The Deputy Mayor read aloud two questions submitted by Ms Kortlandt to which the Leader responded:

1.         A positive effect of Covid 19 has been a reduction in carbon emissions in the Borough and a consequent improvement in air quality.  As life returns to normal, what will the Council do to ensure these benefits are maintained?

Cllr Hossack, please respond: -

Clearly the biggest source of carbon emissions and the most noticeable change was the lack of cars on the road during the pandemic.  That has returned to the best part of normal levels.  There is nothing the Council can do to stop that.  That is down to people’s individual conscience as to how they wish to travel.  Having said that I am pleased to report that this Council is working with Essex County Council to put forward a proposal for a school road , Sawyers Hall, to eliminate traffic around schools which is the main aim in our Corporate objective to create green zones particularly around schools.  I am also pleased to report that we are working again with Essex County Council Highway Authority to try and create a cycle route which connects Shenfield more safely with Brentwood Town Centre.

2.    How does the Council find out when properties are converted to houses in multiple occupation and how frequently are physical checks made, to ensure registered HMO’s are still in conformity with the regulations, eg additional rooms have not been added?

Cllr Hossack, please respond:-

The Council is often advised by neighbours when properties are converted to houses in multiple occupation (HMOs), officers on site visits will also become aware of properties and we have contact with our Council Tax team who have records of information of property occupiers.  Our planning enforcement team will also often be contacted as the property may need planning permission.  Environmental Health are responsible to ensure that licensable HMOs are investigated and properly licensed in accordance with Essex-wide agreed standards for amenities, room sizes and other facilities including means of escape from fire.

Licensed HMOs are normally inspected annually throughout the five-year licence period.  It is unusual that additional rooms will be added to an existing HMO as it is likely that the landlord will have maximised use of the property on application for the license.  We have recently engaged the services of a specialist officer who is targeting unlicensed HMOs in the Borough, which may have become licensable since the requirements for licensing changed in 2018; he is also undertaking additional checks on the currently licensed properties to ensure that they continue to comply with legal requirements.

Mrs Smith had submitted two questions:

1.         If a Brentwood resident writes (via email) to their two officially elected local Brentwood ward councillors and one councillor does not write back at all and the other writes one line only and nothing further, and neither take any action at all to assist the resident with their genuine and difficult problems relating to the council, what can the local resident do?

It boils down to: What can Brentwood people who genuinely need support, actually expect of their local elected representatives?

Cllr Hossack, please respond: -

My own personal view is that Members should be responsive to all residents and other people when they contact Councillors with a fair question.  That’s my personal view and I try and adhere to that as best as possible.  I will caveat that – if a member of the public or an organisation repeatedly sends emails of the same nature, a Member may form the view that having replied once it doesn’t necessitate a further response if the view of the Member has not changed.  So if you receive 50 emails, I wouldn’t expect any Member to make 50 responses.  But I would expect people to acknowledge concerns that are raised.

2.      The Brentwood Plan (Brentwood 2025) was presented at full Council on 22.01.2020. It claims boldly that Brentwood is where “everyone matters”, and it aims to:

“Provide support for all residents, focusing on equality, understanding and respect”,
“Improve communication with residents via all communication channels”,
“Protect people especially the most vulnerable”,
“Work with local health organisations to develop health and well-being initiatives”,
“Support residents to maintain and improve their mental health”,
“Offer and signpost to programmes that reduce social isolation and support people to stay active and independent”.

Then Cllr Roger Hirst stood up to endorse this plan saying that we should “protect the vulnerable”, (please see webcast of the meeting of 22.01.2020.)

It contains no statistics for disabled people and carers.

The word “business” occurs 11 times and the word businesses occurs 10 times.

The word “vulnerable” appears once.

A search cannot find the words “disabled” and “disability”, and the bold promises in this document belie the bleak reality for people with disabilities and their carers’ in Brentwood, made worse by central government austerity cuts, harsher assessments for welfare benefits, lack of any support anywhere, impotent charities, impossibility of obtaining social care, the prohibitive cost of social care for clients, lack of GP appointments and fewer NHS services, lack of access to legal aid, law centres and therefore justice, lack of mental health services, lack of autism services, plus the housing crisis.

In the light of the above, I would like to ask the following question please:

Where do people with disabilities come into this plan, in reality, will they be consulted and their views and needs properly taken on board, and how are these aims being, or to be, put into effect, with what exact targets and timescales.

Cllr Hossack, please respond: -

I would like to reassure you that the Council, when it is looking at changing the way it delivers services or when introducing new services, looks at how this would impact on those people not just with disabilities but all those protected by the Equality Act 2010.

Your question covers areas which the Council is not responsible for, adult and children social care is the responsibility of Essex County Council. I will therefore only respond with what is within the remit of this Council.

We are currently reviewing our Health and Wellbeing Strategy and one of the proposed recommendations is that the Council looks at Health implications in all policies.

We offer financial and advisory support for carers, directly delivering projects to support people with mental illness.  Our commitment to this is to maintain an active representation on the South West Essex Mental Health Forum and the Essex Community Tree.  We also distribute £50,000 to community projects, including £15,000 specifically for support those with mental health conditions. 

We also take an active role both financially and advisory for those living with dementia, including leading and co-ordinating the Local Dementia Action Alliance.

This Council also actively supports sports and social groups for those with disabilities, including specific projects delivered by Chat 1st through the Brentwood Centre including accessible boxing, cardiac rehabilitation and disabled swimming. We all know that the Brentwood Centre, supported by the Council,  is a flagship for attempting to deliver its best for mental health services and provision for the vulnerable. In addition, support for disabled people's access to leisure and other facilities, including supporting installation of Changing Places.

We also actively support the sensory garden at King George’s Playing Fields and have consulted with both SNAP and BOSP around equipment for disabled children and young people.  We did that as part of our Leisure and Play Area Strategy.  Not only did we consult but we listened and actively installed the equipment particularly suitable for children with disabilities.  That is done and we will commit and continue to do that.

This Council also supports making buildings accessible and community transport for those again who are vulnerable and need that support.

The above are a small sample of what this Council has done and continues to do to support vulnerable and disabled people both young and old in the Borough.

I would add, it’s all very well picking out words, but I do very much maintain that actions are more important and I do not think the counting of one word in a Corporate Strategy is a fair reflection of the level of effort this Council puts into looking after the vulnerable, the disabled and those with particular challenges.