Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from Councillor Spall and Councillor Valerie-Bossman Quarshie for lateness

There were no declarations of substitute members

If you have a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest* in an item of business:

§  if it is not yet on the council’s register, you must declare both the existence and details of it at the start of the meeting or when it becomes apparent;

§  you may choose to declare a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest that is already in the register in the interests of openness and transparency. 

In both the above cases, you must leave the room without participating in discussion of the item.

If you have a personal interest in an item of business and you intend to speak or vote on the item you must declare both the existence and details of it at the start of the meeting or when it becomes apparent but you may participate in the discussion and vote on the item.

*(a)   Employment, etc - Any employment, office, trade, profession or vocation carried on for profit or gain.

(b) Sponsorship - Any payment or other financial benefit in respect of your expenses in carrying out duties as a member, or of your election; including from a trade union.

(c) Contracts - Any current contract for goods, services or works, between you or your partner (or a body in which one of you has a beneficial interest) and the council.

(d) Land - Any beneficial interest in land which is within the council’s area.

(e) Licences- Any licence to occupy land in the council’s area for a month or longer.

(f) Corporate tenancies - Any tenancy between the council and a body in which you or your partner have a beneficial interest.

 (g) Securities - Any beneficial interest in securities of a body which has a place of business or land in the council’s area, if the total nominal value of the securities exceeds £25,000 or one hundredth of the total issued share capital of that body or of any one class of its issued share capital. 

This applies to all members present at the meeting.

There were no declarations of interest

RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the meeting held on 6 December 2021 be confirmed as an accurate record of proceedings and the Chair be authorised to sign them.

The Chair stated that it was disappoining that Hyde Housing Association who had been invited to the meeting had chosen not to attend. Hyde had been subject to a number of complaints from Partners residents, and given that tenant satisfaction in Hyde is low it was felt that they should have had the courtesy to appear before the Committee. The Chair added that a survey of Housing Associations was currently taking place and Councils were being consulted with a date for submissions ending on 1 March. The Committee felt that the Chair should respond on the Committee’s behalf

The Chair also referred to a Housing conference called Futurebuild that would be shortly taking place from 1 -3 March, and that details should be circulated to Members following the meeting

The Chair stated that the order of business would be as per the agenda

For members of the public to ask questions relating to any subject on the meeting agenda under Procedure Rule 70.5. Alternatively, the Chair may opt to accept questions from the public during the discussion on each agenda item.

The Chair outlined the procedure for Public questions

The following officers were present for consideration of this item –

Maxine Holdsworth, Matt West, Hannah Bowman – Housing Directorate

Linda Nicholas - Human Resources

Lyne Stratton –  Communications

Jon Cumming –  Digital Services

During consideration of the report and presentation, copies interleaved, the following main points were made –

Programme Progress overview – progressing well, with significant progress against key milestones, and the closing down of issues encountered along the way

Working closely with Partners, Hyde, Rydon, and United Living, on the transfer of services. Organisational structures are in place for the delivery of services

Data transfer has progressed well. TUPE discussions are ongoing with staff and Trade Unions, and induction plans are developed. The programme is entering its final phase and receiving teams are working on detailed case handovers for key areas of work

Risk profile of the programme has significantly reduced, with only a few remaining high risk items. These risks concern the retained PFI2 structure, a peak of repairs being needed at handover, not being well prepared for the TUPE transfer, and transfer of data. Most risks have been mitigated through preparation for the transfer

Closely monitoring the delivery of the handback survey works. Sums have been retained for 1253 repairs at 895 homes identified by the survey, and outstanding on 11 January 2021

Each month complete repairs are checked and sums paid back to Partners for completed works. At the end of December 402 repairs were outstanding at 283 homes. 68% complete, 32% remaining. Access to COVID continues to be a problem for completion. Damp cases and major works are being closely monitored to ensure they are being progressed, and Rydon will continue to carry out these works until the end of the contract. Sums will be retained at the end of the contract for any incomplete works

Noted that it was felt that data transfer had gone well, and that there would be a comprehensive set of data at the time of transfer

The view was expressed that it repairs would improve now that the Council is handling the properties, and that a positive meeting had been held with staff transferring, and that standards could be raised in the future on both Partners and Council properties

In response to a question it was stated that work could take place with local community organisations, including community centres, in order to provide translation facilities in relation to the handover of properties

Reference was made to the ‘first time’ fix rate and that the target was currently being exceeded. However it should be noted that all repairs could not be completed first time. It was felt important that residents had a ‘voice’ following transfer, and that the existing PFI 1 contract did not get diminished. There is also work to be done on leaseholder recharges, and the Council would need to communicate with leaseholders in connection with the Council’s charging policy

It was noted that the Council had engaged a specialist contractor to work on street properties,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 331.

Matt West and Garrett McEntee, Housing Directorate were present for discussion of this item

Following consideration of the report it was -

RESOLVED:

That, subject to the amendments detailed below, the report be approved, and referred to the Executive for consideration

Recommendation 7 – the inclusion of the words at the end of the recommendation ‘ that the Council should make sure that, where there is one, the Energy Performance Compliance Certificate is made available for all properties, including street properties, to the resident

Recommendation 8 – after the words ‘carried out’ add the words ‘rapid resetting of boiler plant’

Recommendation 10 – add after the word heat pumps add the words ‘and heat meters’

Add additional recommendation 14 – ‘That on blocks where external sensors are used to control a boiler plant, a check is undertaken to ensure that these sensors are in the correction location, and giving representative readings’

The Chair thanked Matt West and Garrett McEntee for attending

Ian Swift, Director Housing Needs and Strategy outlined the report

During consideration of the report the following main points were made –

·         Noted that only 67% of completed the questionnaire and that details of the number of calls in relation to completed surveys would be provided at the next meeting of the Committee

·         Noted that the questionnaire could be completed if the call was abandoned

RESOLVED:

That the report be noted

The Chair thanked Ian Swift for attending

RESOLVED:

That the report be noted