To receive a presentation at the meeting.
Minutes:
The Communities and Neighbourhoods Scrutiny Board (4) received and noted two briefings, the first from the Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities and the second from the Cabinet Member for City Services. The briefings outline the priorities for their portfolios for 2025/26.
The Cabinet Member (and Deputy Cabinet Member) for Housing and Communities highlighted the following areas:
Housing and Homelessness – Two new temporary accommodations have been built including New Leaf House. The council will need to continue to work with Citizen to improve housing stock.
New National Planning Legislation – Changes in planning legislation will create challenges that the Planning Committee, the Cabinet Member and the Board will need to work together to overcome.
Cultural Gateway Building – Work is well on the way at transforming the old IKEA building into the Cultural Gateway Centre and is on track to be completed on time.
Community Resilience Team – Obtaining further funding for breakfast clubs and working to continue settlement schemes from Ukraine and Afghanistan. Working particularly with Sharon Thompson to increase grant funding and building an inclusive and diverse city.
Culture and Creative Economy – focus on the Creative Economy and Creative Industries Strategy, including the Heritage Strategy and the City Centre Cultural Gateway Project and the new lease for the Priory Visitor Centre.
The Cabinet Member for City Services highlighted the following areas:
Switching Lights Back On – The lights will be switched back on little by little, the process will be funded partially through PFIs and will be made more efficient and cheaper in the long term through the move to LED lighting with attached smart meters.
Potholes – With four extra teams and increased funding, for the first time the team can be proactive instead of reactive. They are improving the roads, cleaning the gutters and preparing for the more and more frequent extreme weather events that have come about due to climate change.
Litter Picking – The council is worker closer and closer with volunteer litter pickers to increase their efficiency, increased organisation and cooperation has had it more disciplined and better at targeting at risk areas.
Road Safety – Through the effective use of resources and targeting particular dangerous areas the council aims to cut fatalities and make the city safer. This is being done through the use of 20mph speed limit areas and instillations such as puffin crossings.
Extreme Weather and Climate Change Mitigation – Targeted flood risk prevention in areas such as Orsley and Eastern Green will be implemented alongside broader emissions reduction and mitigation measures.
Waste Management – Combined efforts with Solihull have addressed numerous waste issues including gas canisters damaging chimney stacks. There is also work to ensure waste no longer goes to landfills and materials are always properly recycled when possible.
Members discussed the priorities highlighted by both Cabinet Members and made comments, asked questions and received answers in respect of topics raised above. This included: