Issue - decisions

The following substantive motion (as amended) was AGREED as the outcome of the non-cabinet member debate:

“Building the Homes our Community Needs 

This Council notes:

The pressures on Council Housing stock are immense and in the absence of Government investment, will not ease in the coming months and years, rather they will grow even more. For example, in Brent there are currently 25,853 households on our housing waiting list, containing 53,644 individuals. Even at a record-breaking pace of building, without a renaissance in Government investment in the social housing sector, many of these families will regrettably wait many years for a home.

The Cost of Living Crisis, compounded by a Government that has created a disastrous macroeconomic situation in the UK, has seen more local residents turn to the council for support with their housing needs, with a 33% increase in approaches in the last year. As an authority we are working around the clock to provide support to households effected by the Cost of Living Crisis, with a Resident Support Fund that has distributed £8.46 million to 4,045 households, aiding hundreds of families with Rent Arrears and Mortgage payments; and those in need of food and fuel support. 

We are proud that Brent has made progress in seeking to supply Council Homes, with a record of consistently being one of the leading boroughs in providing social homes in London. There is still more to do and we need to see greater, more urgent resolve from all political parties to deliver more Council Homes for our tenants. There have been 20 ministers for housing in the past 25 years and four housing secretaries in just over a year. We desperately need action from our new Minister, on waiting lists for council housing, supporting private tenants that are made homeless, aiding cladding victims that remain trapped in unsellable flats and homeowners living in fear of their next mortgage bill.  Finally, without the abolition of Right to Buy London will continue to see more council homes sold and private-let with 54,000 and counting across the capital.

The latest report to Cabinet, entitled, ‘Update on the supply of New Affordable Homes’, sets out where Brent is when it comes to the delivery of the New Council Homes Programme (NCHP), our programme to develop 1,000 new council homes by 2025. To date, the Council has developed and let 684 new homes to Brent households and there are 616 homes on site and on track to be completed before 2025. This programme has been made possible through a grant in excess of £100m from the Mayor of London, Labour’s Sadiq Khan, and an investment of more than £200m of the council’s own money.

Spiralling inflation, exacerbated by a botched mini-budget has not only impacted Brent residents, but has also put our council house building programme at risk. As such, on the 14^th November, the Cabinet was asked to formalise a change of approach that would allow Brent Council to deliver much needed housing, within the challenging social and economic climate, providing 50% of new stock at Council Rent and London Affordable Rent level in its own developments.  This approach will deliver Social Housing on Council owned land and will achieve our overriding ambition to reduce the ever-growing housing waiting list in a meaningful way. Where appropriate, council owned land will be used to build the next generation of council homes and play our part in addressing the housing crisis.

There are also a growing number of local people in Brent and in our city, who have been life-long residents of Brent and who are now being priced out of the borough, because of a shortfall in the supply of housing, while demand continues to drive prices higher.

There are no quick fixes to resolve the housing crisis and developers that are granted consent for their private schemes are only part of the larger answer, if we are to provide our area with the type of housing our community desperately needs. 

This Council believes:

1.          The Government needs to provide greater clarity on terminology around housing, particularly what constitutes being ‘genuinely affordable housing’. The Government must explore how more affordable housing can be secured through Land Value Capture and reforming viability assessments.

2.          Targets and policy around house building, must be focused on seeking to reduce the housing waiting list and reduce the number of local people currently in temporary accommodation and deliver family sized housing units, most keenly needed.

3.          Shared Ownership schemes are not a top priority for Brent Council, but do form a valuable part of an overall housing mix, as they allow some people to get onto the housing ladder when they otherwise would not be able to afford a full deposit.

4.          We should never make the perfect enemy of the good in housing policy whilst holding developers accountable and ensuring that a greater proportion of new stock built in our borough is genuinely affordable for local people.

This Council resolves to:

1.          Lobby the government to simplify its terminology on affordable housing in order to give greater clarity across council communications.

2.          Call on the Government to address Land Value Capture and viability assessments to enable Brent to secure at least our Local Plan targets for Social Rents, London Affordable Rent, London Living Rent and Affordable Rent.

3.          Continue to work with the GLA and DLUHC to secure the funding needed to ensure all new developments must seek to provide as much social housing as is financially viable.

4.          Continue to push Brent’s Local Plan target of 50% affordable housing, with a split of 70% low cost rent and 30% intermediate housing, in order to ensure we are building the homes our community really needs.

5.          Play our part in addressing the housing crisis across London, by driving up the supply of housing in every ward in Brent.”

The following motion was declared LOST and therefore not approved as the outcome of the non-cabinet member debate:

“One Hour Free Parking on Brent’s High Streets

This Council notes:

That following the pandemic local businesses have been impacted and require economic recovery support.  Brent Council’s Covid-19 Recovery Strategy sets out a number of objectives to support local businesses.

The high priority highlighted by businesses in relation to parking, as part of the economic recovery support from the pandemic.

This Council believes:

The implementation of a one hour free parking scheme in on-street paid for parking bays will assist the recovery of local businesses in the borough following the pandemic and in advance of the looming cost of living crisis. This can be implemented as a temporary measure and monitored through the council’s routine parking surveys and reports.

Local businesses require economic recovery support from the pandemic.  This new proposal of one-hour free on-street parking will assist, in conjunction with the Borough Plan objectives to build an economy fit for all, the Meanwhile Use strategy to assist with High Street diversification and the Council’s Small Business Saturday awards and shop local campaigns, to deliver inclusive and sustainable economic growth.

The proposal will assist in building a stronger economy and supporting local businesses as well as in safeguard jobs and creating new employment opportunities for Brent’s diverse population.

With this in mind this Council resolves:

To pledge to support local businesses in the recovery from the pandemic by providing, subject to approval of the necessary Traffic Management Orders and new tariff, the implementation of a one-hour free on street parking scheme in paid for parking bays.

To recognise that the one hour on-street parking proposal will:

·                compliment the physical improvements that are taking place on Brent’s High Streets to increase footfall, dwell time and spend, by way of also providing support to local businesses and the economy; and

·                Support families who are making short trips to our town centres with children and the elderly.

To continue to communicate with residents about responsible parking and walking, where possible.”

Having declared the following amendment moved by on behalf of the Liberal Democrats Group LOST:

To add as additional actions under the following section:

“This Council therefore resolves:

·             To reinstate the upgrading of the Personal Tax Allowance and the basic rate tax band with inflation to avoid lower paid people falling into the tax net.

·             To reinstate the £20 pw Universal Credit payment to those on low incomes.

·             To introduce a Windfall Tax on Supermarkets making exceptional profits as a result of rising prices.

·             To resolve the issue of Fair Funding for London Transport to avoid further cuts in public transport and above inflation rises in fares.”

To add as additional actions at the end of the motion:

“As part of the Review into what the Council can do specifically:

·             To consider the use of Reserves (such as the £5.2 million no longer required for meeting past London wide Pension liabilities) to mitigate a 2023/24 Council Tax Rise.

·             To look at all Council Charges such Parking Permits, Toobig for the bin, Green bin collections and others with a view to reducing any which are generating income beyond the economic cost of providing the service.

·             To provide additional resources to those Advice agencies which provide direct advice and support to residents in managing their debts, which assist residents in claiming additional benefits such as pension Credit and those which advise on how to reduce the use of their cars through more walking, cycling and use of public transport and reduce their domestic energy costs by switching of unnecessary appliances and gadgets.

Finally:

The Council also agrees to suspend free parking for Councillors (except those registered as disabled) using the Civic Centre Car Park and allocates all additional income generated from freeing up paid for parking spaces to a fund to assist local residents in most need.”

The following substantive motion was AGREED as the outcome of the non-cabinet member debate:

Leaving No One Behind: Declaring a Cost-of-Living Emergency

This Council notes:

That Brent and its residents are struggling due to the cost-of-living crisis.  For many residents this will have been the most difficult decade they have ever experienced.

In April 2022, the Government increased National Insurance by 1.25%; this is projected to cost the average Brent resident an additional £295 per year.

On 1 April 2022 Ofgem increased the energy price cap by 54 per cent, with the average standard tariff energy bill set to increase by up to £693 per year.

Inflation is now confirmed at 9% with the fastest rate of increase for 40 years.  Inflation has been higher in London than the national average.

In the meantime, at least 25% of the people who work in Brent earn less than the real Living Wage for London.

The LGA estimates that without adequate long-term funding the collective increase in inflationary costs faced by English councils this year will be £2.4bn, growing to £3bn in 2023-24 and £3.6bn in 2024-25.

Local councils up and down the country are the last line of defence in supporting residents during the cost of living crisis.

Figures show that over 5,000 residents presented at Brent Hubs in need of food aid between April 2019 to January 2022.

Between December 2020 and March 2022, the Council distributed £5.5m through grants to Brent residents, supporting the families of approximately 12,000 eligible children and young people with supermarket vouchers during each of the school holidays.

The Brent Resident Support Fund (RSF), has been in place since August 2020: it has supported 2,658 applicants with a total of £5.2 million in cash grants.

This Council believes:

Many of the services we all rely on are in a state of managed decline, starved of sustainable funding.

Inflation is not going to come down overnight and the impact on our local services could be disastrous. In Brent, our council has already cut nearly £200m from our budget, severely curtailing the services offered to residents.

In our local NHS Trust there are over 50k residents on the waiting list for care.

Residents are seeing tax hikes, energy bills soaring and petrol and food prices rising drastically.

Beneath the cost of living crisis, there is a mounting mental health crisis and a housing crisis that never went away.

The average home in Brent costs more than 16 times the average annual salary in the area, 9 times above the English average.

Given the seriousness of the situation this council believes it should speak with one voice to those in power and raise the alarm on behalf of residents across each and every one of our 22 wards and declare a “Cost of Living Emergency”.

This Council therefore resolves:

To declare a “Cost of Living Emergency”.

As part of this, to call on the Government to take the following practical steps in order to help our resident’s incomes stretch further.

·             To stabilise the foundations of our economy by providing emergency support for business, reducing their costs and limiting the price rises they pass on to consumers.

·             To reverse the planned increases to National Insurance, protect our residents by reducing the burden of VAT on everyday goods; and increase welfare support in-line with the rate of inflation.

·             To immediately use revenue from a windfall tax on oil and gas producers to help Brent families with their energy bills.

·             To provide security for the winter and beyond by providing the financial support necessary to retrofit and insulate homes, while looking to the future with commitments to utilise more renewable sources of energy in the National Grid.

·             To put in place a longer-term approach to economic growth and security, under-pinned by an industrial strategy. “This Council notes:

To conduct a full review into what the council can offer Brent families struggling with the cost of living emergency and ensure that the voice of local people is at the centre of its response.”