Agenda and minutes

There were no questions from members of the public.

-        Chief Executive to report.

The Leader introduced a report by the Chief Executive which set out the renegotiation of Local Area Agreement indicator targets which formed part of the completed refresh element of the annual review and was now pending approval from Central Government. 

The performance picture was very mixed with a significant number of indicators on target and performing well.  However a substantial number also appeared unlikely to reach the target set for 2011. The review focused on these areas and the Cabinet was asked to approve this review, including the revised targets.

As the more detailed analysis revealed performance to be varied, this was compounded by the number of indicators where the Council were unable to accurately assess the current position, or project future performance.  Examples of good and weak performance existed across all of the five themes. There was a concentration of ‘red’ rated indicators under Alive, although several of these were closely linked.  There were also a significant number of indicators where current performance was unclear, particularly under Proud and Safe, although in some cases data was imminent, which would help to address this. The report set out in detail the current performance for each of the themes.

There was up to £2 million of Local Area Agreement Reward Grant available under the terms of the current Local Area Agreement 2008-11. The way in which Reward Grant was calculated had changed and was significantly more complicated than in the previous round. The Rotherham Partnership Team were currently working with colleagues at the Council to estimate the level of Reward Grant the Partnership would be likely to secure under different performance scenarios.  Although it had been delayed, the Government were set to release a ‘Reward Grant calculator’ in April, 2010 which should assist with this and make clearer the full financial implications.  Although the detailed work referred to had not yet been undertaken the sense was that on current performance we would be unlikely to secure very much of the available £2 million.

Resolved:-  (1)  That the review process be noted.

(2) That the revised Local Area Agreement targets, agreed with Government Office as part of the review process, be approved.

(3)  That Directorates be made fully aware of amendments to indicators on which they lead and maintain, with support from the Chief Executive and Rotherham Partnerships’, appropriate improvement plans.

-        Strategic Director of Neighbourhoods and Adult Services to report.

Councillor Akhtar, Cabinet Member for Housing and Neighbourhoods, introduced a report by the Strategic Director of Neighbourhoods and Adult Services, which detailed the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) as being the national housing and regeneration agency for England.  Its principal business process was the “Single Conversation” with Local Authorities, who were expected to put forward the shared ambitions and objectives on behalf of their Local Strategic Partnerships.

The focus of the Single Conversation was around comprehensive place-shaping, including the full range of housing, infrastructure, regeneration and community facilities. It was important that this process was not seen primarily as a housing issue, but rather an issue of how improvements in infrastructure and housing could contribute to and complement aspirations to improve wider quality of life issues.  Councils were required to develop a Local Investment Plan, which would form the basis of a funding agreement between the Homes and Communities Agency and the Local Authorities.

The report, therefore, set out the rationale and progress on rewriting the Rotherham Housing Strategy, which would enhance its status as a key component to the Single Conversation and the key milestones.

The Homes and Communities Agency commanded funds formerly allocated by English Partnerships, The Housing Corporation, Regional Housing Boards, Communities and Local Government and the Academy for Sustainable Communities.  As a One Stop Shop for future funding, the Homes and Communities Agency’s support was critical to achieving Rotherham’s ambitions across Housing and Growth and success would complement the advance of corporate priorities across Education, Health and Economic Development.

The Homes and Communities Agency, within its current programme, administered over £17 billion nationally. Rotherham was drawing down a significant proportion of this money through programmes such as Decent Homes, Affordable Housing Projects, Council House Building, Kick Start initiatives, Housing Market Renewal, private sector housing support and funds to support regeneration officers in Environment and Development Services and the Neighbourhood Investment Team.

The Single Conversation would reach agreement on a funding period that would start in March, 2011 and run for a three year period. There was currently a great deal of uncertainty around the level of funding to be made available in this period due to a series of national financial pressures, Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) and potential change in government. 

There may be implications for the Council’s commitment to engage in prudential borrowing and to make active use of its land and property assets arising from future allocations of funds to the Council. Further reports would address these issues in detail.

There was considerable uncertainty about the future of the Homes and Communities Agency in the event of a change in national administration. Whatever the outcome of the forthcoming general election the budgets allocated to the Homes and Communities Agency would be re-assessed from the need to align public debts with future economic and monetary policies.

Whatever the outcome of the election it was unlikely that all funding would be withdrawn, as housing renewal and growth received cross party support as did  ...  view the full minutes text for item 203.

The following items are likely to be considered in the absence of the press and public as being exempt under Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended March 2006) (information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular individual (including the Council)):-

Resolved, that under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act, 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act (information relates to finance and business matters).

-        Strategic Director of Neighbourhoods and Adult Services to report.

Councillor Akhtar, Cabinet Member for Housing and Neighbourhoods, introduced a report by the Strategic Director of Neighbourhoods and Adult Services, which detailed Council decisions to invest in over 800 non-traditional properties within the borough.  An investment programme had been initiated to address urgent structural investment needs to ensure that the properties met the Decent Homes standard by the completion deadline set by Government.

Whilst the majority of non-traditional properties could receive Decent Homes works without the need for preceding structural works, the Airey and Unity properties required structural investment works before Decent Homes works could be undertaken.

There were, therefore, 153 Airey and 34 Unity properties approved for investment. To date, structural and Decent Homes works have been completed to 22 Airey properties with investment to a further 92 Airey properties currently underway.  The completion of works to the remaining 39 Airey and 34 Unity properties within the 2010/11 financial year would be critical to ensuring that the properties met the Decent Homes Standard by the target deadline.

The capital cost of both structural and Decent Homes works to the remaining non-traditional properties had been established, comparative to the resources currently available to support investment within the proposed 2010/11 Housing Investment Programme.

This report identifies a capital funding shortfall in the Housing Investment Programme for 2010/11 to fund the works and to set out the case for utilising Housing Revenue Account capital receipts to support the proposed investment programme.

The legal and financial information and risks and uncertainties associated with this request were outlined in detail as part of the report.

Recommended:-  That the request to use pooled Housing Revenue Account capital receipts for investment in non-traditional housing to the sum of £2,615,000 be approved.

-        Strategic Director of Neighbourhoods and Adult Services to report.

Councillor Akhtar, Cabinet Member for Housing and Neighbourhoods, introduced a report by the Strategic Director of Neighbourhoods and Adult Services, which detailed 2010 Rotherham Ltd.’s rationale for downsizing the in-house service provider workforce and detailing underpinning the downsizing proposal and associated costs. The strategies proposed within 2010 Rotherham Ltd’s report were approved by the ALMO Board on 10th February, 2010 and a detailed schedule had been produced setting out costs and timescales associated with each individual downsizing element. 

The legal and financial information and risks and uncertainties associated with these actions were outlined in detail as part of the report.

Discussion ensued on the changes and the intention to equip 2010 Rotherham Ltd. to successfully deliver the standards of service required.

Resolved:-  (1)  That 2010 Rotherham Ltd’s proposal to release up to 62 members of staff in accordance with the details set out in the report be approved.

(2)  That a further report be submitted concerning the future funding strategy relating to 2010 Rotherham Ltd, including the funding of the release of the staff.

(3)  That a report be submitted to the Cabinet on the 23rd June, 2010, setting out the award of repairs and maintenance contracts for approval.