A verbal update will be given at the meeting on Manifesto Commitments.
Minutes:
The City Mayor introduced a presentation. He informed the meeting that despite the difficulties faced over the last year, the Executive were determined to deliver the manifesto commitments first brought forward two years previously, and it was hoped to be delivered successfully over the following two years. The Executive Team were also present to talk about the particular pledges they were taking forward.
Councillor Danny Myers, Assistant City Mayor, with responsibility for Jobs, Skills, Policy Delivery and Communications proceeded to deliver the presentation, and updated on the 96 pledges contained within the document, which covered economic development, transport, sustainability, housing, health and social care, equalities, lifelong learning, culture, tourism and community safety.
Progress to date was outlined with key points highlighted below:
· The meeting was informed there were seven pledges that were foregrounded, the headline of which was to continue to protect services which had been achieved, and those services had been valued more than ever over the past year, such as parks which had been vital to people’s mental health during the pandemic.
· Significant progress had been made to build over 1,500 homes built for social and council housing, and significant progress had been made on tackling homelessness.
· Also noted was the improved green transport infrastructure that had been put in place during the past year.
· Council tax support had been maintained, and a huge range of financial support for people across the city over the past year provided
· It was further noted that though schools had been shut, work to generate more school spaces had continued and was on course to meet targets previously set.
· Covid-19 had amplified pre-existing inequalities which the council was determined to tackle.
· 34 of the 96 commitments have been impacted or delayed because of Covid-19 or the lockdown. Members were confident that 88 of the commitments would be delivered over the next two years. Seven had specific issues before Members could commit to deliver, and one would not be delivered. In relation to the consideration of a local lottery, the Neighbourhood Services Scrutiny Commission recently recommended the Council did not pursue a local lottery, which had been agreed by the City Mayor and Executive.
Each of the Executive Members proceeded to introduce the relevant commitments to their portfolio throughout the presentation.
Following the presentation, the City Mayor thanked the Executive Members and said there were still lots of challenges, but he hoped everyone could recognise that the team were absolutely determined to deliver pledges.
The Chair said there had been presented a thorough review on what the Council had promised and was half-way through and was the sign of a progressive council to be able to continue to deliver on the commitments throughout the Covid-19 crisis. He suggested the commitments be reviewed in 2022, and that individual sections of the manifesto be taken to the relevant Scrutiny Commissions so they could discuss in depth progress on the manifesto commitments and give feedback and advice to the Executive.
The City Mayor and Executive agreed to attend Scrutiny Commissions to discuss the Commitments as and when they were placed on the agendas of Commissions.
Members were asked if they had any general points to raise and the following comments were noted:
· Cllr Porter there were other areas that needed to be included as priorities, for example, slave labour in the city which had not been addressed.
The City Mayor said the manifesto had been to the people of Leicester and had been overwhelmingly supported by the people of Leicester.
Chairs of the Scrutiny Commissions welcomed the report and looked forward to receiving the document at the Commissions. Comments made included an invitation to people to visit Green Lane Road where the front walls were being built as an example of good work that had been undertaken in the city. They further welcomed the improvements that had been made with housing in the city.
The Chair added that when taken to Commissions, it was important to offer some challenge to the City Mayor and Executive to see whether they were going far enough, and was delighted at what had been achieved to date, and was incredible to see what had developed in the city despite a terrible year with the Covid-19 pandemic, and he looked forward to another review in 2022 and development of future objectives.
Councillor Westley asked if an item on Leicester’s Markets be taken to Economic Development, Transport and Tourism Scrutiny Commission as they had also suffered through lack of footfall and required support due to the pandemic.
AGREED:
1. That the presentation be noted.
2. Individual sections of the manifesto be taken to the relevant Scrutiny Commissions to be discussed in depth and provide feedback and advice to the Executive as they saw fit.