District Matters

A week at the District Council

October 2024

By the time this column is in print, Monday’s Cabinet meeting will have taken place. But at the time of writing, I’m busy preparing for the meeting, reading all of the many papers, checking information and considering the background.

One of the decisions will be on adopting a new Communications Strategy and a Digital Strategy. Effective communications are vital for any organisation that provides a service to the public, but they are particularly important for the District Council, which has many elderly, infirm and disabled residents.  

Being able to communicate in ways that are relevant, easy to understand, accessible, timely and accurate is essential. In an era of rapid advances in social media, this is more important than ever. But communications must also remain available to those who cannot access the internet, do not use social media or live in some of the more remote parts of the District. Councils are a public service and must be accessible to all with genuine two-way communication.

Another item on the agenda will be updating the Housing Strategy Action Plan and the policy around providing rural housing. This topic is as important today as it has ever been, with local house prices remaining high and the rise in homelessness due to a number of factors beyond our control.

A Notice of Motion for tackling food insecurity and promoting food justice will also be discussed.  Foodbank use in the district has increased dramatically since the pandemic. The District now has the highest level of universal credit claims by those in employment compared with anywhere in the West Midlands. There has also been a sharp rise in the number of residents with health problems who need financial assistance. The Council will be tackling food insecurity with a wide range of partners as well as giving advice and information to those affected.

On Sunday a visit to Snitterfield Village Hall highlighted the work done as a result of a grant from Community Climate Change Fund, introduced earlier this year. The village hall now has an air-source heat pump that is busy reducing the hall’s energy costs.

As with most other weeks, my diary is full of meetings. These include regular updates from senior officers as well as regular weekly sessions with other local government leaders and the Local Government Association (LGA). Meetings with all types of organisations and community groups from across the District are essential and time must also be found to do my own research on what is best practice and best for communities.

This week’s topics have covered advice the District Council can give to address energy costs, initiatives to tackle anti-social behaviour, future Parish Council Forums and the work of the West Midlands Employers organisation. Warwickshire Local Councils Climate Change Partnership gave me the chance to hear from the Environment Agency on flooding prevention work.

Devolution of powers from the government to local authorities has been under discussion this week. The new government has decided to continue the previous government’s plans and finalise devolving some of its powers to Warwickshire County Council. This decision affects district councils in the county. Their leaders and chief executives discussed their common view this week before responding to the minister.

Government planning policy is also being changed and has been the subject of a government consultation.  Our submission on the government’s proposals was informed by an update from our officers and also reports by the LGA and the District Councils Network (DCN).

Alongside all the meetings, there are regular training sessions which councillors must undertake to keep their knowledge up to date. This week we had training on homelessness and housing allocations as well as a presentation from the Rural Services Network.

Away from immediate council business, I had the pleasure of visiting Alcester Academy with our new MP. The head and a brilliant group of students showed us around the school and we talked about their plans for the future.

I also attended Alcester Town Council and gave my regular report as a local Ward member.