Agenda and minutes

At this point, Members are asked to declare:

·        any personal interests not included on the Register of Interests

·        any prejudicial interests or

·        any disclosable pecuniary interests

which they may have in respect of business on this agenda.

Members were asked to declare any personal interests not included on the Register of Interests, any prejudicial interests or any disclosable pecuniary interests which they might have in respect of business on the agenda.  No additional interests were declared.

It is at this point in the meeting that members of the public who have registered to speak can do so.  The deadline for registering is 5.00pm on Friday 6 May 2016.  Members of the public can speak on agenda items or matters within the remit of the committee.

To register to speak please contact the Democracy Officer for the meeting, on the details at the foot of the agenda.

Filming, Recording or Webcasting Meetings

Please note this meeting may be filmed and webcast or audio recorded and that includes any registered public speakers, who have given their permission.  The broadcast can be viewed at http://www.york.gov.uk/webcasts  or,if sound recorded, this will be uploaded onto the Council’s website following the meeting.

Residents are welcome to photograph, film or record Councillors and Officers at all meetings open to the press and public. This includes the use of social media reporting, i.e. tweeting.  Anyone wishing to film, record or take photos at any public meeting should contact the Democracy Officer (whose contact details are at the foot of this agenda) in advance of the meeting.

The Council’s protocol on Webcasting, Filming & Recording of Meetings ensures that these practices are carried out in a manner both respectful to the conduct of the meeting and all those present.  It can be viewed at https://www.york.gov.uk/downloads/file/6453/protocol_for_webcasting_filming_and_recording_council_meetingspdf

It was reported that there had been no registrations to speak at the meeting under the Council’s Public Participation Scheme.

To approve and sign the minutes of the meeting held on 12 October 2015.

Resolved:  That the minutes of the meeting held on 12 October 2015 be approved as a correct record and then signed by the Chair subject to minute 7 being amended to read “Councillor Flinders declared a personal interest as First Group operates train services on railway infrastructure owned by his employer”.

This report presents an update on the work to revise the Private Sector Housing Strategy to enable Members to consider the reasons for the call-in and provide feedback to inform this ongoing work.  The report provides background to the issue called-in and the role of and options available to this committee under the pre-decision call-in arrangements.

Members received a report which presented an update on the work to revise the Private Sector Housing Strategy.

In accordance with the arrangements for pre-decision scrutiny call-in, three Members (Councillors Boyce, N Barnes and Flinders) had called in the intended decision in relation to the Private Sector Housing Strategy for the following reasons:

(i)           To provide input on addressing the efficacy of the current voluntary accreditation scheme;

(ii)          To establish ways in which the council can improve on a lack of available data on the quality of private sector housing stock;

(iii)        To consider how the strategy ties in with the planning system.

Councillor Boyce spoke on behalf of the Call-in Members.  She stated that although they broadly supported the strategy they were asking for further consideration to be given to the following issues in order to enhance the policy:

·        Referring to objective 2 in the strategy, Members’ attention was drawn to the problems caused when Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) were poorly managed.  Consideration should be given to extending the current licensing rules for HMOs and for this to be included within the Strategy and Action Plan.

·        Referring to the consultation on standards that had previously been reported to Cabinet, Councillor Boyce commented on the poor response from hard to reach members of the community.  There was a need to ensure that data in respect of housing was comprehensive in order to make informed decisions on issues such as thresholds.  If the data on HMOs was improved, the Article 4 Directive could be managed more effectively.

·        The use of more proactive language in the strategy to demonstrate that the Council was determined to take action where standards were dangerous.

·        There had been low engagement with the voluntary YorProperty accreditation scheme and hence there needed to be mandatory licensing of all HMOs.

Councillor Boyce also drew Members’ attention to the findings of the Building Research Establishment (BRE) survey and stressed the importance of improving the quality of housing.  She stated that she was pleased to note that the council had responded to the Government consultation that had taken place on extending mandatory licensing of HMOs and related reforms.

The Executive Member for Housing and Safer Neighbourhoods stated that he supported the comments made by Councillor Boyce.  He commented on the significant increase in the number of student lettings in the city, which could cause problems because of the transient nature of this population.  The Executive Member stated that there was a need to give further consideration to the extending of licensing and to the Article 4 Directive.

Officers gave an update on the development of the strategy.  They stated that it was anticipated that legislation would be introduced in respect of HMOs and it was understood that this would broaden the definition of a mandatory licensing of HMOs. 

Members’ attention was drawn to research which confirmed the links between poor health and housing issues.  It was now possible to plot this data on a ward basis.  The Executive Member for  ...  view the full minutes text for item 14.