Agenda item - Issues Raised by Members

To consider the following matters raised by councillors:

(a)       Petitions: to receive any petitions submitted to the full Council or at the meeting itself;

(b)       Written Questions: to consider any written questions (copy attached).

(c)       Letters: to consider any letters;

(d)   Notices of Motion: to consider any Notices of Motion referred from Council or submitted directly to the Committee.

52.1    The questions were taken as read and are set out below with the response from the Chair.

52.2    The following question was submitted by Councillor Gibson:

               “As of 1^st of January 2019 how much HRA borrowing had been undertaken?”

52.3    The Chair’s response:

“The council’s policy for borrowing is normally to borrow at the end of the financial year, so the borrowing levels at 1^st January 2019 are the same as at 1st April 2018 which was £125.502m.”

52.4    The following question was submitted by Councillor Gibson:

“Can you please provide a table showing (on 1.04.15, 1.04.16, 1.04.17, 1.04.18) the total number of council houses let at social rents (i.e. target rent or below), and the total numbers of council houses let at “affordable” rents (breaking down the numbers of affordable rents into the following categories: - LHA rents, 40% Living wage rents, 37.5% living wage rents and 27.5% living wage rents – i.e. the other options set out in the rent policy alongside social rents).”

52.5    The Chair’s response

* Excludes 17 very new acquisitions for which rents haven't been set yet.

52.6    The following question was submitted by Councillor Gibson:

“What is the number of council tenants and leaseholders living in areas that have a (recognised by the council as representative) tenants, residents or community association and what % is this number of the total number of BHCC tenants and leaseholders?”

52.7    The Chair’s response

“Including the 499 Brighton and Hove Seaside Homes properties, there are a total of 14,436 tenanted and leaseholder properties making up the council’s estates as at 31 December 2018.  The city council has 44 recognised tenant, resident or community associations, and around 8,200 or 57% of the properties are within their ‘areas of benefit’.

52.8    The following question was submitted by Councillor Gibson:

“For each of the area panels held in 2018 (North, Central, East and West) please provide a table showing the number of officers, councillors and residents attending each meeting throughout the year?”

52.9   The Chair’s response        

Table: Numbers attending area panels in 2017 and 2018

52.10  The following question was submitted by Councillor Gibson:

“For each of the 4 area panels, has the average number of residents attending each meeting in 2018 increased or decreased on the numbers attending meetings in 2017?”

52.11  The Chair’s response

Table: Resident attendance   (rounded up or down to nearest whole number)

52.10  The following question was submitted by Councillor Gibson:

          As of 1 January 2019, what % of the BHCC housing stock is let at Target rents?