Agenda item

- Overview of Landlord Relations Team (pages 1-10)

-  Helping Our Communities to Save Energy in their Homes (pages 11-19)

(a)        Tom Bell, Neighbourhood Investment Manager, gave a powerpoint presentation on the Landlord Relations Team as follows:-

 

Overview of Landlord Relations Team

-              New team established in May, 2008

-              Based within Neighbourhood Investment Services

-              Landlord Relations Manager, Technical Client Officer and Tenant Empowerment Officer

 

Key Objectives

-              To strengthen the partnership between RMBC and 2010 Rotherham Ltd.

-              To ensure the Decent Homes Programme was delivered on time, within budget and to the required quality standard

-              To develop options for the future of Council housing

-              To develop tenant empowerment opportunities

-              To identify opportunities to increase efficiency from the partnership

 

Strengthening Partnerships

-              Co-ordinating liaison meetings between RMBC and 2010 to ensure the right links existed at the right levels with a clear escalation route

-              Promoting 2010’s achievements within RMBC

-              Offering assistance in reviewing Service Level Agreements and ALMO governance structures

-              Identifying opportunities to work together to ensure a co-ordinated and joined up approach and value for money

 

Decent Homes

-              Carrying out quality assurance inspections on properties that had received Decent Homes works

-              Reporting by exception to the Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods on a quarterly basis

-              Working in partnership with 2010 to identify actions to ensure continuous improvement

-              Ensuring alignment between 2010’s Environmental Improvements Work Programme and the Council’s Neighbourhood Regeneration Programme

 

Future Options for Council Housing

-              Council Housing Directions Project established

-              Steering Group chaired by Councillor Walker

-              Four sub-groups looking at finance, landlord options, opportunities to build new Council houses and opportunities to expand the ALMO’s business opportunities

-              Resident consultation to take place in early 2009

-              Final recommendations to be reported to Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods in March, 2009

 

Tenant Empowerment Opportunities

-              Supporting tenant and resident groups that were interested in exercising their Right to Manage

-              Exploring and promoting other tenant empowerment opportunities

-              Providing briefings and training for Members, officers and stakeholders on tenant empowerment

-              Linking to the Council Housing Directions Project to ensure the model selected to deliver RMBC’s aspirations for Council housing offers opportunities for tenants to have a greater say in the management of their homes

 

Increasing efficiency from the partnership

-              Ensuring that 2010’s programme of Environmental Improvement Works (under Decent Homes) was aligned with RMBC investment priorities

-              Identifying potential efficiency savings from contracts

-              Providing technical support and expertise with respect to the delivery of investment in non-traditional properties, ensuring value for money was achieved

-              Attending benchmarking forums to identify further opportunities to increase efficiency

 

The following principles underpin the Team’s delivery of the objectives

-              Ensuring open and honest communication

-              Ensuring effective links between RMBC and 2010 staff at all levels

-              Encouraging and promoting partnership working

-              Ensuring customer’s needs drive service provision/improvement

-              Focusing on continuous improvement and options for the future

 

Discussion ensued with the following points highlighted:-

 

o             The Pathfinder had tried to ensure that the Programme was aligned to the delivery of Decent Home works and was aligning its investment with environmental works as well

o             A Tenant Empowerment Officer was to be appointed to help manage communication and dialogue with communities and tenants and residents to facilitate effective engagement

o             Tenant Empowerment was not just about tenant management organisations but having more choice and control over how services were delivered which coincided with the Personalisation agenda

o             The Housing Directions Group was to report its recommendations to the Cabinet Member by 31^st March, 2009.  Prior to submission, engagement would have taken place with tenants and leaseholders to ensure the appropriateness of the recommendations

o             Opportunities were being explored for new partnerships with business ventures with the private sector and 2010’s capacity to build or complete unfinished housing developments for social rent 

o             Discussions were ongoing with the Homes and Communities Agency (formerly the Housing Corporation and English Partnerships)) for some of the underspend from the National Affordable Housing Programme

o             The Council had the ability to create Right to Buy exclusion policies for certain categories of property

 

Tom was thanked for his presentation.

 

Resolved:-  (1)  That a report be submitted on Housing Directions Group.

 

(b)        Paul Maplethorpe gave a powerpoint presentation on Helping Our Communities to Save Energy in their Homes as follows:-

 

Time to act is now

-              6,702 households in fuel poverty in Rotherham (6.1%) – set to rise

-              £1,287 – average dual fuel bill in Great Britain (£714/125% increase since January, 2003)

 

Help and Support

-              Save N Warm Scheme

            Discounted Heating and Insulation installation – subsidised by Npower and the south Yorkshire Energy Advice Centre

            To qualify households must be in South Yorkshire and be able to pay the discounted £249 fee

            In Rotherham during 2007/08:-

            545 households benefited from loft insulation

            783 households benefited from cavity insulation

            158 households benefited from heating replacement

 

-              Warm Front Scheme

            Government funded flagship scheme for free insulation and heating

            To qualify, residents must be home owners or in private rented accommodation and be in receipt of benefits

            In Rotherham during 2007/08 1,164 households benefited

            Levered in £1.2M funding into the Borough so far

 

-              Sustainable Communities offer local expert advice to Rotherham’s residents on:-

            Energy efficiency in the home

            Energy saving measures

            Grant advice about insulation and heating upgrades

            Signposting service to a whole range of schemes and services

 

-              Hot spots

            A partnership referral project involving the Home Fire Safety Team, PCT and Benefits which offers energy efficiency advice during home visits and appointments

            Ensuring as many people as possible particularly the vulnerable, were able to access energy advice and benefits

 

-              Neighbourhood Energy Action Scheme has enabled RMBC

            To address fuel poverty and energy efficiency; 4 Neighbourhood Energy Officers (NEOs) would provide a doorstep ‘One Stop Shop’

            4,000 households in the most vulnerable Wards in Rotherham would be targeted taking advice to the communities in most need first

            NEOs would be saving on global warming by using electric bikes to get around

 

Energy Roadshows

-              The Energy Efficiency and Affordable Warmth Team have been taking their exhibition to the communities and spreading the word:-

            At 10 Flu Clinics – 200 visitors at each

            At a Housing Association

            During Neighbourhoods Surgeries

            In Schools and homes

            At Thurcroft environmental project which resulted in 50 referrals

            On the radio

 

Discussion ensued on the presentation with the following issues highlighted:-

 

o             The thermal fly over undertaken some years ago and a recent drive-by had given an idea of work that had been done in properties and whether it had been successful or not.  Consideration was being given to the purchase of a thermal camera which would enable better results to be obtained

o             If in receipt of benefit, there was no charge for cavity wall insulation

 

Paul was thanked for his presentation.

 

Resolved:-  (2)  That a report be submitted in 6 months.