Agenda item
Public Questions
To deal with questions from the public within the open forum question and answer session of fifteen minutes in total. Questions from each member of the public should be no longer than one minute each and relate to issues under the Council’s remit. At any one meeting no person may submit more than two questions and no more than two such questions may be asked on behalf of one organisation.
The Chair will ask whether any members of the public present at the meeting wish to ask a question and will decide on the order of questioners.
The response may take the form of:
a) a direct oral answer;
b) where the desired information is in a publication of the Council or other published work, a reference to that publication; or
c) where the reply cannot conveniently be given orally, a written answer circulated later to the questioner.
Minutes:
There were two public questions:
Question 1
Councillor Alison Tighe, Mayor of Stow-on-the-Wold, was invited to speak.
Councillor Tighe stated that she had recently written to Cotswold District Council to express concerns regarding the Local Plan update. Stow-on-the-Wold wished to ensure that the challenges facing the town were fully recognised and addressed through the Local Plan update. Her specific question was: would the Local Plan provide clear and deliverable solutions to address housing needs, particularly the shortage of affordable and social housing, given that the consultation document identified symptoms of decline but did not propose specific remedies to reverse that decline, and that potential development sites within the town were limited in scale?
Councillor Evemy thanked Alison Tighe for her correspondence and for raising concerns regarding Stow-on-the-Wold, noting that similar points had also been raised by the ward member, Councillor Neill. He advised that, although the Regulation 18 consultation had concluded, significant work was ongoing ahead of Regulation 19, including the assessment of sites that may have become available or been put forward. He offered to arrange a meeting with Alison Tighe, the Director of Communities and Place, Councillor Neill and other relevant representatives to discuss the specific challenges facing Stow-on-the-Wold and to help inform the next stage of the Local Plan process.
Councillor Layton, Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning added that the housing need in Stow-on-the-Wold was well understood within her portfolio and was raised regularly by ward members. She explained that the Local Plan must work within the constraints of available sites but confirmed that social housing was being actively considered and that smaller sites could be appropriate for such provision, notwithstanding land ownership constraints. Councillor Layton confirmed she would also be willing to attend the proposed meeting and reiterated the Council’s awareness of the issues facing the town and its commitment to addressing them where possible.
Councillor Tighe then asked a supplementary question, asking whether the Council would bring forward solutions to address parking pressures in Stow-on-the-Wold, noting limited off-street parking in the town centre, the recent introduction of time limits at the Tesco car park, and longstanding requests for a parking review.
Councillor Tony Dale, Cabinet Member for Health, Culture and Visitor Experience, thanked the speaker for the question and acknowledged the concerns raised regarding parking in Stow-on-the-Wold. He noted that a district-wide parking strategy had been developed over the past two years and was published on the Council’s website. He explained that any substantial development within the Local Plan would inform updates to the parking strategy and that the Council would work with local town councillors to identify suitable solutions, including potential additional parking provision. Councillor Dale offered reassurance that the Council remained committed to maintaining and investing in parking to support appropriate travel where alternatives such as walking or cycling were not feasible.
Question 2
The speaker introduced herself as Mary Cobbett, a licensed Citizens Advice benefit advisor, also serving both the Cirencester alms houses and the Cirencester Pantry.
The public speaker gave some background to the questions she raised explaining her concerns regarding older pensioners in the Cotswolds who had retired before April 2016 and were receiving unexpected tax demands on their state retirement pension. They noted that these pensioners were not receiving the correct housing benefit and Council Tax reduction, as their benefits were being calculated on gross income rather than net income. Many were unaware of their entitlement to a recalculation which had to be applied for through Cotswold District Council on receiving their simple tax assessment bill from the government. This lack of awareness of the possibility of claiming refunds was causing financial hardship and stress, sometimes resulting in a ‘eat or heat’ decision.
The speaker asked:
1. How many pensioners in the Cotswolds living solely on pension credit are receiving housing benefit and Council Tax reduction?
2. As letters and leaflets are being sent to residents regarding new Council Tax rates, can the Council include a warning for recipients of Simple Assessment tax demands to contact CDC immediately to reclaim any housing benefit or Council Tax reduction owed?
3. A further question was directed to Councillor Joe Harris, as Vice Chair of the LGA Board: can this emerging national issue, where local authorities are required to address lost income due to changes in state pension taxation, be raised at LGA forums to ensure all local authorities are aware and can take action?
Councillor Mike Evemy thanked the speaker for raising their concerns about older pensioners in the Cotswolds receiving unexpected tax demands on their state retirement pensions and losing entitlement to housing benefit and Council Tax reduction. Councillor Evemy acknowledged that the issue was largely a consequence of government policy, including the failure to increase the basic rate threshold, and recognised the stress caused to pensioners who were unfamiliar with such administrative processes. He confirmed that the Council would provide a written response with information on how many residents were affected and that officers in Revenues and Benefits would be involved in compiling the data. Councillor Evemy also highlighted the importance of improving communication with residents, particularly those who may not be online, to ensure they are aware of their entitlements.
Councillor Evemy noted that Councillor Joe Harris, Vice Chair of the LGA Board, was aware of the issue raised. While he was not able to provide a response at the meeting, it was confirmed that Councillor Harris would raise the matter in the appropriate forums to ensure wider awareness and consideration.
Councillor Coleman, Cabinet Member for Finance, emphasised that the issue extended beyond communication to the approach taken by tax authorities, and local administration. He noted the Council’s responsibility to support residents facing unfair treatment, while acknowledging the complexity of the matter and that national policy was the underlying cause. Both Councillors confirmed their commitment to working with officers and local partners to mitigate the impact on affected pensioners and to explore practical solutions to raise awareness and provide assistance.
Data provided subsequently by the revenues and benefits team is at Annex A:
Councillor McKeown spoke and advised Members of a newly announced Warm Homes Programme, which replaced the previous scheme and offered fully funded home energy upgrades for households with incomes below £36,000, including owner-occupiers and renters. The scheme provided up to 100% funding for measures such as insulation, heat pumps and solar panels. Members were asked to consider how eligible residents could be made aware of the scheme, including through existing partnerships such as Warm and Well.
Members were also reminded that the Council’s Home Energy Efficiency Officer had delivered free public presentations and home energy advice, including information on available grants and support, and could be invited by town and parish councils to speak to local residents and publicise the scheme.
Mary Cobbett then asked a supplementary question:
Emphasising that the issue was a national one and not caused by local authorities Mary Cobbett noted that under long-standing benefits case law, local authorities had a responsibility to identify and account for tax liability when assessing housing benefit, which differed from PAYE arrangements. She explained that tax liability could only be disregarded for 30 weeks and that this period had been exceeded in the 2024/25 financial year, meaning benefits should have been reassessed from November 2025.
As a result, the speaker had had to appeal regarding housing benefit, which had to be submitted to the local authority, and emphasized that urgent action was needed. Ms Cobbett expressed hope that Cotswold District Council, given its strong record in administering Council Tax reductions and cost-of-living support, would engage constructively to resolve the matter and support the development of case law that could guide other local authorities.
Councillor Evemy responded and reassured Ms Cobbett that he was aware of a case that had been raised where these issues were being raised and that a written answer would be provided.
Supporting documents:
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