Committee summary: Community Services, 16 February 2016

Did you miss the Community Services Committee held on 16 February 2016? Here are the key points from the meeting.

• Members decided to undertake an options review of elder care for the island. Councillor Marian Bennett amended the options as follows, and these were accepted by Members:

1. To support a full, wide-ranging options analysis to assist Members in choosing the future strategic direction of total elder-care provision on the islands.
2. To source funding for independent objective advice on the options.
3. To agree the development of a transformation plan following full consultation with the public and with all stakeholders including the new providers after 1 April 2016.

• It was decided to recommend to Full Council increased fees and charges for elements of Park House services, and investigate a methodology of allowing staged payments within the first year of their introduction where appropriate based on a needs-assessment.
• A new set of fees and charges for services relating to the library, sports hall, gym, swimming pool, and lifelong learning were agreed.
• Members resolved to seek to lobby against proposed legislation concerning the requirement of Local Authorities to sell social housing to fund the building of starter homes and the sale of Housing Association properties under ‘Right to Buy’.
• It was decided to increase the rent on General Fund housing by 4% for the forthcoming year.
• Members ratified the Government’s policy of decreasing social housing rent by 1% in the forthcoming year, and the same amount for each of the next 3 years.

You can watch the meeting here (duration: 1hr 57m) and read the agenda and reports here.

Cllr Grottick, Vice Chairman of the Community Services Committee, encourages anyone who has opinions or concerns about the issues raised in this committee to write to the Chairman of the Council or any other elected Member.