Agenda item

Report attached.

The Cabinet considered a report of Councillor Loraine Cox,Chair of the Communities and Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Committee, on the outcome of the Call-In of the following decision made by Cabinet on 21^st September 2022.

“That Cabinet agrees to reduce the subsidy to pest control treatments for rodents relating to domestic properties through a £30 appointment fee.”

The Leader of the Council summarised the recommendations of the Communities and Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Committee.  Councillor Munsif Dad BEM JP welcomed the recommendation at Paragraph 2.2 of the report, which would enable those who could least afford it to be supported.  The Leader conformed that this fit in well with the Council’s proposal not to increase Council Tax and to highlight to residents what other support was available.

Approval of the report was not deemed a key decision.

Reasons for Decision

At its meeting on 21^st September 20222, Cabinet had considered an item on Subsidised Pest Control Treatments.  The report related specifically to issues with the waiting list for pest control treatments for rodents at domestic properties, currently at 5 weeks.  Cabinet had made the decision indicated above.

In accordance with the Call-In procedure for Cabinet decisions, the procedure had been activated on 7^th October 2022 by two members of the Communities and Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Committee.  The Call-In had been sponsored by Councillor Scott Brerton.  Several reasons had been given for the Call-In, full details of which were set out in the Call-In Form, which had been included with the agenda for the Committee on 19^th October 2022.

Councillor Scott Brerton had presented the reasons for the Call-In to the Committee.  Councillor Steven Smithson, Portfolio Holder for Environmental Services had presented the reasons for the original decision, and had responded to some of the points made on the Call-In Form.

The Chair had invited the Committee to ask questions of the Portfolio Holder, Sponsor of the Call-In and Officers in attendance.  The following issues had been discussed:

• Councillors were aware that current waiting times were a problem, but asked what other methods could be used to reduce the waiting list other than implementing a charge;
• Affordability of the payment, particularly during current economic times;
• Public Health concerns;
• Consultation with the public;
• The rented sector and irresponsible landlords;
• Environmental Health powers to deal with landlords who did not take responsibility for rodents in their domestic properties;
• 40% of pest control appointments resulted in no pest control work being carried out, mainly due to no access to properties; and
• Plans to reduce the waiting time from 5 weeks to between 2 and 5 days if the decision was implemented.

Councillors Scott Brerton and Steven Smithson had then been given the opportunity to sum up before the Committee made its decision.

The Committee had discussed several options, including delaying the decision, or introducing alternative methods to reduce the number of no access appointments, such as phone call/text message reminders.

The Household Support Fund had been brought into the discussion.  The fund was to provide support to vulnerable households in most need of support through the winter, and was managed by Hyndburn Leisure.  Round 3 of the fund was due to open in November 2022 until the end of March 2023.

The Chief Executive of Hyndburn Leisure had been in attendance at the meeting to report on the fund under a later agenda item, and was able to respond to questions from committee members on how the fund could be used to support vulnerable residents to access funds to cover the cost of pest control appointments.  It had been confirmed that referrals from Pest Control services would be eligible, should the resident meet the eligibility criteria of the fund.

Alternative Options considered and Reasons for Rejection

The Council’s Call-In procedure gave Scrutiny Committees three options when dealing with a Call-In decision:

• To release the Cabinet decision in full for implementation;
• To release the Cabinet decision in part for implementation, and refer the outstanding part of the decision back to the decision making body for reconsideration, setting out in writing the nature of its concerns; or
• To refer the decision back to the decision making person or body for reconsideration, setting out in writing the nature of its concerns.  The decision maker should then consider amending the decision or not, before adopting a final decision.

Cabinet might choose to accept or reject the recommendations from the Scrutiny Committee.

Resolved                                 (1)   That Cabinet notes the following resolutions of the Communities and Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Committee relating to the above decision:

“(a)   The Committee releases the Cabinet decision in part for implementation, and refers the outstanding part of the decision back to the decision making body for reconsideration, setting out in writing the nature of its concerns”

(b)     In reference to the above, and following the procedure for Call-In of Cabinet decisions, the Committee releases the implementation of a £30 appointment fee, but recommends:

(i)     That Cabinet sets up a suitable mechanism to refer those residents who cannot afford the £30 fee into the Household Support Fund, who can provide funding for those eligible to meet the costs; and

(ii)    That Cabinet reviews the impact of the decision in 12 months-time and reports back to the Communities and Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Committee.”

(2)   That Cabinet agrees to adopt the recommendations at (b)(i) and (ii) above.