Agenda item

The Scrutiny Research Officer presented the item and advised Members that the report submitted for consideration had been deferred from the previous meeting in December 2022 due to limited attendance and a desire by the Chairman to ensure the topic received a full and frank discussion by the Committee.

Since the December 2022 meeting, the Council had been working hard to support its residents through the current cost of living crisis and at the Council’s State of Ashfield Debate held in December 2022, the Leader first announced the Council’s Fifteen Step Plan for offering such assistance and support.

The Fifteen Step Plan:

1.    Utilise leisure centres as community living hubs for residents to access a warm energy room (including use of electricity charging and Wi-Fi for use of mobile phones/laptops). Explore options for leisure centre showers to be used for free by our residents.

2.    Explore the use of energy rooms at Council buildings.

3.    Promote to residents, local businesses and voluntary and community organisations which offer warm spaces to residents who cannot afford to heat their homes.

4.    Maintain a 100% Council Tax Support Scheme for residents to March 2024.

5.    Continue to maintain a cost-of-living hub on the Ashfield District Council website which gives useful information to residents, including signposting residents and businesses to benefits, Council Tax and housing support, Council services support, support for businesses, money, bills and debt support, health and wellbeing support and support from other organisations.

6.    Promote help with the cost of living to residents who may not be able to access online information. Utilise Ashfield Matters as a tool to provide timely, up to date information on how residents can access support.

7.    Explore options to waive charges to rent rooms to any voluntary organisations who provide help to residents through cost-of-living activities.

8.    Support the voluntary sector to secure any available funding which may be able to help residents with the cost of living. Continue to lobby for fairer funding from the Government to continue to provide critical services for residents.

9.    Continue to provide money management advice offering free financial health checks and work with the NHS to provide advice and help on healthy eating on a budget.

10.Share and promote the food support locations in Ashfield with residents to support them with feeding their families from organisations such as food banks and food share schemes.

11.Our Housing Teams are available to assist tenants with money management advice to help with daily costs and maximise benefits. Our teams can also ensure your insulation in a Council property is at the appropriate level and external drafts dealt with.

12.Continue successful Spring Clean events including giving residents one free bulky waste collection to save on disposal costs.

13.Work with partners such as the DWP on holding Cost of Living Zones to ensure residents can access all the support and benefits to which they are entitled.

14.The Council will continue to provide 2 hours free parking (this financial year) to encourage residents to shop locally and cut their fuel bills.

15.Continue implementing the Council’s successful play park strategy offering free state of art play facilities for families across Ashfield.

Having considered the content of the Plan, Members were of the opinion that it would be prudent to receive a progress report regarding implementation of the Fifteen Step Plan at its first meeting following the District Council Elections in May 2023.  Any potential recommendations to Cabinet could then be considered to conclude the Cost of Living Crisis review, once progress was known and fully understood.

RESOLVED

that a progress report in respect of implementation of the Council’s Fifteen Step Plan for supporting its residents through the current cost of living crisis, be submitted to the first meeting of the Committee in the new 2023/24 municipal year.