Issue - meetings

Verbal update by Assistant Director – Wellbeing and Housing

At its meeting in October, Executive considered a report that detailed a Cost of Living Crisis Action Plan (Appendix 1) to cover Winter 2023, that had been drafted following a motion to Full Council in July 2023.

Executive approved the development of an evaluation framework to track progress of the action plan, to form the basis of detailed updates to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

The Assistant Director – Wellbeing and Housing will present the update on progress of the action plan.   

Resolved

(1)      That the Cost of Living Crisis Action Plan update be noted.

The Portfolio Holder for Healthy and Safe Communities introduced the Cost of Living Action Plan for Winter 2023/2024 and advised the Committee that the plan provided a framework for all the activities that the Council was pursuing.

The Assistant Director Wellbeing and Housing and the Senior Healthy Place Shaping Officer gave a presentation which provided an update on the progress made against the action plan that had been submitted to Executive in October

The Senior Healthy Place Shaping Officer provided an update on the Cherwell Warm Welcome Network and explained that there had been increase of 18 new community partners this year, with the team having successfully targeted new spaces in village locations.

The Committee was updated on work that was being done to address food insecurity within the district. This included the delivery of additional food grant schemes and the provision of food during school half term through the Activate and Eat Clubs.

The Senior Healthy Place Shaping Officer advised the Committee that the Council had been successful in negotiating reduced membership fees for local residents to join the Oil Co-operative, a scheme for rural residents that enabled members to purchase heating oil at a discounted rate with the price determined in advance.

In response to a question regarding the level of discount received, the Assistant Director Wellbeing and Housing confirmed she would provide a response for circulation after the meeting.

The Committee thanked the officers for all their hard work on the Cost of Living Action Plan.

Resolved

(1)      That the Cost of Living Crisis Action Plan update be noted.