Agenda and minutes
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Contact: Democratic Services (01254) 380116/380109/380184
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Apologies for Absence Minutes: Apologies for absence were submitted on behalf of Councillor Marlene Haworth, Leader of the Council.
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Declarations of Interest and Dispensations Minutes: There were no reported declarations of interest or dispensations granted.
Announcements
The Chair announced that he had written yesterday to Councillor Phillippa Williamson, Leader of Lancashire County Council as follows:-
“I understand that you are currently considering the possibility of parking meters in towns across Lancashire. I know that you are keen to distinguish between areas that would welcome parking meters and areas where they would be regarded as damaging to town centre regeneration.
In Hyndburn’s case you will know that we are making great strides forward in regenerating out town centre through the Levelling Up Fund and it is important to us that we do not do anything to deter shoppers and visitors to our town centres. For this reason I wish to be clear that we would not support the introduction of parking meters in Hyndburn and I trust that you will respect this position.”
The Chair added that he had already received a reply indicating that the letter was helpful.
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To approve the Minutes of the last meeting of Cabinet held on 6th December 2023. Minutes: The minutes of the meeting of the Cabinet held 6th December 2023 were submitted for approval as a correct record.
Councillor Loraine Cox, Portfolio Holder for Leisure Transformation and Leisure Trust referred to Minute 219 – Hyndburn Leisure Request for Financial Support, which had been called-in under the Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rules. That decision had been considered by the Resources Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 9th January 2024 and had subsequently been released in full. Where called-in decisions were released, a written report on the outcome was not normally provided to the Cabinet. However, it was considered to be good practice to report the outcome verbally.
Resolved - That the Minutes be received and approved as a correct record.
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Minutes of Boards, Panels and Working Groups To receive the minutes of the meetings of the following bodies:-
Additional documents: Minutes: The minutes of meeting of the following bodies were provided:
Resolved - That the Minutes of the meetings of the above bodies be noted.
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Reports of Cabinet Members To receive verbal reports from each of the Portfolio Holders, as appropriate. Minutes: Councillor Mohamed Younis, Portfolio Holder for Levelling Up, reported that good progress was being made on the Market Hall decant. On Thursday and Friday this week it was anticipated that the market traders would occupy the units outside the Market Hall. On the following Thursday and Friday it was likely that the units outside the Town Hall would also be occupied. Some additional works would be carried out on the cabins on Wednesdays, when the market was usually closed.
Councillor Younis added that he had visited the Market Hall again recently and had spoken to a number of traders who were pleased with the progress being made.
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Council Tax Base - 2024-2025 Report attached. Minutes: The Cabinet considered a report of Councillor Marlene Haworth, Leader of the Council, on the Council Tax Base for 2024/25. In the absence if the Leader, Councillor Peter Britcliffe, Deputy Leader of the Council and Portfolio Holder for Resources, introduced the report.
Approval of the report was not considered to be a key decision.
Reasons for Decision
In accordance with Section 35 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, the Council was required to formally determine the Council Tax Base for 2024/2025 prior to 31st January 2024. This would allow the Council to notify the major preceptors (Lancashire County Council, the Police and Crime Commissioner for Lancashire and Lancashire Combined Fire Authority) by the 31st January of the Council Tax Base.
The requisite calculation had to be carried out in accordance with the Local Authorities (Calculation of Council Tax Base) Regulations 2012. Once determined the Council Tax Base could be changed and had to be used when the Council set their Council Tax for the financial year 2024/2025.
The calculation of the Tax Base for Hyndburn and Altham for 2024/2025 was shown at Appendices A and B of the report. It was proposed that the Tax Base for Hyndburn 2024/2025 should be 22,095. This was an increase from last year’s Tax Base of 150 (21,945). The 2024/2025 Tax Base for Altham was 317, which represented no change from last year’s Tax Base of 317.
The Local Authorities (Calculation of Council Tax Base) Regulations 2012 specified formulae for calculating the Council Tax Base had to be set between 1st December 2023 and 31st January 2024.
The Council Tax Base was the measure of the number of chargeable dwellings held on the valuation list as at 11th September 2023 and then adjusted to take account of discounts, exemptions, re-bandings and Council Tax Support to arrive at the Authority’s Council Tax Band D.
There were no alternative options for consideration or reasons
Resolved - That Cabinet notes the report and approves the following:
(1) That in accordance with the Local Authorities (Calculation of Tax Base) Regulations 2012, the amount calculated by the Council for its Council Tax Base for the financial year 2024-2025 shall be 22,095.
(2) That in accordance with the Local Authorities (Calculation of Tax Base) Regulations 2012, the amount calculated by the Council for its Council Tax Base for the parish of Altham for the financial year 2024-2025 shall be 317.
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[ITEM WITHDRAWN] This item has been withdrawn from the Agenda. Minutes: Item 8 on the Agenda was withdrawn prior to the meeting.
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Revenue Budget 2023/2024 Monitoring - Quarter 3 to end of December 2023 Report attached. Minutes: Members considered a report of Councillor Peter Britcliffe, Deputy Leader of the Council and Portfolio Holder for Resources, regarding the financial spending of the Council up to the end of December 2023 for the financial year 2023/2024 and the forecast impact on the Council’s Medium Term Financial Strategy for 2023/2024 to 2025/2026. Councillor Britcliffe outlined the purpose of the report.
Councillor Noordad Aziz enquired about the amount of underspends now committed to other projects. He also asked for a more detailed breakdown of the forecast variance for Non-Service Items, as this represented a large financial sum. Mr Dyson responded that the main changes since the last quarterly report included a £490k subsidy to Hyndburn Leisure and a £175k contribution to reserves to provide a contingency fund for the leisure development at Wilson’s Playing Field. The consultants fees in connection with the Huncoat Garden Village project were being funded by existing reserves, not revenue underspending. In respect of Non-Service Items, these included investment income, investment income from cash balances and capital financing.
The Chair reported that even after making resources available to fund the Leader’s Budget, Community Chest and the Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) waste collection service, the Council was forecasting a positive year end variance of approximately £460k. Councillor Munsif Dad BEM JP enquired about how this money would be reallocated.
Approval of the report was not considered to be a key decision.
Reasons for Decision
The financial detail was provided in a table set out as Appendix A to the report.
The current forecast spend to the end of the financial year in March 2024 was £13.925m compared to a Budget of £14.383m. This forecast produced a positive variance of £0.458m by the end of the financial year. Further analysis of these changes was provided in Section 4 and Appendix A of the report.
Appendix A included a breakdown of the Forecast Outturn Variances between staffing costs, non-staffing costs and income. Some service areas showed large variances in the breakdown figures where grant funding was received and subsequently used to fund expenditure, but budgets were not in place because the amounts were not known in advance. In these instances, although the breakdown figures might be large, they offset each other and the overall variance was much lower, or even nil. The largest instance of this was in the Regeneration & Housing Services. The breakdown of variances showed £1.507m for non-staffing costs and £1.462m for income, which related to forecast increases for the Huncoat Garden Village scheme and the grant received for Asylum Seekers.
The revenue forecast underspend in year was a decrease since the figure of £0.998m reported at the end of Quarter 2 (Period 6). Further analysis of these changes was shown in Section 5 and with a table of movements in the last quarter at Section 5.2 of the report.
The forecast outturn position as at Quarter 3 included budget pressures for the nationally awarded pay award for staff that was 1.5% above the original budgeted ... view the full minutes text for item 286. |
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Capital Programme Monitoring 2023/24 - 3rd Quarter Update to 31st December 2023 Report attached. Minutes: The Cabinet considered a report of Councillor Peter Britcliffe, Deputy Leader of the Council and Portfolio Holder for Resources, which provided an update on the Council’s Capital Programme Monitoring. Councillor Britcliffe outlined the purpose of the report, which set out the latest phasing of the programme including the latest estimate of available resources and any additions or changes in forecast outturn since the last current position was presented to the Cabinet on 18th October 2023.
Approval of the report was not considered to be a key decision.
Reasons for Decision
The Council had authorised new additions to the capital programme of £8.374m at its meeting on the 23rd February 2023.
Since the Council meeting in February 2023 new schemes totalling £1.530m had been approved and added to the programme. The additional expenditure approved was to be fully funded by external grants and receipts that had been awarded and or / received.
In addition, the capital spend outturn from 2022/2023 had slipped £37.615m into 2023/2024, of which £35.294m related to the Levelling Up scheme for Accrington Town Centre, the Leisure Estate Investment and Housing Schemes including Disabled Facilities Grants.
The approved Capital programme now totalled £42.619m and was shown in the table below:
The financing of the programme in 2023/2024 was set out in the report in the form of a pie chart. This showed that there was approval to fund £5m of the capital programme through external borrowing, if required. The Council continued to maximise the use of its capital receipts, reserve balances and attempted to draw down additional external funding that would delay or potentially reduce its need for borrowing.
The current programme of £42.619m would not be capable of being delivered in the current financial year and it was proposed to now rephase the programme into the years in which it was now expected to be spent. The phasing of the programme was now summarised as below.
3rd Quarter Update Position
The actual expenditure to 31st December 2023 was £3.621m against the latest rephased budget for 2023/2024 of £10.920m. This equated to 33.16% spend.
As shown in the ... view the full minutes text for item 287. |
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Report attached. Minutes: Members considered a report ofCouncillor Peter Britcliffe, Deputy Leader of the Council and Portfolio Holder for Resources, updating Cabinet on activities around Prudential Indicators Monitoring and the Treasury Management Strategy since the start of this financial year.
Approval of the report was not considered to be a key decision.
Reasons for Decision
The Prudential Code for Capital Finance in Local Authorities required the Council to set Prudential Indicators annually for the forthcoming three years to demonstrate that the Council’s capital investment plans were affordable, prudent and sustainable. The Council had adopted its prudential indicators for 2023/2024 at its meeting in February 2023.
The Prudential Code required the Council, having agreed at least a minimum number of mandatory prudential indicators (including limits and statements), to monitor them - in a locally determined format and frequency. This Quarter 3 report to Cabinet complimented a more regular review by the Executive Director (Resources).
The indicators were purely for internal use and not designed to be used as comparators between authorities. If it should be necessary to revise any of the indicators during the year, the Executive Director (Resources) would report and advise the Council further.
‘Treasury Management’ related to the borrowing and cash activities of the authority, and the effective management of any associated risks. On 23rd February 2023 in the same report referred to above the Council had also set out and then approved its current Treasury Management Strategy. This was in accordance with the CIPFA (Chartered Institute of Public Finance & Accountancy) code of practice on treasury management in public services, the Council having previously adopted, via Cabinet, the then revised code of practice. Associated treasury management Prudential Indicators had been included in the February 2023 report.
Prudential Indicators Monitoring
Table 1 and Table 2 as (set out at Appendix 1 of the report) showed the monitoring information for each of the prudential indicators, limits and statements. They related to:
Treasury Management Update
Current Treasury Position
As could be seen from the above table, the Council was performing within the original targets set at the start of the year. Within the prudential indicators there were a number of key indicators to ensure that the Council operated its activities within well-defined limits. In general, the requirement was that the Capital Financing Requirement (CFR) should exceed Gross Debt. However, in 2023/24, the gross debt would exceed CFR. This was due to the annual payment of Minimum Revenue Provision ... view the full minutes text for item 288. |
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Disposal of Land, Dale Street, Accrington, BB5 0AL Report attached. Minutes: The Cabinet considered a report of Councillor Kath Pratt, Portfolio Holder for Housing and Regeneration, seeking approval to the sale of land south of Dale Street and land north of Dale Street, Accrington, BB5 0AL.
Councillor Pratt provided a brief introduction to the report, highlighting the open space land available for disposal and the proposal to accept the second highest offer of £120k, which was deemed to represent market value.
Councillors Steven Smithson and Mohamned Younis spoke in favour of this proposal and referred to the anticipated eradication of blight caused by fly-tipping at this site and meeting the demand for additional housing in this ward in conjunction with other plots of land released, including land at Charter Street and land adjacent to Hyndburn Road.
Councillor Munsif Dad BEM JP enquired about a plot of land off Blackburn Road, Accrington, believed to be leased to a church. Mr Hoyle agreed to look into this matter and to provide written reply.
Approval of the report was not considered to be a key decision.
Reasons for Decision
Plots of vacant land south of Dale Street and north of Dale Street had prompted interest from local developers requesting to purchase them for redevelopment subject to compliance with planning requirements.
In December 2022, the two sites had been advertised for sale on the Council’s website seeking offers on an informal tender basis. Three offers for the combined sites had been received, these were:
1. £17,000 2. £120,000 3. £200,000
The highest offer of £200,000 had been rejected as this offer was conditional on the inclusion of other plots of land elsewhere in the Borough. The combined offer was significantly below market value and as such was considered unacceptable.
The 2nd highest offer of £120,000 comprised £100,000 for the land south of Dale Street and £20,000 for the land north of Dale Street, with both the individual and combined offers deemed market value.
Both plots were public open space and, therefore, the Council had followed the requirements of Section 123 (2A) of the Local Government Act 1972, by advertising its intention to sell the land on 13th January and 20th January 2023. No objections had been received.
Alternative Options considered and Reasons for Rejection
The Council could choose not to accept the offer and not dispose of the land but this could mean forgoing an opportunity for development of the site, which had been vacant for many years and was a focus for fly-tipping.
The sites could be remarketed to see if an increased offer would be made. This should be rejected, as they had been advertised for sale, which had tested the value in the open market and the preferred offer for each site was deemed market value. Recent offers fell well below this offer
Resolved - That Cabinet:
(1) Approves the disposal of the two plots of open space land at Dale Street, Accrington, BB5 0AL, shown edged red on the plans attached to the report
(2) Delegates authority ... view the full minutes text for item 289. |
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Weight Management Services Report attached. Minutes: Members considered a report of Councillor Sajid Mahmood, Portfolio Holder for Communities, Health and Wellbeing, onthe future provision of Weight Management Services in Hyndburn.
Councillor Mahmood provided a brief introduction to the matter, in which he outlined the invitation from Lancashire County Council and the expression of interest from Hyndburn Borough Council and subsequent discussions. He noted that levels of obesity in Lancashire were increasing and collaboration represented an opportunity to reshape the service locally. It was proposed that Hyndburn Leisure would deliver these services on behalf of the Council.
In response to a question by Councillor Munsif Dad BEM JP, Councillor Mahmood confirmed that the contract with Hyndburn Leisure would be for one year only, for the reasons set out at Paragraph 3.9 of the report.
Councillor Noordad Aziz commented that if the scheme costing £66,770 catered for 200 people (as in 2022/23), this represented over £300 expenditure per person for a 12 week programme. Given that Hyndburn Leisure offered various annual membership deals at cheaper prices, he asked if it would be possible for participants to receive a free annual membership as part of this programme. Councillor Mahmood undertook to discuss this suggestion with Lyndsey Sims, Chief Executive of Hyndburn Leisure. Councillor Mohammed Younis spoke in favour of the provision as outlined in the report, and added that if more could be achieved within the funding available this too would be welcomed.
Approval of the report was not considered to be a key decision.
Reasons for Decision
In early 2023, Lancashire County Council had invited the 12 District Councils to submit expressions of interest to collaborate with the County on the future delivery of weight management services across Lancashire. The Council (alongside all the other Districts) had submitted its expression of interest and had been in discussions since then over future delivery of the service.
The levels of obese and overweight adults and children in Lancashire continued to increase and working collaboratively provided the opportunity to reshape and redesign the service in Hyndburn. In Hyndburn, 71.7% of adults were overweight or obese. In children, the figure was 24.6% for reception year and 42.4% for Year 6. All of these were significantly higher than the Lancashire and National averages.
Since the transfer of public health services from NHS to Local Authority, Councils in Lancashire had provided Tier 2 weight management services, tackling obesity with community-based support. These programs typically ran for around 12 weeks and often operated in group settings. Participants would receive expert guidance on diet, nutrition, and lifestyle changes, with a strong focus on behaviour change generally centred around exercise.
These programmes empowered individuals to manage their weight, improve their well-being, and reduce their risk of weight-related health issues. Though limited in duration, they acted as a crucial springboard for lasting change, helping individuals to find their footing on the path to a healthier life.
Locally, Tier 2 Weight Management Services had been delivered by Hyndburn Leisure since 2016, initially via procurement by LCC and more ... view the full minutes text for item 290. |
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Grant to Citizens Advice East Lancashire Report attached. Additional documents: Minutes: Members considered a report of Councillor Peter Edwards, the Chair of the Communities and Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Committee, informing the Cabinet of the vital support provided to residents by Citizens Advice East Lancashire and seeking approval to the continued provision of financial and other support to the service.
Councillor Edwards was in attendance and provided the background to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee’s recommendations. He highlighted the large number of residents who had been advised over the last 12 months, the amount of additional benefit income brought into the Borough and the value of debts written off, as set out at paragraph 3.4 of the report. Members were also reminded that a similar grant had been provided in 2023/24.
The Chair spoke in support of the good work undertaken by Citizens Advice. He confirmed that the Cabinet would consider the funding requested, including a possible increase, but this would need to be undertaken as part of the Council’s overall budget process for 2024/25.
Councillor Munsif Dad BEM JP enquired about whether £25k was the actual amount requested by Citizens Advice for 2024/25, or if this was simply the Council’s suggested amount. He commented that the organisation had a good record of adding social value and that, for every £1 spent, it was estimated that £14 would be returned.
Approval of the report was not considered to be a key decision.
Reasons for Decision
At its meeting on 13th December 2023, the Communities and Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Committee had carried out a short review of the service provided by Citizens Advice East Lancashire, who had submitted an annual report to the Committee.
In their report and presentation to the Committee, Members had been informed that Rossendale and Hyndburn Citizens Advice had merged with Burnley and Pendle Citizens Advice in July 2023 to create Citizens Advice East Lancashire. They had reported the following information:
o The National Lottery for dealing with clients in a crisis; o Energy companies for energy related advice to reduce usage and energy debt; o Henry Smith Foundation funding for homeless prevention advice; and o Money and Pensions Service for debt and money advice.
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Economic Development Progress Update Report attached. Minutes: The Cabinet considered a report of Councillor Zak Khan, Portfolio Holder for Economic Development and Sustainability, providing an update and assessment of progress regarding Economic Development activity. Councillor Khan highlighted the main areas covered by the report.
Councillor Mohammed Younis welcomed the report and indicated that he worked closely with Councillor Khan on Town Centre issues. Councillor Noordad Aziz asked, in relation to the Local Plan, if any Hyndburn businesses had been forced to relocate out of the area due to a lack of suitable employment land. Councillor Khan responded that he had recently held discussions with one organisation that had been contemplating leaving the area and had been successful in making the case for them to stay. He was optimistic that better engagement with businesses made Hyndburn an attractive place to carry on a business.
Approval of the report was not considered to be a key decision.
Reasons for Decision
The Council’s newly approved Corporate Strategy had set out an ambitious and sustainable future for Hyndburn. The strategy identified three areas for growth:
The allocation of £20 million Levelling Up funding, with an additional £3 million from Hyndburn BC and Lancashire CC, supported ambitious growth plans for Accrington town centre. Investment plans and development were well underway with exciting and ambitious plans for the regeneration of three key buildings: the Market Hall, Burtons Chambers and Market Chambers. The recent announcement of a further £20 million funding package over the next ten years for Accrington as part of the Government’s “long term plan for towns” would enable more investment on local people’s priorities for Accrington, providing more growth opportunities. Further good news was the very recent announcement that Hyndburn had secured a £463,056 development grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund (NHLF) towards the historic building, Market Chambers, which formed part of Accrington town centre’s Levelling Up project. After the development phase was complete (over the next 12-15 months), the proposed plans would be submitted to The National Lottery Heritage Fund to unlock further NHLF funding, which would total £4.5million investment if successful.
As a result of securing additional funding for Accrington town centre, the Council was now considering a new town centre Masterplan that would incorporate key buildings such as the Arndale shopping centre.
Even more good news for Hyndburn’s economy and other town centres was the recent £237,000 award of revenue funding after a successful bid to the Government’s High Street Accelerators Pilot Programme, to be spent in Great Harwood on greening and revitalising the high street, with a further opportunity to bid for additional capital funding of circa £0.5million.
The Council was also hoping it’s bid for £30 million for Huncoat Garden Village would be supported by Homes England early in 2024 in support of its housing growth plans. Huncoat Garden Village would see just over 1,800 new homes built over the next 10-15 years with a total investment of £463.5 million investment.
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Energy Efficiency Measures Installed in Residential Dwellings Report attached. Minutes: Members considered a report of Councillor Zak Khan, Portfolio Holder for Economic Development and Sustainability, which provided:
Councillor Khan spoke to introduce this report and to outline the work currently being undertaken by the Housing Strategy and Policy Manager and the Home Energy Reduction Officer. The Council had looked at the national picture and Government expectations. He emphasised that there were numerous challenges ahead, particularly around lack of knowledge and awareness and arising from existing levels of fuel poverty. The report identified what was missing, what was currently being done and what was needed for the future.
Councillor Munsif Dad BEM JP indicated that he had met with Tim Brodest, Home Energy Reduction Officer, and that pamphlets were being prepared for householders which would increase awareness. Councillor Noordad Aziz added that retrofitting Hyndburn properties would be challenging and a long term issue. This was a common problem for towns along the M65 corridor. He asked if the sub-region could lobby Government to be a pilot for energy efficiency measures. Councillor Khan responded that he was liaising closely with Rossendale Borough Council who were piloting a Net Zero Terrace Street project. He also hoped to establish an East Lancashire group to discuss common issues.
Approval of the report was not considered to be a key decision.
Reasons for Decision
Government Expectations
On the 20th September 2023, the Government had reaffirmed its position to reduce total carbon emissions by 68% from 1990 levels by 2030, with the view to reaching its overall net zero target by 2050.
So far, between 1990 and 2022, UK carbon dioxide emissions had decreased by 45.1%. The overall reduction in emissions was being driven by many different sectors, however, for the purposes of the report to the Cabinet it was noted that – in 2021, the residential housing sector had been responsible for 16% of all Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the UK. (In Hyndburn the figure was far higher at around 30%).
The main source of emissions in residential dwellings was natural gas for heating. Therefore, to make a meaningful reduction in emissions it was imperative that alternative sources to heat homes were found as well as making them more energy efficient to cut down on the amount of heating required and cost.
Most progress was being made in the new-build sector of the housing market, where Building Regulations had been increasingly tightened with regards to energy efficiency and carbon reduction. Modern houses had far tighter restrictions than ever before, meaning that all new homes must now produce 30% less carbon dioxide emissions than current standards. Installing low ... view the full minutes text for item 293. |
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Lancashire County Council (LCC) Affordable Warmth Funding 2023-24 Report attached. Minutes: The Cabinet considered a report of Councillor Kath Pratt, Portfolio Holder for Housing and Regeneration, outlining the Affordable Warmth Funding being made available to District Councils, including Hyndburn Borough Council, by Lancashire County Council (“LCC”) to deliver affordable warmth interventions to households who were most vulnerable to harm from cold or damp homes. The report sought approval to enter into a grant agreement with Lancashire County Council to receive a grant allocation of £84,285 for 2023-24.
Councillor Pratt introduced the report and highlighted the intended beneficiaries of the funding, which included the following people:
A more detailed list of beneficiaries and vulnerable groups was set out at Appendix 1 to the report.
Councillor Munsif Dad BEM JP enquired about the timeframe for spending the funding given that the end of the 2023/24 financial year was fast approaching. It was noted that Paragraph 3.5.1 of the report stated that the funding had to be spent or committed by the end of May 2024.
Approval of the report was not considered to be a key decision.
Reasons for Decision
The funding aimed to reduce levels of death and illness over the winter months and to improve people's wellbeing, through affordable warmth interventions to individuals who were the most vulnerable to harm from cold or damp homes. As a consequence, it was hoped to see a reduction in hospital admissions and reduced pressure on health and social care services.
Being on a low income, living in a thermally inefficient home, having higher heating needs and high fuel costs could all increase the risks of living in a cold home. The funding was aimed at those most vulnerable to harm from cold or damp homes. This could include a wide range of individuals who either were, or were at serious risk of, experiencing poor health and wellbeing due to a cold home.
Lancashire County Council’s eligibility criteria, detailed intervention guidance and tenure criteria were shown at Appendix 1 of the report.
The funding available could be used for capital or revenue expenditure. The spend limit of Lancashire Affordable Warmth funding per household was £8,000.
It was expected that the funding should be spent or committed before the end of May 2024.
It was proposed that this programme would be delivered by the Council’s existing contractor for affordable warmth measures, Rhea Projects Ltd. As per 2022/23, the Council proposed to use the agreement with Rhea Projects Ltd to deliver the Lancashire Affordable Warmth programme.
The role of Rhea, as service provider, was to provide an end to end service from receipt of a referral to installation:
This included:
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Community Chest Grant Awards Report attached. Minutes: Members considered a report of Councillor Peter Britcliffe, Deputy Leader of the Council and Portfolio Holder for Resources, regardingrecommendations for grant awards from the 2023/24 Community Chest Fund. Councillor Britcliffe spoke to the report and highlighted that some 88 applications had been received, totalling in excess of £300k, against a Community Chest budget of £88k.
The Chair apologised for the lateness of preparation of the report. With the consent of the meeting, he approved an adjournment for 10 minutes to allow time for Members to read the information provided.
Following the adjournment, the Chair indicated that the recommendations would benefit a wide variety of people and organisations. The task of selecting successful applicants had been very difficult The Chair also explained the reason for the Working Group’s departure from the original selection criteria in the light of the applications received, some of which were communities of interest operating across ward boundaries.
Councillor Munsif Dad BEM JP declared a personal interest in this item, as an associate of one of the applicants in the Spring Hill ward. He expressed disappointment that the revised selection criteria had resulted in only £2k being allocated directly to this ward. He also enquired about whether projects would remain viable where the monies allocated did not match the full amount of the bid. Councillor Smithson responded that advice would be provided signposting applicants to other sources of grant funding. Some 52 organisations had been supported and others might have access to funding via the Leader’s Budget.
Councillor Noordad Aziz also raised the matter of the revised selection criteria and a disparity between the total allocations made directly to certain wards. However, the Chair and Councillor Smithson gave examples of several organisations in receipt of this funding which operated across those wards mentioned.
Councillor Dave Parkins was given permission to speak on this item and thanked the Chair for the proposed allocation for Huncoat Community Forum.
Councillors Mohammed Younis and Loraine Cox both spoke in support of the allocations proposed.
Approval of the report was not considered to be a key decision.
Reasons for Decision
At its meeting of the 21st June 2023 Cabinet had resolved to create a Community Chest budget of £80,000. At that time Cabinet had also set out its intention to allocate the fund on the basis of £5,000 for each of the Borough’s 16 wards.
Following this decision the application process had opened on the 1st November and closed on the 15th December 2023. The Council had received 88 applications, with total bids in excess of £302,777.
Having received the applications, a Cabinet Working Group consisting of the Acting Leader of the Council and the joint Deputy Leader (Councillors Peter Britcliffe and Steven Smithson) was convened to evaluate the bids and make recommendations to Cabinet for determination.
In light of the nature of the applications received, it was the view of this Working Group that the original intention to allocate the grant on the basis of £5,000 per ... view the full minutes text for item 295. |
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Exclusion of the Public Recommended That, in accordance with Regulation 4(2)(b) of the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012, the public be excluded from the meeting during the following items, when it is likely, in view of the nature of the proceedings that there will otherwise be disclosure of exempt information within the Paragraphs of Schedule 12A of the Act specified at the items.
Details of any representations received by the Executive about why the following report should be considered in public – none received.
Statement in response to any representations – not required.
Minutes: Resolved - That, in accordance with Regulation 4(2)(b) of the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012, the public be excluded from the meeting during the following item, when it was likely, in view of the nature of the proceedings that there would otherwise be disclosure of exempt information within the Paragraph at Schedule 12A of the Act specified at the item.
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Proposed Sale of Vacant Plots of Land at Pendle Street Accrington BB5 0SL In accordance with Regulation 5(6)(a) of the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012, approval is being sought from Councillor Paddy Short, Chair of the Resources Overview and Scrutiny Committee, to the following decision being made by Cabinet on 24th January 2024, in private, on the grounds that the decision is urgent and cannot reasonably be deferred.
Paragraph 3 - Relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information)
Report attached. Minutes: In accordance with Regulation 5(6)(a) of the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012, approval was obtained from Councillor Paddy Short, Chair of the Resources Overview and Scrutiny Committee, to the following decision being made by Cabinet on 24th January 2024, in private, on the grounds that the decision was urgent and could not reasonably be deferred.
Exempt information by virtue of Paragraph 3 - Relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information)
Councillor Kath Pratt, Portfolio Holder for Housing and Regeneration introduced this item.Councillors Steven Smithson and Mohammed Younis spoke in support of the proposals.
Approval of the report was not considered to be a key decision.
Reasons for Decision
The reasons for the decision were set out in the exempt report.
Alternative Options Considered and Reasons for Rejection
The alternative options considered and reasons for rejection were set out in the exempt report.
Resolved - That the recommendations as set out in the exempt report be approved.
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