Agenda item - Annual Report 2018

Report of Executive Director for Neighbourhoods, Communities & Housing (copy attached).

(1) That the Housing & New Homes Committee approves the draft Annual Report 2018 to council tenants and leaseholders (attached as Appendix 1). The final version of 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.

14.1   The Committee considered a report of the Executive Director, Neighbourhoods, Communities & Housing which presented the draft Annual Report 2018 to council tenants and leaseholders. 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. These included information on the 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 and Improvement.

14.2   Councillor Bell thanked officers for the report. He queried the third page of the Annual report (page 217 of the agenda) which stated that the Housing Customer Services team took 135 calls every working day. It was explained that the number of calls was correct in terms of the Customer Services Team. This did not mean that there are no other calls coming to Housing Services. Management tried to ensure that staff knew that they were not judged on the number of calls but on the resolution of problems.

14.3   Councillor Atkinson thanked officers. He referred to page 5 of the Annual Report (page 219 of the agenda). He had recently seen a local news report which had confused empty council properties with empty private properties. He stressed that the Empty Property Team carried out very good work. 

14.4   Councillor Druitt praised the report and stated that he liked the way the information was laid out in an accessible way; however, he noted that there were no photographs apart from the Chair. Reference was made to the pie chart on the last page of the Annual Report. Only three areas of spend were mentioned on the pie chart and Councillor Druitt asked for more detail on spend. It was explained that the Annual Report would be an insert in “Homing In”, which would have more photographs and would use people’s names with permission. With regard to spend, officers had consulted residents and they had requested “at a glance" information. More detailed information was to be found on the council’s website.

14.5   Councillor Hill drew attention to page 2 of the Annual Report (page 216 of the agenda) which highlighted the main improvements. She stressed that it was important that people knew what the council was doing with their money. Excellent work was being carried out, and two extra members of staff had been taken on to deal with problems connected to Universal Credit. Councillor Hill referred to page 5 of the Annual Report (page 219 of the agenda). This referred to window replacement work in Woodingdean. Councillor Hill asked for reassurance that it was not just pressure from residents in a particular area that led to officers prioritising works. The Head of Income, Involvement and Improvement explained that the decision to carry out works was not purely based on feedback from residents. The windows in Woodingdean were not water tight. There was a process in dealing with planned work.            

14.6   RESOLVED:-

(1)    That the Housing & New Homes Committee approves the draft Annual Report 2018 to council tenants and leaseholders (attached as Appendix 1). The final version of 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.