Content

There were five motions submitted in
accordance with Standing Order 4.8.12.
 

A)   
Provision
of Affordable Housing and Infrastructure on
Developments

RESOLVED:  That Council
instructed the Leader of the Council writes to the Deputy Prime
Minister and Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local
Government setting out the Council’s views and calling for
the government to adopt a strategy that will prioritise increasing
delivery of housing with appropriate infrastructure and to
prioritise giving more power to Councils to build housing, in
particular social and affordable housing.
 

B)   
Two Child Limit to
Benefit Payments
 

RESOLVED: That Council:

(1)  
Instructed the Leader of North Herts Council to
write to the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Prime Minister
indicating North Herts Council's strong belief that the two-child
limit to benefit payments should be scrapped – which would
help 2120 children living in North Hertfordshire.
 

(2)  
Further instructed the Council Leader to write to
all MPs covering the district of North Hertfordshire, asking them
to commit their public support to the campaign to end the cruel
two-child limit to benefit payments and ensure the number of
children a family has is considered when a hardship grant is given
out by the Council.
 

C)   
Proposed
Expansion of London Luton Airport
 

RESOLVED:
 

(1)  
That the new Leader of the Council writes again to
the Secretary of State for Transport urging them not to grant a
Development Consent Order, as well as stating that North
Hertfordshire District Council continues to oppose any further
expansion of London Luton Airport in the strongest possible terms,
and remains of the opinion there are no conditions that can be
applied to the application to make it acceptable.
 

(2)  
Council further resolved that the new Leader of
the Council writes to the Member of Parliament for Hitchin, the
Member of Parliament for North East Hertfordshire and the Member of
Parliament for Stevenage, urging them to call on the Secretary of
State for Transport to reject the proposal allowing London Luton
Airport to expand, as well as to use their role as an MP
representing residents in North Hertfordshire to secure
Parliamentary scrutiny of the proposed expansion.
 

D)   
Government
Planning Reforms and Housing Target
 
RESOLVED: That Council resolves:

(1)  
That the Leader of the Council writes to the
Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government
calling on the Government to:
 

(1.1)      
not increase the Housing Target for North
Hertfordshire.
 

(1.2)      
Restore the Urban Uplift, ensuring cities and
urban areas take their fair share of housing development,
particularly as many of these areas already have the infrastructure
to support additional development.
 

(1.3)      
Ensure infrastructure to support approved
development is built prior to houses, thereby reducing the negative
impact of development on existing communities, and ensuring local
infrastructure is ready to provide for residents moving into new
homes.
 

(1.4)      
Adopt a brownfield first approach to development, and provide greater protection for
green belt land in North Hertfordshire.
 

(1.5)      
Not to amend paragraph 11(d) of the 2023 NPPF,
which currently provides protection for North Hertfordshire as a
local authority that has recently adopted a local plan but does not
have a five-year housing land supply.
 

(1.6)      
Strengthen the rights of local
residents to ensure they have a meaningful say when
development is proposed within their communities.
 

(1.7)      
Not remove the emphasis and focus on
‘beauty’ and ‘beautiful design’ from the
National Planning Policy Framework.
 

(1.8)      
Meaningfully engage with Local Planning
Authorities on the New Town Scheme and – where proposed sites
are put forward within an area – ensure that plans have local
consent and that sufficient additional
funding is in place to support already-stretched planning
departments.

(1.9)      
Actively pursue reforms designed to ensure that a
far greater proportion of planning applications – which
continue to be approved under the existing policy framework –
are actually built out by developers in
a timely manner, recognising that this is the most effective way of
meeting the Government’s stated objectives.
 

(2)  
That the Leader of the Council writes to the
Member of Parliament for Hitchin, the Member of Parliament for
North East Hertfordshire and the Member
of Parliament for Stevenage highlighting the opposition of Council
to the Government’s proposed planning reforms and housing
targets, urging them to stand up against these proposals which
would have a detrimental impact on residents and communities across
North Hertfordshire.
 

E)   
Changes to
the Winter Fuel Allowance
 
RESOLVED: That Council resolves:

(1)    
That the Leader of the Council writes to the
Chancellor of the Exchequer, urging a review of the decision to
means-test the Winter Fuel Payment and asks the government to
ensure that vulnerable pensioners, particularly those who do not
claim Pension Credit, are protected from fuel poverty.
 

(2)    
That the Leader of the Council writes to the
Member of Parliament for Hitchin, the Member of Parliament for
North East Hertfordshire and the Member of Parliament for
Stevenage, urging them to ask the government to ensure that
vulnerable pensioners, particularly those who do not claim Pension
Credit, are protected from fuel poverty, as well as to press the
government to reverse this decision which may impact 23,266
pensioners in North Hertfordshire.
 
 
 

(3)    
To continue to encourage local efforts to promote
Pension Credit uptake through council services and partnerships
with local charities and community organisations to ensure that all
eligible pensioners in North Hertfordshire are supported in
claiming their entitlement.
 

(4)    
To encourage Councillors to consider the
‘Save the Winter Fuel Payment for Struggling
Pensioners’ petition being run by Age UK.
 

(5)    
To acknowledge and understand that the financial
blackhole that the previous 14 years of Conservative government has
left our country in has an impact on the new government’s
financial decision-making, but that does not justify the withdrawal
of the Winter Fuel Payment.