Agenda item
Reports of Cabinet Members
To receive verbal reports from each of the Portfolio Holders, as appropriate.
Minutes:
Leader of the Council
Councillor Munsif Dad BEM JP, Leader of the Council, reported on the following:
Community Funds
In recent years the Council had set aside funds to enable the Leader to address community need. In 2024/25, £20k had been identified from the revenue Budget for this purpose and it was anticipated that this budgetary provision would be continued in future years. The funding would be available across all wards and would be used to support the following priorities:
· Key services or facilities under pressure;
· Civic functions and events; and
· Services that enhanced the street scene.
Local Government Boundary Review
Members had heard at the last Council meeting that a boundary review would take place in Hyndburn. The review would provide an opportunity to consider whether the Borough currently had too many councillors or too few, given the changing demands on councillors since the last review had been carried out.
The Council could look at things like changes to the population, changes to its services, changes to its statutory responsibilities and the demands of its political management arrangements, such as how many councillors were needed to enable the Cabinet and various Committees to operate effectively and to ensure that councillor workloads were manageable.
Following initial meetings with the Boundary Commission, an outline timetable had been provided as follows:
|
Autumn 2024 |
Boundary Commission presentation to Council |
|
Spring 2025 |
Council / political groups submit size proposal Boundary Commission consult on ward boundaries etc |
|
Summer / Autumn 2025 |
Boundary Commission publishes draft proposals and consults on these |
|
Spring 2026 |
Boundary Commission publishes final proposals These then require Parliamentary approval |
|
May 2027 |
New boundaries etc implemented at all out elections |
Lancashire Combined County Authority
Following the recent change of Government, Lancashire (non-unitary) district council leaders had met to discuss an approach to the new Government to seek a review the current Lancashire Combined County Authority (LCCA) proposals. The leaders group would also write to the Deputy Prime Minister, Rt Hon Angela Rayner MP, in her role as Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government. The consensus of the group was that the proposed deal was not fit for purpose and lacked aspiration. District councils were concerned that they had not been adequately consulted or involved in the development of the proposals. In particular, there was a view that UK Shared Prosperity Funding should remain within the control of the districts. Local authority leaders would also consider whether a Mayoral model deal, such as those in Greater Manchester and the Liverpool City region, could be supported. The Council was committed to working with all Lancashire districts and MPs for a better deal.
Portfolio Holder for Sustainability and Families
Councillor Kate Walsh, Portfolio Holder for Sustainability and Families, reported on the following:
Warm Homes
Early discussions were taking pace about the possibility of establishing a Retro-fitting Hub in Accrington town centre. The Council would be invited to support the proposed scheme, which could see Hyndburn become a pilot area for this type of intervention. The scheme could be invaluable to residents with older, less energy efficient, terraced homes.
Councillor Fisher welcomed the above announcement, which would have a positive impact on aspects of her own portfolio responsibility for housing and communities.
Net Zero Working Group
The Net Zero Working Group would commence meeting after the summer holiday period.
Youth Anti-Social Behaviour
There had been a number of youth anti-social behaviour incidents reported in Great Harwood, Clayton-le-Moors, Rishton and Altham recently. Councillors were working closely with the Police to address these issues. However, more Police officers were needed to tackle the problem. It was envisaged that the situation would improve considerably when additional officer recruitment had been completed.
Portfolio Holder for Transformation, Education and Skills
Councillor Noordad Aziz, Joint Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Transformation, Education and Skills, reported on the following:
Clean Up Days
The Council was well on the way to delivering clean up days. Officers were working with ward councillors to identify locations that would benefit from this approach. The intention was to harness community action to carry out clean up days and to tackle fly tipping.
Portfolio Holder for Business and Growth
Councillor Scott Brerton, Portfolio Holder for Business and Growth, reported on the following:
Job Losses at Studio
Following the sad announcement of job loss at Studio, Councillor Brerton and officers had met with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and had agreed to hold a jobs fair. This event had been a success and had led to the offer of both support and, in some cases, to other jobs.
Economic Development Forum
The first meeting of the Economic Development Forum in the new municipal year had been delayed to due to the holiday period. However, meetings should recommence in September or October 2024.
Accrington Ecology Industry Board
Councillors Brerton and Aziz had attended a meeting of the Accrington Ecology Industry Board.
Business Drop-In Sessions
Two drop-in sessions had been arranged offering a chance for local business owners to have a one-to-one chat with the Council’s economic development team and a business adviser from Boost (Lancashire’s Business Growth Hub). The sessions were as follows:
· Rishton - Bevlan Office Interiors Limited, York Mill, Livesey Street, Rishton – 16th August 2024
· Great Harwood - Tessa Clemson Yoga Studio, 3 Mill St, Great Harwood – 23rd August 2024
Portfolio Holder for Environmental Services
Councillor Stewart Eaves, Portfolio Holder for Environmental Services, reported on the following:
Waste Transfer Station
The Council Leader had previously spoken to the Shadow Leader and Shadow Portfolio Holder at Lancashire County Council about the provision of a Waste Transfer Station. Craig Haraben, Head of Environmental Services, had also sent five key questions to Andrew Mullaney, Head of Service for Planning and Environment, Lancashire County Council. However, the questions were not considered to have been answered satisfactorily.
Councillor Dad expressed the view that the previous administration had not tackled the waste transfer issue and that this matter had been ‘left until the eleventh hour’. Currently, there was no site identified and no funding available from the County Council. Hyndburn’s leadership had asked the Borough’s officers to identify potential sites for a Waste Transfer Station and would also meet with the controlling administration of Lancashire County Council.
Food Waste Collection
The Council had heard that no further monies would be available from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) for the introduction of this new service. Five 7½ tonne trucks would be required to operate this service. Quotes had been received for Isuzu and DAF models, but both were in excess of the funding available. The new service would still include collection from the front of houses.
The Leader of the Council reported that currently there would be a £221k shortfall to operate this service. He had asked Craig Haraben, Head of Environmental Services, to contact DEFRA again with a view to securing extra funding. In the event that this was unsuccessful the Council would itself need to identify alternative funding.
Pest Control
Lee Taylor, Pest Control Manager and the Hyndburn Team, had been shortlisted for the prestigious National Pest Awards 2024 and were up against Liverpool City and Westminster City Councils. The Cabinet applauded their efforts and wished the Team well. The winner was due to be announced on Wednesday 11th September 2024.
Portfolio Holder for Housing and Communities
Councillor Melissa Fisher, Joint Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Housing and Communities, reported on the following:
Houses in Multiple Occupation and Care Homes
As outlined under Minute 92(a), the new political administration had reviewed the timescales for developing planning policies in relation to HMOs and children’s care homes and had asked officers to carry out the work in-house. Ultimately, it was hoped that the policies would help to release premises back into the housing market. Councillors were frequently asked about access to affordable rental homes.