The council has decided to urge further action to restrict the use of Buy Now, Pay Later schemes for the purchase of fast food and takeaways.

URL: https://calderdale.moderngov.co.uk/ieDecisionDetails.aspx?ID=340

Decision Maker:

Outcome: Recommendations Approved

Is Key Decision?: No

Is Callable In?: No

Purpose:

Content: (A) Calderdale’s commitment to transparent and impartial cooperation with the National Inquiry on Grooming Gangs                                          It was moved by Councillor Wilkinson,                                       Seconded by Councillor Swift MBE   After being put to the vote, the Amended Motion was carried.   This Council welcomes:   The Government’s announcement of a national inquiry into Grooming gangs following the findings of the Casey Report. Calderdale Council Cabinet’s public announcement of full cooperation with the inquiry. This Council recognises: The significant impact these cases have had in Calderdale and the strong public feeling that perpetrators must face justice and that public servants be held accountable for any failures. The concerns locally and nationally that the failure of public services to protect children may have resulted from certain political cultures and agendas. This council further recognises: The serious case review of child M conducted by Calderdale Safeguarding Partnership Board and published in 2016, which highlighted failings in the way that statutory authorities approached CSE between 2008-11. That the case of child M and her courageous testimony led to the arrest of 54 men, 25 of whom were charged and 17 prosecuted. That whilst Casey stated that many authorities have shied away from recording the ethnicity of perpetrators, the ethnicity was recorded and evident in the serious case review in Calderdale, as highlighted in Casey’s audit report. Furthermore, that the review found that cultural sensitivity was not a factor in the failings affecting child M. That significant lessons were learned, and that the review found the way in which children were protected from CSE in Calderdale even back in 2016 bore no relation to the approach of 2011. That the council continues to work hard with the police to support victims of recent and historic CSE and bring perpetrators to justice, so far leading to the arrest of 110 men since 2015, 10 of whom have been charged and are awaiting trial and 29 who have already been convicted. That in April 2025, Ofsted inspected the council's current arrangements for protecting children from harms outside the home, such as grooming, and noted the effective multi-agency arrangements that are in place to support children who are identified as being at potential risk of exploitation. This Council believes:   That full cooperation with the national inquiry is vital to securing justice for victims and restoring trust in public services. The independence of this process is integral to both its success and the public’s faith in the process. That the Cabinet has rightly set out its intention to regularly update all Elected Members on the progress of the inquiry and provide assurance on the matter through the relevant Cabinet Member’s report to full council, which they can then be questioned on. That to deal quickly with the dissemination of information assessed as being urgent, and which would fall outside of the Lead Member reporting process, the Director of Children and Young People’s Services should email all Members with a briefing update as soon as practicably possible. This Council resolves: To await details of the Terms of Reference of the inquiry which are to be set nationally, in line with the recommendations of Casey's independent report. To contribute openly, transparently and with integrity to disclose information it holds on child sexual exploitation and grooming gangs. To ensure that effective and detailed scrutiny of the council’s engagement with the inquiry takes place via the Children and Young People’s Scrutiny Board, which sets its own work plan and contains several co-opted independent members, as well as nine councillors that reflect a cross-party political balance.  To continue to do everything it can to support victims of recent and historic CSE to come forward, and assist them and the police in bringing perpetrators to justice.     (B) Tackling the Harmful Impact of Buy Now, Pay Later schemes on Vulnerable Residents   Councillor Blagbrough advised that an amendment had been received from the Liberal Democrat group which had been circulated to the full membership of the Council prior to the meeting. On receipt of the amendment the Conservative Group, after due consideration, amended their original Motion to incorporate Liberal Democrat amendment.                                               It was moved by Councillor Blagbrough                                            Seconded by Councillor Hunt   After being put to the vote, the Motion was carried.   RESOLVED that:   This Council Notes:   ·   The rapid growth of Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) schemes across the UK, with millions of people using them to finance everyday purchases. ·   BNPL is increasingly being used to purchase non-essential goods, including fast food, takeaway services, and other products, which can exacerbate cycles of poverty and poor health. ·   The Labour Government has taken positive steps with legislation currently going through Parliament that aims to introduce more regulation to the BNPL sector. This will include requirements for clearer information about late fees and credit impacts, affordability checks, and oversight of the sector by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). ·   The dedicated efforts of Council Officers, local charities, and the Calderdale Credit Union who provide debt advice and financial support services to vulnerable residents.   This Council Acknowledges Research from Citizens Advice:   One in five (21%) BNPL users have missed or made a late BNPL payment in the last twelve months, with one in ten (10%) of those visited by an enforcement agency or bailiff as a result. Almost a third (29%) of BNPL users who were due to make a payment in the last month borrowed money to repay their instalments, meaning their initial debt is only leading to more debt. A quarter of young people making BNPL repayments haven’t been able to pay for food, rent or bills as a result. The average person is repaying £63 a month. But Citizens Advice found almost two in five (5.7 million) who’ve used BNPL in the last year didn’t think it was ‘proper borrowing’ and six million didn’t fully understand what they were signing up for.   This Council Believes:   The Government’s actions are welcome and necessary, but the legislation should go further in protecting financially vulnerable residents from accumulating unmanageable debt. It is deeply concerning that BNPL can be used to purchase fast food and takeaways which can encourage impulsive and unsustainable financial behaviour, and this often occurs in communities already grappling with food insecurity, health inequalities, and economic hardship.   This Council Resolves:   ·   To ask the Leader of the Council and Chief Executive to write to the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Secretary of State for Business and Trade to welcome the legislation going through Parliament but urge further action to restrict the use of BNPL schemes for the purchase of fast food and takeaways. ·   To ask the Leader of the Council and Chief Executive to write to Calderdale’s two Members of Parliament seeking their support in the Council’s Campaign to restrict the use of BNPL schemes for the purchase of fast food and takeaways. ·   To launch a local campaign and work with local organisations to raise further awareness about the risks associated with BNPL schemes and to signpost people towards other means of accessing food, such as local food banks. FIELD_DECISION_SUMMARY   (c) Road Traffic & Parking – Safety Outside our Schools                                              It was moved by Councillor Taylor                                            Seconded by Councillor Swift MBE   After being put to the vote, the Motion was carried.   RESOLVED that:   This Council notes that:   In 2024, The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) reported that approximately 1200 children nationally were injured per month in traffic-related collisions within a 500m radius of a school. This number does not include ‘near-misses’, injuries to adults, or road traffic collisions between vehicles. The Living Streets charity has also noted that in recent decades the number of car journeys to take children to and from school has significantly increased. The number of pupils making all or part of their journey to school on foot has decreased. Traffic outside all of the schools at drop-off and pick-up times in the Borough comprises of private cars, taxis, service buses, school buses and minibuses, and cycles. For historical reasons, in certain parts of the Borough, there is a concentration of schools (and hence student and staff numbers) within one locality, intensifying traffic related problems. Some schools in the same locality also have the same start and end times, exacerbating the problems. The increase in vehicular traffic, and therefore the incidences of careless and irresponsible parking and manoeuvring in areas around schools has increased the risk of accident or injury (and ‘near misses’) due to traffic numbers. Inconsiderate parking around schools impedes driver sightlines, making it dangerous for pedestrians to traverse roads safely. Likewise, the volume of traffic at peak times of the day causes congestion in surrounding streets and roads. Residents near schools often report dissatisfaction and even distress to their ward councillors. Furthermore, the behaviour of a minority of car drivers has caused residents to feel vulnerable during drop-off and pick-up times. Inconsiderate or illegal parking affects local residents and their ability to go about their daily business. In addition, the increase in vehicles has resulted in an increase not following highway markings (such as yellow lines and white zigzags). Distance and time are sometimes significant barriers to children walking, cycling or using public transport to school, as least for part of the journey. ‘School Street’ schemes have proven successful within the vicinity of some schools in the Borough regarding drop-off and pick-up times to improve safety and promote more active travel. Some schools have travel plans that at least alleviate the volume of traffic and problem parking outside their school gates. However, there are instances where a School Street scheme would not be appropriate or effective in some instances.   This Council believes that:   The number of private car journeys to and from school needs to be reduced, especially in the more urban parts of the Borough. This will not only improve safety but will also have a positive effect on a school’s air quality. Reducing the number of vehicles on our roads helps everybody get to their destination faster, makes streets safer, less polluted and more enjoyable. The School Street schemes establish a vehicle-free zone near school entrances at drop-off and pick-up times. Therefore, safe crossings are possible in front of school entrances. These schemes also help to promote walking or cycling to school for at least part of the journey. Where a School Street scheme would not be appropriate for a particular school or group of schools within one locality, other solutions are available, such as: ­   ‘Park and Stride’ and car-sharing should be encouraged for parents and carers whose children live a considerable distance from school. ­   Engineers’ solutions such as Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs), traffic calming and highway markings. ­   Finally, enforcement solutions (both in terms of parking enforcement, and where necessary, Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs) should be used to deter the most persistent inconsiderate drivers). More secondary-age children should be taking public transport (in particular dedicated school services provided by Metro) or more active transport options, even for only part of the journey. More active travel and use of public transport results in healthier children, less traffic and pollution, and healthier and safer communities near schools.   This Council resolves:   To be proactive in working with individual schools, groups of schools and ward councillors to identify schools which would benefit from a School Streets scheme and/or where traffic and parking is a significant risk to pedestrian safety. To encourage schools to adopt schemes such as walking buses and ‘park and stride’. To actively promote campaigns to encourage more walking and higher take-up of public transport to school. To continue to promote and support the efforts in promoting road safety in the Borough. To adopt a ‘children first’ approach to planning and street design, particularly around schools, prioritising the pedestrian and not the motorist. The Authority should regularly collect and monitor robust data on rates of walking and/or using public transport to schools in the Borough. Explore engineered solutions such as traffic regulation orders or road markings at certain schools. Tackle inconsiderate and illegal parking by creating controlled parking zones and actively undertake parking enforcement outside all schools on a regular basis. Work with all schools in the Borough to develop Travel Plans for their staff and pupils. Work with Metro to more actively promote, to parents, bus use for secondary-age pupils, and for those primary-age pupils who live a further distance from the school they attend.  

Date of Decision: July 23, 2025