Minutes:
The Chairman informed Council that she would be using her discretion under rule 13.4 of the Council’s Rules of Procedure to allow Group Leaders more than the allotted 5 minutes when discussing the budget.
The Chairman also proposed that the Council waived standing order 4.2(a) of the Council Procedure Rules to extend the time allowed for the length of the meeting, in the event that proceedings took longer than two and a half hours.
Resolved:
That the proposal be approved.
The Chairman was pleased to announce the following two awards:
The Social Value Leadership Awardhad been received for a council initiative designed to support the local economy in County Durham.
After the Government’s Public Services (Social Value) Act came into force in 2012 to increase spending by authorities within their own area, the council set up a Social Value Taskforce. Made up of the council, led by its Business Durham team, the Federation of Small Businesses and other local partners, the taskforce was the first of its kind in the region when it was created. The council went beyond the legislation by ensuring local firms could tender for the supply of goods and to carry out works outside of the scope of the act.
The receipt of this top award was testament to the hard work and dedication to everyone involved and recognised the County Council’s drive and approach to ensure that local businesses benefited from its spending, money was kept in the local economy and helping the county’s businesses grow, whilst ensuring jobs for residents.
The second award was for the Warm and Healthy Homes projectrun by the Council’s Housing Regeneration Service, commissioned and funded by Public Health in partnership with local Clinical Commissioning Groups, Age UK (County Durham), Warm Up North, Managing Money Better and Welfare Rights had received an award from National Energy Action, the national fuel poverty charity.
The aim of the project was to improve the health and wellbeing of residents by reducing the numbers of excess winter deaths and cold related illness while eradicating fuel poverty and other fire related risks.
The award also recognised the success achieved in delivering the Warm and Healthy Homes project through partnership with County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service who had commenced new ‘Safe and Wellbeing’ visits across County Durham and Darlington.