Agenda item

Minutes:

Councillor Trevor Young submitted the following question to the meeting: -

 

1)      Question to Cllr Sheila Bibb, Chairman of the Prosperous Communities Committee, from Councillor Trevor Young

 

“Disabled Facilities Grants are aimed at supporting and assisting the most vulnerable individuals especially the frail and elderly in maintaining their independence to help them either remain living in their own accommodation longer, or to help facilitate earlier discharge from hospital settings.

 

Timeliness is therefore essential, and in a lot of cases it is critical.

 

Could the Chairman of Prosperous Communities Committee please explain why in West Lindsey it takes 12 months to process a DFG application?

 

Are we not failing the most vulnerable people we serve, and impacting on other key services such as the NHS and Social Care?”

 

Councillor Trevor Young

Gainsborough South-West Ward

 

The Chairman of the Prosperous Communities Committee, Councillor Mrs Sheila Bibb, responded as follows: -

 

“First I would like to thank Cllr Young for submitting this question. As he rightly points out, Disabled Facilities Grants (DFG’s) are an important tool for assisting the frail and elderly in maintaining their independence and allowing them to either remain in their own accommodation longer or help facilitate an earlier discharge from hospital. It is therefore essential that we as an authority discharge our part of the process in a timely manner and in West Lindsey the average delivery time across 18/19 from the point of referral to the completion of the grant is 127 days – very different to the 12 months he states. In 17/18 it was 140 days and in 16/17 it was 129 days. The Council is focussed on ensuring that there are no delays in regards to the delivery of the grant once it is received via the County Council. In some exceptional circumstances, where cases are particularly complex the timescales can increase, however this is not the norm.

 

I cannot comment on aspects of the process that are dealt with by our county colleagues, such as the initial referral via adult social care, however we are engaged in work with fellow districts and the county which is considering a wide range of issues relating to early intervention and prevention, of which DFGs are one part. Cllr Young can also be assured that West Lindsey are fulfilling their part of the process as speedily as they can. Additionally, updates on the County wide situation regarding DFG’s, as well as discharge from hospital, are regular agenda items on the Housing, Health and Care Delivery Group of which he is now a member. From those discussions it becomes very clear that any failing lies not with the Districts but elsewhere.

 

Having heard the response, Councillor Young requested and received permission to pose a supplementary question. He stated that as he suspected there was a hidden waiting time   He was aware that initial assessments by Occupational Health had up to a six month waiting time.  Regardless of where the delay was this all impacted on and affected the end to end time for service users.  This was not something the District Council should be simply accepting and urged that this be dealt with, indicating he would like the matter to be further investigated by the Challenge and Improvement Committee.

 

No response was given and the meeting proceeded to the next question which had been submitted.

 

 

Councillor Gillian Bardsley submitted the following question to the meeting: -

 

2)      Question to Cllr Jeff Summers, Leader of the Council, from Councillor Gillian Bardsley

 

“I am writing this on 22nd February 2019, the day that yet another report, this time from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation, warns that land use changes, pollution, and climate change are all causing biodiversity loss, and apart from anything else that “places the future of our food system under severe threat, because “the plants, animals and micro-organisms that are the bedrock of food production are in decline.” Bees and other pollinators, worms, soil fungi which work to keep soils fertile and purify the air and water, all provide essential services to support life as we know it, but they are globally a rapidly dwindling resource. Urgent action is needed to reverse the worrying implications highlighted in this latest warning.

 

The current Government issued its 25 Year Environment Plan last year, but can we as  District Council begin to look now at where we can have an impact straightaway, however minor, on these huge issues, to reassure our residents that we are aware and willing to act, changing current best practice if need be.

 

Reviewing management of green space and grounds maintenance regimes to provide opportunities for pollinators to thrive, focussing more on biodiversity? Looking at the Local and Neighbourhood Plans for opportunities to connect vestiges of wildlife habitat to create corridors to support declining populations? Should all new houses be fitted with swift bricks as standard? Pressing home the message that discarded litter impacts adversely on wildlife with environmental costs far beyond that of our waste collection service. Can this District Council within its restricted area of activity help reverse the habitat and food supply loss that together with global warming threaten our very existence?

Working with partners wherever it is appropriate to support initiatives? Taking advice on what can be done now, from the many charities and other organisations who are suggesting ways of reversing these increasingly alarming trends?

 

Do you agree with me that there is now an urgency to act and be seen to act, at all levels, to reverse the threats now facing the natural environment on our planet, as this UN report states?”

 

Councillor Gillian Bardsley

Gainsborough North Ward

 

The Leader responded as follows: -

 

Thank you for your question Cllr Bardsley and the interesting points you raise within it. All in this room will have evidenced the unseasonably warm weather at the back of last month. We should be concerned about the impact climate change is having on both the environment and bio-diversity. 

 

Personally I have concerns about the lack of flora and fauna within the new and many existing housing estates because of the need to cover gardens with hardcore to create parking for cars due to inadequacy of approvals.

 

Trees and varied ground cover is essential for both the softening of a development but also introducing the ecological element that people no longer get the opportunity to recognise or understand.

 

Open stretches of water are essential for the support of insects, aquatic species and birds.  Approximately 1000 living organisms are sustained in the existence of an oak tree.  Trees within community areas and developments are essential to helping maintain a healthy atmosphere.  The benefits of planting trees within developments is well understood but badly supported.  UK forests and woodlands contain around 150 million tonnes of carbon in their biomass and 640 million tonnes of carbon in the soil.  UK forests and woodlands are a carbon sink, as they remove about 10 million tonnes of carbon from the atmosphere every year.  As a nation I believe we have failed by not planting trees at a greater rate in the non-food producing areas of the UK which amounts to hundreds of thousands of hectares.

 

Your question is timely, as tonight we present our new Corporate Plan.  I know that during its development you raised similar concerns and suggested that reference to environmental matters be highlighted within the document.

 

I am pleased to advise you that the Plan does pay attention to the challenge for the Council to preserve and enhance the wonderful natural environment we all currently enjoy, even though we know it is depleted, and ensure that future generations also benefit.

 

The Plan addresses your reference to the need to preserve green space and the natural environment.

 

We continue to fully support the creation of Neighbourhood Plans which allow communities to highlight what is important to them and what they want to protect from development.

 

While growth is a key driver, we must ensure that where development does take place, we simultaneously see that appropriate green space and that means more than grass, plus recreational facilities are provided.

 

We all know that litter is both unsightly and threatens natural habitats and food chains. Hence the Plan makes a commitment to improve cleanliness across the District and increase the quality of life for residents, whilst also protecting the natural environment.

 

Finally, as a Council, we must play our part and conduct our business in an environmentally sustainable manner. We already have an energy efficient Council building which has recently been enhanced by the introduction of LED lighting.  We must also consider technological advance and appraise developments such as the suitability of electric vehicles for Council use and low-energy usage ICT equipment or Cloud storage for our ICT infrastructure. Using technology such as video-conferencing and providing the means for on-line contact with the Council are developments we must push ahead with.  These will reduce carbon emissions by removing the need to travel to the Guildhall for meetings, or for residents to conduct their business with the Council.

 

Thank you.”

 

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