Decision details

To note progress in delivering the actions identified in the Council's Anti-Poverty Strategy during 2017/18.

Matter for Decision

The Council produced a revised and updated Anti-Poverty Strategy for the period from April 2017 to March 2020. The Council’s Anti-Poverty Strategy aims to: improve the standard of living and daily lives of those residents in Cambridge who are currently experiencing poverty; and to help alleviate issues that can lead households on low incomes to experience financial pressures.

The revised Anti-Poverty Strategy sets out 5 key objectives and 57 associated actions to reduce poverty in Cambridge over the next three years. This report provides an update on progress in delivering key actions identified for 2017/18, with a particular focus on new areas of activity introduced in the strategy.

Decision of Executive Councillor for Communities

       i.          Noted the progress in delivering actions to reduce poverty in Cambridge during 2017/18.

     ii.          Approved the inclusion of an additional action relating to Cambridge Northern Fringe East, set out at 5.2 in this report, in the Anti-Poverty Strategy action plan for 2017-2020.

Reason for the Decision

As set out in the Officer’s report.

Any Alternative Options Considered and Rejected

Not applicable.

Scrutiny Considerations

The Committee received a report from the Strategy and Partnerships Manager.

The Strategy and Partnerships Manager said the following in response to Members’ questions:

       i.          Some projects were targeted using data, some using officer knowledge. Officers were aware that data could become out of date where it was based on the 2011 Census and the Indices of Multiple Deprivation (it was acknowledged that income levels fluctuated in different wards).

     ii.          Actions were set out in the Anti-Poverty Strategy to trial switching existing pre-payment energy meters in Council homes to low tariff pre-payment meters provided by Robin Hood Energy when tenants vacate properties and they become void.

   iii.          The Council had considered the possibility of setting up a local energy company, but officers had been advised by Robin Hood Energy that there were not be sufficient economies of scale in the city to make a Cambridge energy company economically viable.

The Committee unanimously resolved to endorse the recommendations.

The Executive Councillor approved the recommendations.

Conflicts of Interest Declared by the Executive Councillor (and any Dispensations Granted)

No conflicts of interest were declared by the Executive Councillor.