An Energy Bill Revolution

As councillors, we are often sent sample motions to put through the council process - this one looks like one that I could not only support, but promote....let's see what the Labour Group thinks

From: Chiara Vitali [mailto:chiara@energybillrevolution.org]
Sent: 20 August 2013 17:09
To: CLLR BULL, Paul
Subject: Energy Bill Revolution - Calling for an end to cold homes - Please support the campaign

Dear Cllr Bull,

Last winter once again saw millions of families struggling to heat their homes. Rises in fuel bills have made it even harder for vulnerable people to keep warm, leaving entire families confined to one room or wrapping up in winter clothing indoors. Cold homes damage people’s health and lead to needless deaths, particularly among the elderly and children.

However, new research has shown that improving our homes to make them easier to heat is the best solution, and can protect people from living in a cold home even when the price of energy is high (http://www.ukace.org/2013/03/fact-file-the-cold-man-of-europe/).

The Energy Bill Revolution is an alliance of 140 organisations that is calling on the Government to make our homes cheaper to heat and more comfortable to live in – with a real focus on those who struggle hardest to heat their homes. In these cash-strapped times, however, we are not asking for public funds to be taken from other key services –from this year the Government will have a new source of money to pay for this as new policies increase the proportion of our fuel bills that is paid to the Treasury.

Please add your voice to the campaign by signing the petition at www.energybillrevolution.org.  The Government needs to hear from all of us that this is a spiralling problem that must be tackled now.  

We also need councils up and down the country to pass motions in support of the campaign: please therefore do all you can to urge yours to do so (a model resolution is included below).

Working together we can have warm homes and affordable bills for all.

Yours sincerely,

Chiara Vitali
Parliamentary Campaigner
Energy Bill Revolution

Twitter: @energybillrev

Website: www.energybillrevolution.org

Suggested Council motion – Energy Bill Revolution - Reducing Fuel Bills through Energy Efficiency

The Council notes:

1. Already 1 in 4 households in the UK are in fuel poverty, meaning they need to spend more than 10% of their income on keeping their homes warm. The problem is likely to get worse, with 1 in 3 households projected to be in fuel poverty by 2016.

2. The main reasons for this crisis are that gas, oil and coal prices are high, and the UK’s homes are some of the most energy inefficient in Europe – leaking heat from their doors, walls and windows.

3. Cold homes are damaging the health of vulnerable members of society, including children, older people and people with disabilities. Diseases such as asthma are made worse, and people are more likely to have strokes and heart attacks. Illnesses caused by cold homes cost the NHS nearly one billion pounds each year.

4. Over the next 15 years the Government will raise an average of £4 billion every year in carbon taxes through the European Emissions Trading Scheme and the Carbon Floor Price. Recycling this revenue back into households could bring 9 out of 10 homes out of fuel poverty, lower people’s bills, cut carbon emissions and create jobs.

The Council therefore resolves to:

1.  Support the Energy Bill Revolution campaign calling for the Government to recycle revenues from carbon taxes into improving the energy efficiency of UK homes.

2. Notify local Members of Parliament of its support for the campaign and urge them to support the campaign by emailingMPsupporters@energybillrevolution.org.


The Energy Bill revolution is supported by over 140 organisations, including...

My thoughts on fracking

Many residents have been using this template letter from Greenpeace to contact me about their concerns about the serious issue of fracking

I'm very concerned about the prospect of fracking - or hydraulic fracturing - in our area.

Fracking has been practiced in the US for some time and has been linked to contamination of water supplies and
atmospheric pollution, as well as increased traffic to construction sites. The government has promised lower energy bills  if gas and oil from fracking is produced, but even the fracking companies admit this is unlikely to happen. The 

government should, instead, be concentrating on sustainable energy sources rather than this appalling method of 

extracting short-term energy supplies.

I would like to know if any companies are planning to carry out fracking in Devon and whether any relevant licences havebeen sold. If so, I would be grateful if you could let me know your position on the matter and what steps I can take to
register my objections.

If there are no current plans or licences, I would be grateful if you could keep me informed of any future
developments.

Sincerely,

Here is my response to this e-mail:

Thank you for your email as part of Greenpeace's campaign Say No To Fracking to defend neighbourhoods from
fracking.

Like you I have serious concerns about the practice as it is linked to contaminations of water supplies, increased air pollution and even small earthquakes .
A recent report in New Scientist (7 August 2013) suggests that fracking for shale gas and oil, rather than stemming 

"global warming, could actually accelerate climate change by releasing methane - a more potent 'greenhouse gas" than carbon dioxide -  into the atmosphere

I am concerned about fracking and am aware of the key messages published by UK Extreme Energy in July 2013

They also publish a very useful set of briefing notes which you might you might find useful

I have been in contact with officers at Exeter City Council and they have confirmed that there have not been any 

applications for licences for any form of shale gas or oil exploration within the boundaries of Exeter.

Also, to the best of my knowledge there have not been any applications within the county. The geology of Devon makes itunlikely that there is any prospect of there being any oil or gas reserves.

I have asked the officers to keep me informed of any change to this situation, and you could join me in subscribing the to Frack Off e-newsletter for updates. 

Friends of the Earth are also running a campaign against fracking - more from their campaign hub.

Thank you for your interest in this subjecy and I will endeavour to keep you informed if the situation changes

Regards

Paul

Park Homes: Know Know Your Rights

Since our elections to Exeter City Council (in September 2010 and May 2011 respectively), Cllr Heather Morris and I have bee championing the rights of residents in park homes

We found that residents at Exonia Park in our Cowick ward felt neglected, even though living in a mobile home comes with many special problems.

We have learned all about the specific rules and regulations about selling homes (the site owner can charge up to 10% of the sale price - in practice than means the owner does charge 10% - and the blocking of sales for spurious reasons).

To help deal with some of these concerns that are common across all 4 of Exeter's park home sites (Newport Park, Ringswell Park and Rydons, as well as Exonia Park ), Cllr Morris proposed setting up a Mobile Homes Residents Forum, which she now chairs. The Forum meets 3 times a year and minutes are published on Exeter City Council's website

Following a DCLG consultation document, "Park Homes:  A Better Deal for Mobile Home Owners", Heather, Ben Bradshaw MP, Exeter City Council and Exonia Park Residents Association made many and varied representations to the Communities and Local Government Committee on Park Homes which published its report on 20 June 2012.

As a result, the Government have introduced changes to the law [Mobile Homes Act 2013], the majority of which came into force on 26 May 2013 and these are highlighted in a new publication, "Park Homes: Know Your Rights".

This is such an important document that Exeter Council Leader, Cllr Pete Edwards, has suggested that it should be distributed to all park home residnets.

But in summary, this is how the law has changed:
1) Pitch fees
There are new rules about how site owners review pitch fees and what can be included in the review.
Site owners will have to use a special form (which can be filled in on-line or downloaded from here) to inform residents about this - if they don't use this form, the review is invalid and residents will be entitled to a refund of any new pitch fees they may have paid.

2) Selling or gifting your home
In the past site owners have had a say in who can buy or receive a park home as a gift, and some have made it dfificult for residents to sell their home for its real value.

The new law means that residents no longer need to seek the site owner's approval of the new buy - although, in the case of any mobile homes gifted before 26 My 2013, the site owner will need to know who the new buyer is.

There are a series of documents and forms that make all this easier to understand on the Department of Communities and Local Government website.

3) Site rules
Any site rules that interfere with the sale or gift of a mobile home are banned.

The new Act allows for further Regulations to be drafted. The intenstion of this is to ensure that all park rules are uniform and are deposited with the relevant Local Authority.

With this in mind, other changes about site rules will be announced later in the year.

4)  Local Authority Licensing
From 01 April 2014, Local Authorities will be able to better able to make sure that site owners are complying with the terms of the site licence.

Local Authorities will be able to charge for licensing, require site owners to carry out necessary works and prosecute those who fail to comply. The courts will be able to impose unlimited fines on those found guilty of non-compliance.

But building new houses isn't the only way to say #YesToHomes

The sad truth is that no recent Government has done enough to address the issue of house building.I wish that the previous Labour Government had build much more social housing. In the present age of austerity and lack of growth, a massive programme of house building could and should be initiated by the current administration - kickstarting the economy and addressing the problem of lack of housing.

I've already covered what Exeter City Council has been and is doing to build new houses in the city.

But there are other factors that contribute to the chronic housing shortage in the city - a shortage that meant Exeter was highlighted in the national news with the publication of the Resolution Foundation's "Home Truths" report at the beginning of the week.

The report lists Exeter in the one-third of Britain that is effectively off-limits to lower-income working families looking to rent a home privately because they can no longer afford a property.

Government welfare reforms claim to cut the social security.

The vicious Bedroom Tax is such measure  - a quick fix to appease the masses, but doing little to free up family homes. It an ill-conceived policy that it full of contradictions. It  attacks the poor, the vulnerable, the caring, the disabled,the log-term sick and the terminally-ill on housing benefit.

Here in Exeter, bedroom tax affects some 400 families under-occupying Exeter City Council's housing stock of 5000 properties, and 500 families in the 3000 Housing Association properties. 

But that's not to say that all the remaining properties are fully occupied - there are many reasons why the remainder could be under-occupied.

I am proud of ECC's long-term policy of assisting our residents to downsize with grants. We have recently reviewed the policy and are about to appoint a Downsizing Officer to work in a one-to-one scenario to assist - often vulnerable, elderly residents who may have suffered a recent bereavement - people to downsize, freeing up family-sized properties.

Often they will downsize to places like Knights Place - designed as a carbon- neutral, low energy home to help those suffering from fuel poverty.

ECC are currently looking at various other options of Council Own Build. We may not be building many ourselves - but it is depressing to note that those few put us in the top 10 of council's building our own housing stock.

We are about to launch a flexible tenancy policy which will attempt to have the right people living in the right property on the right type of tenancy. It willmean that ECC will be able to actively manage the tenancies of our housing stock. Tenants will still be housed for as long as they need, but not necessarily in the same property for their lifetime. 

More about much of the above can be seen (with links) in this storify feed.

I am pleased that  ECC have taken out a lease on some unoccupied student accommodation near St David;s Station to add to our housing stock. It is hoped that this will provide much needed housing for single people. As you will knowm recent Governement policy menas that under 35 year olds need to be placed in shared accommodation, and this new lease will allow ECC to do so in a cost-effective way.

  

We have an active strategy to deal with homelessness and this issue was discussed at Scrutiny Community in January 2013. I have written a blog on the subject in response to a e-mail campaign organised by 38Degrees.

I am pleased that ECC through pressure from myself and others, have signed up to Shelter's "Evict Rogue Landlords" campaign and we are currently looking at introducing a scheme to licence/approve landlords.

I sometimes wonder if it is time to re-introduce some form of rent control? This will rise from a whisper to a roar when the affects of housing benefit cause many claimants to be financially compromised when Universal Credit starts to roll out across the country from October.

We are actively seeking to return empty homes to use, and a recent Scrutiny Community meeting approved the use of several measures - such as compulsory purchase of long-term empty properties - to return them to use as homes.

We are using the private sector to help deliver homes for people - via private sector leasing and EXtraLet.

As you can see, I view the issue of housing is a big, involved conundrum where the public and private sectors must join together, probably with seed-funding from central Government.

I am happy to say #YesToHomes - I hope you will, too

I say #YesToHomes

Yesterday, my ward co-councillor Heather Morris and myself, were both contacted by one of our residents asking what we were doing about the acute housing shortage in Exeter.















"We are in the middle of a housing shortage that shows little sign of fading.

I believe that we need to build more homes in Exeter and would like to see the council do more to get the right 
homes, in the right places, at the right price for people here.

Do you think we are building enough homes in Exeter City? And what is the council doing to end the housing shortage?"

Too many councillors are willing to say 'no' to new housing because they don't understand the need for homes or are concerned about existing residents."

This e-mail came from the campaign #YesToHomes, organised by the National 

Housing Federation.

I have been saying for a long time that governments of all hues have bee failing intheir duty to provide sufficient decent homes to meet current and future housingneeds.

So it was easy for my to sign up to the campaign's aims: "The right homes being 

built in the right place and at the right price."

What is going to harder is to deliver that aim.

The extent of the current problem was highlighted in last year's report by the NHF "Home Truths: The housing market in South West England".

In the core strategy of the Council, as outlined in the Local Plan adopted in 
February 2012, the aim under policy CP3 is the development of at least 12,000 
new homes across the city over the next 15 years.

At a recent Scrutiny Community meeting held on 28 May 2013, the Portfolio 
Holder for Housing, Cllr Rob Hannaford, presented his priorities for the coming 
year.

Within these priorities is a desire to deliver a complex mix of initiatives to meet 
Exeter's current housing needs. Indeed.Exeter City Council has just finished a 
series of consultation events on a new housing strategy which will be presented tothe Scrutiny Community meeting in the next round of meetings on 03 September 2013.

Looking at the figures for housing planned, in the pipeline, awaiting planning 
permission or in the pre-application stage it appears that in the next few years 
Exeter will see:

5441 market homes - 396 shared ownership - 1336 for affordable rent - 53 for 
social rent = 7226 in total.

The #YesToHomes campaign worried that councillors are saying 'no' to new 
housing because they don't understand the need for homes or are concerned 
about existing residents. The figures above prove that this isn't the case in Exeter.

The campaign is also worried that local residents say 'no' to new housing - 

the NIMBY syndrome. 

NIMBY is a well-known acronym - Not in My Back Yard, but what about 

NOTE - Not Over There Either.

BANANA - Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Anything.

CAVE - Citizens Against Virtually Everything.

NOPE - Not On Planet Earth.

When the Local Plan proposed a new development expanding the South West of Exeter by up to 500 new homes (accompanied by a plan from Teignbridge DistrictCouncil to add another 2,000 homes on their side of the city boundary), ECC 

planners devised a series of workshops in conjunction with Alphington Village 

Forum. The results of this long-term working together were presented to the 

residents of Alphington at a public meeting at the Village Hall on 18 July 2013.

I hope that this shows that ECC and councillors like myself are saying 

#YesToHomes, and as time goes on this will rise from a whisper to a shout.

ASSOCIATION OF LABOUR COUNCILLORS EXECUTIVE - ELECTIONS 2013

The NEC of the Labour Party agreed, through Refounding Labour, to transform the Association of Labour Councillors (ALC) and empower it to become an effective voice for councillors within the Party. 

Realising that Labour councillors are the backbone of the Labour party, the thermometer of public opinion, and a crucial part of the Labour Party's policy development, as they see the effect of policy implementation on the ground in our communities, Refounding Labour recommends better representation for councillors within the party. The status and support given to Labour councillors needs to be increased throughout the party

Labour Party members can see more about waht Refounding Labour means for Councillors on Membersnet here.[log-in needed]

As part of this process, it was agreed that the ALC would elect an executive committee and start to exercise a series of affiliate rights such as sending delegates and motions to Annual Conference, receiving a vote in any future leadership election as well as the establishment of an annual ALC Conference.

I am standing for election to the ALC Executive as SW Region representative and this is the e-mail I've been sending to councillors around the region.

Dear Labour Councillor

The Refounding Labour document gave a commitment from the Labour Party to support local councillors, and one way of achieving this was relaunching the Association of Labour Councillors [ALC].

I trust that you have have received an e-mail from the Electoral Reform Society with instructions on how to vote in the elections for the SW Region representative on the new ALC Executive.

I had hoped that each candidate's statement would have been attached to that e-mail rather than on the actual voting page. That way, you would have had time for consideration and reflection ahead of the actual voting process.

For you information, I am sending you an expanded version of my candidate statement.

The South West may have little Parliamentary representation, but we do have two more seats than many regions in the South, the area known as the Southern Front where Labour needs to make significant gains in 2015 if we are to form the next Government

The number of Labour Councillors across Cornwall, Devon and Somerset is growing, with both Plymouth and Exeter being Labour administrations with strong working majorities

We are setting the agenda for Labour's revival in the South but are we being heard nationally?

For example, neither Exeter nor Plymouth were represented at the recent Bedroom Tax summit, Why not? Do the big players think that we do not have our own housing stock? Or is it they have forgotten that there ARE Labour Councils and Labour Councillors here in the  South West

The South West region needs strong representation to champion the two bright beacons, and significant dots, of red in amongst the swathes of blue and yellow. So as well as representing the larger groups in the region, I will engage to become the voice of the smaller ones as well, most importantly the significant groups of one, who must feel very isolated.

I want to represent our regional views on the new ALC Executive and with that in mind, I would welcome your vote for me.

I totally embrace social media and will endeavour, if elected, us use these to help connect Labour councillors across the region .

If you want to find out more about me and my views, you can always follow my twitter feed @CllrPaul4Cowick. 

You will see me talking about culture and arts, social justice, welfare cuts (especially the Bedroom Tax), the NHS, changes to Criminal Justice system, public transport, speeding in 20mph zone  and lots else besides.

I am pioneering the use of Storify and use the medium to compile stories from issues that interest me. These feeds can be found at http://storify.com/CllrPaul4Cowick.

I write the (very) occasional blog and use it to ensure a web-presence of ward newsletters.

With my ward co-councillor, Cllr Heather Morris, I help maintain the Cowick Labour Councillors Facebook homepage. This can be found at https://www.facebook.com/CowickCityCouncillorsHomepage

Remember, voting closes will close at 17.00 on 29th July and the results will be released announced by email on the 5th August. This deadline will be strictly adhered to and there will be no exceptions made.

Regards

Paul

===============
Paul Bull
Labour and Co-operative Councillor for Cowick
5 Cranbrook Road
EXETER EX2 5HG
(01392) 275886
paul4cowick@aol.com

Follow me on twitter:

@CllrPaul4Cowick

Many things that interest me are pulled together in Storify threads:

http://storify.com/CllrPaul4Cowick

E&E | Long road to raise wages

27 June 2013

A living wage is needed for all

IT is very welcome news that Exeter City Council has pledged to pay a 'living wage' to its staff (City vows to tackle low wages, Echo, June 20). This is a key Green Party policy and was included in our recent Devon County Council election manifesto.

However, a recent report revealed that average earnings in Exeter have failed to keep pace with the rest of the South West. Key to ensuring decent pay for all is to ensure that the private sector implements a living wage.

On this critical issue Labour in Exeter seem to be resorting to wishful thinking; simply hoping businesses in the city will follow the lead taken by Exeter City Council is not good enough.

This is why the Green Party has advocated the introduction of the Living Wage Employer's Mark, offering accreditation to employers that pay the living wage, or those committed to an agreed timetable of implementation. Such an accreditation scheme is already in existence, offered by the Living Wage Foundation.

This way, locally based businesses will have something to shout about as they introduce decent pay, and Exeter will really be able to move towards declaring itself a Living Wage City.

Andrew Bell 
Exeter Green Party Policy Officer

11 July 2013
LETTERS

I THANK Andrew Bell for his qualified welcome of the news that Exeter City Council has pledge to a 'living wage' to its staff (A living wage is needed by all, Letters, June 27).

I echo his view that it is wishful thinking that to hope that businesses in the city will follow the lead taken by Exeter City Council.

That is why myself and my Labour colleagues have had long and in-depth discussions at local party level.

That is why I welcomed the excellent report on low average earnings in Exeter that came before Scrutiny Committee – Economy on May 30. He may be interested to know that the committee recommended that the scrutiny economy and executives "consider mechanisms that would provide the means to ensure that the City strives to achieve higher wage levels" .

One of those mechanisms was to be considered was the establishment of a task and finish group.

At the subsequent executive committee meeting, Cllr Rosie Denham, as portfolio holder economy and culture, put forward a proposal to establish a low wage forum, to consider the impact of low wages and high cost of living on Exeter residents and identify strategies to address these issues. This forum would invite representatives from the university, local businesses and community groups to come along to give views and evidence to councillors. I want to ensure that I never hear comments like "people should be pleased to work here and be happy with low pay – just look at the views".

I am sure that this new forum will address many issues, including how to encourage as many businesses as possible to follow Exeter City Council's lead. I would imagine that the forum would enter into meaningful dialogue with the Living Wage Foundation.

I, for one, have no illusions how hard this journey will be but I am looking forward to the challenges ahead. So this is no simple wishful thinking, but the start of robust positive action to encourage city businesses to follow the lead set by the strong Labour administration on Exeter City Council.

Paul Bull

Labour and Co-operative Councillor for Cowick