Agenda and minutes

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 21 February 2022 be confirmed and signed by the Chair as a correct record.

No declarations of interest were received at this stage in proceedings.

Purpose of Report

To seek approval from the Executive on the updated Lincoln City Profile for 2021/22 in advance of it being published on the City of Lincoln Council’s website and being shared with external partners.

Decision

(1)  That the findings of the Lincoln City Profile – 2021/22, as detailed at Appendix A to the report, be noted.

(2)  That the Lincoln City Profile – 2021/22 be approved for publication.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected

None.

Reasons for the Decision

The Lincoln City Profile 2021/22 was the updated version of the previous years’ profile, which encompassed a breadth of information, and focused on key demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of, and challenges to, the city of Lincoln.  In doing this, it acted as the evidence base behind the continued development and implementation of City of Lincoln Council’s Vision 2025 strategic priorities. 

The profile included a significant level of trended data to allow visibility of progress over time.  In addition, the inclusion of the CIPFA nearest neighbour and the Police Most Similar Group comparisons were included where data was available and appropriate.

Purpose of Report

To update the Executive on the Central Lincolnshire Local Plan Pre-Submission Consultation Draft.

To seek delegated approval for officers to respond to the consultation. 

Decision

(1)  That the Pre-Submission version of the Central Lincolnshire Local Plan be supported. 

(2)  That delegated authority be given to officers to respond to the consultation by agreeing that the Plan had been ‘Positively Prepared’, is ‘Justified’, is ‘Effective’, is ‘Consistent with national policy’ and is ‘In compliance with the Duty to Co-Operate’, as set out in Appendix 2 to the report.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected

Not to support the Pre-Submission Local Plan. However, this could result in the Plan being delayed or in a worst-case scenario not being adopted which would weaken the Council’s ability to plan for the City’s growth in a sustainable manner.

Reasons for the Decision

The last version of the plan, as seen by the Executive, was the Consultation Draft produced for consultation during June to August 2021. The consultation had focused on an online consultation hub, which had contained all of the key documents including the plan and had provided direct links to maps showing the geographic representation of the plan and supporting evidence. 

Approximately 400 people or organisations had responded to the consultation with in-excess of 2,000 comments in relation to the policies in the plan or the supporting information. Following the consultation on the draft Local Plan in the summer of 2021, Local Plan officers reviewed each policy in light of the responses received. 

The Local Plan had entered its final round of public consultation, which was expected to commence on 15 March 2022 and conclude on 9 May 2022.  Although the consultation was open to the public, a crucial aspect of this consultation was that any comments received would be considered by an independent Planning Inspector during the public examination phase of the Plan.

Consultees were asked to respond to specific questions around issues of ‘soundness’ of the plan and whether the plan had been ‘positively prepared’ and ‘consistent with national policy’. These were questions which were legally required under this phase of the plan.  

Purpose of Report

To provide an update on progress made with the Hermit Street Regeneration project.

To seek authority to progress the project to RIBA stage 4 and the necessary budget approval. 

Decision

(1)  That approval be given for Option 3 to be progressed to RIBA Stage 4 for the provision of technical design information to achieve planning and building regulations in preparation for progressing the scheme to start on site.

(2)  That a further budget allocation of £150,000 be approved to progress the feasibility of the scheme, to be included in the Housing Investment Programme.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected

Alternative masterplan options had been explored, which had included a full demolition and rebuild of the existing area to a very scaled back scheme, which included a ‘light touch’ on the existing flats and some new build units.

A revised and enhanced range of options were set out in the report. The options were considered to make best use of the site land available and to assist in maximising potential funding sources. Three options as part of a two-phased project had been identified with full details included in the report, which included:

·         Phase One, Option 1, would deliver nine new build homes;

·         Phase One, Option 2, would deliver ten new build homes; and

·         Phase One, Option 3, would deliver eleven new build homes (preferred option).

Phase Two would be to remodel existing flats at Hermit Street.

Reasons for the Decision

As part of the Council’s ongoing intervention at Sincil Bank, approval had previously been granted for feasibility work to take place under a framework, to carry out works to RIBA stage 2 to redesign an area of the estate, Hermit Street.

Originally an older persons’ housing scheme, but in recent years allocated as general needs housing, Hermit Street comprised of 127 dwellings, 21 of which had been sold through the Right to Buy. Of the dwellings remaining in Council ownership, the mix comprised 88% one-bedroom flats and 11% two-bedroom flats. 

However, owing to its location, design and composition, the estate had suffered from anti-social behaviour and criminal activity over several years. This had included several high-profile incidents. It was also evident that the current scheme was failing to meet local housing need and there was a low demand for flats in this area. 

The re-design sought to provide both new build and to remodel several one-bedroom flats to provide greater numbers of two-bedroom accommodation and provide three-bedroom accommodation to better meet local housing need. In addition, the concept plan sought to design out crime and anti-social behaviour by ‘opening up’ much of the communal space and to prevent unauthorised access into communal stairwells by providing single access points.

Purpose of Report

To update the Executive on proposed performance targets for 2022/23 across Chief Executive’s; Communities and Environment; and Housing and Investment Directorates. 

To seek approval of the proposed targets for 2022/23. 

Decision

That the proposed targets for 2022/23, as set out in the report, be approved.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected

That existing measures remained. 

Reasons for the Decision

During the process of target setting and target reporting for Quarter Three, several inconsistencies had been highlighted.  The report set out initial steps to rectify inaccurate reporting processes.  The report set out reasons for any proposed change.

Appendix A to the report detailed the measures chosen to have targets monitored. The targets had been developed by assistant directors in consultation with their service managers and then confirmed by directors and portfolio holders.  The proposed targets had been considered and supported by the Performance Scrutiny Committee.

Purpose of Report

To seek approval to extend Lincolnshire Homelessness Strategy for a further twelve months in order to allow time for review.

Decision

That the Lincolnshire Homelessness Strategy be extended for a further twelve months to allow time for review.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected

(1)  To extend the current County Homelessness Strategy.

(2)  To develop a City of Lincoln Homelessness Strategy.

Reasons for the Decision

The Lincolnshire County Homelessness Strategy Group had consisted of members from each of the local authority areas in Lincolnshire together with other statutory and voluntary organisations. This partnership had been recognised as an example of best practice which had enabled the successful development of three previous countywide Homelessness Strategies and had provided access to additional funding to support service provision across the county.

The current strategy had been approved by the Executive in December 2019 and had covered the period up to the end of 2021. The strategy had an action plan to underpin the priorities and was led by the strategic leads of the seven local authorities across the county. The strategy was due to be reviewed in 2021, however Covid-19 had presented many challenges and workstreams had been re-prioritised. 

A review of the existing strategy would update progress on previous highlighted priorities and would shape workstreams to fit within pandemic recovery plans. This would be carried out by all seven local authority areas in the county. The purpose of the review was set out in the report. An extension of the current strategy would allow sufficient time for the review to be completed.

Purpose of Report

To seek approval from the Executive of the new Affordable Warmth Strategy. 

Decision

That the Affordable Warmth Strategy 2022-27 be approved.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected

(1)  To progress the Affordable Warmth Strategy and deliver the actions set out to address fuel poverty which delivered the Council’s Vision 2025 ambitions.

(2)  To reduce the scale and ambition of the Affordable Warmth Strategy and deliver the actions over a longer timescale to relieve pressure on Council resources.

Reasons for the Decision

The Council had adopted the previous Affordable Warmth Strategy in 2009, which set out a plan for reducing the negative impact of fuel poverty on the City. The strategy was in place until 2016 and since then the Council’s affordable warmth and fuel poverty agenda had not been reviewed or updated in line with more recent Government and City of Lincoln Council policies.

The Affordable Warmth Strategy brought together the success of the Council’s partnership approach to ensure that all sectors were working together to tackle fuel poverty effectively. The strategy reflected the objective of the Council’s Housing Strategy 2021 – 2026 to improve housing standards for all and contributes to the Council’s ongoing work to achieve a net zero carbon target by 2030. 

Key objectives of the Lincoln Affordable Warmth Strategy 2021 – 2027 included:

·         To reduce the number of Lincoln residents that were in fuel poverty, targeting those with the highest fuel poverty gap.

·         To improve processes for identifying residents who were in fuel poverty or at risk of ill health due to a cold home.

·         To increase the number of homes in Lincoln with domestic energy efficiency ratings of C, one of the key ways in which the City could tackle the Climate Emergency.

The Strategy also set out priorities to deliver affordable warmth over the next five years, which were detailed in the report.

The latest data available for Lincoln had shown that the City had the second highest level of fuel poverty of all districts in Lincolnshire. In 2019, the total estimated number of households meeting the government’s fuel poverty criteria was 6568. The implications of the Covid-19 pandemic and the significant rise in global, wholesale gas prices were likely to have pushed more households in Lincoln into fuel poverty. 

You are asked to resolve that the press and public be excluded from the meeting during the consideration of the following items because it is likely that if members of the press or public were present, there would be disclosure to them of 'exempt information'.

In accordance with the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012, notice is hereby given of items which will be considered in private, for which either 28 days' notice has been given or approval has been granted by the appropriate person specified in the Regulations. For further details please visit our website at http://www.lincoln.gov.uk or contact Democratic Services at City Hall, Beaumont Fee, Lincoln.

X. This item is being considered in private as it is likely to disclose exempt information, as defined in Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972. No representations have been received in relation to the proposal to consider this item in private.

Y. This item is being considered in private as it is likely to disclose exempt information, as defined in Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972, and has not been deferred for the reasons established in the published notice.

RESOLVED that the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following items of business because it was likely that if members of the public were present there would be a disclosure to them of ‘exempt information’ as defined by Section 100I and Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972.

No representations had been received in relation to the proposal to consider this item in private.

Purpose of Report

As detailed in the exempt report to the Executive.

Decision

That the recommendation to the Executive, as set out in the exempt report, be approved.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected

As detailed in the exempt report to the Executive.

Reasons for the Decision

As detailed in the exempt report to the Executive.

Purpose of Report

As detailed in the exempt report to the Executive.

Decision

That the recommendation to the Executive, as set out in the exempt report, be approved.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected

As detailed in the exempt report to the Executive.

Reasons for the Decision

As detailed in the exempt report to the Executive.

Purpose of Report

As detailed in the exempt report to the Executive.

Decision

That the recommendations to the Executive, as set out in the exempt report, be approved.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected

As detailed in the exempt report to the Executive.

Reasons for the Decision

As detailed in the exempt report to the Executive.

The report provided further information of a commercially sensitive nature, further to Minute 100. 

Purpose of Report

As set out in Minute 100 above.

Decision

As set out in Minute 100 above.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected

As set out in Minute 100 above.

Reasons for the Decision

As set out in Minute 100 above.

NOTE: At this stage in the proceedings, Councillor Ric Metcalfe declared an interest and left for the remainder of the meeting.

COUNCILLOR DONALD NANNESTAD IN THE CHAIR

Purpose of Report

As detailed in the exempt report to the Executive.

Decision

That the recommendations to the Executive, as set out in the exempt report, be approved.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected

As detailed in the exempt report to the Executive.

Reasons for the Decision

As detailed in the exempt report to the Executive.