Agenda item

This report sets out the Council's progress in delivering the corporate objectives from April 2019 to July 2019.  This is to ensure that members have the most up to date information possible.

 

Members considered the Progress of Corporate Priority – Communities report.

 

Members asked questions, made comments and received responses as follows;

 

1.    Councillor Miscandlon asked what the Council are doing to support vulnerable members of the community to ensure they are receiving the help available to them. Councillor Mrs French explained that Dan Horn works closely with the Housing Options team and officers work hard to ensure people do not ‘slip through the net’.

2.    Councillor Hay highlighted that the cumulative figure provided for LP1 ARP1 (page 15 of the agenda pack) is below target for 19/20. Councillor Mrs French explained that the Council had originally been given a target of 12 days however this had been reduced this to 8 days. She added that Anglia Revenues Partnership (ARP) are currently recruiting which should further improve this figure.

3.    Councillor Hay asked how many Council Tax Billing Officers are currently recruited by ARP. Councillor Mrs French agreed to provide members with this information after the meeting.

4.    Councillor Booth questioned the green RAG rating for performance indicator LP1 ARP1 as whilst monthly the target has been exceeded, cumulatively it is underperforming. Peter Catchpole explained that the RAG rating has a 10% tolerance and therefore is still classified as a green RAG rating. He reiterated that the original target given to the Council was 12 days however the Council asked for this to be reduced to 8 days.

5.    Councillor Mrs French highlighted that considering the pressure the team are under, they are doing an exceptionally good job.

6.    Councillor Booth stated that the target reported to members should include the tolerance level of 10%.

7.    Councillor Miscandlon asked what action is being taken by the Council to ensure vulnerable members of the community are being supported. Councillor Mrs Wallwork explained that the Council liaise with outside agencies to ascertain whether contact has been maintained with these individuals and attempt to re-establish contact where necessary.

8.    Councillor Cornwell said whilst it is positive that work is underway in identifying Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMOs), he is concerned that a high number of HMOs may not have been identified (page 16 of the agenda pack). He asked what action the Council is taking to identify these properties. Councillor Miss Hoy explained that legislation changed in October 2018 and HMOs are now identified as properties in which five or more unrelated individuals form more than one household. HMOs now require a licence and whilst a number of licences have been applied for, there are still those outstanding. She explained that the Council have issued Press Releases in relation to this and officers inspect properties on a regular basis to ensure they are compliant.

9.    Councillor Miss Hoy explained to members the challenges surrounding the identification of HMOs and assured members that the Council are utilising the powers available to them in relation to enforcement action.

10.Councillor Booth asked for further assurance that the Council are using the powers available to them. Councillor Miss Hoy explained that she is working closely with Carol Pilson, Dan Horn and Peterborough City Council in relation to tackling this issue. The Council are reassessing their current enforcement process and considering ways in which enforcement action could be taken an earlier stage. She added that consideration is also being given to the potential resource the Council may require in the future to tackle this.

11.Councillor Booth asked if the Council could have done more in relation to housing enforcement. Councillor Miss Hoy said whilst a ‘tougher’ approach could have been taken, the Council have focused on educating landlords as opposed to taking enforcement action initially. She explained that through this process, officers have built positive relationships with landlords however there does need to be an element of enforcement action too.

12.Councillor Miscandlon highlighted that the Council face additional difficulties compared to Peterborough as Fenland is a rural area and many HMOs can be difficult to detect against the rural landscape. He offered his appreciation to the Private Sector Housing team for the hard work they have undertaken.

13. Councillor Cornwell asked if there is any indication that the number of HMOs are decreasing in the district. Councillor Miss Hoy said this data is not available however HMOs are popular due to the high rental yields they generate for Landlords. She said it would be interesting to see the effect Brexit may have on this sector as a number of HMOs are occupied by foreign nationals.

14.Councillor Cornwell asked if the Council are still engaging with landlords in relation to this. Councillor Miss Hoy confirmed that the Council do still actively engage with landlords however there is only so much that can be done to raise awareness.

15.Councillor Miscandlon asked how many HMOs are registered in Fenland. Councillor Miss Hoy confirmed the figures.

16.Councillor Booth asked if all existing HMOs have had to reapply for licences under the new scheme. Councillor Miss Hoy explained that those with an existing licence have not had to reapply. Dan Horn confirmed that there are a total of 52 HMOs; 14 licensed under the old legislation and 38 licensed under the new legislation.

17.Councillor Hay asked for a breakdown in the location of these HMOs. Councillor Miss Hoy explained that she does not have this information however the majority are located in Wisbech.

18.Councillor Cornwell praised the work undertaken in this area. He asked the members are provided with an update on this work in the coming months. Dan Horn confirmed that members of the Overview and Scrutiny Panel will consider this item further as part of next year’s Future Work Programme.

19.Councillor Yeulett asked if statistics could be provided to members in relation to deprivation in Fenland as this would allow the Council to benchmark against other local authorities. Councillor Hoy explained that deprivation is not unique to Fenland and confirmed that the Council are engaging with Boston Borough Council to see the work they are undertaking as they have a similar level of deprivation.

20.Councillor Yeulett asked if the statistics on deprivation released by Central Government can be used to see the progress the Council has made on tackling this issue. He added that whilst housing and homelessness is a national challenge, many wards in Fenland are nationally recognised as being deprived. Councillor Boden explained that unfortunately the statistics available are merely an indication on the granularity of deprivation that exists and therefore cannot be used for benchmarking purposes or to measure the success of policy. He added that the most recent index was released in 2011, with an interim update provided in 2017. As the index is published every 5 years, the next update will not be released until 2022.

21.Councillor Yeulett reiterated that as the district is recognised as deprived, the Council must monitor its progress.

22.Councillor Cornwell added that the figures were previously published as part of the Health & Wellbeing strategy and they had shown progress in this area. He believes that consideration needs to be given to alternative means to measure deprivation to allow the Council to see if they are delivering on this priority.

23.Councillor Miscandlon agreed and asked officers and Portfolio Holders to keep members updated.

24.Councillor Cornwell highlighted that Health Services reference this data therefore the information is available.

25.Councillor Mrs Wallwork explained that deprivation is a very broad subject and includes not only physical wellbeing but psychological wellbeing too. The topic covers a large range of issues and is difficult to quantify.

26.Councillor Miscandlon agreed and added that the measurement of deprivation can be subjective.

27.Councillor Mrs Wallwork suggested that deprivation is often viewed negatively and Fenland residents often show a great deal of resilience. Deprivation cannot be measured purely on the number of benefit claimants but psychological wellbeing should also be a consideration too.

28.Councillor Booth highlighted that a number of projects implemented to tackle this issue are often only funded for a short period of time. Consideration needs to be given to sustained delivery of the core issues surrounding deprivation.

29.Councillor Mrs Wallwork agreed but highlighted the results of longer term projects can take time to produce outcomes. She suggested a balanced approach needs to be taken as there are fewer outcomes from short term projects and consideration needs to be given to long term solutions.

30.Councillor Mason congratulated the work undertaken by the Ferry Project in Wisbech. He highlighted that this project is a good example of sustained growth and is invaluable to the community. He added that the project has recently introduced a Hub offering homeless support. He asked if the Council had any intention of extending this scheme into other areas of the district.

31.Councillor Miss Hoy agreed and stated that the project works very well and has multiple funding streams. The new Hub was introduced as a result of special one-off funding and early indications are showing the positive effect it is having. She said the Council need to consider what action will be taken when this funding comes to an end and whether it is necessary to implement it in other areas of the district.

32.Councillor Miss Hoy informed members that as Portfolio Holder of Housing, she will be considering the work of the Homelessness service as a whole. She is keen to assess what is required for Fenland and part of this will include assessing the needs of the other Market Towns.

33.Councillor Mason congratulated Councillor Miss Hoy and officers for their work on this issue and suggested that consideration could be given to working with voluntary services once funding has ended for this project.

34.Councillor Miscandlon asked when the funding ends for this. Councillor Miss Hoy confirmed it was due to end in June 2020. Dan Horn confirmed it would cease next year.

35.Councillor Miscandlon asked what the Council are doing to replenish these funding streams. Councillor Miss Hoy confirmed that officers are working hard to locate other revenue streams available to them however due to Brexit; the Government are only offering 1 year settlements currently. She explained that her aim is to ascertain what Fenland requires in relation to funding and resources and then try to source this.

36.Councillor Booth referenced the figures shown on page 21 of the agenda pack in relation to the number of homes adapted to assist vulnerable residents. He asked if figures were available that show the number of housing adaptation applications that were refused due to the landlord not giving consent, as he had recently had a constituent whose application had been halted due to their housing provider refusing the works. Councillor Miss Hoy stated that the scheme is very successful and agreed to provide this figure at a later date. She informed members that they are due to meet with Clarion at the scheduled Overview & Scrutiny Panel meeting on 24 March 2020 and it may be worth discussing this issue with them too.

37.Councillor Wicks asked if the Council maintain a register of properties that have been adapted. Councillor Miss Hoy confirmed that this information is only held in relation to registered housing providers and not private sector housing.

38.Councillor Booth highlighted that there are only a finite number of these properties and many are adapted specifically for an individual’s needs and therefore may not be suitable for others.

39.Councillor Miscandlon asked if ‘lifetime homes’ are increasing in the district. Dan Horn said he would try and obtain these figures.

40.Councillor Miscandlon said whilst the number of Disabled Facility Grants (DFG) awarded (page 24 of the agenda pack) is very positive, the number of customers that responded to the satisfaction survey is disappointing. He asked what can be done by the Council to improve the number of residents that complete these surveys. Councillor Miss Hoy suggested that many residents do not submit feedback when they are satisfied with the service and this should not always be viewed negatively.

41.Councillor Miscandlon asked that the Council focus on improving this public engagement and suggested that officers could visit these residents to try and obtain feedback. Councillor Booth disagreed as the response rate is quite high compared to the average response rate of surveys. He added that the team do not have resource to carry out visits for feedback.

42.Proposed by Councillor Booth, seconded by Councillor Cornwell and agreed that the customer satisfaction statistic in relation to Disabled Facilities Grants (page 24 of the agenda pack) is removed from future reports. Members agreed to replace this figure with budgetary information and the number of instances in which DFGs do not progress from initial enquiries.

43.Councillor Cornwell asked if the Council had considered extending the Syrian Refugee project into other areas of the district (page 24 of the agenda pack). Councillor Seaton confirmed that consideration is being given to a second phase of this project and members will be kept updated on the progress of this.

44.Councillor Yeulett congratulated members and officers for their work on this project.

45.Councillor Miscandlon highlighted to members that Whittlesey were in the fortunate position of having a property suitable for this project.

46.Councillor Cornwell praised the project and said it shows how successful partnership work can be.

47.Councillor Hay asked if all costs associated with this project were funded by the national budget set aside for Foreign Aid. Councillor Mason confirmed this is correct.

48.Councillor Booth asked for further information on the role of the CLLD Project Animator (page 25 of the agenda pack). Dan Horn confirmed that the role involves co-ordination of the project.

49.Councillor Yeulett asked if residents are approaching the Council for advice in relation to Brexit (page 28 of the agenda pack). Councillor Seaton confirmed he did not know this figure however the Council are acting as a conduit for information being released by Central Government.

50.Councillor Boden informed members that the Council have received financing in relation to this issue from Central Government. The Council are engaging with many other local authorities, organisations and networks to ensure they are continually monitoring the potential challenges we could face as a result of Brexit. One area of concern is in relation to individuals registering for settlement status in the UK and the Council have worked hard to ensure people are informed on this process. He explained that if Brexit goes ahead, there may be a deadline for people to complete their application and reiterated that the Council are undertaking a lot of work in this area.

51.Councillor Miscandlon said there was a lot of confusion surrounding settlement status and asked how the Council are assisting foreign nationals with this process. He added that officers in public facing roles must also be informed of the process in order to educate the public. Councillor Boden stated that this confusion has not been reported in Fenland and officers are available to assist with the application process. The application form has been simplified to make the process as easy as possible. He added that work is ongoing to engage with individuals that may require assistance with this.

52.Councillor Booth stated that many of the issues surrounding the applications relate to the proof of residency required for foreign nationals. He stated that only 61% of applications submitted are granted settlement status, due to processing issues at the Home Office. He suggested the Council need to be vigilant of this as Wisbech, in particular, has a large number of foreign nationals. Councillor Boden reiterated that the Council have a duty to assist these residents and will offer help where necessary.

53.Councillor Booth said the process will be resource intensive and the Council need to be mindful of this. Councillor Boden agreed and stated that the Council need to promote a wider message that foreign nationals are welcomed and encouraged to stay in this district.

54.Councillor Yeulett agreed and endorsed Councillor Boden’s message.

55.Councillor Booth asked for confirmation that the Youth Advisory Board (page 29 of the agenda pack) has replaced the previous Youth District Council. Councillor Seaton confirmed this.

56.Councillor Booth asked how the Council will assist in relation to Youth Advisory Boards. Councillor Seaton explained that the Youth Advisory Boards are externally funded and coordinated by 2020 Productions who design the programme.

57.Councillor Booth asked if figures were available to show the savings to residents as a result of the Fenland Ferret (page 31 of the agenda pack). He stated that whilst this scheme was initially very successful it does not seem to be as well utilised now.

58.Councillor Mrs Wallwork confirmed that the service if still successful however as they are now well established, the initial feedback has dropped. She explained that the scheme signposts residents to services available, therefore residents may be accessing these services directly now.

59.Councillor Cornwell explained when the Fenland Ferret was set up; it was the only means people could use to access this type of information however there are now other partners that offer this service too.

60.Councillor Miscandlon agreed and explained that nowadays information is much more readily available to residents via other means. Councillor Mrs Wallwork agreed and highlighted that the number of people that engage with the scheme will naturally drop as technology advances as the information is more readily accessible.

61.Councillor Booth asked that the Customer Satisfaction statistic provided in relation to the Golden Age Fairs (page 31 of the agenda pack) is removed as it does not provide members with useful information. Councillor Mrs Wallwork agreed to this and reiterated that attendees are very happy with the service during the events however these residents do not always wish to provide official feedback. Members agreed to remove this statistics unless it is of a significant value.

62.Councillor Wicks praised the Golden Age Fairs and their success. He asked for further information on the next event scheduled to take place. Councillor Mrs Wallwork confirmed that the next Golden Age Fair is due to take place on Tuesday 15 October 2019 between 11.00am-2.00pm at March Library.

63.Councillor Mrs Wallwork thanked officers for their outstanding work on the Golden Age Fairs.

64.Councillor Miscandlon asked how much funding was being directed to education, apprenticeships and skills required in Wisbech. Councillor Boden said whilst he did not have figures available a significant focus is being put on apprenticeships. He added that there is an emphasis across partners to have as broad an advancement in skills, as possible.

65.Councillor Miscandlon asked what the Council are doing to raise the profile of the district’s town centres. Councillor Boden said as the Council are working on the Market Town Project which will identify which areas they need to focus on in relation to town centres. He explained to members that the issues surrounding the town centres is not an isolated issue for Fenland and this shows how society is moving forward.

66.Councillor Miscandlon reminded members that they will be provided with an update on the Wisbech 2020 project at the Overview & Scrutiny meeting scheduled to take place on 11 November 2019.

67.Councillor Mason added that St Neots have invested largely in their town centre and the Growing Fenland project should engage with them on their successes. Councillor Boden agreed that this could provide the Council with valuable information however St Neots have had an enormous amount of housing growth over the previous years and therefore their requirements will be different to Fenland.

68.Councillor Wicks asked if the Wisbech 2020 project had engaged with the College of West Anglia. Councillor Boden confirmed they had.

69.Councillor Booth asked if the Council had produced Management Information in relation to the Freedom Leisure Contract and asked for an update on the monitoring of this contract. He added that the Corporate Governance Committee had requested an interim audit to be carried out on this contract and asked if the outcome of this was known.

70.Phil Hughes confirmed that the internal audit team are currently working on this area.

71.Councillor Miscandlon reminded members that further information will be provided to them at the Overview & Scrutiny Meeting scheduled to take place on 11 November 2019.

72.Carol Pilson assured members that officers are working closely with Freedom Leisure and are pleased with their progress. She explained that the contract has performance indicators that are monitored on a quarterly basis.

73.Councillor Booth stated that he was disappointed to see that there had been little progress on the Smoking Cessation Strategy (page 40 of the agenda pack). Councillor Boden explained that the most recent statistics will be reflected in later public health data. Carol Pilson reminded members that the Council are merely one partner in this strategy but are conscious that progress has been slow.

74.Councillor Cornwell reiterated that the Council are largely dependent on other partners but need to ensure their own Health & Wellbeing Strategy is incorporated into this. Carol Pilson confirmed the Council’s Health & Wellbeing Strategy will be considered by the Overview and Scrutiny Panel at the meeting on 10 February 2020.

75.Councillor Booth asked if the Council receive commission from referring residents to grant schemes (page 41 of the agenda pack). Councillor Miss Hoy confirmed that the Council receive £5.00 per referral. Councillor Booth suggested that this figure needs to be public for transparency purposes.

76.Councillor Cornwell agreed but explained that this is a cost neutral project as the Council invest any revenue back into publicity and advertising to extend the scheme further.

77.Councillor Miscandlon praised those involved with the Active Fenland project. Councillor Sam Clark agreed and endorsed the brilliant work taking place.

78.Councillor Wicks asked if the Council had plans to extend the Active Fenland project into Whittlesey and Chatteris. Councillor Sam Clark confirmed that the activities were implemented in Wisbech and March as a need for them was identified in these areas. She confirmed that they are currently engaging with Whittlesey Sports Association to see what work can be done there.

79.Carol Pilson highlighted that the Public Health funding received for these projects, could only be used in areas identified as having a need. She added that consideration is being given to other external funding for other projects.

80.Councillor Cornwell praised the work of Active Fenland and congratulated them on their work over the past year.

81.In relation to housing developments reported on page 43 of the agenda pack, Councillor Cornwell highlighted the inadequacies within national planning policies that halt the delivery of social/affordable housing nationally. He added that further work need to be done to ensure we have adequate housing for the families and young people of Fenland.

82.Councillor Yeulett endorsed Councillor Cornwell’s comments and said whilst this is a national issue it needs to be addressed at a local level too.

83.Councillor Miss Hoy confirmed the Council are trying to work on this issue and consistently encourage registered providers to develop in Fenland. Viability issues are responsible for the non-delivery of many housing developments and work is taking place within the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA) to tackle this issue regionally.

84.Councillor Boden agreed but highlighted that this is a very wide subject and whilst additional support is required, the Council require the delivery of these schemes within Fenland and the current process is not succeeding in this delivery. He said members need to consider innovative and different solutions to tackle this problem.

85.Councillor Hay assured members that as the Vice-Chairman of Planning Committee, all members of the Planning Committee are extremely frustrated about this topic. Viability issues mean a vast number of developments cannot be delivered and the Council have to consider alternative ways to combat this.

86.Councillor Skoulding agreed but highlighted the requirement for infrastructure to support these new homes. Councillor Boden agreed but stated that the system does not work this way unfortunately. He agreed that it was essential that large scale developments are supported by the necessary infrastructure; however it is rare that infrastructure is implemented before a development is delivered.

87.Councillor Miscandlon encouraged members to have their input in the Local Plan Review currently taking place. He stated that it was essential that town and parish councils are involved in this process too.

88.Members asked in future that officers include all Portfolio Holders photos in reports, highlighting which members are relevant.

 

The meeting was adjourned at 4.35pm

 

(Councillor Booth declared a personal interest by virtue of the fact that he had spoken in objection at a Planning Committee meeting in relation to the development in Wisbech St Mary reported on page 43 of the agenda pack)

 

Councillor Yeulett left the meeting at 4.33pm.

 

Councillor Booth left the meeting at 4.35pm