Agenda item

Paper No: COU/WS/20/001

(Council Procedure Rules 8.1 – 8.3) The Leader will submit a report (the Leader’s Statement) summarising important developments and activities since the preceding meeting of the Council.

In the absence of the Leader, Members may ask the Deputy Leader questions on the content of both her introductory remarks and the written statement itself.

A total of 30 minutes will be allowed for questions and responses. There will be a limit of five minutes for each question to be asked and answered. A supplementary question arising from the reply may be asked so long as the five minute limit is not exceeded.

As Councillor John Griffiths, Leader of the Council, had given his apologies for absence for this meeting, Councillor Sara Mildmay-White, Deputy Leader presented Councillor Griffiths’ Statement on his behalf, as outlined in Paper No: COU/WS/20/001.

In her introductory remarks, Councillor Mildmay-White drew attention to the following, that:

a.       Civil Parking Enforcement (CPE) was expected to commence in West Suffolk (and parts of Mid Suffolk) from 1 April 2020.

b.       Together with partners, she had attended a Delivery Infrastructure meeting at Westminster on behalf of the Leader. This principally had provided the opportunity for West Suffolk Council and its partners to lobby for better rail and road infrastructure in the East of England and the vital contributions the East had made in supporting the prosperity of the UK as a whole.

c.       Ground works had started on Barley Homes’ Westfield site in Haverhill.

d.       The Council was continuing to invest in property and businesses within West Suffolk’s town centres, such as the 17-18 Cornhill in Bury St Edmunds; AXA insurance in Haverhill and Omar Homes in Brandon; however it was acknowledged that the vitality of the town centres and high streets had been affected in recent years which was largely due to a fundamental change in people’s shopping habits. Councillor Mildmay-White’s announcement at the Cabinet meeting held on 11 February 2020 regarding the Council’s intention to hold a Town Centre Summit was reiterated. The aim was to gather local business representatives together to ascertain what collectively could be done to improve and enhance West Suffolk’s town centres.

e.       Council would be considering under Agenda Item 10, its proposed budget and council tax for 2020/2021 and its Medium Term Financial Strategy for 2020 - 2024. Specific areas had been proposed for future investment, including developing the health and well-being agenda; increased support to rough sleepers; and supporting new businesses.

The Deputy Leader responded to a range of questions relating to:

a.       that the Council’s Housing Team worked with partners, namely Suffolk County Council’s social services and teams in the health and wellbeing and mental health sectors to support those in extreme need, where possible.

b.       In the context of referring to a case where he stated that temporary accommodation had been sought in Haverhill via Homelink but the persons had been referred to Brandon, Councillor John Burns asked the following:

What efforts are being made to ensure temporary accommodation provision in Haverhill matches demand and that all residents of all areas of West Suffolk receive a level playing field of provision?

Councillor Sara Mildmay-White commended the work of the Housing Team and how they worked tirelessly to accommodate persons appropriately. A written response would be provided to the above question and would be shared with all Members in due course.

Additional comments on the Leader’s Statement included recognition from Councillor Victor Lukaniuk on the proposed investment in Brandon Leisure Centre and thanking those that had been instrumental in helping to bring the Havebury Housing development in Brandon forward.

Recognition was also given to the Council’s achievement of being awarded more than £450,000 for 2020/2021 from the Government’s Rough Sleeper Initiative. Members commended the work of the Council’s Housing, Homelessness and Rough Sleeper teams for their efforts. At the last count, eight rough sleepers were found to be across the whole of West Suffolk, compared to 36 in September 2018. Much the Council’s work was on prevention and last year, 393 households were prevented from becoming homeless.