**A pre meeting for Members to prepare for the Panel will take place 45 minutes before the meeting**
The Press and Public are welcome to attend for the consideration of any items which are public.
Councillor Brown (Chair), Councillors Mrs Bowman, Ms Ellis-Williams, Mrs Glendinning, Meller (Vice Chair), Mrs McKerrell, Mitchelson, Paton.
Substitutes:
Councillors Alcroft, Atkinson, Bainbridge, Birks, Collier, Mrs Finlayson, Glover, Lishman, Mrs Mitchell, Morton, Patrick, Robson, Shepherd, Miss Sherriff, Southward, Sunter, Mrs Tarbitt, Dr Tickner, Tinnion, Miss Whalen.
To note that Council, at its meeting of 14 September 2021, received and adopted the minutes of the meeting held on 29 July 2021. The Chair will sign the minutes. (Copy minutes in Minute Book 48(2)
The Chair will move the minutes of the meeting held on 9 September 2021 as an accurate record. The only part of the minutes that may be discussed is their accuracy.
(Copy minutes herewith).
To consider any matter which has been the subject of call-in.
Background: The Corporate Director of Economic Development to submit an update on the delivery of market and affordable housing, relative to identified housing need and targets, alongside emerging strategies and legislation. It should be noted that Covid-19 inevitably impacted on housing delivery levels during 2020-21. An update has also been provided on housing strategies, partnerships, and joint working initiatives across Carlisle and Cumbria.
Why is this item on the agenda?
Item requested by Panel Chair.
What is the Panel being asked to do?
The Panel are requested to note the key findings relating to housing need and delivery for 2020-21 and scrutinise the effectiveness of existing and emerging strategies and partnerships in supporting identified housing need.
Background: The Corporate Director of Governance and Regulatory Services to submit a report which sets out proposals for the acceptance grant funding, if offered, from the Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy’s Sustainable Warmth Competition, with the Council acting as the lead authority of a Cumbrian consortium of district councils.
Why is this item on the agenda? Item confirmed by Panel Chair
What is the Panel being asked to do? Consider and comment on the report, consider endorsing the recommendations of this report.
The Regulatory Services Manager submitted a report regarding the acceptance of grant funding, if offered, from Business Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Sustainable Warmth Competition and act as the lead authority of a Cumbria Consortium of district councils for the delivery of the grant (GD.72/21)
The Regulatory Services Manager reported that the City Council had applied for £19,955,000 of funding on behalf of the Cumbrian Sustainable Warmth consortium of district councils to address fuel poverty, improve energy efficiency and carbon savings and help boost the local economy to retrofit a target of 1,310, mainly private sector homes, with energy efficiency measures, including low carbon heating across Cumbria.
The Panel discussed the application, in response to questions the Home Improvement Agency Team Leader clarified that Carlisle would lead the work as Eden District Council had received funding from a previous round and the application process preferred that the lead had not received previous funding. In addition, other Districts did not have the capacity to deliver, Carlisle had the Home Improvement Agency and had experience from similar previous funding. The Home Improvement Agency Team Leader explained that there was no risk of the Council overspending, Carlisle would receive a delivery grant of 15% which would cover staff costs. Any funding that was not used would not be clawed back. She reported that it had been difficult to encourage people to apply for the funding for previous schemes of a similar nature, if any District did not have 100% take up of their grant allocation then work could be undertaken in other areas redistribute funding. The Economy, Enterprise and Housing Portfolio Holder reminded the Panel that the City Council had an excellent track record in delivering such funding programmes and the Team were confident that that they could deliver this funding to households in need. The Home Improvement Agency Team Leader clarified for the Panel that low income households were identified as having an annual income under £30,000. The Team had access to a free software package that cross referenced publicly available energy ratings and identified properties which were likely to have a low energy rating, they would then be invited to apply for the funding. The Team encouraged people to apply, if they were not eligible for this scheme the Team could still provide other advice and support to help energy ratings in properties. The Home Improvement Agency Team Leader advised that tenants in social housing would not be eligible to apply as their landlord would need to apply. In addition social housing properties tended to have had improvement work and better energy ratings to meet their landlord responsibilities, however, support may be available for those in rural areas. She added that there were other schemes coming forward that would support social housing tenants. The Environment and Transport Portfolio Holder highlighted the importance of the project in improving the energy ratings in home. The work was a key part of the work the City Council was undertaking to address climate change issues. The Home Improvement Agency Team Leader summed up by confirming that legal had been involved in consideration of the Memorandum of Understanding, their comments were included in the report. RESOLVED - That the Panel supported the acceptance of grant funding if offered, from Business Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Sustainable Warmth Competition as detailed in report GD.72/21 and, recommends to the Executive:
Background: To consider a report providing an overview of matters related to the work of the Economic Growth Scrutiny Panel.
The Economic Growth Scrutiny Panel operates within a Work Programme which is set for the 2021/22 municipal year. The Programme is reviewed at every meeting so that it can be adjusted to reflect the wishes of the Panel and take into account items relevant to this Panel in the latest Notice of Executive Key Decisions.
What is the Panel being asked to do? Note the items within Panel remit on the most recent Notice of Executive Key Decisions Note the current Work Programme.
The Panel agreed that Councillors Meller and Mrs Bowman would take part in the Task Group work. Confirmation of Members to represent the Panel at the Task and Finish Group would be confirmed by email following the meeting to allow an opportunity for Councillor Brown to participate in the Group, if she chose. The Panel also asked that Scrutiny Chairs Group notes be attached to the Overview Report in the future. In considering the work programme the Panel asked that the Events and usage of the City Centre update be moved from December to January 2022. A Member highlighted that the Victorian Baths Feasibility Study had been deferred from this meeting and expressed disappointment that it had taken nearly a year for Scrutiny to see the document. She asked for an update on the Study. The Overview and Scrutiny Officer explained that she was working with officers to ensure that the report came to the Panel at the earliest opportunity. The report had been deferred from today’s meeting to allow for some additional work to take place.
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Enquiries, requests for reports, background papers etc to: committeeservices@carlisle.gov.uk