Agenda, decisions and minutes

Apologies for absence had been received from Councillor Luke Stubbs.

Councillor Darren Sanders made a non-pecuniary interest in that his mother is a council tenant and there would be some works to the block where she lived.

The report by the Head of Housing & Property Services seeks permission to go out to tender and appoint a contractor to undertake window and door works to 21 blocks of flats and 25 houses in the Seymour Close area.  The works are required to ensure the integrity of the buildings, reduce their on-going maintenance and improve the living environment for residents.  If approved, it is anticipated that the works could commence by August 2014.

RECOMMENDED:

(1)  That approval be given to tender the works based on a budget estimate of £1.4 million, inclusive of fees.

(2)  That following a full tender evaluation authority to enter into contract with the preferred bidder is delegated to the Head of Housing and Property Services.

(1)  Approval was given to tender the works based on a budget estimate of £1.4 million, inclusive of fees.

(2)  That following a full tender evaluation authority to enter into contract with the preferred bidder is delegated to the Head of Housing and Property Services.

(TAKE IN REPORT BY HEAD OF HOUSING & PROPERTY SERVICES)

Steve Groves presented the report.  He explained that the intention to improve thermal efficiency; this would save up to £25 per annum for tenants and reduce repair expenditure for those blocks covered by the works and presented the most cost effective option.  Once the report was approved the consultation process would start and planning permission would be sought and it was hoped this could commence in April to be on site in September with a 26 week contract (not including the Christmas/New Year period).  The residents' representatives of the CLG welcomed this work.  It was reported that the residents in the properties affected were being engaged in the process, would have choices such as door colours.  They would be kept informed of progress and there would be every attempt to minimise disturbance to them.

DECISIONS:

(1)          Approval was given to tender the works based on a budget estimate of £1.4 million, inclusive of fees.

(2)          That following a full tender evaluation authority to enter into contract with the preferred bidder is delegated to the Head of Housing and Property Services.

The purpose of the attached report by the Head of Housing & Property Services is to inform members of the spending proposed for the next financial year for revenue and capital funded maintenance and improvement programmes together with Housing IT Business Software and to seek approval to incur expenditure in respect of the capital schemes and rolling programmes.  Also to show how the budgets have been allocated on an area office basis.

RECOMMENDED

(1)  That the area programmes and allocation of finance for the funding of the Revenue Budgets for repairs and maintenance of dwellings be noted.

(2)  That the capital budgets listed in Appendix B and Appendix C commencing in 2014/15 be approved and the Head of Housing and Property Services be authorised under Financial Rules, Section B14 to proceed with schemes with the sums approved.

(3)  That the Head of Financial Services and Section 151 Officer's financial appraisal be approved for the capital programme - global provision.

(1)  The area programmes and allocation of finance for the funding of the Revenue Budgets for repairs and maintenance of dwellings were noted.

(2)  That the capital budgets listed in Appendix B and Appendix C commencing in 2014/15 be approved and the Head of Housing and Property Services were authorised under Financial Rules, Section B14 to proceed with schemes with the sums approved.

(3)  That the Head of Financial Services and Section 151 Officer's financial appraisal was approved for the capital programme - global provision.

(TAKE IN REPORT BY HEAD OF HOUSING & PROPERTY SERVICES)

Councillor Sanders as Cabinet Member asked that this annual report be retitled in future.  Meredydd Hughes introduced the report and reported that he would be taking an item to the next residents' CLG meeting in April to go through the projects and give an overview of the works being undertaken.  Councillor Sanders was supportive of the report and would like to know if there were any problems with timescales being met for the works.

DECISIONS:

(1)          The area programmes and allocation of finance for the funding of the Revenue Budgets for repairs and maintenance of dwellings were noted.

(2)          That the capital budgets listed in Appendix B and Appendix C commencing in 2014/15 be approved and the Head of Housing and Property Services were authorised under Financial Rules, Section B14 to proceed with schemes with the sums approved.

(3)          That the Head of Financial Services and Section 151 Officer's financial appraisal was approved for the capital programme - global provision.

The purpose of the report by the Head of Housing and Property Service is for the Cabinet Member for Housing to note and endorse the process for dealing with Exchange requests and Tenancy changes due to Succession that have been amended to reflect the removal of the Spare Room Subsidy and the Localism Act 2012.

RECOMMENDED: that the Cabinet Member for Housing notes and endorses the actions taken with the management of exchange requests and tenancy changes resulting from succession. That the Head of Housing and Property Services continues to exercise delegated authority to manage exchanges and decide when to grant tenancies where no statutory right of succession applies.

(1)  The Cabinet Member for Housing noted and endorsed the actions taken with the management of exchange requests and tenancy changes resulting from succession.

(2)  That the Head of Housing and Property Services continues to exercise delegated authority to manage exchanges and decide when to grant tenancies where no statutory right of succession applies.

(TAKE IN REPORT BY HEAD OF HOUSING & PROPERTY SERVICES)

Nigel Selley presented the report with Jeremy Underdown, the Portsea Area Manager, and responded to questions from Maria Cole regarding the treatment of couples as joint tenants and transfers of power of attorney.  The officers reported that there was a need to ensure there was mental capacity in taking on a tenancy in the cases of power of attorney and Adult Social Care could become involved in cases.  It was also reported that there were matrimonial rights to a property.

Councillor Sanders welcomed this report which gave wider discretion for the local authority and he asked that further consideration of flexible tenancies would be discussed at a future meeting with the involvement of the residents' CLG.

DECISIONS:

(1)          The Cabinet Member for Housing noted and endorsed the actions taken with the management of exchange requests and tenancy changes resulting from succession.

(2)          That the Head of Housing and Property Services continues to exercise delegated authority to manage exchanges and decide when to grant tenancies where no statutory right of succession applies.