Agenda item

The Committee considered the report of the Business Manager – Housing Services which provided Members with progress of each of the recommendations endorsed by the Policy & Performance Improvement Committee on 11 September 2023.  These were: the provision of floor covering in all new lettings; the design of a simplified Empty Homes Standard; the introduction of a satisfaction measures for quality of temporary accommodation; and the development of a policy to pilot the Council assisting tenants with maintaining trees within their gardens funded through remaining efficiency savings.

In considering the report and noting the Officer recommendation relating to floor coverings in new lets (Option One) a Member queried whether there was any capacity for a degree of discretion to be built into the option, which might result in additional help being provided for those tenants in significant need.  The Business Manager advised that if such a situation arose, Tenancy Officers would contact charitable organisations to see if they could help. 

Members raised a number of queries in relation to the simplified lettings standard, specifically to gas safety checks.  The Business Manager advised that until a gas meter was turned on and in the name of the tenant a full safety check was not possible.  However, a certificate would be issued prior to a tenant taking possession of the property to say a visual check had been carried out.  The full check would then take place, usually within 1-3 days of the tenant taking possession.  Members requested that this be reviewed with a view to being able to undertake the full safety check prior to the tenant taking possession.

In response to whether there was a strategy to try to improve the Council’s housing stock through the insulation of floors, Members were advised that it was usual to insulate walls and roofs which were the usual source of heating loss.  The most likely improvement to energy efficiency would be from the installation of cavity wall insulation.

In relation to the Starting Well Fund only being a one-off payment, a Member queried how this was communicated to tenants.  The Business Manager advised that the Tenancy Officer would assess the need of the tenant when they signed the tenancy agreement.  Should they meet the necessary criteria, they would be given a choice of either the provision of carpets or a B&Q voucher and at this time it would be made clear to them that it was a strictly one-off payment.  She added that there was no stipulation to how long the tenant must occupy the property for to qualify for the funding. 

AGREED      (unanimously) that:

a)            the Officer recommendation of Option One, relating to floor coverings in new lets as detailed in section 3 of the report, be approved, subject to a degree of flexibility being introduced to allow Tenancy Officers a degree of discretion when assessing a tenant’s needs;

b)            the progress with the simplified letting standard being introduced be noted;

c)             the introduction and outturn of the satisfaction measure for temporary accommodation satisfaction of 86% be noted; and

d)            the progress of the Tree Policy which, once finalised, would be adopted through a Portfolio Holder decision be noted.