To consider motions from councillors in accordance with Council procedure rule 38.
(1) Motion to be proposed by Councillor Emily Smith, seconded by Councillor Bethia Thomas:
Local councils are on the frontline, working to support residents and businesses survive a cost-of-living crisis. Our council has worked hard to support our residents through Covid and provide support for local businesses over this period, but demand on our services is increasing rapidly.
Between 2010-11 and 2020-21, district councils saw a 35% real terms reduction in overall spending power.
Analysis by the District Councils Network (DCN) suggests a collective budget gap for district councils of almost £400m in 2022-23. The DCN expects this to rise to at least £600m in 2023-24 (17% of net expenditure), due to the combined impact of the measures in the Autumn Statement and the latest inflation forecasts.
Council Notes that:
· The Autumn Statement does not do enough to cover the budget pressures that councils face due to fuel, energy, pay inflation and pressures on services due to the cost-of-living crisis.
· Without a multi-year financial settlement from government, our council is hindered in our efforts to plan the use of our limited resources efficiently.
· The Autumn Statement was silent on several key points, including reforms to the New Homes Bonus, a business rates re-set, the future of DEFRA’s waste consistency reforms and the Fair Funding Review.
Council Resolves to:
· Continue to do all we can with the limited resources we have to ensure residents and local businesses are supported during the cost-of-living crisis.
· Continue to liaise with the District Councils Network, Local Government Association and South East Councils partnerships to share information and lobby for sufficient funding to be devolved to local government.
· Ask the Leader of the Council to write to the Secretary of State for Communities, Housing and Local Government and the Chancellor of the Exchequer setting out the concerns raised in this motion and asking for:
o A multi-year financial settlement for local government including certainty on the timing of any changes to the New Homes Bonus and the Business Rates reset and the DEFRA waste reforms
o Greater financial flexibility for efficient, low spending councils like the Vale
o The ability to recover the full cost of providing planning and licensing services; at a minimum the early implementation of increases to planning fees proposed earlier in 2022
o Additional funding to address the inflationary cost pressures the council is facing and resources to help address increasing demand for council services
(2) Motion to be proposed by Councillor Diana Lugova, seconded by Councillor Judy Roberts:
Two-thirds of new homes built in England in the year to the end of March 2022 use gas for central heating and will require retrofitting at some point in the future. New homes should be built to be low-carbon, energy, and water efficient, climate resilient and no new homes should be connected to the gas grid.
This council is working towards the district being carbon neutral by 2045 but in relation to planning and building regulations we are constrained in our efforts by national legislation.
Council notes:
1. That building regulations do not require homes or commercial properties to be carbon zero in their construction or their operation, only that they need to be ‘zero carbon ready by 2025’
2. That national planning legislation does not allow councils to enforce zero or negative carbon standards as part of our local plans
3. In response to a Liberal Democrat amendment proposed to the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill* minister Lee Rowley MP made clear the government would not support allowing local planning authorities to insist on zero carbon build
Therefore, council resolves to ask the leader to write to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up Housing and Communities to ask that Building Regulations are urgently updated to reflect an expectation that all new buildings must be zero
or negative carbon in their construction and operation.
Minutes:
(1) Councillor Emily Smith moved and Councillor Bethia Thomas seconded the motion as set out in the agenda at agenda item 14.
After debate and on being put to the vote the motion was agreed.
RESOLVED: That Local councils are on the frontline, working to support residents and businesses survive a cost-of-living crisis. Our council has worked hard to support our residents through Covid and provide support for local businesses over this period, but demand on our services is increasing rapidly.
Between 2010-11 and 2020-21, district councils saw a 35% real terms reduction in overall spending power.
Analysis by the District Councils Network (DCN) suggests a collective budget gap for district councils of almost £400m in 2022-23. The DCN expects this to rise to at least £600m in 2023-24 (17% of net expenditure), due to the combined impact of the measures in the Autumn Statement and the latest inflation forecasts.
Council Notes that:
· The Autumn Statement does not do enough to cover the budget pressures that councils face due to fuel, energy, pay inflation and pressures on services due to the cost-of-living crisis.
· Without a multi-year financial settlement from government, our council is hindered in our efforts to plan the use of our limited resources efficiently.
· The Autumn Statement was silent on several key points, including reforms to the New Homes Bonus, a business rates re-set, the future of DEFRA’s waste consistency reforms and the Fair Funding Review.
Council Resolves to:
· Continue to do all we can with the limited resources we have to ensure residents and local businesses are supported during the cost-of-living crisis.
· Continue to liaise with the District Councils Network, Local Government Association and South East Councils partnerships to share information and lobby for sufficient funding to be devolved to local government.
· Ask the Leader of the Council to write to the Secretary of State for Communities, Housing and Local Government and the Chancellor of the Exchequer setting out the concerns raised in this motion and asking for:
o A multi-year financial settlement for local government including certainty on the timing of any changes to the New Homes Bonus and the Business Rates reset and the DEFRA waste reforms
o Greater financial flexibility for efficient, low spending councils like the Vale
o The ability to recover the full cost of providing planning and licensing services; at a minimum the early implementation of increases to planning fees proposed earlier in 2022
o Additional funding to address the inflationary cost pressures the council is facing and resources to help address increasing demand for council services
(2) Councillor Diana Lugova moved and Councillor Judy Roberts seconded a motion as set out in the agenda at agenda item 14.
After debate and on being put to the vote the motion was agreed.
RESOLVED:
That Two-thirds of new homes built in England in the year to the end of March 2022 use gas for central heating and will require retrofitting at some point in the future. New homes should be built to be low-carbon, energy, and water efficient, climate resilient and no new homes should be connected to the gas grid.
This council is working towards the district being carbon neutral by 2045 but in relation to planning and building regulations we are constrained in our efforts by national legislation.
Council notes:
1. That building regulations do not require homes or commercial properties to be carbon zero in their construction or their operation, only that they need to be ‘zero carbon ready by 2025’
2. That national planning legislation does not allow councils to enforce zero or negative carbon standards as part of our local plans
3. In response to a Liberal Democrat amendment proposed to the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill* minister Lee Rowley MP made clear the government would not support allowing local planning authorities to insist on zero carbon build
Therefore, council resolves to ask the leader to write to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up Housing and Communities to ask that Building Regulations are urgently updated to reflect an expectation that all new buildings must be zero
or negative carbon in their construction and operation.