Additional support for residents during the cost of living crisis has been proposed by a local Labour councillor but has already been rebuffed by the council’s Deputy Leader.
The meeting of Welwyn Hatfield Council’s Cabinet Planning and Parking Panel which was held on Thursday 18 August included an interesting debate instigated by Councillor Kieran Thorpe as a result of the ongoing cost of living crisis.
During the discussion of the implementation of a resident parking scheme in High Dells and Hilltop, Councillor Thorpe spoke of the ongoing financial pressures faced by residents and how any additional outgoings would only exacerbate the issues.
He put forward an additional recommendation for the council to “rapidly explore setting up a hardship fund for any resident within any permit parking area within in the borough who can demonstrate the impact the additional cost of a permit or permits would have upon them financially and/or socially to allow for a defined process to alleviate this pressure until it is deemed that this fund is no longer required”.
Councillor Stephen Boulton, vice chair of the panel who also happens to be the portfolio holder for resources (ultimately the man holding the purse strings) was immediately voicing his opinion against the recommendation, saying that the council do not have the money to facilitate such a fund.
Councillor Thorpe was quick to point out that the council already facilitates similar funds such as council tax relief, housing benefit and assisted bin collections.
When it came to the vote, of the thirteen panel members; Councillors Bonfante, Musk, Platt, Quinton, Shah (seconder) and Thorpe (proposer) all voted for the recommendation. Five councillors voted against the recommendation (Councillors Boulton, Michaelides, Richardson, Stanbury and Thusu) and two interestingly abstained (the Chair, Councillor Hellyer and Councillor Wachuku). The two abstentions meant the recommendation carried and will be brought to the Cabinet meeting on 6 September.
When this recommendation is brought to the Cabinet meeting, no prizes for guessing which way Councillor Boulton will vote as he has already made his mind up. The recommendation is for exploration of the feasibility of a fund; to write this off without giving any time for officers to look at options is irresponsible and negligent towards residents of the borough.
See how the proposals pan out at the Cabinet meeting for yourself by watching live at 5pm on Tuesday 6 September here.
Update
Cllr Thorpe provided the following comment.
“This issue is too important for the Council to simply decide “there is no money” without knowing how much it would even cost. In the face of an incredibly difficult winter, barriers are being put in place for hard up residents who simply go out of their way to look after some of the most vulnerable people in our society.
Given the huge cost of social isolation, it would be completely irresponsible for Cabinet members (who recently voted to give themselves a payrise) to rule out this very limited route to helping those that can demonstrate they need it.”
