Agenda item

The Area Council Manager introduced the item and referred members to the two items for recommendation following a member workshop held on 2^nd December, 2021.  

Members were reminded that funding for the Private Sector Housing Officer was in place until the end of September, 2022 following a review at a previous meeting held on 25^th June, 2021.  Following that decision, a review of the posts had been carried out through BMBCs Safer Neighbourhood Services resulting in the post becoming permanent rather than fixed term contracts from the 1^st April, 2022.  This was deemed a positive move in order to keep Officers in post who had been out in the Community creating positive relationships and gathering intelligence and become familiar with the area. 

Members were supportive of Option A in the report to extend the post for a further 2 years until September, 2024 at a cost of £34,000 per year.

Discussion then turned to the District Enforcement Limited contract and members were given a number of options based on the fact that Barnsley MBC would be providing Borough wide enforcement through one contract from 1^st April, 2022 with the possibility of add on services being commissioned by Area Councils.  Following discussions members were minded to approve a variation to the contract for 6 months. This would  allow for members to see what the Borough wide provider offer would be and look like, as it was anticipated that parking enforcement would not be in the offer which was vital for Wombwell High Street, Hoyland Town Centre and Darfield Local Centre.

Members requested further information around where parking enforcement activities had taken place and how many tickets were issued or whether there were no tickets due to there being no problems.  The Area Council Manager agreed to circulate the report from the workshop and would contact the Contract Manager for further information to be circulated to members.

An update was provided on the Area Councils financial situation with £24,800 remaining to be allocated in the current financial year.  Members noted that an additional income of £37,996 had been received from the Healthier Communities Covid Pot with a further £20,000 from the Covid Practical Support Fund.  Following the receipt of this money, work with Berneslai Homes was being undertaken to get support out for people struggling with food and fuel costs.  An update would be provided in the next quarterly report to see what that would mean and what could be done to aid that support.  

RESOLVED:-

(i)      that the update on the Private Sector Housing Officer SLA be noted and that the post be extended for a further 2 years to 30^th September, 2024 at a cost of £34,000 per annum be agreed;

(ii)     that a variation to extend the Environmental Enforcement contract with the current provider for a further 6 months at a cost of £10,831 and that £21,662 be ringfenced to purchase additional resources from the new provider as part of the Borough wide offer be approved; and

(iii)       that the risk that the current provider, District Enforcement Ltd, may not have the resources to extend be acknowledged.