Decision details

In accordance with Standing Order 21, Cllr J Davies moved the following motion:-

“This Council notes:

·        The alarming news that 4 out of 114 neighbourhoods across the New Forest are in the top 20% most deprived neighbourhoods for income deprivation in England according to the 2019 Index of Multiple Deprivation.

This Council further notes:

·        The Cost of Living Crisis, which is expected to get worse, will push more local households into poverty.

·        That the cost of living crisis has a disproportionate effect on people in the most deprived neighbourhoods.

·        There are many different areas of deprivation included within the Index of Multiple Deprivation.  These include: income deprivation; employment deprivation; education, skills, and training deprivation; health and disability deprivation; crime deprivation; income deprivation affecting children; income deprivation affecting older people; living environment deprivation; and housing deprivation.

·        There are two neighbourhoods within the New Forest which are in the top 20% most deprived neighbourhoods for income deprivation affecting children.  These two neighbourhoods are contained within Butts Ash and Dibden Purlieu ward and Pennington ward respectively.

This Council recommends:

1.     A Task and Finish Group be set up to form a plan to tackle deprivation across the New Forest with a particular emphasis on the 4 most deprived neighbourhoods for income deprivation.  This Task and Finish Group will report to the Community, Partnerships and Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Panel.

2.     Overall Deprivation is included as a key priority within the Corporate Plan and include the responsibility for reducing overall deprivation within the priorities of the Portfolio Holder for Partnering and Wellbeing.”

Cllr Osborne seconded the motion.

The Chairman confirmed that, under the provisions of Standing Order 41, the above motion, having been proposed and seconded, should stand referred to the Cabinet, or to the Cabinet or such Committees or Panels as the Council may determine.  The Leader of the Council proposed that as the Council’s ongoing work to support communities and the ‘Levelling-Up’ agenda fell within a number of portfolios, that the motion should be referred to the Cabinet.  Cllr Cleary seconded the proposal.

RESOLVED:

That the motion be referred to the Cabinet meeting on 6 July 2022.