Agenda item

To receive an update report on progress made in responding to the recommendations arising from the previous scrutiny inquiry into fuel poverty.

The report of the Head of Scrutiny and Member Development provided the Board with an update on progress made in responding to the recommendations arising from the previous scrutiny inquiry into fuel poverty.

The following were in attendance for this item:

·  Neil Evans – Director of Environment and Neighbourhoods

·  Robert Curtis – Environment Policy Team

·  Kathy Kudelnitzky – Chief Officer, Localities and Partnerships

·  Dr Beth Logan – Policy and Performance Manager, Leeds Initiative

·  Dawn Bailey, Healthy Living Manager, NHS Airedale, Bradford and Leeds Cluster

·  Brenda Fullard, Consultant in Public Health, NHS Airedale, Bradford and Leeds Cluster

The draft status categories assigned to each recommendation within the report were agreed by the Board.

In response to Members comments and questions, the following issues were discussed:

• Appointment of Fuel Poverty Champions at Area Committees. A decision was made at the Area Chairs Forum in July 2012 to await the outcome of the Council’s area review given that this covered the general role of Area Committee Champions and their support needs.  However, it was noted that some Area Committees had already appointed a Fuel Poverty Champion prior to this decision. A report setting out the findings and recommendations of the Council’s area review is expected at the December meeting of the Executive Board.
• Involvement of Locality Health and Wellbeing Managers at Area Committee level.
• It was noted that the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) made £2.59m available to Leeds City Region to spend on a ‘Green Deal Go Early’ project. The Council submitted a proposal for c£1.28m with the intention of delivering grants to public and private sector properties in deprived hard to treat areas and 0% interest loans to less deprived private sector properties.
• That a report was due to go to Executive Board in December regarding the Leeds City Region long-term Green Deal project.
• Partnership working with private landlords
• Options for bulk fuel purchasing  – a funding opportunity had been announced by DECC to help coordinate and conduct a bulk fuel purchasing initiative. In line with this, a proposal is to be presented to Executive Board in December.
• Development of the Winter Plan for Leeds and partnership work with Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) to achieve this. Members requested a copy of the Winter Plan.
• As part of Winter Plan, Leeds City Council, with support from NHS Leeds Public Health and CCGs submitted a proposal to the Department of Health’s ‘Warm Homes Healthy People Fund’ to increase energy saving advice and measures to vulnerable people.  The Board was pleased to note that this had been successful.
• It was noted that the Member Seminar on Fuel Poverty will take place on Wednesday 19^th December 2012.
• Ongoing projects and schemes – outreach work with Groundwork; work with Leeds Federated Housing; and a pilot scheme with the Citizen’s Advice Bureau to offer joint fuel tariff, debt and income maximisation advice over the winter period.
• That the Recycling and Energy Recovery Facility would be enabled for heat and power and there was a clear intention for a district heating scheme.

RESOLVED – That the report and discussion be noted.