Agenda and minutes

There were no declarations of interest.

The minutes of the meeting held on 13^th January 2015 were agreed and signed as a true record.

Report of the Executive Director, Place

Note: A Briefing Note detailing consideration of this item by the Business, Economy and Enterprise Scrutiny Board (3) at their meeting on 11 March, 2015 is attached.

The Cabinet Member considered a report of the Executive Director of Place that sought approval for the submission of Coventry City Council’s 2015 progress report to the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change regarding energy conservation measures in the housing sector and to the progress report being made available to the public on the Coventry City Council website.

The Cabinet Member noted that the report had also been submitted to the Business, Economy and Enterprise Scrutiny Board (3) and a briefing note, detailing their recommendations following consideration of this matter, was appended to the report.

Local authorities had duties under Sections 2 and 5 of the Home Energy Conservation Act 1995 to prepare reports on energy conservation measures for submission to the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change. The Government issued revised guidance in July 2012 on new reporting arrangements that would apply within the policy context of the Green Deal and Energy Company Obligation. In accordance with further revised guidance in March 2013, a Coventry City Council report, attached as an appendix to this report, was submitted to the Secretary of State by the 31^st March 2013 deadline following its approval at the Joint Meeting of former Cabinet Members (Sustainability and Local Infrastructure) and (Neighbourhood Action, Housing, Leisure and Culture) on 14th March 2013 (their minute 8/13 referred). Local authorities were required to review the progress made in implementing the energy conservation measures in the reports, submit further reports to the Secretary of State at two yearly intervals and make them available to the public on the Council’s website.

Since the 2013 report, the definition of fuel poverty that the Government used to estimate fuel poverty levels had changed. Previously a household was deemed to be fuel poor if more than 10% of income had to be spent to achieve an adequate level of warmth. Under the new Low Income High Cost measure a household was deemed to be fuel poor if their required fuel costs were above the national median level and were they to spend that amount they would be left with a residual income below the official poverty line. Fuel poverty continued to be a cause for concern in the City, in 2012 Coventry had the 8th highest level of fuel poverty of all local authorities in England.

RESOLVED that the Cabinet Member (Business, Enterprise and Employment):

1)  Notes the concerns of the Business, Economy and Enterprise Scrutiny Board (3) regarding the change to the way that fuel poverty is calculated and proposes to review the matter further in the future.

2)  Agrees to the submission of the energy conservation measures in the housing sector progress report set out in Appendix B to the report, to the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change by 31 March 2015.

3)  Agrees to the progress report being made available to the public on the Coventry City Council website.

Report of the Executive Director, Place

The Cabinet Member considered a report of the Executive Director of Place that sought approval for increases in Place Directorate Fees and Charges from 1st April 2015, for a number of services within the Business, Enterprise and Employment portfolio. The changes being proposed were in line with the revised Charging Policy approved by Cabinet Member (Strategic Finance and Resources) in July 2013 (his minute 12/13 referred) having been benchmarked against other similar providers where applicable.

RESOLVED that the Cabinet Member (Business, Enterprise and Employment):

1)  Approves the new fees/charges with effect from 1st April 2015 in respect of Street Trading Pedi-Cycle hire as detailed in paragraph 2.1 of the report.

2) Acknowledges the increase in Section 106 agreement administration fee/charge as detailed in paragraph 2.1 of the report.

2)  Requests that Planning Committee at its meeting on 2 April 2015 considers and approves the increase in Section 106 agreement administration fee/charge as detailed in paragraph 2.1 of the report.

There are no outstanding issues

There were no outstanding issues.

There were no other items of public business.