Agenda item

The following Notices of Motion submitted to the County Council by the following Councillors have been referred to the Cabinet in accordance with Standing Order 8(2) for consideration, to refer it to another Committee or make a recommendation back to the Council:

 

(a) Supporting Devon Residents into Homes of Their Own (Councillor Connett)

 

(b) Devon’s Housing Crisis (Councillor Hannaford)

 

(c) School Uniform Costs (Councillor Hannaford)

 

(d) Bovine Tuberculosis, Badgers and Vaccination (Councillor Bradford)

 

(the motion relating to Divestment (Fossil Fuels and Local Government Pension Scheme) was referred by Council to the Investment and Pension Fund Committee to consider).

(Councillor Hart declared a personal interest in this matter (a and b) by virtue of being in the holiday home business. Councillor McInnes declared a personal interest in this matter (a and b) by virtue of holding a share in a rental property. Councillor Gilbert declared a personal interest in this matter (a and b) by virtue of being owner and landlord of various local affordable properties. Councillor Connett declared a personal interest in this matter (a and b) by virtue of being the owner of a rental property and Councillor Wrigley by virtue of being the portfolio holder for housing at Teignbridge District Council)

 

(a) Supporting Devon Residents into Homes of Their Own (Councillor Connett)

 

RESOLVED 

 

(a) that the County Council assess the potential for it to offer accommodation to new social and key workers to attract them to work for Devon County Council;

 

(b) that the County Council, as a member of Team Devon (Leaders and Chief Executives), propose to Team Devon that a Devon strategic housing taskforce be established to help draw together the work of existing pan-Devon housing partnerships and focus on tackling homelessness and improving the availability of affordable housing in Devon; and

 

(c) that the County Council, as a member of Team Devon (Leaders and Chief Executives), proposes to Team Devon that it write to Devon Members of Parliament asking them to support changes to legislation and policy to address the housing problems in Devon described in the Notices of Motion. Team Devon’s letter to MPs should propose strengthening the criteria on how a property becomes liable for Business Rates instead of Council Tax. Owners of these properties should have to show that they are commercially letting the property and not just declaring them available for rent.

 

(b) Devons Housing Crisis (Councillor Hannaford)

 

RESOLVED that it is recommended:

 

(a) that the County Council assess the potential for it to offer accommodation to new social and key workers to attract them to work for Devon County Council;

 

(b) that the County Council, as a member of Team Devon (Leaders and Chief Executives), propose to Team Devon that a Devon strategic housing taskforce be established to help draw together the work of existing pan-Devon housing partnerships and focus on tackling homelessness and improving the availability of affordable housing in Devon; and

 

(c) that the County Council, as a member of Team Devon (Leaders and Chief Executives), proposes to Team Devon that it write to Devon Members of Parliament asking them to support changes to legislation and policy to address the housing problems in Devon described in the Notices of Motion. Team Devon’s letter to MPs should propose strengthening the criteria on how a property becomes liable for Business Rates instead of Council Tax. Owners of these properties should have to show that they are commercially letting the property and not just declaring them available for rent.

 

 

(c) School Uniform Costs (Councillor Hannaford)

 

RESOLVED that Council support the issues as raised and outlined in the Notice of Motion and accordingly;

 

(a)  writes to Devon MPs; and

 

(b)  that schools be reminded of the impending statutory guidance and ask that they take a proactive approach.  

 

 

(d) Bovine Tuberculosis, Badgers and Vaccination (Councillor Bradford)

 

RESOLVED that Council be recommended to:

 

(a) recognise the impact of Bovine Tuberculous on cattle, wildlife, and the farming community in the County;

 

(b) endorse good bio-security in the rural environment to reduce the risk of transmission of Bovine Tuberculosis through the continued promotion and dissemination of DCCs TB information packs for farmers;

 

(c) endorse vaccination as an important part of any long-term approach to reducing the general prevalence of the disease, risk to cattle or wildlife and its impact in Devon; and

 

(d) continue to assess the implications of the government’s evolving strategy in relation to bovine TB and the resultant impact on the County Farms Estate.

(Councillor Hart declared a personal interest in this matter (a and b) by virtue of being in the holiday home business. Councillor McInnes declared a personal interest in this matter (a and b) by virtue of holding a share in a rental property. Councillor Gilbert declared a personal interest in this matter (a and b) by virtue of being owner and landlord of various local affordable properties. Councillor Connett declared a personal interest in this matter (a and b) by virtue of being the owner of a rental property and Councillor Wrigley by virtue of being the portfolio holder for housing at Teignbridge District Council)

 

(a) Supporting Devon Residents into Homes of Their Own (Councillor Connett)

 

(Councillor Connett attended in accordance with Standing Order 8 and Councillors Hannaford and Wrigley attended in accordance with 25(2) and spoke to this item). 

Devon County Council calls on the Government to:

1. End the tax dodge loop-hole of second home owners switching from Council Tax to Business Rates and then claiming ‘small business’ exemption, so they pay nothing at all.

 

2. To re-extend the notice period given to tenants to 6 months

 

3. Maintain the Local Housing Allowances at Covid-levels (plus cost-of-living increases) to support families into homes

 

and that the County Council will:

 

1.    Work with Devon's District, City and Borough councils to establish a 'housing taskforce' working across the county to tackle the flight to Air BnB and holiday rentals

 

2.    Support the provision of urgently needed rented housing on County owned land

 

Council welcomes the research undertaken by property agents Colliers and published in August 2021, which confirms:

 

Local authorities are losing out on millions of pounds of council tax income because the Government’s business rates system is still giving many holiday home and second home owners the opportunity to avoid paying the tax, provided they make their properties available to rent. This situation has been made even worse by the pandemic.

 

Colliers estimates the total loss to local authorities from business rates relief for holiday lets in England and Wales alone is currently around £110 million a year - a significant sum that could certainly help bridge the gap in local authority finances, now suffering because of the pandemic.

 

Property owners who make their properties available to rent as holiday lets for 140 days of the year can claim they are a small business and as such can elect to pay business rates instead of council tax.

 

However, as small businesses they can claim for relief on 100% of the business rates payable if their properties have a rateable value of less than £12,000. Those properties with a rateable value between £12,000 and £15,000 are also entitled to a relief on a sliding scale in line with the Government’s business rates relief policy.

 

Colliers has analysed the rating lists for the South West of England (Cornwall, Devon, Somerset and Dorset) where 9,600 new properties, claiming 100% business rates relief have entered the list in the last four years- an 82 % increase since the start of the 2017 Ratings List.

 

According to Colliers’ estimates this flip from the council tax to the business rates list is costing the local councils an extra £16 million a year in council tax income. The South West now has 21,312 properties in the rating list that are eligible for 100% business rates relief and Colliers has estimated that if these properties at least paid council tax the local councils would benefit by £35.5 million a year!

 

Council also notes that the Office for National Statistics has reported:

 

The number of households living in the private rented sector in the UK increased from 2.8 million in 2007 to 4.5 million in 2017, an increase of 1.7 million (63%).

 

Over this period, the number of owner occupier households remained broadly consistent at 17.7 million households.

 

However, households owned outright increased from 7.9 million to 9.4 million while households buying with a mortgage fell from 9.8 million to 8.3 million.

 

The number of social rented households decreased by 200,000 households to 4.5 million.

 

Younger households are more likely to rent privately, with those in the 25 to 34 years age group representing the largest group.

 

Households in the 45 to 54 years age group saw the biggest percentage increase from 11% in 2007 to 16% in 2017, an estimated increase of 384,000 households.

 

Council welcomed the protection for tenants but is concerned about a rise in evictions

 

Due to Government action during the Covid pandemic, thousands of private sector tenants were protected from homelessness by the national ban on evictions.

 

However, that protective shield was removed on 31 May this year and, in addition, the notice period that a landlord must give a tenant was cut from six to four months

 

Citizens Advice said there’s been a 17 per cent increase in people with issues about being evicted from their private rented accommodation, comparing the first four months of this year with the same period a year ago.

 

It said there’s also been a 36 per cent increase in the number of people seeking help with all types of problems in the rental sector.

 

Private rented homes are like Hens teeth...

In Devon, we are seeing a dramatic shift in the availability of private rented homes.

 

In North Devon, the Reach Plc news organisation, reported on 8 August that there are 2000 residents looking for social housing on Devon HomeChoice but only 20 residential properties available for rent via Rightmove. In Teignbridge, there are 1000 applicants on the Devon HomeChoice register, a search of Rightmove on 9 August showed 5 rental properties available in Newton Abbot, 7 in Dawlish, 1 in Teignmouth, 1 in Ide, 1 in Bovey Tracey, 2 in Chudleigh and 1 each in Ashburton and Buckfastleigh with none in Exminster. In East Devon, there were 22 rental properties displayed on Rightmove. Anecdotal evidence from other districts suggests this pattern of high demand and very low supply is repeated across Devon.

 

And this is an extract from an online search on 09 August 2021 for Air BnB properties for let in Devon

500+ Devon Holiday Cottages | House and Apartment ... - Airbnb

https://www.airbnb.co.uk › United Kingdom › England

 

Find the perfect self-catered holiday cottage for your trip to Devon. Houses with a kitchen and apartments with free parking await you on Airbnb.

 

The Guardian of February 2020 reported....

Out-of-control’ dominance of rentals in some communities depriving locals of homes, critics say

·         The Devon village changed by Airbnb

 

In England, the area with the highest rate of Airbnb lets was Woolacombe, Georgeham and Croyde, in Devon, with 23 listings for every 100 properties.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2020/feb/20/revealed-the-areas-in-the-uk-with-one-airbnb-for-every-four-homes

 

Members considered the Officer’s factual briefing note on the matter (CSO/21/15) which referred to this Notice of Motion and the one outlined at (b) below which described how the two motions highlighted the unprecedented shortage of affordable housing and the multiple pressures on the availability of private sector housing. Tackling the complex and difficult problems outlined would require action by Government, Devon’s local authorities, house builders, landlords, housing associations and many others. The briefing note highlighted that the proposed Council priorities for 2021-2025 included working with Team Devon to tackle homelessness and improve the availability of affordable housing in Devon and also doing whatever was possible to make it easier for key workers and people on low incomes to find affordable homes.

 

The Cabinet considered the recommendation now before them and the actions now proposed and already undertaken and any other relevant factors.

 

It was MOVED by Councillor Hart, SECONDED by Councillor McInnes, and

 

RESOLVED 

 

(a) that the County Council assess the potential for it to offer accommodation to new social and key workers to attract them to work for Devon County Council;

 

(b) that the County Council, as a member of Team Devon (Leaders and Chief Executives), propose to Team Devon that a Devon strategic housing taskforce be established to help draw together the work of existing pan-Devon housing partnerships and focus on tackling homelessness and improving the availability of affordable housing in Devon; and

 

(c) that the County Council, as a member of Team Devon (Leaders and Chief Executives), proposes to Team Devon that it write to Devon Members of Parliament asking them to support changes to legislation and policy to address the housing problems in Devon described in the Notices of Motion. Team Devon’s letter to MPs should propose strengthening the criteria on how a property becomes liable for Business Rates instead of Council Tax. Owners of these properties should have to show that they are commercially letting the property and not just declaring them available for rent.

 

 

(b) Devons Housing Crisis (Councillor Hannaford)

 

(Councillor Hannaford attended in accordance with Standing Order 8 and Councillors Connett and Wrigley attended in accordance with 25(2) and spoke to this item).

 

Council notes with concern that Devon is in the grips of a serious housing crisis. Second home sales are soaring, private landlords are switching to holiday letting in huge numbers, significantly fewer homes are available to buy or rent, and both renters and buyers are being priced out of the county in an unprecedented way.

 

The post pandemic far South West property boom has especially compounded decades of systemic under investment in social and affordable housing, that has prevented local councils, housing associations, alms houses and charities from investing in more much needed homes for local people and families.

 

We know that across Devon we have thousands on the Devon Home Choice waiting lists, with thousands more not eligible to apply, and thousands more in often poor quality private rental stock. Home ownership is now only a distant dream for so many.

 

People who’ve lived here for generations are being pushed further away by property prices that they simply cannot afford.

 

Furthermore, we also risk our communities becoming unsustainable, we have a county wide recruitment and retention problem across all sectors, including at Devon County Council.

 

Council therefore resolves to;

 

·         Set up a high level action group to look at using Devon County Council resources to provide some key worker accommodation for our own staff such as adult and children’s social workers.

·         That Devon County Council use its convening powers to host and coordinate a county wide Devon Housing Forum with all key partners to develop a range of effective local and grassroots solutions to help solve Devon’s housing crisis, including key workers such as nurses, care workers, teachers, hospitality and retail sector and those serving in the blue light services.

·         Work with all our local Members of Parliament to ensure that new Secretary of State for Housing and Local Government fully understands the collective housing challenges that we urgently face in Devon, and to secure the necessary powers and resources through the Devon Devolution Deal to make significant and lasting progress to provide people in Devon with somewhere affordable, safe and secure to call home.

 

Members considered the Officer’s factual briefing note on the matter (CSO/21/15) which referred to the same issues as described at (a) above.

 

The Cabinet considered the recommendation now before them and the actions now proposed and already undertaken and any other relevant factors):

 

It was MOVED by Councillor Hart, SECONDED by Councillor McInnes, and

 

RESOLVED that it is recommended:

 

(a) that the County Council assess the potential for it to offer accommodation to new social and key workers to attract them to work for Devon County Council;

 

(b) that the County Council, as a member of Team Devon (Leaders and Chief Executives), propose to Team Devon that a Devon strategic housing taskforce be established to help draw together the work of existing pan-Devon housing partnerships and focus on tackling homelessness and improving the availability of affordable housing in Devon; and

 

(c) that the County Council, as a member of Team Devon (Leaders and Chief Executives), proposes to Team Devon that it write to Devon Members of Parliament asking them to support changes to legislation and policy to address the housing problems in Devon described in the Notices of Motion. Team Devon’s letter to MPs should propose strengthening the criteria on how a property becomes liable for Business Rates instead of Council Tax. Owners of these properties should have to show that they are commercially letting the property and not just declaring them available for rent.

 

 

(c) School Uniform Costs (Councillor Hannaford)

 

(Councillor Hannaford attended in accordance with Standing Order 8 and Councillor Connett attended in accordance with 25(2) and spoke to this item).

 

Thousands of parents across Devon were again forced to pay over the odds for school uniforms this academic year.

 

The Government failed to issue legally binding guidance obliging schools to ensure that their specified clothing is reasonably priced in time for the start of the new term.

 

Under a new law passed by Parliament in April, schools will be required follow statutory guidance on uniform costs, forcing them to keep prices down.

 

It was widely understood that this guidance would be in place in time for the start of the 2021/2022 academic year

 

In addition to encouraging schools to consider making second-hand uniforms available, the guidance will also instruct them to look into allowing parents to kit out their children in cheaper high-street alternatives and to also demonstrate that they obtained the best value for money possible from their suppliers.

 

Parents with children in state schools spend on average £315 per year for each primary school child and £337 per year on uniform for each secondary school child, according to research from The Children’s Society.

 

This is more than three times what parents think is a reasonable cost for primary (£85) and secondary (£105) uniform.

 

The new law, introduced as a Private Members’ Bill by Labour MP Mike Amesbury, that had widespread cross party support, could save hard-pressed parents hundreds of pounds over the course of their children’s academic careers.

 

Council therefore resolves to formally write to all Members of Parliament in the Devon County Council area, clearly raising all the ongoing issues and concerns around the rising cost of school uniforms, to urge them to actively support the implementation of these changes at the earliest opportunity.

 

Furthermore with cuts to universal credit, increasing fuel and heating costs, and rising inflation, we need to support our families now by making school uniforms more affordable in Devon as we cannot wait for government decisions.

 

Council therefore also resolves to write to all our schools this term to ask them to urgently reconsider their uniform policies, and check that parents and families have the option of buying school clothing that is less expensive. In line with previous Department of Education guidance to local authorities, governors and schools for setting school uniform policy.

 

 

Members considered the Officer’s factual briefing note on the matter (CSO/21/15) which referred to the Department for Education advice on school uniform, the Royal Assent of the Education (Guidance about Costs of School Uniforms) Act 2021 which instructed schools to keep prices for school

uniform down as well as a number of other supporting measures, yet the Statutory guidance to accompany the Act had not been released.

 

The Cabinet considered the recommendation now before them and the actions now proposed and already undertaken.

 

It was MOVED by Councillor Hart, SECONDED by Councillor McInnes, and

 

RESOLVED that Council support the issues as raised and outlined in the Notice of Motion and accordingly;

 

(a)  writes to Devon MPs; and

 

(b)  that schools be reminded of the impending statutory guidance and ask that they take a proactive approach.  

 

 

(d) Bovine Tuberculosis, Badgers and Vaccination (Councillor Bradford)

 

The badger cull is an attack on a native mammal without precedent in any country, in modern times.

 

As such – we shouldn’t – and can’t - stand by and watch from the sidelines. It is our wildlife, our natural heritage that is being decimated for no good reason at all.

 

I therefore propose that Council

 

1.    recognises the impact of Bovine Tuberculous on cattle, wildlife, and the farming community in the County

 

2.    endorses good bio-security in the rural environment to reduce the risk of transmission of Bovine Tuberculous;

 

3.    confirms that this Council will not support the culling of badgers on Council land and will seek to amend its new leases accordingly. Any essential variation of such a lease clause will be subject to a formal request in writing and subsequent consent;

 

4.    endorses vaccination as an important part of any long-term approach to reducing the general prevalence of the disease, risk to cattle or wildlife and its impact in Devon and resolves to support badger vaccination programmes, particularly in those areas most at risk of the spread of Bovine Tuberculous, and to commit in principle to support them financially with Council and other resources.

 

Members considered the Officer’s factual briefing note on the matter (CSO/21/15) which referred to the Godfray review, the Government response to this Review (March 2020) which set out three top priorities for the next phase of the bTB Strategy (deployable cattle vaccine, supported badger vaccination and surveillance and improving diagnostic testing), the consultation that was launched in January 2021 (proposed changes to aspects of bTB policy in keeping with the priorities), the County Farms Estate and requirements of tenants and the work of trading standards with Bovine TB information and support for farmers including advice and guidance in relation to bio-security measures.

 

The Cabinet considered the recommendation now before them and the actions now proposed:

 

It was MOVED by Councillor Hart, SECONDED by Councillor McInnes, and

 

RESOLVED that Council be recommended to:

 

(a) recognise the impact of Bovine Tuberculous on cattle, wildlife, and the farming community in the County;

 

(b) endorse good bio-security in the rural environment to reduce the risk of transmission of Bovine Tuberculosis through the continued promotion and dissemination of DCCs TB information packs for farmers;

 

(c) endorse vaccination as an important part of any long-term approach to reducing the general prevalence of the disease, risk to cattle or wildlife and its impact in Devon; and

 

(d) continue to assess the implications of the government’s evolving strategy in relation to bovine TB and the resultant impact on the County Farms Estate.