Agenda item

Proposed by Councillor Chris Vince and seconded by Councillor Tony Edwards:

 

“This Council recognises the impact high inflation, particularly of food and fuel prices, is and will continue to have on the people of Harlow.

 

This Council notes:

 

                      i)        The strong strategic lead other councils across the country are providing in practically addressing fuel and food poverty issues;

 

                     ii)        That Harlow has some of the most deprived wards in Essex;

 

                   iii)        That the cost-of-living crisis is also hitting the wider Harlow community particularly hard, with people worried as to how they will pay their food, fuel, rent or mortgage bills; and

 

                   iv)        That winter is weeks away.

 

This Council will:

 

                      i)        By use of its own resources and through working closely with others, ensure that easily accessible places are available where people can be warm and get advice and support this winter;

 

                     ii)        Ensure that all residents are aware of what support is available by the end November; and

 

                   iii)        Write to the Rt. Hon. Robert Halfon MP, and the appropriate Secretary of State to request any additional government funding required to enable the Council to fund “warm spaces” and address fuel and poverty issues strategically and practically within the Town.”

 

Proposed by Councillor Chris Vince and seconded by Councillor Tony Edwards:

 

“This Council recognises the impact high inflation, particularly of food and fuel prices, is and will continue to have on the people of Harlow.

 

This Council notes:

 

i)              The strong strategic lead other councils across the country are providing in practically addressing fuel and food poverty issues;

 

ii)             That Harlow has some of the most deprived wards in Essex;

 

iii)           That the cost-of-living crisis is also hitting the wider Harlow community particularly hard, with people worried as to how they will pay their food, fuel, rent or mortgage bills; and

 

iv)           That winter is weeks away.

 

This Council will:

 

i)              By use of its own resources and through working closely with others, ensure that easily accessible places are available where people can be warm and get advice and support this winter;

 

ii)             Ensure that all residents are aware of what support is available by the end November; and

 

iii)           Write to the Rt. Hon. Robert Halfon MP, and the appropriate Secretary of State to request any additional government funding required to enable the Council to fund “warm spaces” and address fuel and poverty issues strategically and practically within the Town.”

 

Councillor Dan Swords (seconded by Councillor Russell Perrin) proposed an amendment of the motion as follows:

 

a)    After “This Council notes” insert the wording:

 

i)              The action Harlow Council took to help ease the cost of living in this municipal year’s budget with a £50 Council Tax Efficiency Dividend, a cancellation of the previously planned 1.99% increase of Harlow Council Tax, on top of the £150 Government Council Tax rebate for all Harlow households in Band A-D, therefore, delivering the UK’s biggest ever Council Tax cut;

 

ii)             The steps the Government are taking to help ease the cost-of-living pressures on Harlow households including the Energy Price Guarantee, £400 energy bills discount, Council Tax rebate, £1200 Cost of Living Payment, Universal Credit Taper Rate cut, Warm Homes discount, National Living Wage increase, Winter Fuel payment and much more besides;

 

b)    Amend the line “The strong strategic lead other councils across the country are providing in practically addressing fuel and food poverty issues;” to read

 

“The strong strategic lead Harlow and other councils across the country are providing in practically addressing fuel and food poverty issues;”

 

c)    After “This Council will” remove the wording (and renumber the subsequent paragraphs accordingly):

 

“By use of its own resources and through working closely with others, ensure that easily accessible places are available where people can be warm and get advice and support this winter;

 

“Ensure that all residents are aware of what support is available by the end November; and” and replace with:

 

“Continue the work the Council’s Communities Service is doing to support residents including the exploration of provision of “warm spaces”, ongoing work with the charitable sector and much more besides;

 

“Ensure as far as possible that all residents are aware of what support is available as soon as possible;”

 

d)    After the wording: “Write to the Rt. Hon. Robert Halfon MP, and the appropriate Secretary of State to request any additional government funding required to enable the Council to fund “warm spaces” and address fuel and poverty issues strategically and practically within the Town; and” insert the wording:

 

“Take all possible measures in next year’s budget setting process – as it did this year – to ease the cost of living through the Council Tax system and therefore the Budget will receive cross-party support.”

 

 

It was agreed that, under Rule 12.1.i, the meeting would be adjourned for 10 minutes to allow members to consider the amendment.

 

The amended motion was agreed by the consent of the meeting and became the substantive motion.

 

After a debate, Councillor Swords proposed that the matter was determined by a recorded vote. This was seconded by the required number of Councillors. 

 

The details of the recorded vote are below.

 

Motion – Cost of Living Crisis Support
Councillor David Carter	For
Councillor Simon Carter	For
Councillor Jean Clark	Abstain
Councillor Bob Davis	Against
Councillor Jodi Dunne	Abstain
Councillor Tony Durcan	Abstain
Councillor Tony Edwards	Abstain
Councillor Mike Garnett	For
Councillor James Griggs	Abstain
Councillor Michael Hardware	For
Councillor Andrew Johnson	Abstain
Councillor Steve LeMay	For
Councillor James Leppard	For
Councillor Sue Livings	For
Councillor Ash Malik	For
Councillor Kay Morrison	Abstain
Councillor Colleen Morrison	For
Councillor Russell Perrin	For
Councillor Daniella Pritchard	Abstain
Councillor Matthew Saggers	For
Councillor Clive Souter	For
Councillor Stacy Seales	For
Councillor Lanie Shears	Abstain
Councillor John Strachan	Abstain
Councillor Dan Swords	For
Councillor Chris Vince	Abstain
Councillor Nancy Watson	Abstain
Carried

 

RESOLVED that the substantive motion (as amended) was carried as follows:

 

“This Council recognises the impact high inflation, particularly of food and fuel prices, is and will continue to have on the people of Harlow.

 

This Council notes:

 

i)              The action Harlow Council took to help ease the cost of living in this municipal year’s budget with a £50 Council Tax Efficiency Dividend, a cancellation of the previously planned 1.99% increase of Harlow Council Tax, on top of the £150 Government Council Tax rebate for all Harlow households in Band A-D, therefore, delivering the UK’s biggest ever Council Tax cut;

 

ii)             The steps the Government are taking to help ease the cost-of-living pressures on Harlow households including the Energy Price Guarantee, £400 energy bills discount, Council Tax rebate, £1200 Cost of Living Payment, Universal Credit Taper Rate cut, Warm Homes discount, National Living Wage increase, Winter Fuel payment and much more besides;

 

iii)           The strong strategic lead Harlow and other councils across the country are providing in practically addressing fuel and food poverty issues;

 

iv)           That Harlow has some of the most deprived wards in Essex;

 

v)            That the cost-of-living crisis is also hitting the wider Harlow community particularly hard, with people worried as to how they will pay their food, fuel, rent or mortgage bills; and

 

vi)           That winter is weeks away.

 

This Council will:

 

i)              Continue the work the Council’s Communities Service is doing to support residents including the exploration of provision of “warm spaces”, ongoing work with the charitable sector and much more besides;

 

ii)             Ensure as far as possible that all residents are aware of what support is available as soon as possible;

 

iii)           Write to the Rt. Hon. Robert Halfon MP, and the appropriate Secretary of State to request any additional government funding required to enable the Council to fund “warm spaces” and address fuel and poverty issues strategically and practically within the Town; and

 

iv)           Take all possible measures in next year’s budget setting process – as it did this year – to ease the cost of living through the Council Tax system and therefore the Budget will receive cross-party support.”