Agenda and minutes

Your Plymouth - Monday 15 December 2014 4.00 pm, NEW

Contact: Katey Johns  Email: katey.johns@plymouth.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

22.

DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

Members will be asked to make any declarations of interest in respect of items on this agenda.

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest made by members in accordance with the code of conduct.

23.

CHAIR'S URGENT BUSINESS

To receive reports on business which, in the opinion of the Chair, should be brought forward for urgent consideration.

Minutes:

There were no items of Chair’s urgent business.

24.

MINUTES pdf icon PDF 105 KB

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 8 September 2014.

Minutes:

Agreed the minutes of the meeting held on 8 September 2014.

25.

REVISED TERMS OF REFERENCE pdf icon PDF 64 KB

Members will receive for information the revised Terms of Reference for the Your Plymouth scrutiny panel, as approved by City Council on 24 November 2014.

Minutes:

The panel noted its revised terms of reference, the most significant change being the transfer of the responsibility for waste to the Working Plymouth Scrutiny Panel.

26.

HOMELESSNESS pdf icon PDF 827 KB

The Panel will receive an update on the current situation in the City regarding homelessness.  The paper will highlight areas of concern that the panel could consider as part of a future co-operative review.

Minutes:

The panel heard from Councillor Penberthy, the Cabinet Member for Co-operatives, Housing and Community Safety, who, along with Di Charlton and Stuart Palmer, provided an update on the current challenging homelessness situation in the City.  Members were advised that –

 

(a)

 

homelessness had been rising in the City since 2010 and was expected to rise further given the exceptionally challenging economic and housing market environment;

 

(b)

 

in 2013/14 14,737 customers approached the Housing Options service asking for support in relation to their housing (a 40 per cent increase on the previous year – approximately 56 households every day);

 

(c)

 

1,252 of those households were case-worked by a specialist housing advisor, 592 (42 per cent) of which went on to make statutory homeless approaches and 278 of which Plymouth City Council accepted a statutory duty to house;

 

(d)

 

so far this year, homelessness approaches were up 14 per cent and homelessness acceptances up 33 per cent;

 

(e)

 

prevention work carried out last year meant that 892 households did not become homeless.  This year a target of 1,000 households had been set, with 505 having been achieved in the first six months;

 

(f)

 

the rising number of households in temporary accommodation continues to be a major concern and there was considerable overspend in relation to the Bed and Breakfast / Emergency Accommodation budget –

 

·         at the end of last year there were 109 households in temporary accommodation;

·         at the end of the last quarter (September) there were 126;

 

(g)

 

93 families with children were briefly accommodated in Bed and Breakfast accommodation at some point in 2013/14 and were moved into leased houses within three weeks;

 

(h)

 

in the first six months of this year, 80 families had been accommodated in Bed and Breakfasts at some point;

 

(i)

 

with major welfare and social policy changes already impacting on people’s accessibility and affordability of housing, it was expected that the introduction of Universal Credits in 2015 would further exacerbate the situation.  People on benefits will not be used to receiving one monthly payment and may find managing their money difficult.  This had led to tenant evictions in some of the Universal Credit pilot areas.

 

In response to questions raised, Members heard further that –

 

(j)

 

the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) had advised that there would be an accelerated roll-out of Universal Credits.  Whilst the complete programme would be rolled out in phases over two to three years, Plymouth should expect the first tranche during early 2015, targeting single claimants who are working/fit to look for work, the effects from which should be evident next autumn/winter;

 

(k)

 

whilst Plymouth would only be dealing with single claimants in the first tranche, should a claimant move to Plymouth from another area where Universal Credit was already in place their Universal Credit would move with them, regardless of what category claimant they were.  This had already happened in Plymouth;

 

(l)

 

Plymouth had been successful at intervention work and constant review of the Emergency  ...  view the full minutes text for item 26.

27.

UNAUTHORISED ENCAMPMENTS - UPDATE pdf icon PDF 87 KB

Members will receive an update on progress against the recommendations arising for the Unauthorised Encampments Co-operative Review.

 

Members to note this is an information item only and no officer will be present.

Minutes:

Further to the co-operative review undertaken into Unauthorised Encampments, the panel received an update on progress made against the recommendations.

 

There being no questions on the matter, the report was noted.

28.

CO-OPERATIVE SCRUTINY REVIEW - PROBLEM DEBT pdf icon PDF 3 MB

The panel will receive for its information the report arising from the co-operative scrutiny review into Problem Deb.  The report will be considered by the Co-operative Scrutiny Board on 17 December 2014.

Minutes:

The Chair presented the Problem Debt report arising from the recent co-operative scrutiny review and thanked those panel members who had taken part for their contribution.

 

Steve Meakin commented that statistics from the Money Charity and the Insolvency Service indicated that –

 

·        consumer credit debt reduced from £228 bn in Oct 2009  to £168 bn  in Nov 2014;

·        at the same time overall indebtedness was stationary at around £1.46 trillion;

·        the reduction in unsecured debt was reflected in Plymouth in a reduction of the total insolvencies figures; 958 in 2009 down to 690 in 2013;

·        while personal insolvency figures have reduced, the number of people seeking Debt Relief Orders had in Plymouth remained relatively steady and the number of people accessing the remedy in 2010 was equal to that of 2013.

 

In response to Steve Meakin’s comments about the latest national debt levels showing a decline in levels of personal indebtedness and his concerns about the Council becoming an ethical lender and what such a scheme might look like, the Chair advised that –

 

(a)

 

the report had been produced based on the evidence presented during the course of the review and from what witnesses had told the panel;

 

(b)

 

the idea of the Council being an ethical lender was new and was currently being explored by the Council’s Social Inclusion unit with partners.  It was hoped that when (and if) it was nearer to becoming reality, it would come back to scrutiny where the panel could look it in more detail.  The recommendation in the report was simply saying that the panel supported the principle.

 

The report would be considered by the Co-operative Scrutiny Board at its meeting on Wednesday 17 December 2014 and Cabinet in January 2015.

 

The panel noted the report.

29.

TRACKING RESOLUTIONS pdf icon PDF 39 KB

The panel will monitor progress on previous recommendations.

Minutes:

In noting the tracking resolutions schedule monitoring progress against the panel’s previous recommendations, the Chair was pleased to report that Tony Hogg, the Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon and Cornwall, had accepted the invitation and would be attending the panel’s next meeting in March 2015.

30.

WORK PROGRAMME pdf icon PDF 59 KB

To review the Your Plymouth work programme for 2014/2015.

Minutes:

The panel considered its work programme for 2014/15 and agreed that –

 

(1)

 

the following additional items would be considered at its next scheduled meeting in March 2015 –

 

·         Emergency Welfare Fund Update

·         Framework for Working with Citizens and Communities Update

 

(2)

 

the outstanding co-operative review looking into the effects of the expansion of Plymouth University and its students on the surrounding residential areas would be undertaken early in the new year with membership comprising Councillors Kate Taylor, Tuohy and Ricketts and subject to their acceptance, Councillors Martin Leaves and Riley;

 

(3)

 

subject to submission of a PID to the Co-operative Scrutiny Board, a review on sex crimes is undertaken, focussing in particular on incidents taking place on campus, and looking at the ‘No Means No’ campaign.

 

31.

EXEMPT BUSINESS

To consider passing a resolution under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 to exclude the press and public from the meeting for the following item(s) of business on the grounds that it (they) involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph(s)   of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act, as amended by the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Minutes:

There were no items of exempt business.