Issue - meetings

To consider the following draft policies prepared in relation to the maintenance and operation of the Council’s retained housing stock:-

•    Repairs Policy

•    Damp and Mould Policy

•    Fire Safety Policy.

RESOLVED that the policies, as set out in Appendices A, B and C to item A.7 of the Report of the Portfolio Holder for Housing and Planning, be adopted and their direct and immediate implementation authorised.

Cabinet considered a report of the Housing & Planning Portfolio Holder (A.7), which submitted the following draft policies prepared in relation to the maintenance and operation of the Council’s retained housing stock:

•    Repairs Policy;

•    Damp and Mould Policy; and

•    Fire Safety Policy.

Members were reminded that the Government had introduced regulation of the housing sector, the full effect of which would commence on 1 April 2024. Together with the Tenants’ Charter and the potential revised Decent Homes Standards, fire safety requirements and disrepair claim proliferation the Council faced major increased demands on its housing service. The provision of housing services was essentially self-funding with separate accounting processes to the Council’s other, General Fund, functions. The increasing demands were likely to place significant additional pressures on finances and other resources.

Cabinet was made aware that, although the adoption of those policies was not of itself mandatory, there were legal and regulatory standards for performance, which those policies aspired to facilitate compliance with.

Repairs Policy - established performance targets, and established a framework around compliance matters, information and property standards.

Damp and Mould Policy - set out more detailed arrangements for dealing with damp and mould issues in the housing stock.

Fire Safety Policy - identified appropriate locations for evacuation and stay put policies, assessment of risk and provision of information.

In order to set in place clear policies to inform future maintenance and management activities and to set in place a clear policy framework to prepare for regulation:-

It was moved by Councillor Baker, seconded by Councillor Placey and:-

RESOLVED that the policies, as set out in Appendices A, B and C to item A.7 of the Report of the Portfolio Holder for Housing and Planning, be adopted and their direct and immediate implementation authorised.