(b)Exclusion of Press and Public - To consider whether,
in view of the nature of the business to be transacted, or the
nature of the proceedings, the press and public should be excluded
from the meeting when any of the following items are under
consideration.
NOTE: Any
item appearing in Part 2 of the Agenda states in its heading the
category under which the information disclosed in the report is
exempt from disclosure and therefore not available to the
public.
A list and description of the exempt
categories is available for public inspection at Brighton and Hove
Town Halls.
Minutes:
1
PROCEDURAL
BUSINESS
1a
Declarations of
Interests
1a.1
There were
none.
1b
Exclusion of Press and
Public
1b.1
The
Committee considered whether the press and public should be
excluded from the meeting during the consideration of any items
contained in the agenda, having regard to the nature of the
business to be transacted and the nature of the proceedings and the
likelihood as to whether, if members of the press and public were
present, there would be disclosure to them of confidential or
exempt information as defined in Schedule 12A, Part 5A, Section
100A(4) or 100 1 of the Local Government Act 1972 (as
amended).
1b.2
RESOLVED- That the press and public be not
excluded from the meeting.
Report of the Director of Strategy &
Governance (copy attached).
Minutes:
2.1
The
Cabinet Member considered a report of the Director of Strategy
& Governance concerning the Terms of Reference of the Housing
Cabinet Member Meeting (for copy see minute book).
To note the minutes of the Housing Committee
held on 27 March 2008 (copy attached).
Minutes:
3.1
RESOLVED –That the minutes of the meeting of
the Housing Committee held on 27 March 2008 be noted
3.2
3.3
In
response to questions from the Opposition Spokesperson the Cabinet
Member explained that written reports on the Housing Green Paper
and the Procurement Strategy would be considered by both the
Housing Management Consultative Committee and the Housing Cabinet
Member meeting in due course.
Cabinet Member was aware of issues being discussed in the press
and local community about Sheltered Housing. Formal feedback from
the Sheltered Housing Focus Group and related matters would be
considered by the appropriate body in due course.
4.
Cabinet Members Communications
Minutes:
4.1
Cabinet Member welcomed everyone to the inaugural Housing
Cabinet Member Meeting introducing officers and members.
4.2
Cabinet Member noted that the agenda for the first meeting was
slight as it was planned that everyone could take the opportunity
to familiarise themselves with the new arrangements.
4.3
Cabinet Member noted that housing would remain client focussed,
with tenants at the heart of housing management.
5.
Items Reserved for Discussion
(a)Items reserved by the Cabinet Member
(b)Items reserved by the Opposition
Spokesperson
(c)Items reserved by Members, with the agreement of the
Cabinet Member.
NOTE: Public Questions, Written Questions form
Councillors, Petitions, Deputations, Letters from Councillors and
Notices of Motion will be reserved automatically.
Minutes:
5.1
RESOLVED– All
items were reserved for discussion.
6.
Public Questions
(theclosing date for receipt of
public questions is 12 noon on 27 May 2008)
No public
questions have been received by the date of publication of the
agenda.
a) Question from Councillor
Morgan – Estate Services (copy attached)
Minutes:
7.1
The Cabinet Member reported
that one written question had been received from Councillor
Morgan.
7.2
Councillor Morgan
asked the following
question:
‘Following the focus
group review, can the Cabinet Member for Housing confirm that an estate warden is being appointed to
cover the Craven Vale estate, and give a date for that warden
taking up his/her post please?’
7.3
The Cabinet Member
replied,
‘In Autumn 2007, a
short-term focus group of residents was established at the request
of the Chairman of Housing to review the Estates Service, on a
citywide basis. The results of this review were presented to
Housing Management Sub-Committee in January 2008.
The main role of a Community
Warden is to link local communities with the council and other
organisations and act as the ‘eyes and ears’ of the
housing management service. The residents’ focus group
reported the following findings in relation to the post of
Community Warden:
That residents’
experiences of Community Wardens varied widely across the city,
from excellent to unsatisfactory
That the work of the
Community Wardens has more in common with the work of the local
housing offices than the Estates Service
That parts of the
Community Wardens’ job description duplicates tasks carried
out by other people working in the same communities e.g.
PCSOs, Mobile Wardens and Housing
Officers.
To address these issues, the
focus group recommended that the post of Community Warden was moved
from the Estates Service and reviewed. Community Wardens and
tenancy management staff welcomed this proposal and the opportunity
to work more closely together.
Following the focus group, the
Community Warden post for Craven Vale was kept vacant whilst a
detailed review of the Estate Service took place to introduce the
recommendations of the focus group. The
outcome of this exercise would be reported to the Housing
Management Consultative Committee and Housing Cabinet Members
Meeting.
As an interim measure, the
Community Warden for the Albion Hill area was covering the Craven
Vale area. From this June, fortnightly surgeries were being held at
a community centre in Craven Vale. The warden would also have
weekly meetings with the Housing Officer for Craven Vale and spend
between one and two days per week on the Craven Vale estate. These
arrangements would continue until the Estate Service review was
completed.’
7.4
Councillor Morgan asked a supplementary
questionnoting the length of time afforded to the review and asked
if it could genuinely be considered ‘short-term’.
7.5
Cabinet
Memberresponded that getting the service
right was key, and that the long-term outcome was more important
than making a quick decision. The length of the review was in part,
due to the summer recess and the timetabling of decision-making
meetings. She concluded that the interim arrangements had been
provided in recognition of the extensive review and that Tenants
would continue to monitor the service once the review had
concluded.
(i) To receive the attached Deputation presented at
Council on the 24 April 2008 by Mr Tim Pope.
(ii) To receive the
attached Deputation presented at Council on the 24 April 2008 by Mr
John Melson.
(the closing date for
receipt of deputations is noon on Tuesday 27 May).
Minutes:
9.1
The Cabinet Member reported
that two Deputations had been received. The first Deputation
concerned 40 & 50 Brunswick Place, Hove and had been presented
at Council on 24 April 2008 by Mr. Pope.
9.2
The
Cabinet Member welcomed Mr Pope to the meeting and noted the
deputation as presented at Council. She explained
thata cross-party working group had been set
up to look at the area as a whole and would meet in
June.
Discussions were taking place with Hove YMCA and the Children
and Young Peoples Trust Board regarding management of the
property.
Since the incident with a tenant prior to Easter the buildings
continued to be managed as general needs temporary
accommodation.
Overnight security had continued and there had been no further
serious incidents of nuisance at either properties.
Since April a few issues which had been reported and resolved
forthwith.
A
tenant who caused the damage immediately prior to Easter was
removed and legal action was being fast-tracked. Repairs at the
property were near completion.
9.3
Mr Pope thanked
the Cabinet Member for her comments.
9.4
The second Deputation concerned
consultants, targets and ‘value for money’ and had been
presented at Council on 24 April 2008 by Mr. Melson.
9.5
The
Cabinet Member welcomed Mr Melson to
the meeting and noted the deputation
aspresented at
Council.
9.6
She
confirmed thatconsultants would only be
appointed following approval of a clear business case and cost
benefit analysis. Members would not make unnecessary use
consultants, preferring to maximise officers’ expertise and
experience. Cabinet Member was committed to reducing the costs of
consultancy fees in housing revenue and accounts budgets by
£20M over the life of the thirty year business
plan.
9.7
Cabinet Member was committed to ensuring Housing Management
services improved and would use targets to measure improvement,
though she agreed that targets should not be overused. It was
acknowledged that reaching a target did not always
accurately
reflectcustomer values. Cabinet Member was keen to maintain open
dialogue with customers to set local performance targets and ensure
that performance reports were discussed at the new Housing
Management Consultative Committee.
9.8
Mr
Melson thanked the Cabinet Member for
her comments.
Report of the Director of
Strategy & Governance (copy attached).
Minutes:
14.1
The
Cabinet Member considered a report of the Director of Strategy
& Governance concerning the decisions taken by the Housing
Management Sub-Committee on 11 March 2008 (for copy see minute
book).
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