Agenda, decisions and minutes

To approve and sign the minutes of the meeting held on 12 August 2025.

The minutes of the meeting held on 12 August 2025, were taken as read, approved and signed by the Chair as a correct record.

Councillors are reminded of the need to declare any disclosable pecuniary interests that relate to business on the agenda and which have not already been included in the register of interests, before any discussion takes place on the item. Unless the interest is sensitive, you must also disclose the nature of the interest. In accordance with the Council's Code of Conduct, you must then leave the room and must not participate in any further discussion of the item.  Councillors requiring clarification should seek the advice of the Monitoring Officer prior to the day of the meeting.

No declarations of disclosable pecuniary interests were made.

To receive questions relating to items on the Agenda from members of the public and responses thereto.

Details of questions should be notified to the Democratic Services Manager by 10.00am at least three working days prior to the meeting. Further information about speaking at a committee can be found here: Speaking at a Committee

No questions from members of the public were received.

To consider recommendations made to the Executive from Scrutiny Committees.

There were no matters referred from the Scrutiny Committees for this meeting.

To consider the report of the Chair of Scrutiny Programme Board.

Agreed:

RECOMMENDED that Council approve the Annual Scrutiny Report 2024/25.

Reason for Decision: As set out in the report.

The Executive received the Scrutiny annual update report in respect of the Scrutiny work achieved during the municipal year 2024-25.

Particular reference was made to:

·        the timing was now aligned with the municipal year;

·        the new format was highlighted, which provided further details on matters considered by scrutiny, and would be developed further to show the impact that scrutiny achieves; and

·        thanks were given to Democratic Services Officer, Liz Smith, for her hard work in conjunction with the members of the Scrutiny Programme Board, to make these changes.

During the debate, the following points were made:

·        the report had already been presented to both scrutiny committees;

·        the new report layout highlighted the impact of scrutiny and recommendations were now being presented to Executive and actions being taken;

·        the changes made to how scrutiny functioned was welcomed; and

·        the Portfolio Holder engagement and debates at Scrutiny meetings were useful;

An opposition group leader raised the following points and questions:

·        expressed thanks for the for work undertaken on the annual scrutiny report;

·        highlighted that a discussion had been held about addressing the wording regarding money relating to a portfolio holder and the important outcome; and

·        there was a long-standing request that scrutiny meetings be broadcast to allow the community to see and hear discussions.

In response to questions raised, the Leader advised that the matter for broadcasting scrutiny meetings had been raised last year, and a discussion about the possibility would take place. He also advised that the report was for Council approval, and it was not appropriate for the Executive to make any changes to the scrutiny report.

The Leader moved, and Councillor Wright seconded, the recommendations which were voted upon and CARRIED unanimously.

RECOMMENDED that Council approve the Annual Scrutiny Report 2024/25.

To consider the report of the Strategic Director of Operations.

Agreed:

RESOLVED that the item be deferred.

Reason for Decision: As agreed at the meeting.

The Strategic Director for Operations advised that a deferral of this report was requested to allow for further refinement of the action plan and to conduct more consultation with key stakeholders. It was intended to bring the report back before the next scheduled meeting in November 2025 with a more informative and interactive report.

The Leader advised that questions submitted in advance by Councillor Moore would be answered in writing by the Strategic Director for Operations.

The Leader advised that he would be deferring the report and that a report would be brought back at the earliest opportunity.

RESOLVED that the item be deferred.

To consider the report of the Strategic Director of Operations.

Agreed:

RESOLVED that the Executive supported the Food Law and Health and Safety Service Plan 2025-26.

RECOMMENDED that Council approve:

(1)   the Food Law and Health and Safety Service Plan 2025/26; and

(2)   that Head of Environment and Waste is authorised to change the plan in the light of national guidance and/or to meet operational needs.

Reason for Decision: As set out in the report.

The Executive received the report which sought approval to adopt the statutory Food Law and Health and Safety Service Plan 2025-26, which set out the Council’s regulatory function in respect of food safety and health and safety over the forthcoming year.

Particular reference was made to:

·        the work was being delivered by the existing Environmental Health team, with no request for additional financial or staffing resources;

·        there had been a substantial intervention process, with 11 funeral directors inspected following a national intervention;

·        Section 18 of the Health and Safety at Work Act required that the Council intervene in cases of health and safety contravention;

·        local authorities were responsible for 65% of work premises nationally, which equated to 48% of workers;

·        of 625 food premises inspected, 99% had been judged to be good; and

·        185 new food premises had been registered with 77 proactive health and safety inspections were undertaken, alongside 259 other related visits.

During the debate, the following points were made:

·        the detailed report was welcomed and highlighted the impressive work from officers;

·        there were some very impressive statistics in the report, and highlighted the essential function being carried out by the Council;

·        it was reassuring to know that all food poisoning cases and other infectious diseases were investigated;

·        the report reference of the corporate plan required updating and the link appeared to be broken;

·        the reference to the apprenticeship and giving an opportunity to develop younger people in the role was welcomed;

·        the additional workload required for funeral directors inspections, at short notice was commended; and

·        the total number of food businesses due or overdue for inspection had been reduced to 6 between March 2024 and April 2025, which was commended.

An opposition group leader raised the following points and questions:

·        how did the Council apply the policy to its own work and how was it monitored? and

·        should the Devon Health and Wellbeing Board also be included as a reference?

In response to questions raised, the Strategic Director for Operations advised that:

·        the number of eating establishments in the city was 1,070;

·        the benchmarking of 99% ‘good’ vs 56 food poisoning cases was against other authorities and benchmarking data would be shared outside the meeting;

·        the links in the report would be checked and updated to ensure they reference the right corporate plan objectives;

·        the comparison with previous years for service requests for noise, nuisance, light pollution, business-related antisocial behaviour would be incorporated;

·        Heads of Service had working on producing service plans within their service and some of that data had been captured in the report;

·        a link to Devon Health and Wellbeing Board could be incorporated; and

·        details of interventions across the corporate premises would be provided outside of the meeting.

The Leader moved, and Councillor Wright seconded, the recommendations which were voted upon and CARRIED unanimously.

RESOLVED that the Executive supported the Food Law and Health and Safety Service Plan 2025-26.

RECOMMENDED that Council approve:

(1)   the Food Law and Health and Safety Service Plan  ...  view the full minutes text for item 71.

To consider the report of the Strategic Director of Operations.

Agreed:

RECOMMENDED that Council approve the adoption of the new Housing Damp & Condensation Policy for the period 2025-2030.

Reason for Decision: As set out in the report.

The Executive received the report which provided a summary of new Housing Damp & Condensation Policy 2025-2030 for adoption, to ensure that Exeter City Council met its statutory obligations under Awaab’s Law & the Regulator of Social Housing’s Consumer Standards.

Particular reference was made to:

·        there were a number of new and updated housing policies being presented at the meeting;

·        all the policies had been presented through consultation with the Tenants Voice group and Council Housing and Development Advisory Board;

·        the Housing Damp and Condensation Policy was a new policy to reflect the statutory obligations under new Awaab’s Law, and the Regulator of Social Housing  Consumer Standards that come into force in 2024; and

·        adopting the policy would provide a consistent framework for staff and contractors, in ensuring accountability and transparency.

During the debate, the following points were made:

·        the new policy and legislation was welcomed;

·        the inclusion of advice leaflets to new tenants, preventive measures following received reports and reactive work was important;

·        the 11 positive commitments in section 2 of the policy were welcomed, and it was enquired if there were any timescales?

·        the proactive approach, over a reactive approach was welcomed and further details were requested;

·        had retrofitting reduced mould/damp issues?

·        damp and mould had serious impacts on lives, both in social and private housing;

·        the council should be commended for be pro-active  in addressing the issue;

·        the report outlined both proactive measures and effective actions being taken;

·        concern was raised about officer  capacity to deliver proactive and reactive actions given current workload pressures;

·        the national direction to move away from blaming tenant lifestyles was supported.

The Portfolio Holder for Housing, Homelessness Prevention and Customer Services spoke to the item and thanked officers for the work undertaken and advised that it had been welcomed by the Tenants Voice group and Council Housing and Development Advisory Board.

An opposition group leader raised the following points and questions:

·        welcomed the importance of the policy; and

·        enquired as to what extent did the policy overlap with the Home Adaptations Policy, for major or minor work?

In response to questions raised, the Strategic Director for Operations and the Strategic Director for People and Communities advised that:

·        the timescales for the 11 positive commitments were set out in procedure and in Awaab’s Law and could be shared outside the meeting. The Council would always follow best practice required in relation to timescales;

·        a proactive approach meant that any officer or contractor r in contact with a property must engage with tenants, observe conditions, and report signs of damp/mould;

·        formal housing stock inspections would also increase as part of a proactive approach;

·        retrofitting had provided a positive impact to improved affordable warmth and insulation. There were still some issues to address including enhanced ventilation strategies;

·        team capacity was an issue particularly with changes to legislation; however, work was already underway to understand the future demands of the impending new legislation on enhancing tenants’ rights both in terms of the Councils role as a social landlord  ...  view the full minutes text for item 72.

To consider the report of the Strategic Director of Operations.

Agreed:

RECOMMENDED that Council approve the adoption of the new Housing Recharges Policy for the period 2025-2030.

Reason for Decision: As set out in the report.

As first-time attendees at the Executive, the Chair welcomed the Head of Service – Asset Maintenance and the Interim Head of Service – Housing to the meeting.

The Executive received the report which provided a summary of the new Housing Recharges Policy 2025-2030 for repairs and maintenance works to its properties to ensure they remain in a safe condition, using the rent payable through the Housing Revenue Account to ensure the service represents value for money for legitimate repairs work.

Particular reference was made to the policy as follows:

·        the Council had always recharged tenants for work to properties that fell outside of the Council obligations as a landlord, but re-charges were applied on an ad-hoc basis;

·        the new policy provided a fair, consistent, and transparent framework for recharging tenants for work required due to damage or negligence;

·        the Council was required to operate a cost-effective repair service and demonstrated value for money for tenants;

·        the policy aimed to ensure that the Council could recover costs for work that was not part of its legal maintenance responsibility; and

·        the implementation of the policy would be monitored to ensure it was applied in a fair and transparent way.

During the debate, the following points were made:

·        were re-charges being made previously and were tenants made aware?

·        was there an example appendix available of the costs to assure cost recovery?

·        assurances were sought on there being consideration of financial hardship and allowing time to for tenants to pay even when not technically in hardship;

·        how would rechargeable repairs be picked up, i.e. housing officer visits or councillor reports;

·        there was a need for clarity on who was responsible for communal grounds, noting inconsistencies across blocks;

·        an enquiry was made about the standards for repairs carried out and what  interaction and DIY advice had been given to tenants?

·        how were standards agreed for unauthorised alterations/improvements and would the approved policy be included in lease materials? and

·        was there was a time limit for family members to clear out belongings, where a tenant died or a tenancy ended?

In response to questions raised, the Strategic Director for People and Communities  and the Interim Head of Service – Housing advised that:

·        there should have been an appendix to the policy setting our sample charging information, and this would be provided to Members;

·        new tenants would be reminded of their responsibilities to maintain the property in good order and the recharge policy was part of the routine tenancy induction process.

·        Officers and contractors would clarify responsibilities and potential charges for existing tenants as part of the routine process of reporting and acting on repairs and maintenance work; and

·        housing officers would discuss suspected damage, advise on next steps, and consider costs reasonably and fairly, especially for vulnerable tenants including those acting as executors for deceased tenants.

The Leader moved, and Councillor Wright seconded, the recommendations which were voted upon and CARRIED unanimously.

RECOMMENDED that Council approve the adoption of the new Housing Recharges Policy for the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 73.

To consider the report of the Strategic Director of Operations.

Agreed:

RECOMMENDED that Council approve the adoption of the new Home Adaptations for Council Housing Policy for the period 2025-2030.

Reason for Decision: As set out in the report.

The Executive received the report on the revised Home Adaptations for Council Housing Policy 2025- 2030, which aims   to ensure the Council is compliant with the Regulator of Social Housing Safety and Quality Standard which are designed to  assist tenants seeking housing adaptations to meet assessed health needs.

During the debate, the following points were made:

·        clarity was sought on how was the need and solution identified and agreed, were other agencies involved, and to what extent were residents involved, given their lived experience?

·        clarity was sought on the differences between major and minor adaptations for eligibility/use of a disabled facilities grants for tenants and private renters;

·        clarity was sought on section 5.4 of the policy, regarding requests where the tenant was registered with the Devon Home Choice Scheme being dealt with on an individual basis; and

·        there was a case involving a tenant using a wheelchair, who had a kitchen fitted with cupboards they could not reach. The process was unclear for both Councillor and tenant and highlighted a gap where kitchens were being fitted around individuals without proper adaptation alignment.

An opposition group leader raised the following points and questions:

·        enquired on timescales and response expectations;

·        sought clarification on adaptations policy structure and process for major/minor works; and

·        enquired on the faster rehousing through Devon Home Choice.

In response to questions raised, the Strategic Director for People and Communities  and the Strategic Director for Operations advised that:

·        with further changes expected nationally in relation to funding for home adaptations it was likely that this policy would be revised and brought back to the Executive in the next 12 months to consider additional amendments;

·        there were currently two systems in place: national Disabled Facilities Grant funded through the Better Care Fund passported to District Councils through Devon County Council, which could be utilised by people who owned their own homes;

·        the other system was rent from the private rented sector. Councils, who owned and run their own social housing were legally obliged to operate within the rules of a Housing Resource Account (HRA) and were required to provide the funding for home adaptations from within the HR. The council had traditionally operated these services separately but as part of the Senior Leadership Restructure, and work was now underway to integrate these services to provide a more streamlined and equitable offer to people irrespective of the tenure of their home;

·        the member who had referred to a specific case to contact the Strategic Director for Operations directly so he could investigate the issues;

·        minor works included handrails, tap levers and window attachments which could proceed directly;

·        major works required a statement of need from Adult Social Care, which was usually provided by an Occupational therapist. Technical assessors would assess the property to identify the specific adaptations which could be made to meet the needs of the resident;

·        the majority of referrals were mobility-related needs. In cases where a property was no longer suitable for the needs of the resident and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 74.

To consider the report of the Strategic Director for People and Communities.

Agreed:

RECOMMENDED that Council approve the adoption of the new Housing Compensation Policy for the period 2025-2030.

Reason for Decision: As set out in the report.

The Executive received the report on the new Housing Compensation Policy 2025-2030, which aims to  provide a fair and consistent approach to offering redress and awarding compensation to tenants when service failures occurred. The Policy would  align with the Housing Complaints Policy and the Housing Recharges Policy and has been based on the guidelines of the Housing Ombudsman.

Particular reference was made to:

·        the new policy formalised compensation practices to ensure a transparent approach; and

·        compensation should be fair and proportionate, but it was acknowledged that it may not fully address misconduct; and there were other actions that may need to be considered alongside monetary remediation.

During the debate, the following points were made:

·        had there been any major disagreements or dispute with tenants, relating to the policy? and

·        was there a budget line for general use or included in major projects?

In response to questions raised, the Strategic Director for People and Communities  and the Strategic Director for Operations advised that:

·        there had been no major disagreements or issues with tenants;

·        there was no designated budget for general compensation but with forensic accounting practices, if required the quantum of compensation payments could be identified;

·        setting a budget could be warranted; and

·        in the context of a planned project: e.g. a home loss payment when a tenant must move out this would be included in the project budget.

The Leader moved, and Councillor Wright seconded, the recommendations which were voted upon and CARRIED unanimously.

RECOMMENDED that Council approve the adoption of the new Housing Compensation Policy for the period 2025-2030.

To consider the report of the Strategic Director for People and Communities.

Agreed:

RESOLVED that the item be deferred.

Reason for Decision: As agreed at the meeting.

The Executive received the report on the proposed Hate Crime Policy 2025-2030 to accompany the previously agreed Housing Anti-Social Behaviour Policy in November 2024, which aimed to  address hate crimes and incidents in Council housing communities.

Particular reference was made to:

·        the new Hate Crime Policy would function alongside the previously approved Housing Anti-Social Behaviour Policy; and

·        the policy had been drafted from a best practice approach would be subject to refinements during implementation.

During the debate, the following points were made:

·        it was requested that policy be amended to include non-binary persons along with transgender or perceived transgender definitions; and

·        having a separate policy highlighted that hate crime was a criminal act and the policy would strengthening resident awareness to it.

The Portfolio Holder for Housing, Homelessness Prevention and Customer Services spoke to the item and commented on the sadness that such a policy was needed but was very necessary for tenants and the public.

An opposition group leader raised concerns about the Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA) and the inconsistency in detailing impacts across protected characteristics, the potential lack of resident involvement in its creation questioned how residents and officers would understand its potential impacts on various groups.

The Strategic Director for People and Communities advised:

·        in 2023 the council had requested a Local Government Associations (LGA)   Mini Peer Review on its Equalities Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) policy and practice which identified improvements needed to the Councils approach; and

·        as a result, there was a Corporate EDI Improvement plan currently being implemented which includes specific work to upskill staff in relation to the undertaking of Equality Impact Assessments. This training was being rolled out as of the day of the meeting.

The Strategic Director for People and Communities agreed that the Equality Impact Assessment for this policy required further work and requested that the report on this proposed policy be deferred to enable the EQIA to be re-worked and use the existing version as an improvement/training  exercise. A report with a reviewed EQIA would be brought back at a future date.

The Leader agreed with deferring the item to allow an update to the EQIA, to ensure it was of the right standard to enable members to make informed decisions.

RESOLVED that the item be deferred.

To consider the report of the Strategic Director for People and Communities.

Agreed:

RECOMMENDED that Council approve the adoption of the new Housing Allocations Policy for the period 2025-2030, subject to the review of the Equality Impact Assessment.

Reason for Decision: As set out in the report and as amended at the meeting.

The Executive received the report on the new Housing Allocations Policy 2025-2030, with aimed to meet the requirements of the Regulator of Social Housing for a housing specific allocations policy detailing how lettings to Council housing stock would be made.

It was explained that the policy set out how the current allocation process worked and there was no change to the current practice. Currently there was detailed procedural policy set out by Devon Home Chose who operated allocations on behalf of social landlords in Devon, which was complex. The policy aimed to provide a more accessible overview to help people understand allocations and information timelines.

During the debate, the following points were made:

·        there was support for this approach as it would make it easier for people to understand and would support casework and public queries; and

·        an EQIA formatting issue was identified and caution was sought for consistency in the Executives’ approach to the report, given the previous item.

The Portfolio Holder for Housing, Homelessness Prevention and Customer Services commended the report which answered a number of questions relating to Devon Homes Choice.

An opposition group leader spoke on this item and referred to Low Housing Need (Band D) in the Devon Home Choice Policy document and sought assurance that those in no permanent homes were supported.

In response to questions raised, the Strategic Director for People and Communities and the Interim Head of Service – Housing advised that:

·        the error highlighted in the EQIA looked like it was a formatting error, rather than a more substantial issue, as identified in the Hate Crime Policy EQIA; and

·        all the other EQIA’s in the report pack would be checked and any formatting errors would be corrected before they went to Council.

The Leader agreed that the EQIA be checked and should it be a formatting error, to be corrected and be included with the minutes before going to Council and moved the following amendment to  the recommendation to read as follows:-

·        that Council approve the adoption of the new Housing Allocations Policy for the period 2025-2030, subject to the review of the Equality Impact Assessment.

The Leader moved, and Councillor Wright seconded, the amended recommendations which were voted upon and CARRIED unanimously.

RECOMMENDED that Council approve the adoption of the new Housing Allocations Policy for the period 2025-2030, subject to the review of the Equality Impact Assessment.

A copy of the revised Equality Impact Assessment was amended outside of the meeting and is attached to the minutes of the meeting.

To consider the report of the Strategic Director for People and Communities.

Agreed:

RECOMMENDED that Council approve the adoption of the new Housing Complaints Policy for the 2025-203 period.

Reason for Decision: As set out in the report.

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The Executive received the report on the new Housing Complaints Policy 2025-2030, which had been updated from the 2024 version, following receipt of recommendations from the Housing Ombudsman.

During the debate, a Member enquired whether tenant issues were automatically logged as complaints or first handled as concerns?

In response to question raised, the Strategic Director for People and Communities and the Interim Head of Service – Housing advised that:

·        corporate complaints were being restructured within the People and Communities directorate to align practice across the Council and included that the good practices in housing for social housing would be rolled out across the council;

·        current housing practice treated all issues raised through the process as a formal compliant and followed prescriptive timelines set down in the code of practice; and

·        resident feedback was always welcomed and officers did not require hearing the word “complaint” to treat it in terms of guidance set out.

The Leader moved, and Councillor Wright seconded, the recommendations which were voted upon and CARRIED unanimously.

RECOMMENDED that Council approve the adoption of the new Housing Complaints Policy for the 2025-203 period.