Agenda and draft minutes

The Director of Housing and Neighbourhood Services reported on the current Home Office consultation on ‘Police powers to promote and maintain public order’.

The Government, partly in response to the widespread disorder witnessed in August, 2011, was reviewing Police powers to protect the public and property.  The consultation focussed on 3 areas of Police powers:-

1.         the effect of the word ‘insulting’ in Section 5 of the Public Order Act 1986

2.         new powers to request removal of face coverings

3.         new powers to impose curfews.

The consultation requested consultees to consider and respond to 22 key questions by 13^th January, 2012.

The draft response had been considered by the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board on 16^th December, 2011, their comments highlighted in the appendix attached.

Resolved:-  (1)  That the response be approved for submission on behalf of the Council.

(2)  That efforts be made to ascertain the outcome of the conditional cautioning being conducted in 5 pilot areas.

The Neighbourhood Crime and Justice Manager reported on the publication of the ‘Respect ASB Charter for Housing’ on 22^nd June, 2011.  It was proposed that the Council sign up to the Standard and commence an assessment of the service provided against the criteria set out therein.

It was a voluntary Standard and essentially an update and replacement of the previous ‘Respect Standard for Housing Management – 2006’ that the Council, the former 2010 Rotherham Ltd. and the Rotherham Federation of Tenants and Residents signed up to in 2007.  The Charter had been created by housing professionals in consultation with residents and committed landlords to provide a high quality service to prevent and deal with anti-social behaviour.  It put an increased priority on tackling ASB in order to protect vulnerable tenants and improve the lives of people resident in social housing.

The Charter aimed to be outcome focussed and not prescriptive or process driven.  The purpose was to improve ASB services and consist of 7 core commitments:-

-        Demonstrate leadership and strategic commitment

-        Provide an accessible and accountable service

-        Take swift action to protect communities

-        Adopt a supportive approach to working with victims and witnesses

-        Encourage individual and community responsibility

-        Have a clear focus on prevention and early intervention

-        Ensure a value for money approach was embedded in the service.

Re-signing to the updated Charter would reaffirm the Council’s commitment to its tenants to put tackling anti-social behaviour at the heart of what it did and provided an opportunity to promote the good work that was already taking place across the Borough.

Resolved:-  (1)  That a full assessment be carried out of the services provided against the criteria set out in the Charter.

(2)  That the Council sign up to the new ‘Respect – ASB Charter for Housing’ in partnership with RotherFed.

(3)  That discussions take place on the possible inclusion of/reference to the Charter in the Tenancy Agreement.

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 those paragraphs of Part I of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972.

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 those paragraphs, indicated below, of Part I of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972.

(Exempt under Paragraph 3 of the Act – information relating to the financial or business affairs of any person (including the Council))

Resolved:-  That the report be deferred for further information on the proposals contained within the report.

(Exempt under Paragraph 3 of the Act – information relating to the financial or business affairs of any person (including the Council))

(Exempt under Paragraph 2 of the Act - information likely to reveal the identity of an individual)

Further to Minute No. J23 of 5^th September, 2011, the Director of Housing and Neighbourhood Services reported on actions that had taken place against individuals identified within the original petition. 

The report also detailed an incident that had occurred during November, 2011 in the locality, not involving the original perpetrators, which had caused serious concern amongst residents  

Resolved:-  (1)  That the action taken by the Council and its partners in response to the petition be noted..

(2)  That the further concerns raised by the residents be noted.

(3)  That the Council’s and partners’ proposals to address the issues be welcomed.

(4)  That the respective Ward Members be contacted to ascertain if there had been any further concerns/comments expressed in their surgeries.

 (Exempt under Paragraph 2 of the Act – information likely to reveal the identity of an individual)

(Exempt under Paragraph 3 of the Act - information relating to the financial or business affairs of any person (including the Council))

Consideration was given to a joint report of the Finance Manager (Neighbourhoods and Adult Services) and Director of Housing and Neighbourhood Services, setting out the proposed housing rent, new build rents, garage rent, heating charge and communal facilities increases for 2012/13.

The report set out in detail the proposed housing rent, new build rents, garage rent, heating charge and communal facilities increases for 2012/13.  The rents had been calculated in accordance with the national rent setting regime requiring all authorities to use the prescribed formula and apply annual increases to actual rents to achieve the Formula Rent.  The Government expected that all similar properties in the same local area would have similar rent levels even if owned by different landlords (rent convergence).  Rotherham was expected to achieve rent convergence by 2015/16.

It was noted that this report was to be considered by the Self Regulation Select Commission on 12^th January and by the Cabinet at its meeting on the 18^th January, 2012.

Resolved:-  That Cabinet be requested to recommend to Council:-

(1)  An average rent increase of 9.45% based on the DCLG rent formula which resulted in an average weekly increase of £6.02 when collected over 48 weeks.

(2)  An average rent of £95.57 on new build Council properties.

(3)  Garage Rents be increased by 5.6%, in line with the annual Retail Price Index. 5.6%.

(4)  The standard communal facilities charge be increased by 5.6% in line with the annual Retail Price Index.  For those Centres with laundry facilities there would be an 80p per week increase replacing the current separate charge of £1.

(5)  The standard cooking gas charge be increased by 5.6% in line with the annual Retail Price Index.

(6)  The various proposed increases to heating charges set out in Section 7 of the submitted report

(Exempt under Paragraph 3 of the Act – information relating to the financial or business affairs of any person (including the Council))