Agenda and minutes

The Chair advised that the meeting was being recorded and live streamed from Castle House.

There were no declarations of interest.

The Vice-Chair informed the meeting that agenda item 6 would move down the  agenda to item 11.

The Committee considered the report presented by the Business Manager for Public Protection to provide an update on the work undertaken by the Bassetlaw and Newark & Sherwood Community Safety Partnership.

The Business Manager for Public Protection and Inspector Charlotte Ellam provided a 6 monthly update to the committee, , including the current status for Performance, BNS CSP Action Plan 26-27, DAHA, Domestic Homicide Reviews and Community Safety Activities  - Situational Crime Funding, Hotspot Funding Patrols, Enforcement Activities, ASB Panel, CCTV and Diversionary Activities/Education Programmes.

AGREED          (unanimously) that:

the Policy & Performance Improvement Committee noted the Community Safety Partnership performance information.

The Committee considered the report presented by the HR Business Partner to appraise the committee of the current position at NSDC in relation to the gender pay gap and would come back to the committee on an annual basis.

The GPG looks at the average earnings for both males and females across all roles in an organisation to see whether there is a disparity. This is based on a snapshot of data for the previous March so, in this case, the data is as of 31 March 2025.

Calculations are based on ordinary pay which includes basic pay and allowances such as market supplements, shift pay, on-call and stand-by. Payments that are excluded are: payments for overtime, redundancy payments, and sums relating to termination of employment. Also excluded are employees on reduced pay due to family or sick leave.

A positive number in relation to the GPG, mean or median, reflects that men are, on average being paid more than women. A negative number reflects that women are being paid, on average, more than men.

Councillor Moore enquired if there were apprenticeship opportunities in roles of a manual nature such as those in our trade teams and environmental services. The HR Business Partner advised that whilst these are available interest from males is more prevalent however steps are taken to widen the talent pool to encourage more female applicants.

AGREED           (unanimously) that:

the Policy & Performance Improvement Committee noted the content of the report in relation to the positive position of our gender pay gap.

The Committee considered the report presented by the Business Manager for Financial Services to update Members with the forecast outturn position for the 2025/26 financial year for the Council’s General Fund and Housing Revenue Account revenue and capital budgets.

The report also showed performance against the approved estimates of revenue expenditure and income; report on major variances from planned budget performance; and report on variations to the Capital Programme for approval; all in accordance with the Council’s Constitution.

The Business Manager for Financial Services gave the current position (as at 31 December 2025): variances shown in Table 1 of the report.

Table 1 showed a projected favourable variance against the revised budget of £0.385m on Service budgets, with an overall variance of £0m that would need to be transferred to the General Fund reserve. This is based on meetings which took place with Business Managers during January, whereby they have analysed actual income and expenditure to 31 December 2025 and forecasted forward to the end of March 2026 the additional income and expenditure currently expected to be incurred. Further details of the variances projected against portfolio holder budgets are found in Appendix A.

AGREED          (unanimously) that:

a)     the General Fund projected outturn variance of £0m;

b)     the Housing Revenue Account projected favourable outturn variance of £0.117m to the Major Repairs Reserve; and

c)     the Capital Programme revised budget and financing of £53.759m.

The Committee considered the report presented by the Business Manager for Building Safety & Asset Investment, to provide the performance position as of 31 December 2025 (Quarter 3) for Housing related compliance and update on activities in the service area.

This report provides Members with the performance of housing compliance services at the end of December 2025, focusing on exceptions performance, which is outside the Council’s target parameters. 

The full performance summary is shared with SLT; the Portfolio Holder for Housing and discussed as a standard agenda item for the Tenant Engagement Board meetings ensuring that Health & Safety are at the heart of our conversations and actions. Performance is also discussed at Policy and Performance Improvement Committee (PPIC) before being presented quarterly at Cabinet (Performance) to ensure there is oversight at Board level.

This report sets out the Council’s performance against the Council’s legal and regulatory landlord responsibilities for a range of building safety measures including fire protection, gas, asbestos, electrical and water.

Solid Fuel and Oil servicing compliance rates have improved with solid fuel currently at 90% compliant, and oil servicing compliance at 97.87%.  Data held is under constant review improving asset data.

Councillor Rainbow referred to the Hoists of which 2 properties are without a valid certificate, noting that this was the same figure last year. PPIC to be advised if it is the same 2 properties for this year and last year or just a coincidence.

AGREED          (unanimously) and noted that:

a)     the exceptions to performance of the housing service compliance functions;

b)     interim arrangements for monitoring damp and mould ahead of introduction of Awaab’s Law; and

c)     the ongoing actions to improve and maintain performance.

The recommendations are linked to two ambitions located in the Community Plan:

Ambition 2:  Increase the supply of housing, in particular decent homes that residents can afford to buy and rent, as well as improving housing standards; and

Ambition 7: Be a top performing, modern and accessible Council that get its everyday services right for the residents and businesses that it serves.

The Committee considered the report presented by the Senior Transformation and Service Improvement Officer for the Quarter 3 Community Plan Performance Report 2025/26 (1 October – 31 December 2025).

The report continues to deliver an approach to performance that is used to drive improvement rather than being simply used as a counting device. This is done by analysing data and progress against key activities as well as building a picture of the context of performance using district statistics, customer feedback and workforce information.

·         Clarification noted from Cllr Holloway on the Bilsthorpe Community Hub. Planning consent was granted in December but there has been a delay on reporting the outcome due to a legal document requiring a review.

·         Cllr Moore’s feedback was noted and shared with the team that he was really pleased to hear about the Farndon Underpass Mural transformation project. He noted it’s fantastic to see the reinvestment of money recovered through successful fly tipping prosecutions back into the local community – he welcomes more of this type of activity taking place across the district.

Question. From Cllr Allen: Clarification on 14 Market Place in terms of the recent Cabinet Report in comparison to the Q3 Performance Report update.

Response. The Senior Transformation and Service Improvement Officer will provide a written response before the next committee meeting.

Question. From Cllr Hall: What were the attendance levels at the recent Flood Mary event? Is the location the correct one based on community flood impact?

Response. The Senior Transformation and Service Improvement Officer will provide a written response before the next committee meeting.

Question. From Cllr Rainbow: Clarity over the Performance Report ambition being

described as ‘Promote, maximise and celebrate the diversity of Newark and

Sherwood’s heritage, culture and community spirit’ and whether reference to the

arts had been removed.

Response. The Senior Transformation and Service Improvement Officer will provide a written response before the next committee meeting.

AGREED           (unanimously) that:

the Policy & Performance Improvement Committee reviewed the Community Plan Performance Report attached to the report as Appendix 1 and the Compliance report attached to the report as Appendix 2.

The Committee considered the report presented jointly by the Business Manager for Housing Services and Tenant Engagement Officer setting out a series of measures to build on and strengthen the role and influence of tenants in the management of their homes and neighbourhoods.

A review has taken place of the effectiveness of the current arrangements and this has been undertaken in conjunction with TPAS, Tenant Participation Advisory Service – the tenant engagement specialists - and involved tenants; offering their time, lived experience and skills to feedback and support the Council to improve housing services.

The aim has been to strengthen tenant influence and improve service outcomes, reflecting the Council’s commitment to ensuring tenant insight shapes decision-making.

AGREED           that:

a)      Whilst some Committee members endorsed the report ‘as is’, a number required further clarification on a number of sections.

b)      It was therefore agreed that the report would return to the 13 April 2026 committee meeting for further consideration.

The Committee considered the report presented by the Business Manager for Planning Policy & Infrastructure providing a proposed Biodiversity Strategy and to present the statutorily required Biodiversity Report 2026-2027, noting the correction from 2024-2025 in the report.

The 4 June 2024 Cabinet approved publication of the Biodiversity Report – First Consideration with finalised agreed actions to be brought back to the Cabinet for approval within 3 months of publication of the First Consideration report.

The Council has a statutory obligation to publish a Biodiversity Report and the end date of the first reporting period should be no later than 01 January 2026 and reports should be published within 12 weeks of the reporting period end date.

AGREED          (unanimously) that:

a)     to endorse the proposed amended First Consideration Proposed Future Actions and Monitoring as the Council’s Biodiversity Strategy;

b)      to endorse publication of the proposed Biodiversity Report 2024-2025; and

c)     to endorse that future Biodiversity Reports will be published annually.

The Committee considered the report presented by the Portfolio Holder for Housing, Councillor Lee Brazier.

As detailed in the report, the Portfolio Holder had been invited to attend Committee to respond verbally to three specific queries as at paragraph 2.1.

The Portfolio Holder advised the committee that he would be taking the questions in the order of 2, 3 and then 1.

Question 2

Members are aware that the Regulator of Social Housing is due to inspect the Council’s housing service shortly. Can the Portfolio Holder outline how the Council is preparing for this inspection, what the inspection will focus on, and what it means for residents, members, and staff at this stage?

The response from the Portfolio Holder:

We are and have been for some time preparing for the Regulator of Social Housing inspection, with work underway across the Council to provide the inspection with key documents.

This inspection is about assurance to evidence that we are delivering against the regulatory standards that apply to us – these are the consumer standards around

·         Quality and Safety

·         Transparency, Influence and Accountability

·         Tenancy

that is, how we know services are safe, compliant and tenant focused, this is not about operational day to day activity.

We expect the regulator to focus on governance, transparency and evidence of oversight, influence and scrutiny by tenants and members.

We have areas of strength – the TPAS reengineering project to build on how tenants engage and influence service delivery and reducing the barriers to participation through recognising the time, skills and effort tenants give us in huge amounts – and the need to have a mix of opportunities to suit their circumstance and ability to be involved. Increasing the tenant board members from 3 –5 is really exciting and I look forward to working with them.

We have been shortlisted at the Pineapple awards for our engagement with tenants

on Yorke Drive, which is a complex regeneration project – we are in regular contact with tenants and working with the developer through the planning requirements, and once complete, we can give a firm start on site date. The Pineapple shortlisting recognises our ongoing commitment to keep residents informed and involved in this project.

Our Tenant Satisfaction Measures are strong in the main, and we perform well against our peers, but also know that Repairs, Complaints and ASB are key services we need to get right every time. This is reflected in Housing Service business plans that have been presented to me and involved tenants. We have grouped these activities by theme and launched our Foundation Five campaign to bring this alive for staff and members.

We are also self-aware and honest about where improvement is needed – our move to a new Housing Management System aims to improve how we deliver services, tailor services and show how we are performing – this has been really challenging over the past year and teams have been working with NEC, the provider, to ensure the systems does what  ...  view the full minutes text for item 207.

As Chair of the Estate Walkabouts Working Group, Councillor Penny Rainbow was pleased to share with members of PPIC the groups progress so far having had a second meeting on 25 February 2026.

At this meeting the three Tenant Champions attended who are part of the Tenant Engagement Board, two in person and one on ‘Teams’.

Members were advised that requests at any time can be made for additional walkabouts as required.

The next meeting of the working group is expected to take place on 25 March 2026.

The Chair of the Heritage & Culture Expenditure Working Group, Councillor David Moore advised that the working group had not met again since the last Policy & Performance Improvement Committee on 23 February 2026.

The next meeting of the working group is expected to take place on 18 March 2026.

NOTED            the Forward Plan of the Cabinet for the period February to May 2026.

i)          20 January 2026

NOTED            the Cabinet Minutes from the meetings held on:

                        20 January 2026

·       Attendance at Committee by a Portfolio Holder TBC

·       Planning Infrastructure Presentation – Follow On from Out of Remit Activities Working Group

·       Heating and Gas Safety Policy

·       Passenger Lift Policy

·       Gas Meter Make Safe Policy

·       Update on Estate Walkabouts Working Group

·       Attendance at Committee by the Portfolio Holder for Heritage, Culture & the Arts

·       Planning Infrastructure Presentation – Follow On from Out of Remit Activities Working Group

·       Heating and Gas Safety Policy

·       Passenger Lift Policy

·       Gas Meter Make Safe Policy

·       Update on Estate Walkabouts Working Group

·       Councillors Ward Fund Scheme

·       CAB update on grant received

·       Yorke Drive update