To consider any Part I business accepted by the Chair as urgent.
Decision:
Cost of Living
The Leader reminded Members that the Council had approved a motion declaring a Cost of Living Crisis in July 2022. Subsequent to that declaration, an Executive Member and Officer working group had been established to develop a Cost of Living Action Plan which would be presented to the Executive in October 2023. The Action Plan would focus on the impact on residents, businesses, partners, Council staff and Council finances, and would frame actions across a number of themes, including:
a. Co-ordinating Government Support (to reach those that needed it);
b. Welfare support and advice (promoting, signposting etc.);
c. Maintaining good health (physical, mental, community wellbeing, volunteering);
d. Access to food and nutrition (community larders, food banks, gardens, healthy eating);
e. Housing (costs, repairs and improvements, retrofitting and decarbonisation); and
f. Working in partnership (to target support in localities / to the most in need).
The Leader advised that the Government had recently announced a new package of measures to be put in place to support people through this winter, and beyond. This was in addition to the previously announced universal and targeted payments, and included:
i. Capping the cost of energy for households for 2 years from 1 October 2022, at an average of £2,500 per year;
ii. Businesses, charities, and public sector organisations would receive equivalent support for six months, and then it would be reviewed every three months;
iii. An energy supply task force to get contracts with international suppliers to bring down energy costs; and
iv. A budget announcement to take place later in September, which would provide more detail about how the above measures would be funded and implemented.
The Leader stated that there was a wide range of support that the Council was already putting in place for people experiencing difficulties, including:
a. The Government response and grant schemes, rebates and vouchers; and
b. Stevenage Borough Council’s universal and targeted support, including Benefits and grants; the use of the Community Renewal Fund, and Community Wealth Building approaches and developing the Social Inclusion Partnership; UK Shared Prosperity Fund including Community Wealth Building and VCSE access to business and sustainability support; Household Support Fund, including payments to foodbanks, schools and community centre cafes; Work to improve the EPC rating of our housing stock, including bidding for funding to improve the energy efficiency of homes and building new homes that are highly energy efficient; and Longer-term investment in skills development and employment opportunities, including the Stevenage Town investment plan and Stevenage Works programme.
The Leader commented that, in considering the potential impact on Council finances and staff, things underway included:
a. The challenges being faced with recruitment and retention;
b. Calculations suggesting that the impact of increased utility costs could be up to £300,000 this year, and £460,000 full year in 2023/24;
c. The importance of the proposed national pay in helping staff meet increased costs, but also the impact on Council budgets as this was higher than anticipated (up to £700,000) and may not be fully funded by Government (the Local Government Settlement was still to be agreed);
d. The value of existing flexible working arrangements, employee assistance programme, and availability of resilience support, coaching, and pay flexibility requests being considered; and
e. Development of an online hub for staff.
The Executive was informed that initial priorities underway and being developed included:
i. Information hub on the Council’s website, signposting to support available – this included summary of grants and other support;
ii. Internal and external communications to residents, businesses, staff and Councillors – both supporting themselves, and supporting others;
iii Considering a Warm Spaces initiative, including potential links with community associations, public and voluntary sector partners;
iv. Working with partners to offer “full financial MOTs” for people, focusing on short term and more sustainable longer term solutions;
v. Surveying local Community Associations to understand the potential impact on them, how they were intending to manage pressures, and any support needed; and
vi. Holding a Stevenage Together meeting on 20September 2022 to co-ordinate work with partners and discuss / agree any joint work to support people.
The Leader commented that, in the longer term, further skills and investment opportunities would aid the town level response, and included the Stevenage Town Investment Plan (£37.5M secured from Government, STEM jobs, £900M investment from GlaxoSmithKline); Community Wealth Building Programme - £1M UK Shared Prosperity Fund, Stevenage Works (£340,000 secured), Community Infrastructure Levy; and Levelling Up - Step2Skills (£5.8M) Multiply Project. The Leader also noted that circa £31M had been secured from the Local Enterprise Partnership to support the delivery of various projects across the town, including the new Bus Interchange and projects within the Town Square.