Issue - meetings

Cabinet Members each highlighted the salient points of their reports. Members made comments and asked questions and the following points were raised:

·       Home to school transport audit results were due imminently, the work was now complete, and a report would be taken to the following Audit Committee meeting.

·       Regarding empty buildings owned by the Council, a recent Cabinet proposal was considered regarding community use of buildings. An assessment on each property would be required.

·       It was noted that the Council had no powers to set private rents; the Cabinet Member for Housing shared concerns raised by Members regarding private rent increases.

·       There were some outstanding fines from private sector landlords, but larger fines had been paid.

·       Regarding the new governance arrangements with Northampton Partnership Homes (NPH), the Council was better able to work alongside NPH to ensure delivery of services. It also presented more opportunities to join up services.

·       Regarding the energy efficiency scheme, registered providers delivering funding and the Council worked alongside providers to ensure that money was spent appropriately.

·       The current system regarding staff vacancies was that at weekly meetings, any applications were put before a group of Members and officers and if justified, appointments made.

·       An additional planning focus week was planned for December. The number of applications had been reduced by 180 after the last meeting.

·       It was vital that the pre-application service was brought back to improve the quality of applications as well as being an income generator for the Council.

·       Active travel, revenue funding allocation – There was currently no active travel strategy for Northampton; Daventry and Brackley plans were progressing, however, and work on the West Northamptonshire strategy was underway from which the Northampton strategy would emerge.

·       The Cabinet Member for Community Safety & Engagement and Regulatory Services would speak with the Resettlement Team regarding concerns raised about Ukrainian refugees being asked for increased deposits and rent in advance by private landlords.

·       It was explained that covid funds were specifically for covid related requirements, and that it was for each councillor to determine how to spend their allocated funds. The scheme would run until the end of the financial year.

·       The toilets at Abington Park were the subject of regular vandalism and needed to be kept in good order as the park was the most frequently used public space in Northampton.

·       An issue relating to a Persimmon Homes development in Deanshanger Ward had been referred to the Chief Executive the Director for Planning and would be reported back to the Ward Member in due course.

·       2 Pioneer Local Area Partnerships (LAPs) had been set up; DSN4 (comprising Deanshanger, Towcester & Roade, Bugbrooke, Hackleton & Grange Park wards), with 4 Conservative councillors representing those wards, and N4 (comprising Castle, Abington & Phippsville, St George and Dallington & Spencer), with 4 Labour councillors representing those wards. Both LAPs had now met.

·       The Cabinet Member for Children, Families & Education assured Members that she regularly pressed for alternatives to online tools to be made available at libraries, etc, to assist people who  ...  view the full minutes text for item 72