Issue - meetings

Purpose of Report

The report was requested by Councillor Darren Sanders, Cabinet Member and Portfolio Holder for Housing and Preventing Homelessness.

The purpose of this report is for information only and provides the Cabinet Member for Housing and Preventing Homelessness with an update on the Portsmouth City Council Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Asset Management Strategy (AMS)

Meredydd Hughes, Director of Housing, Neighbourhood and Building Services and Steve Groves, Head of Building Maintenance presented their information only report.  They advised the purpose of the report was to provide the Cabinet Member with an update on the progress of the revision of the Portsmouth City Council (PCC) Housing Revenue Account Asset Management Strategy (HRAAMS), the purpose of which was to ensure that PCCs social housing portfolio would continue to be managed with financial prudency, ensuring the health, safety and security of tenants and the communities in which they live.  The HRAAMS would also inform the long-term strategic maintenance decisions for the housing stock over the next 30 plus years including estate renewal.

A further update would be bought back to the Cabinet Member in October.

Resident's Consortium Questions

In response to Resident Consortium questions, officers clarified:

·         Void performance was an area the service was seeking to improve and was a key priority for the service.  A working party was in progress which included housing officers, technical staff, and contractors with the aim of improving the process and the turn-around time.  A void sub-lot had been set up to ensure faster turnaround of complex and larger voids.

·         The average void time presently was 48 - 50 days.

·         James Hill, Director of Housing, Neighbourhood and Building Services suggested that officers attend a Resident Consortium meeting to discuss the improvement plans in place.

Members' Questions

In response to Members' questions, officers clarified:

·         The PassivHaus standard was in relation to the new build housing developments, one of which is Stroudham Court in Leigh Park.  A further three sites were being considered in Wecock Farm.  There were ongoing feasibility studies to aim to achieve the PassivHaus standards. Technical and financial issues may stop this being achieved but the developments would be built to the highest environmental standards that the service could achieve.

The Chair noted that the report was a companion report to the capital strategy item presented earlier.  He highlighted the following from the report and answers to questions:

·         The focus on decarbonisation and ensuring people live in decent homes and the need to consider anything that emerged from the Grenfell enquiry.

·         The biggest PassivHaus project in Britain was at Wilmcote House in Somerstown which was something PCC as an authority could be proud of. 

·         The need to make sure local communities feel part of their future as happened with the regeneration developments of Leamington House and Horatia House.

·         The importance of a long-term strategy to put finance on a sustainable footing in order to improve people's lives.

Decision

The Cabinet Member:

·         Noted the information only report.