To present to Cabinet the Housing No Access Policy for approval and adoption.

RESOLVED that –

(a)     the Housing No Access Policy be adopted for implementation;

(b)     the Corporate Director (Operations and Delivery) be authorised to make future updates or amendments to the policy in consultation with the Portfolio Holder responsible for Housing; and

(c)     the policy will be reviewed every two years.

Cabinet considered a report of the Housing and Planning Portfolio Holder (A.8) which presented to Cabinet the Housing No Access Policy for approval and adoption.

It was reported that the proposed policy formalised the work that was already undertaken in the Housing and Environment service. The purpose of the No Access Policy was to set out the Council’s overall approach to gaining access to Council homes to fulfil statutory and regulatory duties as a responsible social housing landlord. The policy defined when the Council needed to access its tenants’ homes and how the Council took appropriate and proportionate action if a tenant did not allow access.

Members were informed that the policy complied with the Regulator of Social Housing’s revised Consumer Standards that had come into effect from 1 April 2024.

To ensure that the policy was appropriately adopted, in accordance with the Council’s Constitution and to evidence compliance with regulatory standards:-

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

RESOLVED that –

(a)     the Housing No Access Policy be adopted for implementation;

(b)     the Corporate Director (Operations and Delivery) be authorised to make future updates or amendments to the policy in consultation with the Portfolio Holder responsible for Housing; and

(c)     the policy will be reviewed every two years.