Agenda and draft minutes

To consider and approve the minutes of the previous meeting held on 3 September 2024, as a true and correct record of the proceedings and to be signed by the Chair.

Resolved:-  That the minutes of the previous meeting held on 3 September 2024 be approved as a true and correct record of the proceedings.

To receive declarations of interest from Members in respect of items listed on the agenda.

There were no declarations of interest.

To receive questions relating to items of business on the agenda from members of the public or press who are present at the meeting.

The Chair advised that there were no members of the public or representatives of media organisations present at the meeting and there were no questions in respect of matters on the agenda.

To consider whether the press and public should be excluded from the meeting during consideration of any part of the agenda.

The Chair advised that there were no items of business on the agenda that would require the exclusion of the press or public from the meeting.

To consider the update on the progress towards the self-management of allotments in Rotherham, through:

·       An update on the finalisation of the lease between the Rotherham Allotments Alliance (RAA) Ltd and the Council, and

·       Progress of the work of Rotherham Allotment Alliance as set out in their Annual Report for 2023

The Chair welcomed Councillor Sheppard, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Social Inclusion and Neighbourhood Working, Councillor Steele, Chairperson, Rotherham Allotment Alliance Ltd, along with the officers in attendance.

The Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Social Inclusion and Neighbourhood Working indicating that the Council took the decision to transfer its allotments to a community benefit society on 1 January 2020. Since taking up his role in 2021, he had become part of the Allotment Alliance Board, which was chaired by Councillor Steele. He noted the lease was still awaiting conclusion to handover ultimate control to the alliance. He noted there was high demand for plots at certain sites, but the occupancy rate was in a really good position.

He placed on record his thanks to Councillor Steele and all other members and directors of the board for the work they put in throughout the year. He explained that as part of the terms and conditions there were two seats available on the Allotment Alliance, he fulfilled one of those seats but would welcome another member to come forward.

Councillor Steele as Chairperson of the Rotherham Allotment Alliance explained there were six directors currently, which took on the work of running the allotments along with one support officer, who manged the day to day running of the allotment sites. They had currently let around 98% of sites. The sites they managed were in Wath, Rawmarsh, Kimberworth and the town centre. There were also societies who ran some allotments on their behalf, which were run by smaller committees.

There were still a few ongoing issues, some around grazing land and the outstanding lease. They were keen to be able to sign the lease and had been running the allotments since 2020. He noted that each year the allotments had to be relet and some people gave them up. This usually meant that work needed to be carried out on that site before it could be relet to another person.

The report highlighted that some investment was needed in the infrastructure. Councillor Steele indicated the alliance had some funding to invest and could also apply for grants to assist with this. There were a number of projects that could benefit from any funding provided by the Council following the sale of allotment lands. They also worked with community groups. 

It was requested that all allotments were made accessible where possible and that consideration be given to installing raised beds on some sites. This includes the tracks to access the sites. Councillor Steele noted that it was very difficult to make some allotment sites totally accessible because of the nature of the sites.  Where the alliance had been contacted by people with disabilities they had tried to improve the tracks to the allotments, they had also been more relaxed with the rule around cultivating 85% of the allotment.

The Allotment Support Officer noted that trackways and access gates were being considered for allotments across all sites. The Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for  ...  view the full minutes text for item 28.

To consider the Section 19 report, for Storm Babet, which detailed how the flooding occurred, which risk management authority was responsible and what could be done to reduce the risk in the future.

Consideration was given to the report and the Chair invited the Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Social Inclusion & Neighbourhood Working to introduce.  It was noted that it was just past the anniversary of Storm Babet, which had a devastating impact on the borough, particularly in several local areas, last year. All Local Authorities were responsible for producing a Section  19 Report, which examined the causes of the flooding, its impact, and what needed to be done in the future to mitigate the effects of floods.  The next Improving Places Select Commission meeting would receive a report on the Flood Alleviation Scheme.

One area heavily impacted by Storm Babet last year was Catcliffe, but other areas across the borough also suffered from water entering numerous properties. The Section 19 Report was extensive, as it encompassed the scale and impact of Storm Babet and included a comprehensive background and context of the events that happened during the storm. This report was then published and sent in advance to all residents across the borough who had been affected by the storm. Additionally, the Council held several drop-in events and a full public meeting where Catcliffe residents were invited to have their questions answered regarding the report’s content and to ask any other questions they had.

Richard Jackson, Head of Highways and Flood Risk, introduced his colleagues Andy Saxton, Highway Asset and Drainage Manager, Vicky Townend (Operations Manager Environment Agency - Yorkshire), Kyle Heydon (Principal Drainage Engineer), Nicola McHale (South Yorkshire Partnerships & Strategic Overview Team Leader, Environment Agency) and Jenny Longley (Area Flood Risk Manager, Environment Agency).

The presentation circulated with the agenda papers set out:-

·              Details of the Section 19 Investigation.

·              The effects of Storm Babet.

·              Response to Storm Babet.

·              Regulators to divert flows.

·              Environment Agency Modelling.

·              Recovery Timeline.

·              Next Steps for Catcliffe.

·              Next Steps for Whiston, Laughton Common and other affected areas.

The Commission were invited to ask any questions of those in attendance.

Councillor Thorp, a resident of Sitwell, had observed the flood defences implemented in Whiston, which was highly effective. However, there was a concern regarding the water buildup shown on Page 8 of the Section 19 Report, which indicated potential overflow from Catcliffe especially given the proposal to build another electrical substation in this area. Following the presentation which stated the frequency of severe weather events were increasing, he asked if they had considered the risk of flooding to the proposed power station and if the construction of this substation could exacerbate the flooding risk in the area.

The Principal Drainage Engineer explained that any new development proposals were subject to consultation with his team. They would not approve any new building unless it was situated above the floodplain. He reiterated that, given the increasing frequency of what were previously considered “1 in 100 years” storms, an additional 40% allowance for climate change had been incorporated into their assessments. This adjustment accounted for the anticipated worsening of weather conditions due to climate change and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 29.

To consider the draft Housing Repairs and Maintenance Policy which sets out the Council’s approach to delivering a responsive repairs and maintenance service.

The Chair welcomed Councillor Allen, Cabinet Member for Housing, Lynsey Stephenson, Head of Housing Property Services and Wendy Foster, Improvement Manager, Housing Property Services. to the meeting and invited the Cabinet Member for Housing to introduce the report.

The Cabinet Member for Housing explained the Council was committed to delivering high quality, value for money repairs services. The draft Housing Repairs and Maintenance Policy set out the Council’s approach to meeting those aims. The Policy met the needs of the tenants, which was a key aspect because it was their homes that the Council was maintaining and repairing along with meeting the Council’s statutory, regulatory and contractual obligations.

The report also provided an update on the work being undertaken to consider the future of the repairs and maintenance service in the context of new customer regulations.

The Head of Housing Property Services explained she had responsibility for repairs, maintenance, and investment within the Council housing stock. The Housing Repairs and Maintenance Policy was a key document that was required following the implementation of the Regulator of Social Housing’s consumer standards. There was a standard specifically regarding transparency, accountability and influence. This was in response to some of the issues within the housing sector, following the sad passing of baby Awaab, following damp and mould in his home and Grenfell. This standard would enable tenants to hold landlords, such as the Council to account.

The Council needed to be transparent in how it operated and if it did not have a Policy that detailed what the Council would and would not do along with the respective timescales, people would be unable to challenge those. The Council often received challenges on why it would not repair a light bulb or toilet seat and some of the timescales are also challenged. For example, if someone’s boiler broke down there was an expectation that the Council would respond within an hour. Another was if the Council repaired a kitchen cupboard, leading to a colour variation, the tenant may well then ask for the whole kitchen to be replaced and this was not something the Council could do due to the costs involved.

The draft Policy set out the types of repairs that the Council was responsible for and what tenants had responsibility for themselves. It set out how the Council would manage reports, including prioritising more vulnerable tenants. For example, if a tenant had a health condition affecting their chest, they would be more vulnerable to damp and mould in their property, so therefore that should be prioritised over a lower level of mould or someone who did not have a health condition.

The Policy also set out timescales for completion, such as what the Council deemed was an emergency, for a response within 4 hours, what was urgent for a response by the end of the next working day and what is categorised as a non-standard repair for completion within 28 days.

It was noted that the Council did high volumes of repairs,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 30.

To consider and endorse the outline schedule of scrutiny work for the 2024-2025 municipal year.

The Governance Manager introduced the work programme report explaining the programme had contained an item to hold an Anti-Social Behaviour workshop. This item had been brought forward as a suggestion from previous commission members. This item had first been added to the work programme in July 2022 but further information on the scope of that item was not available. When asked none of the members present at the meeting knew what the scope for that proposed workshop was so it was agreed that it would be removed from the work programme.

The work programme had also included a proposed review of Green Spaces. This item was being considered within the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board’s (OSMB) work programme and as such had been removed from this commissions work programme. It was noted that the Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board had extended an invitation for a couple of members from this Commission to join the review.

The Vice-Chair provided an overview of the School Road Safety and Street Motion which had been agreed by Council on 29 November 2023. He stated the motion covered a few topics around road safety at schools. The last major change in road safety around schools in the Rotherham Borough was back in 2009, which resulted in the introduction of Traffic Regulation Orders to enforce School Crossings and advisory 20 MPH speed limit signs that were fitted near schools more recently. Part of the review would be to consider how they were working, the enforcement methods and potential new methods using technology. Safety around Crossing Patrol Operatives was to be considered along with consideration of initiatives around school streets and travel plans.

The Governance Manager sought expressions of interest from members of the Commission to take part in this review. The following members put themselves forward:-

·              Councillor Baggaley

·              Councillor Beck

·              Councillor Thorp

·              Councillor Tinsley

·              Councillor Stables

The Governance Manager explained the Housing Allocations Policy was being refreshed and Councillor Allen, Cabinet Member for Housing, had asked for members of the Commission to attend a series of three or four workshops in the new year to review the proposed changes prior to its submission to Cabinet. The Chair clarified that he was involved with the initial workshops, which were currently taking place. The following members put themselves forward to take part in these workshops:-

·              Councillor Beresford

·              Councillor Thorp

The Governance Manager noted that the Commission had been asked to review the findings of the consultation conducted for the 2025-2028 Housing Strategy prior to the strategy’s final development. This workshop would also be conducted in the new year at a similar time as the Housing Allocations Policy was considered. The following members put themselves forward to be involved in this workshop:-

·              Councillor Beck

·              Councillor Beresford

·              Councillor Havard

·              Councillor Jackson

·              Councillor McKiernan

Councillor Beck welcomed that the Cabinet Member for Housing had sought scrutiny’s involvement with these items and hoped this could be replicated across other Cabinet Members portfolios.

Councillor Williams noted Councillor Jones’  ...  view the full minutes text for item 31.

To consider any item which the Chair is of the opinion should be considered as a matter of urgency.

The Chair advised that there were no urgent items of business requiring the Commission’s consideration and updated the Members that the next meeting of the Improving Places Select Commission would take place on the Tuesday 10 December 2024 commencing at 1.30 pm in Rotherham Town Hall.