Agenda and minutes

Councillor McNeely made a personal interest in Minute Nos. 46 and 47 (Council tenant).

There were no members of the press and public present at the meeting.

The Chair reported that her Local Government Association Mentor, Head of Scrutiny at Lambeth Council, would like to attend the next meeting and pre-meeting briefing of the Select Commission.

Resolved:-  That an invitation be extended to the Head of Scrutiny at Lambeth Council to attend the 22^nd February, 2017 meeting of this Select Commission and pre-meeting briefing.

Resolved:-  That the minutes of the previous meeting of the Improving Places Select Commission, held on 30^th November, 2016, be approved as a correct record for signature by the Chairman.

Arising from Minute No. Minute No. 37(6) (Housing Allocation Policy Amendments), Councillor McNeely asked how the Directorate would deal with a person who had a tenancy but they had chosen to be homelesss? 

Arising from Minute No. 37 Resolution (2)(iii) the Scrutiny agreed to the proposed 6 amendments and (iii) referred to new tenants not being allowed to apply to transfer within the first 2 years of their tenancy.  There was a loophole for Band 4 in that existing tenants could transfer within 2 years; new tenants and existing tenants should be treated the same. 

Sandra Tolley, Housing Options Manager, confirmed that anyone who took on a new tenancy could not go back onto the Housing Register for 2 years as set out in the Transfer Policy.  This was intended to tighten up the loophole.

Arising from Minute No. 37(d), it was noted that a report had been approved at the Cabinet/Commissioners’ meeting on 9^th January, 2017, regarding enhanced Enforcement activity across the Borough and proposing a joint contract with Doncaster Council who already had an external provider undertaking enhanced environmental impact work.  The contract was open for the Authority to enter into it for a 12 month period. 

Arising from Minute No. 37(h), it was noted that Dignity and its sub-contractors would be held to account by the Authority.  Dignity had employed additional contractors to ensure grounds maintenance works were completed in a timely fashion and to a better standard.  It would cover all cemeteries and not just Maltby.

Arising from Minute No. 37 (resolution 2), information was requested on the pricing structure for the provision of memorial benches, opening hours of cemeteries and crematorium and the availability of land for a possible extension to the Maltby cemetery.

Resolved:-  (1)  That a report be submitted in 6 months on the joint enhanced Enforcement contract with Doncaster Council.

(2)  That the information requested with regard to the provision of memorial benches, opening hours of cemeteries and crematorium and the availability of land for a possible extension to the Maltby cemetery be submitted to the next meeting.

Councillor Wyatt, Chair of the Task and Finish Group, provided the following progress and update details:-

-          The Group met in December which had been attended by an experienced Forward Liaison Officer and 2 Borough Co-ordinators

-          The Emergency Plan was being re-written and consulted upon

-          The Group was to meet on 16^th January and would be considering procurement and commissioning and how external providers complied/assisted with the emergency plan

-          The issue had been raised in the re-writing of the Plan of the need not to lose community resilience

The Select Commission thanked Councillor Wyatt for his update.

Damien Wilson, Strategic Director of Regeneration and Environment, presented a performance report for the Services provided by the Regeneration and Environment Directorate.

Performance information for the 3^rd quarter of the 2016/17 year was currently being collated by the Performance and Quality Unit.  The current status of performance for the Service at the end of the 2^nd quarter (April-September 2016) was as follows:-

-          4 Indicators were off target (red)

-          22 Indicators were on target (green)

-          2 Indicators were (amber) off target but progress towards achieving the target was satisfactory

-          12 measures were reported annually and information would be available at the end of quarter 4

The Directorate plan was currently under review to meet the 1^st April deadline which would also reflect some of the Performance Indicators as well as some new Indicators. 

Discussion ensued with the following issues raised/clarified:-

-          The blue rating on the performance scorecard referred to no performance information being available or that it was an annual Indicator.

-          The missed bin collection rate was well under target and did not include the collection of recyclates.  The recyclates collection vehicles had been out of date for some time and were being explored for the green waste collection.  There were cost implications but a business case was being prepared.

-          Further information would be sought with regard to the percentage of municipal waste landfilled.

-          Whilst Rotherham probably had the most stringent taxi licencing policy in the country, it could not impose it on anyone else or stop people from licensing their taxis elsewhere and operating under a sub-contract arrangement with an existing Rotherham taxi operator.  The message was to ask for a Rotherham registered taxi so you would know that the driver had been subject to the rigorous policy.  If customers continued to ask for a Rotherham taxi hopefully there would be no trade for those that came from outside Rotherham and flouted the rules. 

-          In terms of enforcement, those drivers that had not complied with the BTEC requirement due to an issue that they could rectify, their licence could be suspended and re-issued once complete.  If it involved something that the driver could not rectify e.g. historic behaviour the licence would not be re-issued/granted. 

-          There was data for each individual library across the Borough which could be supplied to Members.  Consideration was being given to a more central town centre location for the main library. 

-          Acknowledgement that the town centre had migrated with the move of Tesco from the Forge Island site.  Footfall data was analysed on a quarterly basis using the same fixed points and giving consistency in how it was gathered.  If the cameras were moved to take account of the new town centre it would be a new baseline and take a period of time to enable comparisons to be made. 

-          Request for a breakdown of actual anti-social behaviour incidents including figures rather than percentages. 

-          The Police crime recording measures  ...  view the full minutes text for item 46.

Wendy Foster (Social Housing Officer), Sarah Watts (Housing Intelligence Officer) and Sandra Tolley (Housing Options Manager) gave the following powerpoint presentation:-

Fixed Term Tenancies

Benefits

Affects for existing tenants

Concerns raised throughout the consultation programme

-          Residents, Elected Members and Officers all expressed concerns around the blanket issuing of Fixed Term Tenancies (FTT) undermining the long term sustainability of communities

The Council’s Approach

-          The Council aims to balance the need to support settled, sustainable communities with the need to make best use of its stock and house residents in the greatest housing need by:-

Issuing tenancies for the maximum ‘usual’ term of 5 years

Ensuring tenants are aware of how their behaviour could impact on the renewal of the tenancy on sign-up

-          All tenancies will be reviewed and the Council will seek to offer a further 5 year tenancy in the same property for the vast majority of tenants

Tenancies will not be renewed where

-          The Council will allow fixed term tenancies to come to an end where there have been serious breaches of the Tenancy Agreement leading to a Notice Seeking Possession (NSP) being active at the point of review:

NSPs are usually served for rent arrears or anti-social behaviour

Notices are active for a period of 12 months

Currently 1,149 (5.7%) RMBC tenants with an active Notice Seeking Possession

A tenancy for a different property will be issued where:-

-          A further 5 year fixed term tenancy for another, more suitable property will be offered where:-

The property is adapted, the adaptations are no longer needed but are likely to be helpful to another family

The household is overcrowded

The household is under-occupying a 4+ bedroomed house

Discussion and Feedback

-          Is issuing fixed term tenancies for the highest (normal) 5 year term the right approach for RMBC?

-          Is the proposed approach to renewals right?

(a)  Allowing tenancies to expire where there is an active Notice Seeking Possession

(b)  Offering alternative properties where tenants are significantly under-occupying, are over-crowded or no longer need an adapted property

(c)  Issuing a further 5 year tenancy if (a) and (b) do not apply

Fixed Term Tenancies in Rotherham

-          RMBC opted to introduce fixed term  ...  view the full minutes text for item 47.

Co-opted member Mrs. L. Shears reported that there was no update to be reported.

Resolved:-  That a further meeting be held on Wednesday, 22nd February, 2017 at commencing at 2.30 p.m.