Agenda item - Annual Report 2016

Report of Acting Executive Director Economy, Environment & Culture (copy attached).

(1)            That the draft Annual Report 2016 to council tenants and leaseholders (attached as appendix 1) be approved.  It is noted that the report will be sent to all residents with the summer edition of Homing In and will also be available to view on the council’s website.

(2)            That the production of a video be approved to provide an additional and alternative method for the report information to be presented. 

11.1   The Committee considered the report of the Acting Executive Director Economy Environment & Culture which presented the draft Annual Report 2016 to council tenants and leaseholders. The Annual Report had been provided to council tenants and leaseholders since 2010.  The regulatory framework for social housing in England from the Homes and Communities Agency set out the requirements for the areas that must be covered in the report, including information on repairs and maintenance budget, timely and relevant information, and support for tenants to build capacity and be more effectively involved.  The report was presented by the Head of Income, Involvement & Improvement and the Head of Tenancy Services.

11.2   Councillor Mears asked for more information about the production of a video which would provide the information in an easy to view format.  The Head of Income, Involvement & Improvement explained that the video was expected to be produced in time for the report being published.  She could offer advanced viewing of the video which would last for 2 minutes and was similar in style and format to past council videos, with animation and bullet points. A link would be sent to  councillors to the relevant part of the council website where the video would be published.  

11.3   Councillor Gibson referred to a sentence on the last page of the Annual Report which read ‘The difference in income of £2,037,000 has been added to reserves in the Housing Revenue Account to fund future capital investment.’  He asked if this could be reworded to make it more understandable.  The Head of Income, Involvement & Improvement replied that the Draft Annual Report had already been presented to the reading panel and the area panels for comment. Tenants had not asked for this sentence to be amended.  However, she could go back to tenants and ask them if they wanted to make a change to the wording.

11.4   Councillor Barnett expressed concern about the section on anti-social behaviour.  She felt the report should have highlighted that people had been the victim of anti-social behaviour.  There had been problems in Hangleton and Councillor Barnett considered that more should be done to resolve cases more quickly. 

11.5   The Head of Tenancy Services replied that she was sorry to hear about individual cases where the council had not been able to evict people.  However, early intervention had been working very successfully and she hoped that the new approach would ensure that there were not long entrenched cases.  Mandatory powers meant that the council was expected to demonstrate that it had helped tenants to sustain tenancies.  However, it was now easier for local authorities to evict someone.  

11.6   Councillor Barnett stated that problems sometimes arose because families were placed too close to the elderly.  More thought should be given to where tenants were housed. For example, it was not suitable to house a family with of three children above an elderly person.  The Head of Tenancy Services appreciated the point but stressed that there were limits on what could be done with the Choice Based Lettings Scheme.  There was also equalities legislation to consider. Mediation was a good solution. 

11.7   The Chair referred to the positive aspects of the Annual Report such as regaining 26 properties that had provided much needed housing for applicants on the waiting list (Tenancy Fraud Update) and more tenants signed up to direct debit (Value for Money).  She thought the Annual Report was very good and easy to read.

11.8    RESOLVED:-

(1)            That the draft Annual Report 2016 to council tenants and leaseholders (attached as appendix 1) be approved.  It is noted that the report will be sent to all residents with the summer edition of Homing In and will also be available to view on the council’s website.

(2)            That the production of a video be approved to provide an additional and alternative method for the report information to be presented.