Full Council (December 2024)
Summary
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1. Apologies for Absence
2. Mayor’s Announcements
3. Declarations of Interest
Members are reminded that they must disclose any interests they know they have in items of business on the meeting’s agenda and that they must do so at this point on the agenda or as soon as they become aware of the interest. If the interest is a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest they are also obliged to notify the Monitoring Officer within 28 days of the meeting.
4. Minutes
Minutes of meeting on 17 July 2024.
5. Public Questions
To receive questions from members of the public in accordance with Council Rules 10.1 to 10.6.
Any member of the public who wishes to submit a question or statement to this meeting should email it to committees@chelmsford.gov.uk 24 hours before the start time of the meeting. All valid questions and statements will be published with the agenda on the website at least six hours before the start time and will be responded to at the meeting. Those who have submitted a valid question or statement will be entitled to put it in person at the meeting.
6. Cabinet Question Time
The Leader and Members of the Cabinet to answer questions submitted by Members of the Council in accordance with Council Rules 10.18 to 10.22.
7. Exceptions to Council Tax Premiums in respect of empty properties
To consider the attached report from the Cabinet Member for Finance.
8. Review of Fees and Charges
To consider the attached report from the Cabinet Member for Finance.
9. Treasury Management Mid-Year Review 2024/25
To consider the attached report from the Treasury Management and Investment Sub Committee on 14th October and Cabinet on 12th November 2024.
10. Gambling Act 2005 – Statement of Licensing Principles
To consider the attached report from the Licensing Committee on 3rd October and Cabinet on 12th November 2024.
11. Annual Report of the Audit and Risk Committee
To consider the attached report from the Audit and Risk Committee on 18th September 2024.
12. Annual Report of the Governance Committee
To consider the attached report from the Governance Committee on 16th October 2024.
13. Committee Membership
To consider the attached report from the Leader of the Council.
14. Notice of Motion
In accordance with notice duly given, Councillor A Davidson to move:
Proposed by Cllr A Davidson and seconded by Cllr Rajesh.
Council notes the Labour Government’s announcement that universal winter fuel payments will end, with eligibility for these payments restricted to those in receipt of Pension Credit and other benefits only.
Council is deeply concerned that many pensioners on lower incomes will now not receive the payments. Across England and Wales, the number of people eligible for winter fuel payments will fall by 10 million (from 11.4 million to only 1.5 million). Age UK says 2 million pensioners who badly need the money to stay warm this winter will not receive it.
In the Chelmsford City Council area, only 2,363 residents will still qualify; 30,987 residents will lose out from the change in eligibility. That means 92.9% of Chelmsford residents currently eligible for winter fuel payments will no longer receive this payment.
Council believes that the Labour Government has set the new threshold for winter fuel payments far too low. Only single pensioners receiving income of less than £218.15 a week (£332.95 a week for couples) are eligible for Pension Credit. This is significantly lower than the National Living Wage rate.
Council is also concerned by the low take-up of Pension Credit: only 63% of those eligible nationwide receive it; over 880,000 pensioners are not doing so. Council recognises the role we can play to increase awareness of Pension Credit, so residents are aware of the support they are entitled to.
Council further notes that the Energy Price Cap rose by 10% on 1 October. Combined with the removal of winter fuel payments, thousands of Chelmsford pensioners will fall into fuel poverty.
Council resolves to:
- Continue to promote awareness of Pension Credit, to maximise uptake among pensioners most in need of this vital help
- Instruct the Chief Executive to write to the Chancellor of the Exchequer calling for the policy on linking winter fuel payments to Pension Credit to be paused immediately and a new, higher threshold for eligibility for winter fuel payments to be introduced
- Invite the Council Leader and the other group leaders on the Council to write a joint letter to the Chancellor of the Exchequer calling for the new winter fuel payment policy to be suspended and reviewed, and to ask the three MPs covering the Chelmsford City Council area to add their names to this
15. Notice of Motion
In accordance with notice duly given, Councillor S Robinson to move:
Addressing the cost of living including energy
Proposed by Cllr Robinson and seconded by Cllr Moore
This Council notes that:
- (a) the huge rise in energy costs over the last three years has been a key factor in the cost of living crisis
- (b) reducing energy use in homes is the easiest way to cut energy costs, as well as reducing carbon output
- (c) the cost of insulation and technology to make homes low energy use has been falling in recent years.
This Council regrets that the Government policy to make all new homes carbon neutral by 2016 was repealed.
This Council believes that:
- (a) developers of all new homes should be required to build them to a zero-carbon standard that goes beyond the Government’s proposed Future Homes Standard 2025,
- (b) owners of existing homes can also reduce their energy bills and carbon emissions by installing more insulation and technology such as solar PV and battery storage,
- (c) this Council’s ambition to go beyond the 10% Biodiversity Net Gain target will improve health and wellbeing as well as the local environment,
- (d) the Climate & Nature Bill (due to have its second reading in the House of Commons on 25 January) will help us all to take welcome steps in that direction, including ensuring that the UK cuts its emissions fairly and fully, to stand the best chance of keeping the global temperature rise to 1.5°C.
This Council welcomes proposals to require solar panels on new buildings where they are appropriate; hopes that will be furthered by the draft New Homes (Solar Generation) Bill in Parliament, and believes that extending that to include battery storage would be beneficial.
This Council calls on:
- (a) the Government at a minimum to proceed as planned with the national Future Homes Standard
- (b) the Government to give ambitious local authorities the encouragement and freedom to go further and
- (c) registered providers in the district to build to low energy standards.
This Council resolves to:
- (a) continue to promote energy saving schemes and grants such as Sustainable Warmth and Home Upgrade to local residents
- (b) write to Chelmsford’s three MPs, the Deputy Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Energy and Net Zero with a copy of this motion
- (c) call on its MPs to support the Climate & Nature Bill.