Agenda and minutes

There were no apologies for absence

The minutes of the meeting held on 9^th June 2022 were approved as a correct record. 

(Moved by Councillor M Summers and seconded by Councillor R Pritchard)

QUESTIONS FROM MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC NO. 1 Under Schedule 4, 13, Mr H Loxton asked the Portfolio Holder for Finance, Risk and Customer Services Councillor M Bailey, the following question:-

On the 30th May 2022 the council provided an update on the energy rebate. The update stated that 8,877 letters had been issued to non-direct debit payers with how to claim the £150.00 rebate from the post office.  Could you please confirm how many of those letters had actually been sent to residents, and how many are included in the ones being issued by the post office over the three weeks from the 28th June?

Councillor Marie Bailey gave the following answer: -

As at 30th May, the Council had sent the required data file to the Post Office for them to issue the letters to the 8,877 non-direct debit payers. As you will appreciate, the Post Office need to put processes in place to ensure that they are able to manage the large number of cash payments expected at individual branches. In order to make sure that cash is available when people visit their Post Office to collect it, they are sending the letters out over three weeks from 28th June. Although no letters had been sent to residents as at 30th May, they should have started to be delivered from 28th June with residents starting to collect the cash payments from this week.

Mr Loxton asked the following supplementary Question

After an update on 30^th May residents were told to expect letters in the next couple of weeks which were never sent.  At what date did the Council know that the letters had not been sent.

Councillor Bailey provided the following written answer

The update was posted on the Councils website on 30 May 2022. At this point the Authority had uploaded a large data file to the Post Office of 8,877 letters. It was our understanding after discussions with a representative at the Post Office that they would commence the printing and distribution of these letters commencing the end of May 2022 and into June 2022.  

On the 8 June 2022 there was an update meeting with Senior Management at the Post office to assess their progress. Regrettably they confirmed that they had not been able to post the letters out at this point. They reasoned that this was a large scale job which involved the logistics to ensure that sufficient cash would be available at local Post Office branches together with sufficiently trained and upskilled Post Office staff - in fact adding additional resources at branches to deal with this increased demand. This they confirmed is being done across the country to deal with the substantial demand for their resources.

We have since worked with them on this matter to try to lessen any further delays. It involved the logistics and a revised service delivery plan. Hence the update on the Councils website on the 15 June which confirmed the updated delivery dates with  ...  view the full minutes text for item 11.

None

(Report of the Leader of the Council)

Report of the Leader of the Council to update Cabinet on the progress of the Future High Streets Fund programme.

(Report of the Leader of the Council)

Report of the Leader of the Council to outline the recent work undertaken by the Staffordshire Sustainability Board and to endorse the Vision and Base Pledge

(Report of Portfolio Holders for Environment, Entertainment and Leisure and for Voluntary sector, Town centre, Evening economy & Community Safety)

Report of the Portfolio Holder for Skills, Planning, Economy & Waste and Portfolio Holder for Voluntary Sector, Town Centre, Evening Economy & Community Safety to consider proposals for grant funding for Councillor lead project funds.

Cabinet thanked Councillor Summers and Officers involved in compiling the report. 

(Report of the Portfolio Holder for Skills, Planning, Economy & Waste)

Report of the Portfolio Holder for Skills, Planning and Waste to agree a process for neighbourhood CIL spending.

(Report of the Portfolio Holder for Voluntary sector, Town Centre, Evening economy & Community Safety)

Report of the Portfolio Holder for Voluntary sector, Town Centre, Evening economy & Community Safety to inform Members of the Community Grants, Councillor Grants, and Festive Grants awards made during 2021/22

To consider excluding the Press and Public from the meeting by passing the following resolution:-

“That in accordance with the provisions of the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meeting and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012, and Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting during the consideration of the following business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraphs 1, 2, 3 and /or 4 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Act and the public interest in withholding the information outweighs the public  interest in disclosing the information to the public”

At the time this agenda is published no representations have been received that this part of the meeting should be open to the public.

(Report of the Leader of the Council)

Resolved:  that the recommendations in the report be approved.

(Moved by Councillor J Oates and seconded by Councillor  R Pritchard)

(Report of the Portfolio Holder for Engagement, Civic Pride and Pride in Place)

Resolved:  that the recommendations in the report be approved

(Moved by Councillor T Clements and seconded by Councillor M Bailey)