Agenda, decisions and minutes

At this point Members are asked to declare any personal or prejudicial interest they may have in the business on this agenda.

The Cabinet Member was invited to declare at this point in the meeting any personal or prejudicial interests she might have in the business on the agenda.

No interests were declared.

To approve and sign the minutes of the meeting held on 26 July 2012.

RESOLVED: That the minutes of the last Decision Session of the Cabinet  Member for Health, Housing and Adult Social Services, held on 26 July 2011, be approved and signed as a correct record subject to the deletion of the following words found in paragraph 3 of item 10:

‘such as improved carpet cleaning in council properties’

At this point in the meeting members of the public who have registered their wish to speak at the meeting can do so.  The deadline for registering is 5:00pm on Monday 26 September 2011.

Members of the public may register to speak on:-

• an item on the agenda;
• an issue within the Cabinet Member’s remit;

·         an item that has been published on the Information Log since the last session. Information reports are listed at the end of the agenda.

It was reported that there had been no registrations to speak at the meeting.

The purpose of this report  is to ask the Cabinet Member to approve the 2010/11 Tenants and Leaseholders Annual Report (attached at Annex 1) and agree that it be sent out with the Autumn edition of housing’s quarterly newsletter, Streets Ahead, to ensure efficiency savings are made.

RESOLVED: That the Tenants and Leaseholders Annual Report 2010-11 be approved and sent out with Streets Ahead.

Reason: To ensure that Housing meets its regulatory requirements, appropriate information is available to tenants allowing them to scrutinise Housing’s performance and to achieve value for money.

The Cabinet Member considered the 2010/11 Tenants and Leaseholders Annual Report and agreed  it should be sent out with the Autumn edition of Housings quarterly newsletter, Streets Ahead, to ensure efficiency savings were made.

Officers gave a brief update and confirmed that the Annual Report would be on the Council’s website from 1^st October 2011.

The Cabinet Member thanked officers for the work they had done to produce the report and in particular thanked the tenants that had also contributed. The Cabinet Member commented that 283 completed questionnaires were returned and she anticipated  the responses would rise by 10% over the next 2 years.

RESOLVED: That the Tenants and Leaseholders Annual Report 2010-11 be approved and sent out with Streets Ahead.

Reason: To ensure that Housing meets its regulatory requirements, appropriate information is available to tenants allowing them to scrutinise Housing’s performance and to achieve value for money.

The report outlines the proposed new approach to bring back in to use privately owned empty properties in light of the priorities of the new council administration and the New Homes Bonus.

RESOLVED:

(i)            That the new Strategy & Action plan to deliver a new approach to bringing back empty properties and maximise the opportunities from new initiatives be approved.

(i)            That the Cabinet Member agreed to allocate new homes bonus funding to support an appointment of an officer to bring empty homes back into use and agreed an allocation of funding should support this initiative, subject to the approval of the Cabinet.

Reason: To reduce the number of long term empty homes maximising the financial incentives improving the quality and availability of decent affordable homes in the city and protecting the environment.

The Cabinet Member considered a report that proposed the new approach to bring back into use privately owned empty properties in light of the priorities of the new council administration and the New Homes Bonus.

Officers gave an update and stated that bringing empty homes back into use would have a large beneficial impact on the City.  Officers discussed the financial links and suggested at the appropriate time funding to support an appointment of an officer should be recommended to Cabinet.

The Cabinet Member thanked officers for bringing a long awaited policy forward which would help reduce anti social behaviour, which is being experienced by some residents near long term empty properties and would help with the provision of more needed homes in the City.

RESOLVED:

(i)            That the new Strategy & Action plan to deliver a new approach to bringing back empty properties and maximise the opportunities from new initiatives be approved.

(i)            That subject to the approval of the Cabinet, the Cabinet Member agreed to allocate the New Homes Bonus funding to support an appointment of an officer to bring empty homes back into use and agreed an allocation of funding should support this initiative.

Reason: To reduce the number of long term empty homes maximising the financial incentives improving the quality and availability of decent affordable homes in the city and protecting the environment.

The purpose of this report is to provide the Cabinet Member for Health, Housing and Adult Services with an update on financial performance, progress against service plan improvement actions and performance measures.

RESOLVED:             That the progress that has been made be noted and the revised timescales for those actions that are in progress but where original estimated timescale has slipped for completion be agreed.

Reason: To ensure that those actions where the estimate timescale has slipped are completed within the revised timescales without detriment to the quality of action taken.

The Cabinet Member considered a report that provided her with an update on financial performance, progress against service plan improvement actions and performance measures.

Officers gave an update and stated that although some targets and timescales had slipped they were still expected to be completed in the annual service plan or within the financial year.

The Cabinet Member noted the report and hoped the progress status would be moving the right way by the next quarter update.

RESOLVED:             That the progress that has been made be noted and the revised timescales for those actions that are in progress but where original estimated timescale has slipped for completion be agreed.

Reason: To ensure that those actions where the estimate timescale has slipped are completed within the revised timescales without detriment to the quality of action taken.