Issue - meetings

To consider a proposal for the Council to work towards becoming an Age Friendly Community.

Purpose of the report

For the Council to work towards becoming an Age Friendly Community.

Decision

That Cabinet:

1. Agrees that South Kesteven District Council registers to become an Age Friendly Community and engages in the necessary work to fulfil the criteria.

2. Requests that the Council’s Rural and Communities Overview & Scrutiny Committee monitor the progress of this work to maximise the impact of this opportunity.

Alternative options considered and rejected

The Council had the option to do nothing. However, this would not have supported the Council’s corporate ambition to provide an environment which supported all residents to live active and healthy lives.

Reasons for the decision

Becoming an Age Friendly Community had the support of the Health and wellbeing Board (Lincolnshire County Council), and the Director for Public Health for Lincolnshire. This step also supported the Health and Wellbeing Strategy adopted by Full Council in March 2023.

Cabinet provided political commitment to support South Kesteven by becoming an Age Friendly Community and requesting that progress was overseen by the Rural and Communities Overview & Scrutiny Committee.

The following points were highlighted during debate:

• The next Age Friendly Conference was on 22 November in Lincoln.
• The age of the population was having an effect on the requirements for social housing. There had been an increase in the need for one-bedroomed accommodation and adapted properties. All new developments in the District now included an element of adapted housing.
• 1 in 4 of the population was aged over 65, and in 20 years’ time this was likely to rise to 1 in 3, which presented challenges. Part of becoming an Age Friendly Community involved producing an action plan for how the Council would meet these challenges.
• St. James the Great Church in Aslackby had just won UK Church of the Year. One of the reasons for this success was the involvement of dementia sufferers.
• South Kesteven had a relatively high proportions of veterans. 83% were over the age of 50.

The Cabinet Member for Planning was to answer a query relating to the differences between social housing and almshouses.