Agenda and minutes

Cabinet Member for Housing and Tackling Homelessness - Wednesday, 16th October, 2024 4.00 pm

Venue: Council Chamber - The Guildhall, Portsmouth. View directions

Contact: Allison Harper, Local Democracy Officer - Tel: 023 9268 8014  Email: Allison.Harper@portsmouthcc.gov.uk

Media

Items
No. Item

59.

Apologies for Absence

Minutes:

Apologies were received from Trevor Lovett and Mark Broomer from the Residents Consortium.

60.

Declarations of Members' Interests

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest.

61.

Interim Report on Progress of Council Housing Maintenance and Improvements Programme 2024/2025 pdf icon PDF 225 KB

Purpose of Report

The purpose of this report is to update the Cabinet Member on the delivery of the Council Housing Maintenance and Improvements Programme 2024/25, the spend against the approved budget and to highlight any future issues.

 

The report also provides and 'industry update' highlighting the wider financial and operational context impacting on repairs and maintenance.

Minutes:

Adam Hardwick, Assistant Director, Buildings and Alan Denford, Housing Finance Manager, presented the information only report, the purpose of which was to update the Cabinet Member on the delivery of the Council Housing Maintenance and Improvements Programme 2024/2025, the spend against the approved budget and to highlight any future issues.  The report was also to provide an 'industry update' highlighting the wider financial and operational context impacting on repairs and maintenance. 

 

Resident Consortium Questions and Comments

There were no questions or comments

 

Members' questions

In response to Members' questions, officers clarified:

 

·         Quarterly meetings had been set up with SGN in order to share information, gain an understanding of any issues and to receive feedback.  SGN continue their condition surveys on all the external risers in high rise blocks and they had identified a number of blocks which required riser replacements through a planned programme of works. Due to changes in the fire industry and legislation, SGN can no longer use certain repair techniques which means they now have to isolate the gas supply creating a longer delay.

 

·         The criteria for closed damp and mould cases were as follows:

 

o   A surveyor appointment happens within 14 days.

o   A full survey of the building is carried out to identify the issue and investigate the causes.

o   Necessary works are undertaken to resolve the issue.

o   The case remains open for 6 months giving the resident the opportunity to report any further issues which will then be reinvestigated and dealt with.

o   If the problem is resolved, the case will be closed after that 6 month period.

 

·         Under the current rent standard, the September CPI figure of 1.7% plus 1%, would be used to set the maximum rent rises in the forthcoming financial year.

 

Chair's comments

The Chair stated he was delighted that both the capital and revenue figures were going in the right direction and that as a result £3million more could be put into greener homes and £1million more into making homes safer.

 

The Cabinet Member noted the report. 

 

62.

Ladywood House - Building Safety Case pdf icon PDF 197 KB

Purpose of Report

The purpose of the report is to provide the Cabinet Member for Housing and Tackling Homelessness with an update on the Ladywood House, Building Assessment Certificate which includes the Building Safety Case.

 

The report will outline the background to the Building Safety Act 2022, details of what a Building Assessment Certificate consists of, key points of the Building Safety Case, Resident Engagement Strategy and the Mandatory Occurrence Reporting System and the next steps that will be taken.

 

The report will outline to the Cabinet Member for Housing and Tackling Homelessness how Building Safety works are being undertaken and how the Building Safety Case for Ladywood House helps to demonstrate compliance with aspects of The Regulator for Social Housing - Consumer Standards.

 

The report will update the Cabinet Member for Housing and Tackling Homelessness of resident engagement activities undertaken to date and future planned engagement, alongside how residents can access relevant Building Safety documents as detailed in section 5 and 7 of the report.

Minutes:

Amy Holmes, HRA Building Safety Manager and Adam Hardwick assistant director, Buildings presented the information only report, the purpose of which was to provide an update on the Ladywood House Building Assessment Certificate which included the Building Safety Case. 

 

Resident consortium questions and comments

In response to Resident Consortium questions, officers clarified:

 

·         Within the current year budget, a significant amount had been allocated to building safety, which included the works to the high-rise blocks.  There was a plan to increase that budget amount year on year and money would be moved around to where it needed to be spent the most.  Some external Government funding was available for some of the projects such as fire safety.

 

Members' questions

In response to Members' questions, officers clarified:

 

·         The fire door replacement scheme encompasses both the communal areas as well as individual property front doors.

 

Chair's comments

The Chair noted the disproportionate number of senior citizens living in Ladywood House and the importance of informing them about what the works would entail, the level of disruption involved as well as providing realistic timescales.

The Chair noted the issues moving forwards in terms of income versus expenditure with the rent rises being capped at CPI plus 1% in relation to the increase in the National Living Wage, which may be close to 4% for those employed to work within the council blocks.  The service would have to prioritise works around principles with the over-riding principle being the safety of residents.

 

 

The Cabinet Member noted the report.