(i) OFSTED Report
A motion had been received and set out in the Summons in the names of:
Bernstein, Brown, Caserta, Cropper, Dean, Gartside, Harris, Lancaster, Hurst, Hussain, N Jones, Lewis, McBriar, Rydeheard, Vernon, Y Wright
The Council received a report from OFSTED on Friday 17th December 2021 following an inspection of Children’s Services between 25 October 2021 to 5 November 2021.
This Council is deeply concerned with the recent OFSTED report and notes that children are at risk in our borough now.
This Council notes:-
• The Conservative Group in December 2021 requested an Emergency Council Meeting to be held before New Year (2022) due to the reported risk to Children in Bury as it believed it was of upmost importance to address the report quickly.
• The Mayor of Bury passed the emergency request to the Chief Executive of Bury Council to consider the contents of the report published 17th December 2021 prepared by HM Inspector, Lorna Schlechte attached to this motion.
• The Council is required to submit an improvement plan to the Department for Education before 31 March 2022.
This Council resolves to:-
• Call on the Chief Executive to schedule briefings each week with Leaders of Political Groups to update on the progress.
• Conduct an urgent review of all cases to identify risk and ensure, as per the OFSTED report that they are not over-optimistic in their analysis.
• Instruct the Chief Executive and the relevant Executive Director to bring a report on the progress of the programme and updated risk register to the monthly Cabinet and ordinary Council meetings.
• Implement an Improvement Plan with progress of implementation to be monitored by the Council’s Children’s Scrutiny Committee as a standing agenda item until the completion of all actions.
(ii) TACKLING FUEL POVERTY
A motion had been received and set out in the Summons in the names of:
CouncillorsM Powell, C Tegolo and S Wright
Council notes that:
Research from Friends of the Earth shows that 13% of households in Bury are living in fuel poverty – and heating homes accounts for 44% of local carbon emissions.
Rising energy prices will make this significantly worse, and the National Energy Action charity has warned that rising household energy bills could cause at least 2 million more homes to slip into fuel poverty
All housing in our borough should be insulated to a minimum of EPC C standard with good quality loft insulation, cavity wall insulation, double-glazing and draught exclusion.
The Government have set a target to upgrade all housing to the above standard by 2030. To meet this target a total of 5,859 homes in Bury would need insulation upgrades each year.
The scale of this challenge is significant but at the same time we must make a commitment to end fuel poverty and excess carbon emissions from poorly insulated homes and develop a strategy to achieve this goal.
Council therefore commits to:
1 Ensure that we are doing what we can as an Authority to provide advice and support to residents struggling through fuel poverty, and specifically ask for the appropriate Cabinet Member to bring a report to meetings of the Cabinet and Overview and Scrutiny Committee in the next two months providing an update on the support the Council and its partners are able to offer.
2 Strengthen its procedures to enforce minimum standards of energy efficiency in the private rented sector – making sure landlords without an EPC certificate for their properties are fined, and properties with an inadequate EPC rating are prevented from being rented.
3 Publish a statement of intent and set locally appropriate eligibility criteria to access Energy Company Obligation funding via Local Authority Flexibility arrangements – allowing more vulnerable and low-income households in our area to access funding to better insulate their homes.
4 Ensure new housing is built to the highest possible energy efficiency standards through reviewing Local Plan policies and introducing additional Supplementary Planning Guidance to ensure the use of low-carbon materials, heat pumps rather than gas heating systems, and renewable energy as much as possible.
5 Instruct the Chief Executive to write to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs asking that the Government adopt the recommendations relating to retrofitting homes and buildings in the Blueprint for a Green Recovery report published in January 2021.
6 Request the appropriate Cabinet Members to bring a report on these wider issues to a future meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee within the next twelve months.
(iii) SAVE OUR DEBT ADVICE SERVICES
A motion had been received and set out in the Summons in the names of:
Councillors C Boles, N Boroda, S Butler, C Cummins, U Farooq, R Gold, J Grimshaw, S Haroon, M Hayes, T Holt, K Leach, G McGill, C Morris, B Mortenson, E O’Brien, K Peel, T Pilkington, A Quinn, D Quinn, T Rafiq, A Simpson, L Smith, T Tariq, K Thomas, S Walmsley, C Walsh and M Whitby.
The council recognises:
The challenging financial situation many residents find themselves in as a result of cuts to Universal Credit and the rising costs of food, fuel and energy.
The increasing number of residents struggling with debt due to these financial pressures - Citizens Advice Bury & Bolton dealt with over 4,000 debt enquiries during 2021.
The importance of free, impartial, local debt advice services to support residents to manage their debts and get back on track.
The council notes:
The procurement process that was being undertaken by the Government's Money and Pensions Service to commission debt advice services beyond April 2022.
The loss of £3 million for debt advice services in the North under the Government's plan.
The switch in emphasis so that two thirds of future funding would be directed to remote telephone and webchat advice services and the proposed cut of 50-60% of face-to-face debt advice.
The inaccessibility of remote services for some, including the most vulnerable clients, and the risk of a postcode lottery of support which this creates.
The vital importance of local debt advisers with relationships with councils, housing providers, foodbanks etc. and the importance of retaining this face-to-face advice and support in our local area.
The pause of the procurement process shortly before Christmas in the face of growing concern about the proposals and the continuation of funding for existing services for just 6 months beyond April.
The lack of any commitment from the Government to address the concerns raised.
The council resolves to:
Support the calls by Advice UK, the Institute of Money Advisers, the Law Centres Network, the We Are Debt Advisers campaign, the Unite Debt Advice Network and Greater Manchester Money Advice Group, among others, for the Government to:
Write to the Chief Executive of the Money and Pensions Service and the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to make clear our support for the above and the continuation of face-to-face debt advice services in Bury.
Minutes:
(i) OFSTED Report
A motion had been received and set out in the Summons in the names of:
Bernstein, Brown, Caserta, Cropper, Dean, Gartside, Harris, Lancaster, Hurst, Hussain, N Jones, Lewis, McBriar, Rydeheard, Vernon, Y Wright
The Council received a report from OFSTED on Friday 17th December 2021 following an inspection of Children’s Services between 25 October 2021 to 5 November 2021.
This Council is deeply concerned with the recent OFSTED report and notes that children are at risk in our borough now.
This Council notes:-
• The Conservative Group in December 2021 requested an Emergency Council Meeting to be held before New Year (2022) due to the reported risk to Children in Bury as it believed it was of upmost importance to address the report quickly.
• The Mayor of Bury passed the emergency request to the Chief Executive of Bury Council to consider the contents of the report published 17th December 2021 prepared by HM Inspector, Lorna Schlechte attached to this motion.
• The Council is required to submit an improvement plan to the Department for Education before 31 March 2022.
This Council resolves to:-
• Call on the Chief Executive to schedule briefings each week with Leaders of Political Groups to update on the progress.
• Conduct an urgent review of all cases to identify risk and ensure, as per the OFSTED report that they are not over-optimistic in their analysis.
• Instruct the Chief Executive and the relevant Executive Director to bring a report on the progress of the programme and updated risk register to the monthly Cabinet and ordinary Council meetings.
• Implement an Improvement Plan with progress of implementation to be monitored by the Council’s Children’s Scrutiny Committee as a standing agenda item until the completion of all actions.
On being put, with 43 voting for, 0 members voting against, and with the Mayor abstaining, the Mayor declared the motion carried.
(ii) TACKLING FUEL POVERTY
A motion had been received and set out in the Summons in the names of:
Councillors: M Powell, C Tegolo and S Wright
Council notes that:
Research from Friends of the Earth shows that 13% of households in Bury are living in fuel poverty – and heating homes accounts for 44% of local carbon emissions.
Rising energy prices will make this significantly worse, and the National Energy Action charity has warned that rising household energy bills could cause at least 2 million more homes to slip into fuel poverty
All housing in our borough should be insulated to a minimum of EPC C standard with good quality loft insulation, cavity wall insulation, double-glazing and draught exclusion.
The Government have set a target to upgrade all housing to the above standard by 2030. To meet this target a total of 5,859 homes in Bury would need insulation upgrades each year.
The scale of this challenge is significant but at the same time we must make a commitment to end fuel poverty and excess carbon emissions from poorly insulated homes and develop a strategy to achieve this goal.
Council therefore commits to:
1 Ensure that we are doing what we can as an Authority to provide advice and support to residents struggling through fuel poverty, and specifically ask for the appropriate Cabinet Member to bring a report to meetings of the Cabinet and Overview and Scrutiny Committee in the next two months providing an update on the support the Council and its partners are able to offer.
2 Strengthen its procedures to enforce minimum standards of energy efficiency in the private rented sector – making sure landlords without an EPC certificate for their properties are fined, and properties with an inadequate EPC rating are prevented from being rented.
3 Publish a statement of intent and set locally appropriate eligibility criteria to access Energy Company Obligation funding via Local Authority Flexibility arrangements – allowing more vulnerable and low-income households in our area to access funding to better insulate their homes.
4 Ensure new housing is built to the highest possible energy efficiency standards through reviewing Local Plan policies and introducing additional Supplementary Planning Guidance to ensure the use of low-carbon materials, heat pumps rather than gas heating systems, and renewable energy as much as possible.
5 Instruct the Chief Executive to write to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs asking that the Government adopt the recommendations relating to retrofitting homes and buildings in the Blueprint for a Green Recovery report published in January 2021.
6 Request the appropriate Cabinet Members to bring a report on these wider issues to a future meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee within the next twelve months.
On being put, with 28 voting for, the Conservative Group, and the Mayor abstaining, the Mayor declared the motion carried.
(iii) SAVE OUR DEBT ADVICE SERVICES
A motion had been received and set out in the Summons in the names of:
Councillors C Boles, N Boroda, S Butler, C Cummins, U Farooq, R Gold, J Grimshaw, S Haroon, M Hayes, T Holt, K Leach, G McGill, C Morris, B Mortenson, E O’Brien, K Peel, T Pilkington, A Quinn, D Quinn, T Rafiq, A Simpson, L Smith, T Tariq, K Thomas, S Walmsley, C Walsh and M Whitby.
The council recognises:
The challenging financial situation many residents find themselves in as a result of cuts to Universal Credit and the rising costs of food, fuel and energy.
The increasing number of residents struggling with debt due to these financial pressures - Citizens Advice Bury & Bolton dealt with over 4,000 debt enquiries during 2021.
The importance of free, impartial, local debt advice services to support residents to manage their debts and get back on track.
The council notes:
The procurement process that was being undertaken by the Government's Money and Pensions Service to commission debt advice services beyond April 2022.
The loss of £3 million for debt advice services in the North under the Government's plan.
The switch in emphasis so that two thirds of future funding would be directed to remote telephone and webchat advice services and the proposed cut of 50-60% of face-to-face debt advice.
The inaccessibility of remote services for some, including the most vulnerable clients, and the risk of a postcode lottery of support which this creates.
The vital importance of local debt advisers with relationships with councils, housing providers, foodbanks etc. and the importance of retaining this face-to-face advice and support in our local area.
The pause of the procurement process shortly before Christmas in the face of growing concern about the proposals and the continuation of funding for existing services for just 6 months beyond April.
The lack of any commitment from the Government to address the concerns raised.
The council resolves to:
Support the calls by Advice UK, the Institute of Money Advisers, the Law Centres Network, the We Are Debt Advisers campaign, the Unite Debt Advice Network and Greater Manchester Money Advice Group, among others, for the Government to:
Write to the Chief Executive of the Money and Pensions Service and the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to make clear our support for the above and the continuation of face-to-face debt advice services in Bury.
On being put, with 28 voting for, 15 voting against, and the Mayor abstaining, the Mayor declared the motion carried.