Decision details

Motions on notice

Decision Maker: Council

Decision status: Recommendations Approved

Is Key decision?: No

Is subject to call in?: No

Decision:

(1)       Councillor Catherine Webber moved, and Councillor Hayleigh Gascoigne seconded the motion as set out in the agenda at agenda item 16:

 

After debate and on being put to the vote the motion was agreed.

 

RESOLVED: that

 

Council notes:

Vale of White Horse District Council declared a Climate Emergency in February 2019, and since then has included the Climate Emergency in its Corporate Plan, set up a Climate Emergency Advisory Committee and declared its ambitions by setting its own carbon targets.

Our climate action targets are to become:

-          carbon neutral within our own operations by 2030, with an aim for a 75 per cent reduction in carbon emissions in our own operations by 2025

-          a carbon neutral district by 2045, with an aim for a 75 per cent reduction in carbon emissions in the district by 2030

UK100 is a network of highly ambitious local government leaders, which seeks to devise and implement plans for the transition to clean energy that are ambitious, cost effective and take the public and business with them.

It supports decision-makers in UK towns, cities and counties in their transition to Net Zero. It is the only network for UK local leaders focused solely on climate, clean energy and clean air policy.

Over 100 councils have already joined this group and taken the pledge to reach net zero by 2030 for all council owned assets and wider by 2045. By working together with other councils, we are fulfilling one of the corporate plan projects of partnership, and together we show greater strength.

 

The Climate Emergency is something that affects not just the residents in our council area, but the whole country, and in fact the whole world.

 

We will need to work together and learn from each other if we are to find workable solutions for tackling Climate Change.

We will have the best chance of meeting our carbon targets by being part of a wider community, sharing knowledge with partners who face similar issues, by translating ambitions into concrete actions.

 

Council resolves to become a member of the UK:100 Network, which requires the Council to:

-          reaffirm our commitment to council operations to become carbon neutral by 2030 and become a carbon neutral district by 2045

-          report our carbon emissions annually

-          commit to limiting the use of offsets, and if used, to be as local as possible

-          sign up to the UK:100 Pledge www.uk100.org/membership

 

Implementation

 

Officers have been informed of the Council's resolution on this motion and the actions have been completed.

 

 

(2)       Councillor Samantha Bowring moved, and Councillor Bethia Thomas seconded the motion as set out in the agenda at agenda item 16:

 

After debate and on being put to the vote the motion was agreed.

 

RESOLVED: that

In March 2020, as we were faced with the economic fallout from the pandemic, the Government did the right thing and increased Universal Credit and Working Tax Credit by £20 a week.

 

Council notes that this £20 a week ?payment is now to be cut, coming into effect for families on Universal Credit from 6 October. This cut will mean the biggest overnight cut to the basic rate of social security since the modern welfare state began, more than 70 years ago.

 

According to analysis by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, 21% of all working-age families will experience a £1,040-a-year cut to their incomes from this week.

 

Many of the same families will be seeing an increase in National Insurance costs. Lower income households spend more of their income on basic essentials such as food and utilities, and the cost of these is currently rising fast.

 

The Government says it wants to support people back into work as we emerge from the crisis, but working families make up around 60% of families who will be affected.

  

Council acknowledges the concerns raised by local and national charities (including as Elmore, Citizens Advice Bureau and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation) about the significantly negative impact this cut will have on the financial security and well being of those effected in our district.

Council deplores the decision of the Government to remove the ‘temporary’ uplift in Universal Credit which will directly impact at least 5,248* families in the Vale of White Horse district.

Council reiterates its corporate plan commitment to support vulnerable members of our community and resolves to ask the Leader to write to the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (copied to our local MPs) expressing its grave concern about the impact on families within the Vale and to request that the decision to cut the Universal Credit uplift be reversed, and that the uplift be incorporated permanently into Universal Credit. 

 

*The total number of households on Universal Credit as of May 2021 is 6,200; of which 5,248, are in payment. Stats fromGOV.UK.

 

Implementation

 

Leader of the Council to write to Secretary of State for Work and Pensions expressing concern about the impact on families and request that the decision to cut the Universal Credit uplift is reversed and that the uplift be incorporated permanently into Universal Credit. 

 

Letter has been sent and a response received. 

Publication date: 15/12/2021

Date of decision: 06/10/2021

Decided at meeting: 06/10/2021 - Council

 

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Vale of White Horse District Council
Abbey House, Abbey Close,
Abingdon
OX14 3JE