Agenda item - Update on the EDB review

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Agenda item

Update on the EDB review

Minutes:

65.1    Hilary Edgar gave a brief summary of the EDB Review highlighting that from a recent audit, they had picked up on the dissatisfaction on the timescale and value of and decided to introduce a reduction in the maximum value of bids.   They also planned to prioritise seniors housing.  She confirmed that there had already been seven meetings since July 2018 and that Barry Hughes, Carl Boardman and Jason Williams were the reps from this area.  Hilary confirmed that the Budget would remain the same for this year  and that 3 main points had been actioned:  Firstly the reduction in the budget had not happened. Secondly that from 2020 repairs will be carried out in house and that the EDB would also be taken over by the Council. Thirdly, the environmental improvement budget was approved at £500K ( as stated in the table in Appendix B on p. 43 ) so that the maximum level of bids could  stay the same for at least a year.   She confirmed that bids would remain the same initially and that there would be more time to look at issues in order to help people make better policy bids as summarised on page 43. She also highlighted the budget set up for Seniors housing as decided by SHAG and which was supported by Roy Crowhurst as a trial.  She also highlighted points 5 and 6 regarding fencing since they wanted to introduce a sliding scale policy so that this was funded more consistently.  Points 7 – 10 were also highlighted in order for applicants to track their bids and to make the best use of officers’ time.  They hoped to increase points allocated in order to encourage people to bid more within the year spend rather than carry them over to the following year and increase quick bids and communication in order to encourage bidders to keep in touch with groups more. Hilary explained that points 13 – 16 regarding the community chest scheme when there would be a maximum value on bids would not be in place until subsequent years.  She also asked how area panels could be more open to residents and how the EDB money could be split between the different panel areas.

 

65.2    A resident asked about the quality of communication with Mears and they requested that Chairs of residents associations were put directly in contact with Mears, so that they could make their own decisions on the budget.

 

65.3    A resident confirmed that seniors housing had a different set of needs since there were communal lounges and communal gardens and therefore it was important that they were given more freedom and a separate budget allocation. Mears stated that they felt it was important to be involved with residents via panel s and a resident of Sylvan Hall stated that they felt they had good communication with Mears and that it was not all negative.

 

65.4    The Chair stated that the proposed budget of £183 K was for the Housing Committee to decide and that more participatory budgeting was very positive and should be encouraged in future.  A resident stated that he was surprised that the environmental budget came up within this report, as it should not be linked to the overall budget.  Hilary Edgar replied that it may have an impact on the budget.

 

65.5    A resident questioned item 16 of the list to be introduced on sharing budgets across areas, stating that it was contentious since they were up to their limit and another area required the funding then the budget may be allocated to another area and Hilary Edgar replied that different areas offered different opinions on this issue.  She also confirmed that the budget for senior housing was not currently a separated fund.

 

65.6    RESOLVED: That the panel agreed to support the recommendations of the report.

 

 

Supporting documents:

 


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