Question 1 – from Cllr Whiting to Portfolio Holder for Corporate Resources and Performance
“What support, if any, is Gedling Borough Council able to provide those pensioners who will lose their Winter Fuel Allowance as a result of the introduction of means testing?”
Question 2 – from Cllr Bestwick to Portfolio Holder for Sustainable Growth and Economy
"Will the Council be following the new Labour Government’s directive to drop the local connection test for social housing? If so how many non UK nationals are likely to be added to the list in Gedling and what will that mean to the local residents already on the waiting list?”
Question 3 – from Cllr S Smith to Portfolio Holder for Sustainable Growth and Economy
“Following the Labour Government’s announcement of the reintroduction of housing targets and the increase of 45% in Gedling. Can you inform the Council of what additional sites you have highlighted for future housing development across our borough?”
Minutes:
A question was asked of the Portfolio Holder for Corporate Resources and Performance by Councillor Whiting, as follows:
“What support, if any, is Gedling Borough Council able to provide those pensioners who will lose their Winter Fuel Allowance as a result of the introduction of means testing?”
Response from Councillor Payne:
Can I start off by thanking Cllr Whiting for his question and by saying that this is an issue that is a concern for everyone in this chamber. Support for our most vulnerable residents is something this council has been focused on since we took control of the council in 2011 and will continue to be focused on.
In terms of the specific question that you asked, despite huge financial cuts imposed by the previous conservative government over many years, this labour council is incredibly proud of its ongoing support to its most vulnerable residents, and I am pleased to say that this commitment has been continued by Gedling Borough Council into this financial year. I can give you four particular examples, three of which pensioners who you referred to specifically in your question, are eligible for.
Firstly, we provide discretionary housing payments and in 2023/2024 we distributed £184,000 in accordance with the eligibility criteria set out. Secondly, we provide hardship relief to council tax payers and in 2023/2024 we granted a further £107,000 to our local residents. Thirdly, although not relevant to this particular question about pensioners, the council provided £214,000 of council tax support to care leavers, an issue that I know is very important to you and everyone in this chamber. Fourthly, we of course continue to be one of only a handful of councils that maintains the 100% council tax reduction scheme meaning that our most vulnerable residents across the borough are protected from paying any council tax at all.
The financial outlook remains incredibly challenging, as it does for the county, but I am sure I speak for everyone when I say that we will continue to do all that we can to maintain our support for our most vulnerable residents in future years. I will finish by saying this – this council also has an incredibly important role to play in making sure that other forms of funding handed out by central government are levied to support the most vulnerable people in the borough even if we are not directly responsible for it. I know that is something you have done in the past and will continue to do so I hope Councillor Whiting that you will join me in pressing Nottinghamshire County Council to make sure that the extended household support fund goes to the most vulnerable residents, including to those pensioners who now might be struggling this winter. It is absolutely critical that Nottinghamshire County Council see fit to do this – central government have taken the right decision in my view to extend that funding by a further £421 million to county councils across England. Nottinghamshire county council is receiving a fair share of that, and it is critical that they make sure that a fair share of that funding goes towards the pensioners here in Gedling.
Councillor Whiting followed up confirming he would like to join in praising the work that this council had done but wondered if he could make four particular suggestions that the council might be able to consider. He asked if the following options were possible:
- Could the Council help to advertise pension credit, how to sign up for it and eligibility on their social media channels?
- Could officers give individual councillors information to help to identify people within their wards who might be eligible for help but may be struggling to sign up?
- Could the council advertise schemes for insulation for houses? There are many draughty Victorian houses across the borough that are hard to keep warm
- Could the council commit to continuing to support community groups that are going to be providing warm hubs as they have done in the past?
Follow up response from Councillor Payne:
Thank you for your considered follow up question and can I say that you deserve a huge amount of credit for coming here to ask an important question and give potential constructive criticism, which I am willing to take on the chin, but also for offering some solutions and suggestions to help the people of this borough.
In terms of the pension credit advertising – I give you my commitment that we will do whatever we can do on this. We have brilliant staff in Communications and Revenue and Benefits who always go above and beyond and will no doubt be happy to assist anyone.
In terms of sharing data on vulnerable people in wards, there may be an issue with this due to GDPR and data sharing between central and local authorities. We need to get to the bottom of this issue as it can’t be right that we can’t get to these specific people – I have pressed this point with central government. The Secretary of State for the Department of Work and Pensions has committed to write out to every pensioner on housing benefit to encourage them to apply for pensions credit, which would likely give them eligibility for the winter fuel allowance under the new arrangements.
In terms of insulation – the council has a really good track record of signing up for boiler and insulation schemes so I will ask officers to dig deep to see what else they can do in terms of bidding for funding in these areas. Insulting homes is something that was on the Labour government manifesto, so we have a mammoth job on our hands with around 90 million homes needing it.
These are really important issues, and you have my word as part of this council and as Member of Parliament for Gedling, that I will do my best to help with them.
Lastly on the warm homes, this council has a great track record of supporting them in the past and is committed to continuing to support them and the great voluntary sector groups that run them.
A question was asked of the Portfolio Holder for Sustainable Growth and Economy by Councillor Bestwick, as follows:
"Will the Council be following the new Labour Government’s directive to drop the local connection test for social housing? If so, how many non-UK nationals are likely to be added to the list in Gedling and what will that mean to the local residents already on the waiting list?”
Response from Councillor Hollingsworth
Earlier this year, the former prime minister consulted on six new tests to determine whether people qualify for social housing, these included a UK connection and a local connection. At the beginning of August, the new minister confirmed that government does not intend to enact the proposals in the consultation. Therefore, the current rules apply.
The existing system allows Local Authorities to set their own allocation policy. The Housing team are currently reviewing our existing policy, as we would do annually, due to the overall demand for social housing in the Borough.
There are no plans to alter our current local connection criteria which is 3 years living or working in the Borough.
Refugees are allowed to claim social housing but anyone who is not entitled to benefits is not, which means that most Non-UK Nationals are already excluded. Figures shows that 90% of lead tenants in social housing are British citizens. We cannot predict the number of non-UK Nationals in our area as this is not in our control.
Councillor Bestwick followed up to say he felt the answer did not give assurance to local residents on non-UK nationals being given priority on the housing register, due to the changes in local connection rules. Councillor Hollingsworth read out the part of her original answer that confirmed that there are no plans to alter the council’s current local connection criteria - which is 3 years living or working in the Borough.
A question was asked of the Portfolio Holder for Sustainable Growth and Economy, By Councillor Sam Smith, as follows:
“Following the Labour Government’s announcement of the reintroduction of housing targets and the increase of 45% in Gedling. Can you inform the Council of what additional sites you have highlighted for future housing development across our borough?”
Response from Councillor Hollingsworth
The Government has recently published draft revisions to the NPPF and to the standard method for assessing local housing need. The draft standard method uses an area’s housing stock rather than the 2014 household projections as its base. For Gedling Borough Council, the draft standard method housing need would be 11,970 new homes over the Strategic Plan period (2023 – 2041) - this compares with a housing need of 8,280 based on the existing 2023 standard method.
However, the government recognises that local plans at an advanced stage should still proceed under the current NPPF version if they have reached publication stage within one month of the publication of the new NPPF and are within 200 dwellings per annum of the governments proposed housing target. Therefore, the plan can be examined under the current 2023 NPPF. The Greater Nottingham councils plan to publish the plan before the end of 2024 under these transitional arrangements. For Gedling, this will be subject to Cabinet and full council approval in October.
In terms of housing sites, consultation on the Greater Nottingham Strategic Plan took place between 4January and 14 February 2023 and included an extension to the existing allocation for 640 dwellings.
The Publication Draft Strategic Plan continues to propose an extension to the existing allocation at Top Wighay Farm, for 710 dwellings - this allocation would not require any amendment to the Green Belt boundary.
The remainder of Gedling’s housing provision, currently around 1,050 homes identified through the transitional arrangements, may increase further dependent on the Standard Method that is in force at the time and will be met through non-strategic allocations in future plan preparation. This may include sites in or adjoining the Key Settlements for growth of Bestwood Village, Calverton and Ravenshead.
Councillor Smith followed up to ask what the council were doing to protect the green belt, given the new labour government directives in increased housing targets. Councillor Hollingsworth explained the many processed and steps that would be taken before any green belt land was identified for use and noted that these steps in themselves help to protect the green belt.