Agenda item

The Report of the Strategic Directors.

Presented by the Housing, Property and Customer Services Portfolio Holder and the Community Services Portfolio Holder respectively.

The Housing, Property and Customer Services Portfolio Holder presented the report and noted that he had been glad to see Scrutiny carry out this piece of work.

Councillor T Eynon requested to speak and informed the meeting that there had been much to welcome within this report. It was noted that the report covered both the Council’s housing stock and also privately rented stock within the community. It was noted that the authority would be changing the housing management and housing asset management plan to consider more clearly the link between fuel poverty and carbon reduction. Councillor T Eynon noted that private tenants find it very difficult to complain and that services for private tenants would be changed in order to be less complaints driven, and that this would be facilitated by the Environmental Protection team accessing data on EPC ratings and that the authority had begun to contact private landlords in order to address the problem of many properties not attaining minimum efficiency standards.

Councillor T Eynon raised concerns that some of the funding appeared to be coming from the Disabled Facilities Grant and that there would be no strategy, delivery plan or effective performance management or monitoring arrangements. It was asserted that a fuel poverty strategy would need to bring information together, update it and monitor it but that would not lead to extra work and could be drawn from existing data.

It was moved by Councillor R Bayliss, seconded by Councillor A Woodman and

RESOLVED THAT:

1. The Task and Finish group be thanked for their work on this issue by Cabinet.

2. The suggested Scrutiny recommendations and the responses to those recommendations are as set out below:

.

• Scrutiny Recommendation 1

The Council should adopt a locally agreed measure and consider individuals or households to be in fuel poverty when after they spend the required amount to heat their home, households are left with a residual income below the official poverty line. A subset of this measure would include those households that reside in a property with an EPC rating of ‘D or below.

It was moved that Cabinet did not support this recommendation.

·       Scrutiny Recommendation 2

The Council is invited to develop and deliver a fuel poverty reduction strategy and associated delivery plan, alongside effective performance management and monitoring arrangements.

It was moved that Cabinet did not support this recommendation.

·       Scrutiny Recommendation 3

The Council is invited to consider its approach to both its housing investment programme and its commitment to addressing fuel poverty, and specifically a ‘fabric first’ approach to ensure that all properties in the first instance are brought up to an EPC rating of C or above.

It was moved that Cabinet did not support this recommendation.

·       Scrutiny Recommendation 4

The Council is invited to evaluate the robustness of its housing stock management, investment and repairs programme and in the delivery of this, consider action to improve its engagement with tenants.

It was moved that Cabinet did not support this recommendation.

·       Scrutiny Recommendation 5

The Council is invited to develop a more robust data base to:

-        Support a more comprehensive understanding of the incidence and drivers  of local fuel poverty.

-        Improve understanding of the condition of the local housing base of local authority, social and private rented sector housing.

-        Inform and support the monitoring of Council interventions and policy decisions.

It was moved that Cabinet supports this recommendation.

·       Scrutiny Recommendation 6 

In order to better develop capacity to drive the improvement in housing standards and energy efficiency, Members invites the Council to consider the potential to recruit a dedicated private rental sector officer/team. This may be a ‘locally owned’ resource, or the Council may explore the potential for securing joint arrangements with a neighbouring council(s).

It was moved that Cabinet supports this recommendation.

• Scrutiny Recommendation 7

As part of its work in addressing fuel poverty, the Council is invited to consider the potential for improving its communication on these matters, with communication and engagement seen as a key element of any wider Council led approach. As a minimum, the Council may wish to ensure that all frontline officers and customer service contacts have access to up to date information and are able to efficiently signpost residents to additional support, advocacy, or referrals.

It was moved that Cabinet supports this recommendation.

3. The Portfolio Holder for Housing, Property and Customer Services to speak with Councillor T Eynon outside of the formal meeting.

Reason or decision: To accord with the constitution.