Councillors Newton (Portfolio Holder for Housing and Social Inclusion) and Mitchell (Portfolio Holder for Environment and Leisure) will present a verbal report on the priorities for the forthcoming year in light of the Committee’s work programme.
Minutes:
Together with a list of achievements for 2009/10, Councillor Newton presented the following priorities within the Housing and Community Involvement Portfolio for the forthcoming year:-
Priorities for 2010/11
· To ensure that our vision for housing is communicated and that staff across the whole Council act together to deliver this.
· To work with the Social Health and Inclusion Partnership to focus our work to support priority groups and areas.
· To provide at least 100 new units of affordable housing.
· To begin building the homes in the Council’s own-build programme.
· To look at ways of improving and investing in private sector housing more effectively.
· Continue to use all the tools at our disposal to help owner occupiers retain their homes.
· To prepare and start to implement an Older Persons’ Housing Strategy.
· To let the new council housing repairs contract and ensure a smooth transition that delivers service improvements.
· Consult council housing residents on the new Tenant Services Authority regulatory framework for social housing and develop a set of local standards for Exeter to meet our obligations.
· To continue to strengthen the Tenant and Leaseholder Committee and enhance its influence.
· To make efforts to tackle misconceptions and stigma surrounding social housing through consultation, positive media and communication with the public.
· To improve our engagement with users of our homelessness services and use what they tell us to improve services.
· To ensure that all new developments consider the needs of the biodiversity of the area and opportunities to support wildlife.
· To explore the possibilities of increasing the opportunities for more apprenticeships for young people.
· To continue to work with the Resident Auditor Team for Council housing and act on their findings.
· Explore the implementation of a Discretionary Licensing Scheme for Houses of Multiply Occupancy within areas of high student concentration.
· To build on how we can work with Devon County Council to ensure that appropriate accommodation and support is provided for 16-18 year olds.
· To review the My Neighbourhood PACT project and use the evaluation to drive forward continuing improvements to our community involvement work.
· To encourage better consultation with residents across the Council.
· To review the processes by which the need for disabled adaptations are assessed and provided.
The following responses were given to Members’ questions:-
· The Government was yet to announce any changes to the grant support system for housing.
· The requested meeting with Registered Social Landlords would be progressed now that the Election had been held. It would be important to maintain existing good relations. It was suggested that one Member from each political group, together with the Chair of this Committee meet with the RSL representatives.
· Social housing schemes together with community facilities had been identified for the Foxhayes and Exwick middle school sites which the County Council were seeking to develop. Consultations were being held with the County to ensure the right mix of facilities were provided.
· Targets of affordable housing units had been exceeded and it was hoped that the current target would also be exceeded. As well as meeting quantitative targets, sustainable and eco homes were being provided thus improving overall quality.
· Devon Home Choice, fully launched on 1 June 2010, was operating well and bi-monthly meetings were held to monitor the patterns of movement in and out of Exeter and across Devon. The new system provided greater choice for tenants. Reference was made to covenants in certain rural parts of Devon limiting occupancy of new developments to local villagers but it was noted that these were unique cases where local planning “exception site” policies had been used. The Code of Guidance for the allocation of social housing made it clear that local connection criteria could not be the main criteria for prioritising housing.
· There was strict guidance in respect of conversion from family dwellings to houses in multiple occupancy.
· The framework for consulting on new policies etc. would be tightened to ensure that the right format for consulting was in operation and took place earlier in the overall process.
Together with a list of achievements for 2009/10, Councillor Mitchell presented the following priorities within the Environment and Leisure Portfolio for the forthcoming year:-
Priorities for 2010/11
· To continue to seek external funding to help deliver the Play Strategy and to deliver a youth sports programme and promote physical activity in the City. Sport and play activities will continue to be targeted to the areas of the City identified as priorities by the Social Health and Inclusion Partnership.
· To continue with the RAMM project, closely monitoring the budget.
· To complete the letting of the new leisure management contract and ensure that the transfer is managed smoothly.
· To continue with the project to remodel waste collections to increase the number of homes on the twin bin system.
· To work with the allotment association to introduce more allotments at Trew’s Weir in a way that minimises the impact on the environment.
· Continue to implement and report on the Local Authority Carbon Management Programme and the Climate Change Strategy.
· Implement the agreed changes to the Community Patrol service and review the out of hours noise service.
· Introduce sustainable initiatives in the City’s cemeteries to minimise increased recycling and reduce resource use.
· Review the current toilet provision within the City and investigate the implementation of a community toilet scheme.
The following responses were given to Members’ questions:-
· A meeting was being sought with Superintendant Jo Tennant to discuss CCTV issues, the City Council to be represented by the Leader or the Portfolio Holder, the Chair of this Committee, along with officers.
· A meeting would be sought with the Dean and Chapter to discuss cleansing in Cathedral Yard.
· Concern by allotment holders at the withdrawal of compost delivery to various allotment sites would be examined. Planning services sought to ensure that allotments were provided as part of new developments through Section 106 Agreements but it was recognised that there was demand on the funding from other requirements.
· Progress was being made in encouraging commercial premises to utilise the Council’s trade recycling service. The amount of trade recycling did not count towards the Council’s recycling target for domestic waste.
· A further review of toilet provision would be undertaken with a working group comprising the Chair of this Committee, the Portfolio Holder and a Member from each Group to be established. Community toilet schemes, whereby local businesses permitted the use of their facilities by the general public, had been successfully adopted by a number of local authorities such as Richmond, York, Chester, Cardiff and Sheffield and would be further examined.
Scrutiny Committee - Community noted the achievements and priorities presented.