Agenda and minutes

The Minutes of the meeting of the Housing Overview & Scrutiny Committee held on 20 November 2019 are attached, and Members are asked to confirm them as a correct record.

The Minutes of the Meeting held on 20 November 2019 were confirmed as a correct record and signed.

To receive apologies for absence and note any substitutions.

Members who are unable to attend this meeting must submit apologies by the end of Tuesday 7 January 2020 to enable a substitute to be arranged, if applicable.

Apologies for absence were received from  Cllrs P Marriott (VC), Richard Cole and Michaela Gray.

Cllr J Hyman attended as a substitute.

To receive from Members declarations of interests in relation to any items included on the agenda for this meeting, in accordance with Waverley’s Code of Local Government Conduct.

There were no declarations in relation to items on the agenda.

The Chairman to respond to any written questions received from members of the public in accordance with Procedure Rule 10.

The deadline for submission of written questions for this meeting is Tuesday 7 January 2020.

There were no questions submitted by members of the public.

The Chairman to respond to any questions received from Members in accordance with Procedure Rule 11.

The deadline for submission of written questions for this meeting is Tuesday 7 January 2020.

There were no questions submitted by Members.

To receive a presentation on the service plans under the remit of the committee.

Summary & Purpose

This report presents the three-year rolling Service Plans for April 2020 to March 2023 for the service areas under the remit of this Committee, which are:

·         Housing Delivery & Communities Service Plan 2020-23 (except for Communities)

·         Housing Operations Service Plan 2020-23 (Full Plan)

Recommendation 

It is recommended that the Housing Overview & Scrutiny Committee considers the Service Plans for 2020-23 as set out at Annexe 1, and makes any observations or comments to the Executive.

Housing Operations

Annalisa Howson, Service Improvement Manager, outlined the Housing Operations section of the Service Plan via a presentation (copy attached to minutes). 

Members were informed of the five outcomes the service would work towards:

·      financial robustness;

·      meeting the needs of tenants;

·      a professional and skilled workforce;

·      an effective partner; and

·      improved customer experience.

Issues raised by members:

·      Members wished to know what objectives were rolling over from previous years and what were new.

o   Hugh Wagstaff, Head of Housing Operations, advised most of the projects outlined in the SP were new.

·      Efficiencies were being made in the General Fund departments.  Where were the efficiencies being made in the housing arena?

o   Hugh Wagstaff advised the VfM paper would outline the efficiencies being implemented. Retendering of the maintenance contract was one such efficiency saving. Graeme Clark, Strategic Director, advised that Housing was a Waverley function and that the Council was looking at efficiency plans in all  areas corporately.

·      The Chairman asked that in the ‘impact’ section of item 2 that ‘Failure to reduce the carbon footprint’ be added.

·      Annalisa Howson was asked to explain what ‘sustainable tenancy’ meant – she explained it meant helping tenants to maintain their tenancy to allow them to continue staying in the property.

·      The Chairman asked officers to be mindful of the wording in these documents as some terminology may not be obvious in its meaning.

·      Hugh Wagstaff advised that outcome 3 was rolled over from last year.

·      Outcome 4 – members asked if this had not already started?

·      Outcomes 3.5 and 3.6 there were no figures under resources. 

o   Annalisa Howson advised that there was already a training budget so it was hoped there would be no additional funding required.

o   Hugh Wagstaff advised that Waverley have an apprentice levy from the government so this would be used for some of this funding.

·      Members asked for some of the objectives to have measurable targets so there was tangible evidence whether they had been met or not.

o   Hugh Wagstaff advised that performance reports are provided to O&S quarterly to monitor this.

·      Outcome 5 – Hugh Wagstaff advised that the new maintenance contract was an example of this and they would be monitoring its performance closely.  The contactor would receive a bonus subject to the results of residents questionnaires.

·      Members asked what ‘One customer view’ meant.

o   Annalisa Howson advised that the new customer management system would mean all areas of the business would work from one recording system meaning an officer could have a holistic view of all contacts a customer had made with the council and should details change it would only have to be changed once instead of informing every single department.

·      Members queried why the section on Blunden Court had financial resources as zero.

o   Hugh Wagstaff advised that this related to additional resources and as all resources had already been budgeted for there were no additional ones anticipated.

o   Annalisa Howson explained that all the procurement work  had been  ...  view the full minutes text for item 48.

To receive a presentation outlining the HRA budget.

The Committee had received a briefing prior to the meeting on the HRA to better understand the complexities of the budget.  Lindsay Kennedy introduced herself and advised she had redesigned the business plan and drawn up the HRA budget.

Members had queried in the briefing what efficiencies had been made by the Housing team.  Lindsay Kennedy advised that there were a large amount of high value spends going out from the HRA and these were put up to tender so we were getting value for money on these contracts.  Various efficiencies have been implemented over the area and contractors were regularly challenged over charge increases.

It had been raised that the rent increase proposed was above the rate of inflation and may be unaffordable to some.  It was explained that due to the Government’s ruling that rents must decrease by 1% each year for the last 4 years this had caused a deficit which needed to be ‘clawed’ back.

Some Members advised they had been frustrated by the rent decrease and that they felt a 2.7% rise was not unreasonable.  The Tenant Panel members suggested that it would be helpful for tenants if they knew where this money was spent. 

It was pointed out that the Council was dedicated to providing ‘affordable’ housing and that if we put up rents at a faster rate than inflation then the rents would not be ‘affordable’.  It was also pointed out that as 2019-2020 was a 53 week year this meant that a 2.7% increase pa meant a 5% increase weekly as this year would be split over 52 weeks.

Officers were asked to explain why, when the budget sheet showed good reserves,  we were looking to raise rents by so much. It was suggested we could make efficiencies by cutting out the ‘Back funding Pension Cost’; however, Graeme Clark advised this was a statutory charge and not in our power to not pay.  He explained it was a balancing act and that the balance sheet only showed 4 years.  The reserves would eventually run out.

Members were advised that many tenants had built up a credit on their rent accounts by not reducing their payments over the 4 year period and thus it was felt the rent increase was affordable.  It was also pointed out that if the rents had not reduced by 1% each year (over last 4 years) the rent was likely to have been similar if not more than the 2.7%.

The Chairman highlighted that in the draft capital program there were a lot of projects coming up but no indication of a budget to support this.  Andrew Smith advised that this was in the service plan discussed earlier in the meeting. 

The chairman asked that paragraph 23 of the report be strengthened as the Climate Change Emergency needed more weight applying.

It was felt that paragraph 26 was a little one sided and there should be a cap to the level of delegation allowed.  There should be a  ...  view the full minutes text for item 49.

To receive an update on the Review of Asbestos Management Audit by Southern Internal Partnership and actions identified.

The committee received a report outlining the asbestos Internal Audit.  It was highlighted that nine areas for improvement had been identified.  Of the nine, five have been completed and four were in progress.

Around 5000 asbestos management surveys had been carried out and there were approximately 80 properties outstanding.  These were being risk assessed.  Legal action would be taken to access high risk properties, if necessary.

Members asked clarification on how/why there were 80 properties outstanding?  Hugh Wagstaff advised that some had been refusals others for differing reasons.  Officers were looking at ways to engage with these properties before taking legal action.

Officers were asked if these checks just related to properties or water pipes under highways also.  It was clarified this was just properties Waverley BC owned.

The report was NOTED.

The Housing Overview & Scrutiny Committee, is responsible for managing its work programme.

The work programme (attached) takes account of items identified on the latest Executive Forward Programme (Annexe 2) as due to come forward for decision.

A Scrutiny Tracker has been produced to assist the Committee in monitoring the recommendations that have been agreed at its meetings. The Tracker details the latest position on the implementation of these recommendations and is attached as Part C of the work programme.

YM circulated copies of the current work programme.  She advised that she had noted items raised during discussion this evening.

Members were asked to note Section A of the work programme. YM advised it was important to note the scrutiny tracker to ensure actions were carried out.

Items for the next meeting in March were currently identified as:

·         Corporate Performance Report (Standing Item)

·         Housing Development Update (Standing Item)

·         Draft Climate Emergency Action Plan

·         Mental Health and Housing

Members were advised that following the O&S training held it had been agreed that from the next meeting the work programme will be discussed at the beginning of the agenda rather than at the end.   They were also asked to consider items raised through the Service Plans and suggest issue to potentially scrutinise.

Items suggested were:

·         Scrutiny of the repairs contract

·         ASB policy (due mid year)

It was also noted the executive forward programme had not been attached as had been agreed at a previous meeting.

To consider, if necessary, the following recommendation on the motion of the Chairman:

Recommendation

That pursuant to Procedure Rule 20 and in accordance with Section 100A(4) of the Local government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following items on the grounds that it is likely, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted or the nature of the proceedings, that if members of the public were present during the items, there would be disclosure to them of exempt information (as defined by Section 100I of the Act) of the description specified in the appropriate paragraph(s) of the revised Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Act (to be identified at the meeting).

Recommendation

That pursuant to Procedure Rule 20 and in accordance with Section 100A(4) of the Local government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following items on the grounds that it is likely, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted or the nature of the proceedings, that if members of the public were present during the items, there would be disclosure to them of exempt information (as defined by Section 100I of the Act) of the description specified in the appropriate paragraph(s) of the revised Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Act (to be identified at the meeting).

At 21:41 the committee went into exempt session and the webcast was closed.

To receive a verbal update on the Housing Responsive Repairs and Voids Contract.

The Committee NOTED the report and endorsed the proposed approach.