Decisions

The Forward Plan of Key Decisions for the period 21 June to 18 October 2023, which detailed the following issues, was approved:

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Alan White

Leader of the Council

Decision – That the oral report of the Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Economy and Skills giving an update on “Staffordshire Means Back to Business” activity including the following matters be noted:

·       This month saw an increase of 545 claimants, and the total number of claimants in the county now stands at 16,045 or 3%. The claimant count rate in Staffordshire continues to be one of the lowest in the West Midlands and lower than the average for England of 3.9% of the working age population.

·       The youth claimant count in Staffordshire saw an increase of 60 claimants to a total of 2,935 young people. The proportion of young people in Staffordshire aged 18-24 that are claiming work-related Universal Credit has increased this month from 4.6% to 4.7%, although this remains lower than the national rate of 5% and far lower than the regional rate of 6.7%.

·       Demand for labour and skills however remains high, with there currently being 1.1 jobs available for every claimant within the county, and therefore our focus continues to be to support those that unfortunately find themselves unemployed, to transition into work.

·       The visitor economy accounts for and supports around 33,000 jobs in Staffordshire, contributing around £1.87 billion to the local economy.  However, the visitor economy and wider hospitality sectors have faced challenges and opportunities in recent years. We continue to recognise the importance of this sector and supporting the visitor economy is a key part of the delivery of our overall Economic Strategy.  As part of VisitEngland’s national reform of Destination Management Organisations, in early 2023 we were invited to submit an Expression of Interest to become a Local Visitor Economy Partnership. This national programme is expected to create around 40 strategic partnerships which will work in collaboration locally, regionally and nationally on shared priorities and targets to support and grow the visitor economy and have the potential to bring significant benefits to the county, including through access to support and future funding programmes.  After receiving positive feedback on our submission, we were invited to develop a full application to which we received a positive response. Tomorrow I am involved in further discussions including with VisitEngland with a view to securing a Local Visitor Economy Partnership for the area and will hopefully be able to announce a positive outcome in the not too distant future.

It was the eighth Staffordshire Day at the start of month, with this year’s theme being sustainability and giving us all a chance to celebrate the many ways the county is doing its bit to reduce its impact on the environment. It was great to see that there were so many events that took place across the county, including a food festival at Trentham Estate, a family fun day at the National Memorial Arboretum and a plant hunter’s fair at Weston Park featuring plants from all over the world. On Staffordshire Day, We Are Staffordshire also launched its new campaign, A Place to Thrive, which highlights the county’s many assets and all the reasons why more and more people and businesses want to relocate to the county.

Decision – That the minutes of the meeting of the Property Sub-Committee held on 3 May 2023 be received.

Decision – That the oral report of the Leader of the Council giving an update on a range of issues including businesses and organisations all over Staffordshire coming together to celebrate the King’s Coronation; the Registration Service’s proposal  to give to the parents of every baby born in Staffordshire on 6th May a commemorative mug and invite them to a special event here in county buildings next month; Staffordshire Day, on Monday 1st May, the annual celebration of our wonderful county; helping nature thrive and act on climate change, by encouraging people to take part in “No Mow May” by keeping their lawnmowers locked up during May; additional funding of £5m by the Council to fill more potholes; creating the right conditions for Staffordshire’s economy to grow and create more jobs for our people such as Chatterley Valley in Newcastle, and in support programmes for businesses large, small; the start of Fostering Fortnight, a chance to promote the vital impact our carers make in the lives of some of our most vulnerable children and young people; the launch of a consultation on proposals to improve support for children with special educational needs and disabilities; and the Council’s participation in Diabetes Prevention Week, to encourage more people to help themselves and live fuller lives for longer; be noted.

Reasons for the Decision – To consider the impact of the delivery of the Household Support Fund (HSF) grant on local residents to date and the plan for the financial year 2023/24

Decision – (a) That the impact of the Household Support Fund in supporting residents in need of financial assistance be acknowledged.

(b) That the anticipated receipt of £11,013,096.00 from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), in relation to the HSF be acknowledged.

(c) That the planned proposals for the usage of the HSF in Staffordshire for the financial year 2023/24 be endorsed.

(d) That authority be delegated to the Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, in consultation with the Director for Families and Communities, to decide the delivery and eligibility criteria for distribution of the HSF in Staffordshire, and to take all other subsequent decisions to ensure that this support gets to those who need it as quickly as possible. This includes any decisions in respect of extensions to the Scheme or additional funding, ensuring Cabinet are fully briefed on any such extensions or spending.

(e) That the flexibility to amend the amount of funding proposed for each scheme to ensure we can meet the demand or need due to the spend outlined being anticipated be approved.

(f) That the extension of the current arrangements in place with Hemingways digital voucher, Beat the Cold and Community Foundation for Staffordshire for a further 12 months be approved.

Reasons for the Decision – To consider policy changes to control the use of the Council’s HWRC network and minimise both operational and financial pressures and to reflect operational changes since the network came in-house.

Decision – (a) That the feedback from the public consultation which have informed recommended HWRC Policy changes be noted.

(b) That the recommended HWRC Policy changes be approved.

(c) That the Waste and Sustainability Service be authorised to implement the HWRC Policy changes and any legislative changes to be made to HWRC Policies

(d) That the Director of Economy, Infrastructure and Skills, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Environment, Infrastructure and Climate Change, be authorised to implement a new re -use competition process to put in place an operational model that provides a service to the residents of Staffordshire County Council for implementation from April 2024.

(e) That the improvements made to date on the HWRC network be noted.

(f) That the Cabinet’s thanks be extended to staff at the HWRCs for the improvements they have made which have led to increased customer satisfaction levels.