The Chairman, Councillor P Honeywood opened the meeting by reading out the following statement:

“Before we commence today’s meeting, I wish to formally record recent changes to the membership of the Resources and Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

These changes arise from the decisions taken and confirmed at the Annual Meeting of the Council held on Tuesday, 19 May 2026.

As a result of those decisions, Councillor Peter Harris is no longer a member of this Committee, and Councillor Dan Casey has been appointed to serve as a member.”

The Chairman expressed his thanks to Councillor Harris for his contributions to the Committee and formally welcomed Councillor Casey as a new Member.

The Committee is asked to note any apologies for absence and substitutions received from Members.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Bensilum and Bush with no substitutes appointed.

To confirm and sign as a correct record, the minutes of the last meeting of the Committee, held on Tuesday, 10 March 2026.

It was moved by Councillor J Henderson, seconded by Councillor Newton and RESOLVED that the minutes of the last meeting of the Committee held on Tuesday, 10 March 2026 be confirmed as a correct record and be signed by the Chairman.

Councillors are invited to declare any Disclosable Pecuniary Interests, Other Registerable Interests of Non-Registerable Interests, and the nature of it, in relation to any item on the agenda.

There were no Declarations of Interest made by Members on this occasion.

Subject to providing two working days' notice, a Member of the Committee may ask the Chairman of the Committee a question on any matter in relation to which the Council has powers or duties which affect the Tendring District and which falls within the terms of reference of the Committee.

No Questions on Notice pursuant to Council Procedure Rule 38 had been submitted by Members for this meeting.

This report has been written in order to respond to the request for information in respect of this enquiry into homelessness temporary accommodation provision. Specifically the enquiry is entitled: Potential use of property in Clacton Town Centre for temporary emergency accommodation and to determine the general processes around selection and suitability in accordance with the Council’s duties, powers, strategies, polices and decisions.

The Committee noted that the provision of temporary accommodation had represented a significant financial pressure for the Council, with approximately £3 million spent annually before Housing Benefit subsidy was applied. Members were advised that, due to shortfalls in Housing Benefit subsidy for temporary accommodation, councils had been required to meet the majority of the cost themselves. It was reported that Tendring’s level of expenditure and operational approach had been consistent with that of other local authorities.

Officers confirmed that there had been a continual turnover of households in temporary accommodation, with movements occurring on an almost daily basis. The Council had managed homelessness and temporary accommodation costs effectively, and the opening of Spendells House had contributed positively to this position. The Committee was reminded that the work of homelessness officers ensured that households—many with children—did not experience rough sleeping, which remained rare in the District, typically in single?digit figures.

The Committee was informed that the Council had a statutory duty to provide suitable temporary or emergency accommodation where it had “a reason to believe” an applicant was homeless and in priority need. Failure to do so could place the Council in breach of its duties and at risk of Judicial Review. Members noted the significance of the Court of Appeal judgment in R (Elkundi & Ors) v Birmingham City Council [2022], which confirmed that the duty to secure suitable accommodation was “immediate, non?deferrable, and unqualified.”

Reference was made to the MHCLG Homelessness Code of Guidance (2018, updated 2026), which required suitability assessments to be based on individual household circumstances, including location, affordability, size, condition, accessibility, safety, and the needs of children. Officers reported that households retained the right to request a review of suitability, which was undertaken by a senior officer not previously involved in the case.

The Committee was advised that the majority of temporary accommodation had historically been sourced from private landlords, including hotels and B&Bs, some of which were licensed HMOs. Those establishments generally lacked kitchen facilities and offered shared bathrooms, which had been acceptable only for very short?term stays. As lengths of stay had increased—often several months or more—such arrangements had become unsuitable, particularly for families. This trend reflected national pressures, including increased homelessness presentations and reduced availability of private rented housing.

Members heard that the Council had therefore needed to secure higher?quality, predominantly self?contained accommodation. Housing Benefit rules continued to create funding gaps, particularly where only 90% of the 2011 Local Housing Allowance rate could be claimed for self?contained units.

At the time of reporting, households were placed across a range of accommodation types, including:

• 66 households in fully self?contained privately owned units
• 27 single persons or households in privately owned units with shared facilities
• 27 households in Spendells House
• 63 households in Council?owned homes on temporary non?secure tenancies

Accommodation was primarily located in Clacton, with some provision in Harwich and Walton. Not all sites had on?site management, although CCTV and daytime staff visits  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

The report provides the Committee with its approved Work Programme for 2025/26, including progress with enquiries set out in its Work Programme, feedback to the Committee on the decisions in respect of previous recommendations from the Committee in respects of enquiries undertaken and a list of forthcoming decisions for which public notice has been given.

The report also provides an opportunity for Members to contribute to the Committee’s 2026/27 Work Programme and to inform the preparation of the Annual Report for 2025/26.

The Assistant Director (Corporate Policy & Support) presented the Committee, where relevant, with an overview of its approved Work Programme for 2025/26, feedback to the Committee on the decisions taken in respect of previous recommendations from the Committee arising from enquiries undertaken, and a list of forthcoming decisions for which public notice had been given.

It was reported that a review of the Committee’s Work Programme, in the context of the recent Ministerial announcement regarding the next steps for Local Government Re-organisation, would continue to be monitored as an ongoing item of business.

It was reported that the Chairmen of both Overview & Scrutiny Committees had met with the Deputy Leader of the Council and Senior Officers to consider priorities for the forthcoming year’s Work Programmes, in accordance with the Council’s Codes and Protocols for Overview and Scrutiny. The notes arising from this meeting had been attached as Appendix C to the Officer’s report (A.2).

Members were invited to put forward items for inclusion in the Committee’s Work Programme for 2026/27 and to consider the content of the 2025/26 Annual Report. It was noted that a joint informal meeting of both Overview & Scrutiny Committees would take place on Thursday 4 June 2026 to agree these matters.

It was unanimously RESOLVED that the Committee:

(a)   notes both its approved Work Programme 2025/26 (Appendix A) and the list of forthcoming decisions (Appendix B);

(b)   notes the remaining contents of the report; and

(c)   endorses the requirement to scope the work programme for 2026/27 ahead of its submission to Council on 11 August 2026.