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

Apologies for absence had been submitted by Councillor Amos, who had appointed Councillor S Honeywood as his substitute. Apologies for absence had also been submitted by Councillor Goldman, who had appointed Councillor Doyle as his substitute and by Councillor Harris who had not appointed a substitute.

Additionally, apologies had been received from Councillor Baker, the Portfolio Holder for Housing and Planning, who had been invited to attend but was unwell.

It was noted that for the public record, the Corporate Director (Law and Governance) and Monitoring Officer, was in attendance at the meeting via Microsoft Teams.

To confirm and sign as a correct record, the minutes of the last meeting of the Committee, held on Tuesday, 4 November 2025.

It was moved by Councillor Steady, seconded by Councillor Bush and RESOLVED that the minutes of the last meeting of the Committee held on Tuesday 4 November 2025 be confirmed as a correct record and be signed by the Chairman.

It was noted that the minutes of the meeting had referenced a proposed conversation between the Section 151 Officer and Councillor Steady. As a result of that discussion, a flow chart was circulated at the meeting that had been published in the public domain.

Additionally, an email exchange between the Leader of the Council and the Chairman of the Committee, was circulated at the meeting that had been also published in the public domain.

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.

To enable the Resources and Services Overview & Scrutiny Committee to consider the draft Housing Strategy 2026/30 and decide whether it wishes to submit any comments and/or recommendations thereon to the Portfolio Holder for Housing and Planning.

The Chairman of the Committee noted for the public record, that Members had prepared questions prior to the meeting, upon which Officers had drafted responses. Those questions and responses were not read out individually but referenced several times in supplementary questions. It was therefore agreed that those questions would be included in the minutes.

It was reported that at the meeting of Council held on 6 August 2024, the work programme for the two Overview and Scrutiny Committees had been approved. This had included, within the scope of this Resources and Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee, an enquiry into housing strategy development and infrastructure and temporary accommodation with the enquiry having been undertaken by way of a task and finish group.

The report presented to the Committee had sought to set out the process of the enquiry into the above and its conclusions and recommendations.

Members heard that the aims and objectives of the enquiry had been to look at Housing Strategy Development and Infrastructure and Temporary Accommodation. The enquiry had included a look at how the Council maintained its list of private landlords and if the Council had suitably quality checked those properties.

The enquiry had reviewed:

·        Policy and practice documents of the Council in respect of the use of private rented accommodation for those in need of housing.

·        The average time people are placed in temporary rented housing accommodation.

·        Details of complaints by those people in rental accommodation.

·        Numbers of HRA properties over the last five years including acquisitions and disposals.

·        The current housing strategy and any development draft of a new strategy as well as an assessment as to how the current strategy had been delivered.

The enquiry had sought as an outcome:

·        To look at possible improvements to temporary accommodation provision and make recommendations thereon.

·        To determine the strategic direction of the Council in respect of housing and the extent to which this had been delivered.

It was reported that following the four main meetings of the working group during which key topics had been discussed and questions answered by Officers, the outcome of the enquiry has been a set of observations to be reported to the Resources and Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee. Those observations were:

1.     That homelessness and temporary accommodation us a significant pressure for the Council, particularly the costs associated with temporary accommodation.

2.     Resourcing within the Housing Solutions service could be increased to provide more early prevention work.

3.     The Council had been improving the temporary accommodation that it had offered, moving away from B&B use.

4.     Complaints about temporary accommodation had been generally low.

5.     The Council’s Housing Strategy for 2026-30 had been comprehensive and a well written document.

6.     The Council’s Housing Service had been preparing for inspection by the Regulator of Social Housing and would be assessed against compliance within the Consumer Standards.

7.     The Council had annually compiled data on and reports on performance against the Tenant Satisfaction Measures with an overall improvement in performance between  ...  view the full minutes text for item 30.

To enable the Resources and Services Overview & Scrutiny Committee to consider the draft Housing Strategy 2026/30 and decide whether it wishes to submit any comments and/or recommendations thereon to the Portfolio Holder for Housing and Planning.

The Committee was furnished with a reference report from the Cabinet for the consideration of the draft Housing Strategy 2026/30, and to decide whether it wished to submit any comments and/or recommendations thereon to the Portfolio Holder for Housing and Planning.

Members were reminded that the Cabinet, at its meeting held on 19 December 2025 (Minute 90 refers), had considered a report of the Housing and Planning Portfolio Holder (A.4) which had informed it of the outcome following the consultation on the draft Housing Strategy 2026-30 and which had sought Cabinet’s approval of the final Housing Strategy 2026-30.

Cabinet had recalled that, at its meeting held on 26 September 2025, it had approved a draft Housing Strategy 2026-30 for consultation. That consultation had been launched on 6 October 2025 with a questionnaire available on the Council’s website.

It had been reported that 24 responses to the consultation had been received via the online survey form with 92% agreeing with the proposed length of the strategy and 92% agreeing with the four strategic priorities. Several comments had been received that were summarised within the Portfolio Holder’s report.

Members had been advised that Essex County Council (ECC) had submitted a detailed response that in essence stated “ECC welcomes the development of this Housing Strategy and the clear articulation of Tendring’s priorities. The document is well-structured and provides a strong narrative about the local context, including the challenges of deprivation, an ageing population, and housing affordability. We particularly value the emphasis on partnership working and the recognition of the role of Essex County Council in delivering shared objectives.”

It was reported that overall, the responses to the consultation had not required the draft strategy to be substantially altered. Reflecting the feedback received, some minor adjustments has been made. The proposed final version of the strategy had set out notable achievements along with ambitions across four strategic priorities:-

1.     Maintain and improve our existing housing stock

That had focussed on the Council’s role as a landlord and the management of its homes ensuring compliance with its statutory obligations along with the Consumer Standards and Tenant Satisfaction Measures.

2.     Preventing and reducing homelessness

With homelessness having increased and most councils facing significant cost pressures this priority had set out what the Council had been doing to reduce expenditure and increase its prevention work.

3.     Delivering, with partners, high quality homes

That priority focussed on the delivery of affordable housing in the District.

4.     Supporting people in their homes and communities

That priority had been aimed at those living in the privately rented sector and those who had owned their own homes. It set out what the Council had been doing to ensure housing standards were maintained across all tenures.

In order to:-

(1)   ensure that the new Housing Strategy would be appropriately adopted, following consultation with the public, other relevant authorities and both internal and external stakeholders, in accordance with the Council’s Constitution; and

(2)   acknowledge appropriately that the Resources and Services Overview and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 31.

To set out a general update and overview of the Council’s financial position against the 2025/26 budget and looking ahead to 2026/27 and beyond as part of the wider and on-going development of the forecast and budget.

The Committee was presented with a reference report from Cabinet that set out a general update and overview of the Council’s financial position against the 2025/26 budget and looking ahead to 2026/27 and beyond as part of the wider and ongoing development of the forecast and budget.

Members were reminded that on 14 November 2025, Cabinet had considered a Financial Performance Report, which had included a number of appendices (attached to the report A.4). Following its consideration, it had been resolved that Cabinet:

(a)   notes the Council’s in-year financial position at the end September 2025;

(b)   approves the proposed adjustments to the 2025/26 budget, as set out in Appendix 1H and requests Officers to review the potential on-going impact in 2026/27 and beyond, where necessary, as part of developing forecast and detailed estimates for further consideration by Cabinet later in the year;

(c)   agrees that the Council continues to be a member of the Essex Business Rates Pool and Council Tax Sharing Agreement with Essex County Council and the other Major Preceptors in 2026/27, if it remains financially advantageous to do so;

(d)   notes the updated context to the financial forecast from 2026/27, as set out in this report (A.2) and requests Officers, in consultation with Portfolio Holders, to further develop the financial forecast alongside the development of the Council’s priorities; and

(e)   formally invites the views of the Resources and Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee on the information set out in this report along with the Council’s wider financial position, as part of its work programme for the year.

It was reported that as highlighted in (e) above, Cabinet had invited the views and comments of the Committee, including those associated with the wider process for developing the budget.

It was moved by Councillor Newton, seconded by Councillor Bensilum and RESOLVED that the Committee receives and notes the Quarter 2 Financial Performance Update Report and appendices and endorses its approval by Cabinet.

This report will set out the Executive’s initial budget proposals for 2026/27 in respect of both the General Fund (GF) and Housing Revenue Account (HRA) for scrutiny by the Committee in accordance with the provisions of Budget and Policy Framework Procedure Rule 3 of the Council’s Constitution.

Members were presented with a reference report from the Cabinet to set out the Executive’s initial budget proposals for 2026/27 in respect of both the General Fund (GF) and Housing Revenue Account (HRA) for scrutiny by the Committee in accordance with the provisions of Budget and Policy Framework Procedure Rule 3 of the Council’s Constitution.

It was reported that reports relating to the Executive’s initial GF and HRA Budget proposals for 2026/27 had been considered by Cabinet on 19 December 2025, with the comments of the Committee now requested as part of developing the Executive’s final budget proposals for presenting to Full Council in February 2025.

The following had set out each report in turn:

1)     Appendix A – Updated General Fund Financial Forecast / Budget 2026/27

At its meeting on 19 December 2025 (Minute 89 refers), Cabinet:-

“RESOLVED that –

a)     the updated Financial Forecast and proposed budget position for 2025/26, as set out in item A.5 of the Report of the Corporate Finance & Governance Portfolio Holder and its appendices, be approved; and

b)     the Resources and Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee’s comments be requested on this latest financial forecast and proposed position for 2025/26.”

2)     Appendix B – Updated Housing Revenue Account Business Plan and Budget Proposals 2026/27

At its meeting on 19 December 2025 (minute 91 refers), Cabinet:-

“RESOLVED that –

(a)   the updated HRA 30-year Business Plan, which includes the proposed revised position for 2024/25 along with budget proposals for 2025/26, be approved; and

(b)   the Resources and Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee’s comments be requested on this latest HRA financial forecast.”

The Chief Executive advised Members that the Council remained dissatisfied with the Fairer Funding settlement set out in Appendix A to the report (A.4). He explained that the allocation had not adequately reflected the significant deprivation challenges affecting the District. Accordingly, he would be writing to the relevant authorities to emphasise those concerns and to advocate for a more equitable funding position.