Agenda item

The Chairman invited the authors of the report, Libby Jarrett, Service Lead for Revenues, Benefits, and Customer Services and Amy Gilbert-Jeans, Service Lead for Housing to present the key issues.

Amy Gilbert-Jeans gave a brief introduction, stating that the report had been drawn out of a number of data sets that EDDC have access to. Since it was such a multi-faceted issue officers would have been unlikely to be able to address every aspect of it, largely due to the fact that EDDC had limited influence over national policy.

However, the report provided Members with a detailed assessment of a number of factors that relate to poverty within East Devon, and outlined work that is already undertaken that links with poverty as well as information around how customers are currently supported.

From this work a series of recommendations had been identified to better support people living in East Devon who may be impacted by poverty, which is a follow up to the recommendation made by Cabinet on 6th March 2019.

Particularly with reference to Recommendation 1, the creation of an East Devon Poverty Strategy, the costs of delivery are likely to be attached, whilst Recommendation 9, the work on fuel poverty needs to be developed.

Discussion on this item included the following;

·         Members thought that the report was an excellent piece of work with substantial research having been undertaken.

·         Q 1 – Was support given from Devon Strategic Partnership (DSP)?

Much data was obtained by EDDC and classified as sensitive, and so analysis was done by EDDC thereby limiting the involvement of others. However, officers are happy to share the report with the DSP.

·         More information was required in order to understand the reliance on food banks by people.

·         Building co-ownership properties for local people would be highly advantageous, and multi-generational housing along similar lines to that being built in Germany and Switzerland.

·         There were suggestions for further recommendations from Members, particularly in the light of witnessing a local family which had become victim to a S21 eviction by a private sector landlord, and who subsequently could not find alternative accommodation. It was suggested that a recommendation be developed by which the Council would work more closely with the private rented sector and specifically to review the reference requirements placed on potential tenants.

·         Funding for Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) should be maintained since they are of great positive benefit. It was confirmed that the Council wanted to safeguard funding for the CAB and other independent sources of advice for people in poverty.

·         As EDDC does provide some funding for the CAB, there was a potential to influence the direction of their work with respect to services which could be offered outside the five towns with a CAB service, so that people outside the towns could benefit from an outreach service or more services via phone or online.

·         £16,000 of new budget had been identified as required. It was clarified that this was a resource identified as being necessary to develop the poverty strategy itself. The Strategic Lead for Finance, Simon Davey, confirmed that the significant time required to put the report together for Committee indicated that external assistance was needed to develop the Strategy over a 3-4 month period.

Cllr Allen thanked officers for their report and made a number of comments in relation to specific recommendations therein. He then referred to a paper which he had recently drafted and circulated to Committee members before the meeting which he wanted to formally propose for incorporation with the recommendations already presented in the report. He said that the paper contained one recommendation consisting of twenty one points.

The Strategic Lead for Finance pointed out that the additional recommendation and associated actions from Cllr Allen had not yet been considered by officers or costed.

The Chairman stated that the meeting should address the nine recommendations in the report. The one received from Cllr Allen could then be added to the minutes of the meeting and would be considered going forward in the developing poverty strategy, after scoping and legal and financial consideration.

Cllr Allen stated that much of his recommendation should be debated.

Cllr Hartnell stated that he agreed with the comments of the Strategic Lead for Finance, and that there was a need to consider the legal and financial implications of any recommendations or actions. He went on to formally propose that the Recommendations 1-9 contained in the Poverty Report were accepted, and that Cllr Allen should then talk to officers and the Chair of Overview about his further proposal before the report is presented to Cabinet. The proposal could be noted in the minutes for further discussion.

Cllr De Saram seconded the proposal by Cllr Hartnell.

Cllr Loudoun said that he had wanted to make amendments to the recommendations in the report.

The Chairman invited Committee members to vote on the proposal put forward by Cllr Hartnell. It was carried by a majority, with one member abstaining, on the basis that they had not debated the recommendations in the report.

Cllr King had wanted to ask about the costs and benefits of the recommendations, and sought clarification about the outcomes sought by the recommendations if it was not considered possible to lift people out of poverty.

Amy Gilbert-Jeans clarified that it was not suggested that the Council could not lift people out of poverty, but that it could not do this alone.

Cllr Allen wanted to formally raise concerns in relation to Members not being allowed to put forward proposals which had not been costed beforehand. He felt that this would suppress debate and would seek further clarification at Council about this matter. He considered this to be a level of interference from officers which would close proposals down before they were scoped.

The Strategic Lead for Finance clarified that he had suggested that it was sensible for Members to have details available to aid their discussion and decision making, but had not said that proposals could not be considered if they had not been costed.

Members expressed disappointment that they had not been able to debate the recommendations in the report further.

The Strategic Lead for Health, Housing and Environment, John Golding reassured the Committee that the poverty strategy will cover all the points made and explore all matters legitimately related to poverty.

Cllr Armstrong confirmed that the Council should be tackling issues relating to poverty, and as Portfolio Holder for Homes & Sustainable Communities, she would be leading on this work with the Finance Portfolio Holder, Libby Jarrett, Amy Gilbert-Jeans, Natalie Brown and George Whitlock. She intended to take on board Cllr Allen’s comments on Economic Development and get the support of the whole Council.

RECOMMENDED:

That Cabinet;

1.    Consider funding the creation of an East Devon Poverty Strategy to further develop and target the areas identified within this report that we are able to influence and to support a corporate approach to ensure consistency across Council Services.

2.    Carry out a review of the funding and delivery arrangements for Money Advice to ensure that we’re focussing on the key issues identified in the report.

3.    Recommend that Council protect the existing funding levels contributed for Money Advice to Homemaker South West and Citizens of circa £120,000 for 2020/21 to enable the review (Recommendation 2) to be undertaken.

4.    Update Corporate Debt Policy to include; Breathing Space in-line with proposed Government changes & to consider any other supportive measures that may be beneficial.

5. Agree to the Council’s frontline services, in collaboration, setting up a series of local events across the District with key stakeholders that focus on Universal Credit, Money/Debt advice (including how to avoid Loan sharks), budgeting, fuel poverty, etc with the over-arching aim of supporting people to become more financially resilient.

6.    Consider lobbying central Government directly and/or through our MPs in the following areas;

·         Right to Buy

·         Removing the freeze on Local Housing Allowance Rates in order to be reassessed to reflect market rents.

·         Universal Credit – More financial support to be given to customers to help with the transition. More funding to be given to local Councils to reflect the support that customers need with moving onto this Benefit.

7.    Continue to explore opportunities to increase our supply of social housing through either redevelopment of existing stock and/or building new Council Housing, in conjunction with a review of the current Housing Revenue Account business plan.

8.    Agree to the Council working alongside East Devon foodbanks to better understand demand and eradicate dependency that could lead to a reduction and possible extinction of the need for foodbanks in the district.

9.    Undertake a detailed analysis of fuel poverty in the district with a view to developing a separate action plan.