The Housing Development Manager reported on the outcome of the multi-disciplinary

Building Consultancy, with the chosen contractor coming out with both the highest score and lowest bid.  Many of the roles they had been asked to cover would be done so internally within their practise.

The Housing Development Manager highlighted an error within paragraph 2.6 of the report, which should have highlighted RIBA stages 1-3 rather than RIBA stage 1 repeated three times.  The conclusion of each of these stages would be the decision gateway for Councillors, with identified budget only released at the conclusion of the previous stage in the process.  The first key milestone would be January 2024, which would report on the feasibility and viability of the scheme.

Density and design discussions were also underway to be reported back to a future Committee.

The Corporate Head of Housing acknowledged slippage in progress compared to previous expectations, this was largely down to the tender exercise taking longer than expected.  Residents continued to be kept up to date via both the dedicated website and newsletters.

The policy set out how the Council would deal with instances of mould and damp, and Head of Housing Technical Services advised that it was aimed to take a proactive approach, and set out specific guidance to ensure that damp and mould was managed effectively.

The main aim was to ensure that tenants had a safe home to live in, and any damp and mould was managed effectively so to not cause any long-term damage to the structure of the building.

Open lines of communication with residents would be key to the success of the policy, and all actions would be captured on the NEC housing system.  It was concluded that the policy was recommended for immediate approval without any consultation due to the potential for significant health and safety risks associated with damp and mould.

The Corporate Head of Housing added that it was heavily publicised on the Council’s website and via newsletters about the need for residents to report cases of damp and mould, and monitoring took place of previous reports at properties to check that the issue had not reoccurred.

            Resolved that:

Members approved the Housing Damp and Mould Policy

The Corporate Head of Housing advised that the report proposed an amendment to the Council’s allocation policy for Surrey Towers, primarily owing to the lower demand for properties, resulting in empty property voids taking longer to let and impacting on rental income.

The Local Lettings Policy would see all properties advertised in the normal way, with additional options to provide an additional bedroom and then actively seek out key workers.

A Member highlighted that antisocial behaviour was often cited as a reason for low uptake of properties, and a number of disparate matters needed to be addressed to improve the reputation.  Officers added that the policy was not intended to provide a quick fix for social issues, but would provide more flexibility for the management of the Council’s housing stock and would be reviewed after one year.

The Corporate Head of Housing reported that a consultation event had been held with residents to promote the policy, whilst prospective residents would need to be made aware of the potential to have to pay more in social size criteria.

            Resolved that:

Members approved the Local Lettings Policy.

The Head of Housing Services & Business Planning advised that the Localism Act 2011 introduced offers within the Private Rented Sector as a lawful means of discharging a homelessness duty.

Where possible homelessness would be prevented or relieved through an offer of a private sector tenancy, thereby avoiding the need for individuals to go into temporary accommodation which was both costly and disruptive.

A recent consultation with stakeholders, which included targeted contact with applicants who had approached the Council as homeless, as well as current applicants on the Housing Register had seen 191 views to the dedicated webpage and a short questionnaire which 6 people completed. 

As a result of the consultation a change would be made to the process where applicants would be asked to sign to confirm that have had the policy explained to them. 

            Resolved that:

Members approved the private rented sector offer.

The Corporate Head of Housing advised that the policy set out where requests for CCTV within the domestic dwellings of the Council’s housing stock would be approved. 

The policy would enable the housing service to enforce breaches of policy and legislation.  The policy had been discussed at a Member Working Party, and a consultation had recently concluded where only one response had been received.

Under normal circumstances residents would be expected to adhere to rules such as no CCTV covering the area outside of their property – and privacy zones could be created to help achieve this – and exceptional circumstances would be treated on a case by case basis.

A Member was keen to ensure that the policy dovetailed with the Tenancy Agreement, and the Corporate Head of Housing confirmed that the Tenancy Agreement was currently being revised, and legal advice would be sought on the proposed wording to ensure that surveillance was covered.

When asked about the enforceability of the policy, particularly in the context of the volume of Ring doorbells and CCTV at residential properties, the Corporate Head of Housing felt that sufficient resources were currently in place, and remedies would be sought in consultation with colleagues from Legal services.

Resolved that:

Committee acknowledged the results of the consultation with stakeholders and approved the Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) Policy for Council Housing Estates.

The Corporate Head of Housing reported that the Ombudsman had recommended that the Council’s Adaptation Policy, approved in 2021, should adopt a tenure neutral policy.  It was therefore intended that the Home Improvement Policy would supersede this following a public consultation.    

It was added that this was likely to have resource implications owing to the increased volume of applications and greater chance of approval, which could in-turn have cost implications.  This would be kept under review.

A Member asked about potential risks of working in partnership with Woking Borough Council given their well-documented financial troubles, and was advised that the HomeLink Handyperson service was a Surrey County Council grant and not dependent on Woking’s own finances.

            Resolved that –

Members approved the proposed Home Assistance Policy and the move to a tenure neutral service for residents, led by the Home Improvement Agency.

The Homelessness Act 2002 places a duty on every local authority to develop and publish a Homelessness Strategy, with rough sleeping added to the original remit by government in light of the rise in homelessness.

The Head of Housing Services & Business Planning commented that the council’s current strategy was approved by Committee in 2019, and the report provided an update on the strategy’s action plan for years four and five.  A refreshed strategy would be brought to Committee in March 2024.

Despite the low levels of rough sleeping in the borough there was an increasing cohort of single adults with complex needs who do not meet the priority need threshold under which the Council would be responsible for accommodating them.  However these individuals still require high levels of support to relieve or prevent homelessness, and the Housing department were currently recruiting for a Housing Navigator to work with rough sleepers to identify pathways into housing and establish channels with the agencies who would provide them with vital support.

            Resolved that:

Committee noted the update on the Homelessness & Rough Sleeping Strategy 2019-24

The Housing Services Compliance Manager advised that the aim of the Act was primarily to improve building safety, particularly in high-rise buildings following the Grenfell Tower tragedy, setting a new standard for accountability, transparency and resident well-being.

Resident engagement was also emphasised in the Act, with building owners required to develop and implement a resident engagement strategy that sought resident feedback on safety related decisions.  A draft strategy relating to Surrey Towers was currently out for consultation, whilst a building safety case report was also being prepared and would be presented to the next Housing Committee.

The Housing Services Compliance Manager added that an additional surveyor was being sought to ensure that building safety elements were adequately covered and addressed.  This would require Housing Committee’s recommendation to Corporate Management Committee for approval.

The Corporate Head of Housing confirmed that he was hopeful that a suitable candidate would be identified based on the requested salary band.

            Resolved that –

1. Committee noted the additional obligations placed on landlords as a result of the Building Safety Act 2022 and Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022

2. Committee noted it would receive an update on the Housing Service’s work to submit a Building Safety Case to the new regulator at the September 2023 meeting of the committee.

3. Recommended an addition to the Housing staff structure – the appointment of a Compliance Surveyor – to the Corporate Management Committee to agree the new post at its next meeting in June 2023.

No declarations of interest were made.

Further to the report at the March 2023 Committee, the Corporate Head of Housing reiterated the need to replace the existing boiler in Floral House IRL.  There was provision in the budget for this to take place, and the building was already relatively energy efficient, coming in at an energy efficiency rating of C, which was the desired standard for all 3,000 of the Council’s housing units by 2030.

Of the four options to replace the boiler, a like-for-like replacement of a gas boiler was the only one without unbudgeted costs, and was the only option that would not increase residents’ fuel bills should usage remain unchanged.

The proposed fabric measures to improve energy efficiency were unbudgeted, and would not take the property beyond its current C energy efficiency rating.

In response to a Member’s query, the Corporate Head of Housing confirmed that the other three IRLs in the borough not discussed at the previous two Housing Committees all had storage heaters, whilst due to the need to go out to tender any fabric first measures were unlikely to be in place by the coming winter.

A Member highlighted that should Committee approve the installation of a gas boiler then offsetting would need to be part of the strategy in order to achieve carbon neutrality, and suggested that the Council’s Environment & Sustainability Committee took this on as a case study to see what measures would be achievable.  The Committee was supportive of this suggestion.

Whilst officers’ initial recommendation was to instal additional fabric measures alongside a new gas boiler, which would primarily be cavity wall and loft insulation, the Committee asked officers to consider whether the amount proposed would be better spent across the entire housing stock.  This would be reported back at the next meeting as part of the Asset Management Plan.

Resolved that:

A.    A new gas boiler would be installed in Floral House to reduce emissions from the scheme and reduce residents’ fuel bills.

B.    A further report would come back to Housing Committee to advise on whether it would be appropriate to expend £95,000 on insulation measures at Floral House or across the whole housing estate.

C.    Refer Environment & Sustainability Committee to carry out a test study on what carbon offsetting measures could be undertaken.

No apologies for absence were received.

The minutes of the meeting held on 8 March 2023 were confirmed and signed as a true record.

Resolved that:

The new litter and dog waste bin policy outlined in 1.2 of the reported be adopted.

Actions:  Officers to add a telephone number to the proposed new litter bin sticker

               Any replacement bins/new bins should be at a height and in a location that
               is wheelchair accessible.

              Councillor Cunningham to email Shaun Barnes regarding the problems
              with the current bin adjacent to pub at the Broadway, New Haw

Resolved that:

The existing arrangement should be regularised and extended to all primary schools across the Borough where Council owned car parks were within a reasonable walking distance and for the Council to cover the total cost within existing budgets.  The arrangement would be managed through an electronic parking permit system administered by Runnymede Borough Council; and

A recommendation be made to Corporate Management Committee as part of the growth bids for 2024/25, if approved any changes would not be implemented until September 2024.