Issue - meetings

Questions by the Public

 

 

Meeting: 10/06/2013 - City Council (Item 14)

QUESTIONS BY THE PUBLIC

To receive questions from and provide answers to the public in relation to matters which are about something the council is responsible for or something that directly affects people in the city, in accordance with Part B, paragraph 11 of the Constitution.

 

Questions, of no longer than 50 words, can be submitted to the Democratic Support Unit, Plymouth City Council, Civic Centre, Plymouth, PL1 2AA, or email to democraticsupport@plymouth.gov.uk. Any questions must be received at least five complete working days before the meeting.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Two questions had been received from members of the public in relation to matters which in the opinion of the Lord Mayor, were relevant to the business of the meeting, in accordance with paragraph 10 of the Constitution.

 

MrAldred (Q1) attended the meeting and the Councillor Penberthy responded as set out below.

 

Question No

Question By

Cabinet Member

Subject

Q1/13-14

Mr R Aldred

Councillor Penberthy (Cabinet Member for Cooperatives and Community Development)

 

‘Bedroom’ Tax: Reclassification by Housing Associations

 

Will the council be writing to the housing associations in the Plymouth area and encouraging them to reclassify their social housing as a way to properly oppose this bedroom tax as done by Leeds Council and the Knowsley Housing Trust?

 

Response:

       

The council has been working cooperatively and proactively for over a year with partners to look at ways to mitigate the worst impact of the Government’s Welfare Reforms.

 

We are aware that the government’s ‘Bedroom’ Tax is hitting our partners, their tenants and the Plymouth economy significantly. We have already been in discussions with partners around reclassification of bedrooms in some detail, and they are clear in pointing out that it is not a simple issue.

 

National Government has made it almost impossible to find ways to legally lessen the impact on some of our poorest families. We are aware that within the first eight weeks of the ‘Bedroom’ Tax, our local housing associations have seen a steep rise in rent arrears, with it affecting at least 400 households in the city.

 

Unfortunately the argument around reclassification is not simple and while the impact on councils who own their stock is minimal, housing associations have least room to manoeuvre. They have said that the main impacts would be:

·         a loss of income as they would be required by law to cut their rents;

·         a potential reclassification of premises impacted by the ‘Bedroom’ Tax would lead to different rent charges being applied to identical properties based solely on who is paying the bill, a clearly unfair situation;

·         a potential reclassification of all identical properties where any are impacted by the ‘Bedroom’ Tax would lead to an immediate increase in overcrowded properties exacerbating the current situation, a course of action which neither they nor we would want to take;

·         financial viability as accommodation size is an important part of their housing stock value; this value is used to lever operating capital, improvement works and new housing developments.

 

As part of our on-going work with our local housing associations, I have already written to them to ask them to consider reclassification.

 

We will continue to support and work proactively with our partners to find ways of mitigating the impact of the government’s ‘Bedroom’ Tax.

 

 

In the absence of the questioner for Q2, a written response would be sent to Mr Taylor-Wickenden as set out below.     

 

Question No

Question By

Cabinet Member

Subject

Q2/13-14

Mr Samuel Taylor-Wickenden

Councillor Lowry (Cabinet Member for Finance)

 

Debts from non-payment of Council Tax

What will it  ...  view the full minutes text for item 14