Minute No. 325 (Cabinet Book 3, Agenda item No. 16 refers)

Referred direct by Cabinet

The Committee considered Minute 325 of the meeting of the Cabinet held on 29 September 2022, which had been referred directly to the Committee for scrutiny, together with the recommendations arising from the meeting of the Economic Recovery, Regeneration and Housing Working Party held on 5 September 2022.

Resolved:

That the following decisions of the Cabinet be noted:

“1. That the Notice of Motion seeking the declaration of a cost-of-living emergency in Southend-on-Sea be noted.

2. That a cost-of-living emergency be declared in Southend-on-Sea.

3. That the recommendations set out within the Notice of Motion be reviewed in line with the Council’s budget principles already agreed, the most significant being the financial implications of response to the cost-of-living emergency.

4. That the proposed approach to the response to the cost-of-living emergency, alongside the tackling poverty workstream and wider strategic work to prevent duplication and improve consistency, be approved.

5. That the Cabinet Member for Economic Recovery, Regeneration and Housing be designated as the member champion for the response to the cost-of-living emergency.

6. That the Economic Recovery, Regeneration and Housing Working Party act as the multi-agency partnership task and finish group to deliver the response to the cost-of-living emergency, and that representation on the Working Party also include Group Leaders, Cabinet Members and relevant partners and stakeholders, in order to pool resources and maximise the impact of this work.

7. That a co-produced action plan be developed as part of the response to the cost-of-living emergency, with clear lines of reporting and accountability to focus activity and prioritise tasks.

8. That the response to the cost-of-living emergency seeks to improve access to support services, making them easier to access for all who need them, with particular focus on inclusivity.

9. That the response to the cost-of-living emergency considers the impact of the crisis on mental health and ensures that work activity takes account of this element of wellbeing.”

Note: This is an Executive Function

Cabinet Member: Councillor I Gilbert

Minutes to follow