Brighton & Hove City Council
Housing Management Panel: North Area
11.00am 6 June 2023
MINUTES
Present:
Councillors: Fowler (Chair), De Oliveira, Sheard and West
Representatives: Barney Miller (Sylvan Hall Residents Association), Heather Hayes (Coldean Independents), Ian Knowles (Bates Estate Community Association), Gordon Taylor (Parkmead Informal Group), Carmel Stevenson (East Moulsecoomb Tenants and Residents Association), Ian Beck (Hollingdean Residents Association), Des Jones (Hollingdean Residents Association), Theresa Mackey (Highcroft Lodge Residents Association), Catherine Lawrence (Hollingdean Tenants Association) and Jim Hornsby (Mimosa Court Leaseholders Association)
Officers: Sam Warren (Community Engagement Manager), Justine Harris (Head of Tenancy Services), Jan Dowdell (Tenancy Services Operations Manager), Martin Reid (Assistant Director Housing Management), Grant Ritchie (Head of Housing Repairs & Maintenance), Keely McDonald (Senior Community Engagement Officer) and Emma Thomson (Democratic Services Officer)
Guests: Sarah Booker-Lewis (Local Democracy Reporter)
1 Ratification of Councillor Co-Chair
1.1 The item was deferred to the next quarter as the new terms of reference had not yet been agreed.
2 Welcome, apologies and introductions
2.1 Cllr Goddard, Cllr Davis, Lola Schofield (Bates Estate Community Association) and Jane Hunter (East Moulsecoomb Tenants and Residents Association) sent apologies.
3 Minutes and actions of the previous meeting
3.1 RESOLVED: The minutes from the meeting held on 15 February 2023 were agreed as a correct record.
3.2 Barney Miller requested action CA7 was amended as his query was only regarding the details of resident associations being shared with councillors.
3.3 In relation to NA1, residents requested an update on the window replacement programme for Hollingdean (Southmount and Dunster Close), Bates Estate, Highcroft Lodge and Sylvan Hall.
3.4 In relation to NA2, Justine Harris advised she would visit Tavistock Down with Chloe McLaughlin and Julian Joseph to investigate and organise the removal of offcut branches, weeds growing through pavements, overgrown bushes, branches left on grassy area and trees and bushes overgrowing a footpath.
3.5 Justine Harris confirmed she would send the cleaning schedule for Sylvan Hall to Barney Miller and pick up with City Parks regarding cut grass being left and abandoned areas filled with sycamores.
3.6 RESOLVED: Subject to the above comments, the actions from the meeting held on 15 February 2023 were agreed as completed.
4 Responses to residents questions
Damp and Mould
4.1 Grant Ritchie advised he would contact Theresa Mackey regarding damp and mould issues in Highcroft Lodge.
4.2 Cllr West raised points regarding the impact of guttering, planned preventative maintenance programmes and gutter clearance.
Refuse and Recycling Collections (Hollingdean, Bates Estate)
4.3 In response to issues raised by Des Jones, Martin Reid advised he would follow up with City Clean regarding refuse collections from Southmount and report back.
4.4 In response to issues raised by Barney Miller, Justine Harris advised she would provide an update on the solution for refuse and recycling collection at the Chestnuts, the Willows, the Poplars, the Cedars and the Lindens and consider the proposal for communal bins on the street at Princes Crescent further.
4.5 Cllr West raised points regarding risk assessments, poor communication and the communal bin proposal.
4.6 In response to issues raised by Theresa Mackey, Justine Harris confirmed she would visit Highcroft Lodge to look at the refuse collection situation given the inaccessibility of the communal bins for elderly residents and rubbish overflowing.
Boundary Changes
4.7 Martin Reid and Justine Harris provided a verbal update and explained the rationale of the boundary changes and impact on Area Panels.
4.8 Barney Miller raised points about consultation with the residents associations and a lack of communication of the rationale behind the changes.
4.9 Theresa Mackey provided feedback on the boundary changes from the residents she represents.
5 Social Housing Bill Presentation
5.1 The Assistant Director Housing Management, Martin Reid, introduced the presentation which provided an update on changes to regulations and commitments of the government’s Social Housing Bill.
5.2 There were no questions or comments.
6 Housing Committee Workplan Progress Update and Housing Performance Q4 2022/23
6.1 The Assistant Director Housing Management, Martin Reid, provided a verbal update on the progress of the Housing Committee Workplan and housing performance for quarter 4 2022/23.
6.2 There were no questions or comments.
7 Ward boundaries change
7.1 The item was covered in one of the residents questions.
8 Positive community news
8.1 There was no discussion.
9 Any other business
9.1 In response to a request from Jim Hornsby, Grant Ritchie advised he would follow up with Geoff Gage to confirm if leaseholders/ residents could be allowed access to see the works on the roof of Mimosa Court.
9.2 Jim Hornsby also requested that there was acknowledgement from the Council that the installation of solar panels at Mimosa Court was a resident initiative.
9.3 In response to a query from Jim Hornsby, Justine Harris advised she would look into why no mowing was being done at Mimosa Court.
9.4 Justine Harris advised she would follow up with Jim Hornsby directly to provide an update on the submitted EIB/EDB bids from residents at Mimosa Court.
9.5 In response to issues raised by Ian Beck, Grant Ritchie advised he would visit Horton Road to deal with repairs to damaged fences and hanging off gates.
The meeting concluded at 1.15pm