Decision details

To approve the approach to determining estate improvement proposals as outlined in the Officer’s report.

This item was Chaired by Diana Minns (Vice Chair)

Matter for Decision

As part of the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) medium-term financial strategy (MTFS), Housing Scrutiny Committee approved £1 million per annum for 5 years of capital funding for estate improvements. These funds are available from 1^st April 2019. An additional revenue resource of £100,000 had been ear-marked in 2019/20 to allow for any revenue investment required to support the programme. The report introduced members and tenant and leaseholder representatives to the approaches officers were taking to deliver those improvements.

Decision of Executive Councillor for Housing

       i.          Endorsed the approach taken by officers to establish the Estates Improvement Scheme (EIS) as outlined in the report.

     ii.          Agreed that officers would produce a written annual member briefing, outlining the progress made under this programme, to be sent to all members by email at each financial year end for the lifetime of the programme.

Reason for the Decision

As set out in the Officer’s report.

Any Alternative Options Considered and Rejected

Not applicable.

Scrutiny Considerations

The Committee received a report from the Head of Housing.

The Committee made the following comments in response to the report:

       i.          The estate walkabouts had been welcomed by residents.

     ii.          Councillor Massey suggested Councillors could promote future walkabouts.

   iii.          Stated that information to leaseholders needs to be very clear regarding any future maintenance cost of improvements.

   iv.          Suggested that hoardings could be used to inform the public when improvement work was being undertaken.

    v.          Expressed the hope that improvement work would look at designing out crime.

   vi.          Suggested that some works, such as street lights work, might have been delayed in order to transfer the work to the improvements budget.

The Head of Housing said the following in response to Members’ questions:

       i.          Priorities in the improvement programme would be shaped by safety issues and business decisions. Where possible the improvement work would be completed alongside any planned maintenance work.

     ii.          Walkabouts would be advertised in Open Door.

   iii.          The service took a holistic approach regarding its community responsibility. Estate improvements should not result in anti-social behaviour being relocated to other areas.

Councillors asked if there was an easy way to identify which street lights belonged to the City Council and which were the responsibility of the County Council. Lynn Thomas (Head of Maintenance and Asset Management) undertook to investigate this matter.

The Committee resolved by 11 votes to 0 to endorse the recommendations.

The Executive Councillor approved the recommendations.