Agenda item

Report from the Strategic Director of Finance and Customer Services.

Recommendations:

That Cabinet:

1.    Approves the Property & Facilities Services Legionella Policy (Appendix 1).

2.    Approves the Property & Facilities Services Fire Policy (Appendix 2).

3.    Approves the Property & Facilities Services Asbestos Policy (Appendix 3).

4.    Delegates any further changes to building compliance policies, in line with service needs and the evolving regulatory and legislative context to the Duty Holder (Head of FM and Compliance), in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Transport, Jobs and the Local Economy.

Consideration was given to the report which presented a suite of new policies which had been developed in relation to building compliance. The Property and Facilities Services Legionella Policy was attached at Appendix 1; the Property and Facilities Services Fire Policy at Appendix 2; and the Property and Facilities Services Asbestos Policy at Appendix 3.

The Legionella Policy set out the legal and regulatory framework for managing water safety. It covered assets within the responsibility of the Council’s housing and corporate service, including residential properties, neighbourhood centres, as well as safety within schools, care homes, offices, or commercial properties.

The Fire Policy set out the regulatory framework for managing Fire Safety and strategies for both Housing and Corporate property. The provision of a coherent Policy ensured that buildings met a criterion of 100% compliance, with the policy supporting a range of compliance procedures, such as risk based Fire Risk Assessment’s, regular dynamic inspections and competent persons to carry the inspection, testing and review.

The key objective of the Asbestos Policy was to describe how the Council would manage Asbestos Safety Risk so far as was reasonably practicable. It was considered that delivery of the commitments within this Policy would ensure that the requirements of other legislation, such as the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and Landlord Tenant Act 1985 would also be met.

Resolved:

That Cabinet:

1.    Approve the Property & Facilities Services Legionella Policy (Appendix 1).

2.    Approve the Property & Facilities Services Fire Policy (Appendix 2).

3.    Approve the Property & Facilities Services Asbestos Policy (Appendix 3).

4.    Delegate any further changes to building compliance policies, in line with service needs and the evolving regulatory and legislative context to the Duty Holder (Head of FM and Compliance), in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Transport, Jobs and the Local Economy.