice UK), and for Julia’s House it is just 8%.
(ii) The national body for children’s palliative care, Together for Short Lives, submitted Freedom of Information requests to all local Health & Social Care boards to ask how much they spent on hospice services per child case in the 2022/23 year. The answers varied UK-wide from £511 per child to £28. In Dorset ICB area it was £99.96.
(iii) Julia’s House only has a small commissioning contract with Dorset ICB and has no contract with BaNES Swindon & Wiltshire (BSW) ICB.
(iv) There is also huge regional variation in the services available through the NHS: 24/7 end of life care at home is not available through the NHS in Wiltshire and only available in parts of Dorset, despite being required by the NICE Gold Standards Framework.
(v) Lobby the Dorset Integrated Care Board (ICB) to increase the funding for children’s hospice care, and to Julia’s House Children’s Hospice in particular when funds become available, and to guarantee that the funding includes for the last six weeks palliative care for any child who receives this from Julia’s House Children’s Hospice.
(vi) Ask BaNES Swindon & Wiltshire (BSW) ICB to commission Julia’s House from 2025 onwards as their residents already rely on these services, which are at risk for lack of funding.
(vii) Ensure that the Council Leaders of Wiltshire Council, Bath and North East Somerset Council and Swindon Borough Council are aware of the lack of funding for Children’s Hospices in the BaNES Swindon & Wiltshire (BSW) ICB area, with particular reference to Julia’s House being one of the least state-funded hospices in England.
(viii) Work with our local parliamentarians to help bring this disparity in funding to the notice of the national government.
(ix) Write to the Secretary of State for Health to lobby for increased funding for Children’s Hospices and recognition of their critical work for life limited children and their families.
Following debate, it was:
RESOLVED: That:-
BCP council notes that:
(i) While adult hospices receive on average one-third of their income from Government, for children’s hospices it is on average one-fifth (source: Hospice UK), and for Julia’s House it is just 8%.
(ii) The national body for children’s palliative care, Together for Short Lives, submitted Freedom of Information requests to all local Health & Social Care boards to ask how much they spent on hospice services per child case in the 2022/23 year. The answers varied UK-wide from £511 per child to £28. In Dorset ICB area it was £99.96.
(iii) Julia’s House only has a small commissioning contract with Dorset ICB and has no contract with BaNES Swindon & Wiltshire (BSW) ICB.
(iv) There is also huge regional variation in the services available through the NHS: 24/7 end of life care at home is not available through the NHS in Wiltshire and only available in parts of Dorset, despite being required by the NICE Gold Standards Framework.
(v) Lobby the Dorset Integrated Care Board (ICB) to increase the funding for children’s hospice care, and to Julia’s House Children’s Hospice in particular when funds become available, and to guarantee that the funding includes for the last six weeks palliative care for any child who receives this from Julia’s House Children’s Hospice.
(vi) Ask BaNES Swindon & Wiltshire (BSW) ICB to commission Julia’s House from 2025 onwards as their residents already rely on these services, which are at risk for lack of funding.
(vii)Ensure that the Council Leaders of Wiltshire Council, Bath and North East Somerset Council and Swindon Borough Council are aware of the lack of funding for Children’s Hospices in the BaNES Swindon & Wiltshire (BSW) ICB area, with particular reference to Julia’s House being one of the least state-funded hospices in England.
(viii) Work with our local parliamentarians to help bring this disparity in funding to the notice of the national government.
(ix) Write to the Secretary of State for Health to lobby for increased funding for Children’s Hospices and recognition of their critical work for life limited children and their families
Voting: Nem.Con.