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To allow the Council to let accommodation outside of the Council's formal Lettings Policy to refugees who qualify under the Government's resettlement programme.
Decision Maker: Executive Councillor for Housing and Homelessness
Decision published: 28/07/2021
Effective from: 22/06/2021
Decision:
Matter for Decision
The report
proposed how to meet a Council pledge to resettle 200 refugees over a five year
period.
Decision
of Executive Councillor for Strategy and External Partnerships
Agree to allocate a maximum
of 4 City Council properties per annum, outside of the current Lettings Policy,
for the next five years, to help deliver the pledge to resettle 200 more
refugees.
Reason for the Decision
As set out in the Officer’s report.
Any Alternative Options Considered and Rejected
Not applicable.
Scrutiny Considerations
The Committee welcomed this proposal.
The Committee resolved by 9 votes to 0 to endorse the
recommendation.
Conflicts
of Interest Declared by the Executive Councillor (and any Dispensations
Granted)
No
conflicts of interest were declared by the Executive Councillor.
Lead officer: David Greening
To approve three new policies proposed for Greater Cambridge covering: Build to Rent developments; the clustering and distribution of new affordable housing; and the setting of Affordable Rents.
Decision Maker: Executive Councillor for Housing and Homelessness
Decision published: 28/07/2021
Effective from: 22/06/2021
Decision:
Matter for
Decision
The report proposed three new housing policies developed with South
Cambridgeshire DC and which will form annexes to the Greater Cambridge Housing
Strategy 2019-2023.
Decision of Executive
Councillor for Strategy and External Partnerships
Approved the proposed Build to Rent Policy attached as Appendix A to the
report
Approved the proposed Clustering & Distribution of Affordable Housing
policy attached as Appendix B to the report
Approved the proposed Affordable Rents policy attached as Appendix C to
the report.
Reason for the Decision
As set out in the
Officer’s report.
Any Alternative
Options Considered and Rejected
Not applicable.
Scrutiny Considerations
Officers undertook to respond to Cllr Dalzell on his question of the
percentage of affordable housing applied on smaller multi-tenure sites
(paragraph 57 of appendix A).
The Committee resolved by 9 votes to 0 to endorse the recommendations.
Conflicts of Interest
Declared by the Executive Councillor (and any Dispensations Granted)
No conflicts of interest
were declared by the Executive Councillor.
Lead officer: Helen Reed
Acquisition of additional Section 106 homes
Decision Maker: Executive Councillor for Housing and Homelessness
Decision published: 28/07/2021
Effective from: 22/06/2021
Decision:
Matter for
Decision
The report proposed the purchase of an additional 3 properties for rent
as Council homes, with a revision to the budget for this development.
Decision of Executive
Councillor for Strategy and External Partnerships
Approved the purchase of 3 additional new Council rented homes at the
Mews, Histon Road and delegated authority to the Strategic Director to approve
contract terms with Laragh Homes/LLP in respect of this transaction.
Approved a revised combined total budget of £1,978,300 to enable
the development of 10 homes at the Mews, Histon Road.
Reason for the Decision
As set out in the
Officer’s report.
Any Alternative
Options Considered and Rejected
Not applicable.
Scrutiny Considerations
In response to
questions from the committee:
the officers would
report back to Cllr Robertson on the heating system at the 3 properties;
the officers would
review how to better reflect in development reports any impact on the water
supply of the development (notwithstanding this will have been addressed during
the planning application process).
The Committee resolved by 9 votes to 0 to endorse the recommendations.
Conflicts of Interest
Declared by the Executive Councillor (and any Dispensations Granted)
No conflicts of interest
were declared by the Executive Councillor.
Lead officer: Claire Flowers
To endorse the draft revised sub-regional letting policy.
Decision Maker: Executive Councillor for Housing and Homelessness
Decision published: 28/07/2021
Effective from: 22/06/2021
Decision:
Matter for
Decision
The report presented a revised Lettings Policy, which sets out how
housing register applicants are prioritized and how the Council and housing
association homes across the region are allocated.
Decision of Executive
Councillor for Strategy and External Partnerships
Approve the revised Lettings Policy as set out in
appendix 1 of the report.
Reason for the Decision
As set out in the
Officer’s report.
Any Alternative
Options Considered and Rejected
Not applicable.
Scrutiny Considerations
The decision had
not been requested for pre-scrutiny.
Conflicts of Interest
Declared by the Executive Councillor (and any Dispensations Granted)
No conflicts of interest
were declared by the Executive Councillor.
Lead officer: James McWilliams
(i) Recommend to Council to approve carry forward requests for revenue funding from 2020/21 to 2021/22, if appropriate, as detailed in report appendix.
(ii) Recommend to Council to approve capital funding rephasing from 2020/21 to 2021/22, where relevant, as detailed in report appendix.
Decision Maker: Executive Councillor for Housing and Homelessness
Decision published: 28/07/2021
Effective from: 22/06/2021
Decision:
Matter for
Decision
The report provided a summary of the 2020/21 outturn position for the
Housing Revenue Account (HRA), budget variances, carry forward requests and
written-off housing debt in 2020/21.
Decision of Executive
Councillor for Strategy and External Partnerships
Approved carry forward requests totalling £7, 598,300 in revenue funding
from 2020/21 into 2021/22 as detailed in Appendix C of the report.
Recommends to Council carry forward requests of £18,610,000 in HRA and
General Fund capital budgets and associated resources from 2020/21 into 2021/22
and beyond to fund re-phased net capital spending, as detailed in appendix D
and the associated notes to the appendix.
Reason for the Decision
As set out in the
Officer’s report.
Any Alternative
Options Considered and Rejected
Not applicable.
Scrutiny Considerations
In response to a question
on the possible use of sub-contractors to help with the back-log of work, the
officer stated that at this stage it wasn’t envisaged it would be necessary to
use sub-contractors, but if that changed, the proper procurement procedures
would be followed to ensure quality (as well as
value for money).
The committee and
the Executive Councillor paid tribute to the workforce for managing to keep
things going as best as possible during the pandemic.
The Committee resolved by 13 votes to 0 to endorse the recommendation
(a) and by 7 votes to 0 on recommendation (b).
Conflicts of Interest
Declared by the Executive Councillor (and any Dispensations Granted)
No conflicts of interest
were declared by the Executive Councillor.
Lead officer: Julia Hovells
Approve the issue of tenders and authorise the Strategic Director to award a contract(s) to a contractor(s) to carry out Compliance activities to Council housing and other buildings for a period of up to four years and four months from November 2022 to March 2027, with an option to extend for one or more periods up to a maximum extension of three years.
Decision Maker: Executive Councillor for Housing and Homelessness
Decision published: 28/07/2021
Effective from: 22/06/2021
Decision:
This item was Chaired
by Diana Minns (Vice-Chair)
Matter for
Decision
The report proposed a procurement to award a contract(s) for
compliance-based activities. This
includes gas servicing and maintenance, servicing including (but not limited
to) electrical testing, fire safety asset servicing, water hygiene. The contracts are for up to four years, four
months with an option to extend for one or more periods up to a maximum
extension of three years.
Decision of Executive
Councillor for Strategy and External Partnerships
Agreed to amalgamate the aforementioned contracts
(paragraph 1, Executive Summary of the report) into a single procurement
exercise and delegate authority to the Strategic Director (in consultation with Executive Councillor, Chair
and Vice Chair of the Housing Scrutiny Committee and spokespersons) to award
either a single contractor, or multiple contracts for Compliance Delivery
areas.
Reason for the Decision
As set out in the
Officer’s report.
Any Alternative
Options Considered and Rejected
Not applicable.
Scrutiny Considerations
The Committee
welcomed the report.
The Committee resolved by 15 votes to 0 to endorse the recommendation.
Conflicts of Interest
Declared by the Executive Councillor (and any Dispensations Granted)
No conflicts of interest
were declared by the Executive Councillor.
Lead officer: Gareth Basterfield
Approve the issue of tenders and authorise the Strategic Director to award a contract(s) to a contractor(s) to carry out planned building maintenance to Council housing and other buildings for a period of five years and four months from November 2022 to March 2028, with an option to extend for one or more periods up to a maximum extension of three years.
Decision Maker: Executive Councillor for Housing and Homelessness
Decision published: 28/07/2021
Effective from: 22/06/2021
Decision:
This item was
Chaired by Diana Minns (Vice-Chair)
Matter for
Decision
The report proposed a procurement to award a contract for planned
maintenance service delivery November 2022 to March 2028.
Decision of Executive
Councillor for Strategy and External Partnerships
Approved the issue of tenders and following evaluation
of tenders, delegate authority to the Strategic Director (in consultation with
the Executive Councillor, Chair and Vice Chair of Housing Scrutiny Committee
and spokespersons) to award a contract(s) to a contractor(s) to carry out
planned building maintenance / capital works to Council housing and other
buildings for a period of five years and four months from November 2022 to
March 2028, with an option to extend for one or more periods up to a maximum
extension of three years.
Reason for the Decision
As set out in the
Officer’s report.
Any Alternative
Options Considered and Rejected
Not applicable.
Scrutiny Considerations
The Committee
welcomed the report and that resident representatives would be involved in the
selection process.
The Committee resolved by 15 votes to 0 to endorse the recommendation.
Conflicts of Interest
Declared by the Executive Councillor (and any Dispensations Granted)
No conflicts of interest
were declared by the Executive Councillor.
Lead officer: Will Barfield
Note the outcome of the tenant and leaseholder survey. Agree the Resident Involvement Strategy 2021-2024, ensure that resident involvement continues to provide an effective service which addresses the outcomes of the survey.
Decision Maker: Executive Councillor for Housing and Homelessness
Decision published: 28/07/2021
Effective from: 22/06/2021
Decision:
This item was
Chaired by Diana Minns (Vice-Chair)
Matter for
Decision
The report presented the Resident Involvement Strategy for 2021/24. The strategy incorporates business plan
objectives, feedback from the 2020 Tenant and Leaseholder Satisfaction Survey
and recommendations from the Charter for Social Housing Residents: Social
Housing White Paper (2020).
Decision of Executive
Councillor for Strategy and External Partnerships
Agreed the Resident Involvement Strategy 2021/24
(Appendix 1).
Reason for the Decision
As set out in the
Officer’s report.
Any Alternative
Options Considered and Rejected
Not applicable.
Scrutiny Considerations
The decision had
not been requested for pre-scrutiny.
Diane Best commented that the tenant and leaseholder reps had been fully
involved in the development of the Strategy and commended it to the committee.
Conflicts of Interest
Declared by the Executive Councillor (and any Dispensations Granted)
No conflicts of interest
were declared by the Executive Councillor.
Lead officer: Emily Downey
1.To authorise officers to explore the option of transferring responsibility for the cleaning of the Councils Indoor Sheltered Housing Scheme’s back in house to the Council, and to delegate authority to a Strategic Director, in consultation with the Executive Cllr for Housing, Chair and Vice Chair of HSC and the opposition spokesperson, to make a decision on whether or not this should go ahead.
2. Following decision 1, to delegate authority to a Strategic Director, in consultation with the Executive Cllr for Housing, Chair and Vice Chair of HSC and the opposition spokesperson, to award a contract for the communal cleaning of the Councils General Housing, outdoor sheltered housing and potentially indoor sheltered housing stock, following a procurement process.
Decision Maker: Executive Councillor for Housing and Homelessness
Decision published: 28/07/2021
Effective from: 22/06/2021
Decision:
Matter for
Decision
The report provided an update on the current and proposed future
arrangements for communal cleaning services across the Council’s housing stock and
bin cleaning services in sheltered housing.
Decision of Executive
Councillor for Strategy and External Partnerships
Authorised officers to explore the option of transferring responsibility
for the cleaning of the Councils Category 2 Sheltered Housing Schemes back in
house to the Council, and to delegate authority to the Strategic Director, in
consultation with the Executive Councillor for Housing, Chair and Vice Chair of
Housing Scrutiny Committee (HSC) and the opposition spokespersons, to make a
decision on whether or not this should go ahead.
Following the above decision, to delegate authority to the Strategic
Director, in consultation with the Executive Cllr for Housing, Chair and Vice
Chair of HSC and the opposition spokespersons, to tender and award a contract
for the communal cleaning of the Council’s General Housing, Category 1
sheltered housing and, potentially, category 2 sheltered housing stock.
Approved
delegated authority to the Head of Finance to amend both expenditure and income
budgets in relation to the provision of communal cleaning services and bin
cleaning in sheltered housing schemes in the HRA in line with prices received
as part of the recent procurement exercises.
Reason for the Decision
As set out in the
Officer’s report.
Any Alternative
Options Considered and Rejected
Not applicable.
Scrutiny Considerations
The Committee
welcomed the report and noted that resident representatives had already become
involved in the next steps.
In response to a
point made that cleaning bins at sheltered housing had re-started, the officer
advised that there was a budget to re-commence the cleaning but that to fulfil
the service going forward there will need to be an increase in the overall
budget.
The Committee resolved by 15 votes to 0 to endorse the recommendations.
Conflicts of Interest
Declared by the Executive Councillor (and any Dispensations Granted)
No conflicts of interest
were declared by the Executive Councillor.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Record of Officer
Delegated Decision
Housing Building
Cleaning Contract Award
Decision taken:
1.
To
note and confirm support for the delegated decision made in July 2021 to
transfer the category II sheltered housing cleaning service back in house, with
the associated TUPE transfer of staff from 1/4/2022.
2.
To
note and confirm support for the delegated decision made in July 2021 to
re-tender the building cleaning service for general and category I sheltered
housing.
3.
To
approve the contract award to, and entering into the contract with, Goshen Multiservices with effect from 1/4/2022
4.
To approve entering into the pension scheme
admission agreement
Decision of: Jane
Wilson, Strategic Director
Minute Reference: 21/31/HSC
Date of decision:
9/3/2022
Matter for
Decision: A report in respect of housing building cleaning was approved at
Housing Scrutiny Committee in June 2021.
It delegated two
decisions to the Strategic Director in consultation with the Executive
Councillor for Housing, Chair and Vice Chair of Housing Scrutiny Committee and
the Opposition Spokespersons.
Decision 1 related
to whether to transfer the responsibility for the cleaning service in category
II sheltered housing back in house.
Decision 2 related
to the ability to tender and award the cleaning contract for general housing,
category I sheltered housing and category II sheltered housing (the latter
dependent upon decision 1).
Suzanne Hemingway,
Strategic Director made a delegated decision in July 2021, following
consideration of a business case to proceed and transfer the category II
sheltered housing back in house, with the general housing and category I sheltered
housing therefore going back out to tender.
To be in a position
to TUPE transfer the staff for the category II sheltered housing back into the
Council from 1/4/2022 and award the building cleaning contract to the preferred
bidder, Goshen, for the general and category I sheltered housing and enter into
contract from 1/4/2022, a further delegated decision was required.
Any alternative
options considered and rejected: Re-tender of the category II sheltered housing
was considered, but the recommendation was to bring this service back in house,
in line with the findings of a business case.
Reason for the
decision including any background papers considered: Decision required to be
able to proceed and TUPE staff and award contract.
Conflict of
interest and dispensation granted by Chief Executive: None.
Comments: Chair,
Vice Chair, Executive Councillor and Opposition Spokespersons consulted before
decision was taken.
Contact for further
information: Julia Hovells, Assistant Head of Finance and Business Manager
Lead officer: Laura Adcock