Agenda and minutes

(Assistant to the Chief Executive)  To report the appointment of any substitute members for the meeting.

It was noted that Councillors J Philip and J Whitehouse were substituting for Councillors Mrs J Hedges and Mrs J Whitehouse respectively.

(Assistant to the Chief Executive). To declare interests in any items on the agenda.

In considering whether to declare a personal or a prejudicial interest under the Code of Conduct, Overview & Scrutiny members are asked pay particular attention to paragraph 11 of the Code in addition to the more familiar requirements.

This requires the declaration of a personal and prejudicial interest in any matter before an OS Committee which relates to a decision of or action by another Committee or Sub Committee of the Council, a Joint Committee or Joint Sub Committee in which the Council is involved and of which the Councillor is also a member.

Paragraph 11 does not refer to Cabinet decisions or attendance at an OS meeting purely for the purpose of answering questions or providing information on such a matter.

There were no declarations of interest made pursuant to the Member’s Code of Conduct.

(Chairman/Lead Officer) The Overview and Scrutiny Committee has agreed the Terms of Reference of this Panel and associated Work Programme. This is attached. The Panel are asked at each meeting to review both documents.

The Terms of Reference were noted. The Work Programme was currently running on course.

(Director of Housing) To consider the attached report.

The Panel received a report from Mr A Hall, Director of Housing, regarding the Housing Service Strategies on Tenant Participation and Rent Arrears.

The Housing Service Strategies were originally produced around 12 years ago in accordance with an agreed standard framework, and had since been updated. The strategies gave more detail than the Council’s main Housing Strategy on the various housing services provided. There were 17 Housing Service Strategies which covered subjects such as Equality and Diversity and Housing Allocations.

The strategies were produced to a common format that set out how individual housing services would be delivered. They had assisted Housing Services in achieving the Customer Service Excellence Award for the Housing Directorate excellence.

RECOMMENDED:

That the Housing Service Strategies on Tenant Participation and Rent Arrears be recommended to the Housing Portfolio Holder for incorporation.

(Director of Housing) To consider the attached report.

The Panel received a briefing from Mr A Hall, Director of Housing, regarding the proposed Council Rent Increase for 2011/12 – Briefing.

The Housing Revenue Account (HRA) had been prepared in accordance with the Local Government and Housing Act 1989. Under this legislation the Secretary of State for the Department of Communities and Local Government (CLG) had the power to issue directives in respect of appropriate income and expenditure items and the calculation of central government subsidy entitlement.

The Government had announced their intention of replacing the existing HRA subsidy system where councils were required to pay their notional HRA surplus as determined by the subsidy settlement to the Government who redistribute it. The new system would enable councils to keep all rents in exchange for an allocation of national housing debt.

The proposed average rent increase for 2011/12 was 7.2% (£5.51), which gave an average rent for 2011/12 of £87.67.

At its meeting on 17 January 2011 the joint meeting of the Finance and Performance Cabinet Committee and Scrutiny Panel was due to make a recommendation to the Cabinet on the proposed Council Rent Increase for 2011/12.

RESOLVED:

That the proposed recommendation to the Cabinet on the Council rent Increase for 2011/12 be noted.

(Director of Housing) To consider the attached report.

The Panel received a report from Mr R Wilson, Assistant Director of Housing (Operations), regarding the Review of Parking Enforcement Measures on Housing Estates.

At its meeting on 23 March 2009, the Panel considered a report on options to resolve the increasing problems with parking and increased congestion on housing estates. The Panel agreed that parking enforcement measures should be carried out on housing estates on an ad hoc basis. The members further agreed that the position should be reviewed in January 2011.

Separately the Cabinet had given a high priority to off street parking schemes in the Loughton and Abbess Roding areas. Although there were other proposed schemes, the available funding was not known until the tenders for earlier schemes were evaluated.

Following consultation exercises, enforcement measures had been undertaken in two areas across the District being Valley Hill Close, Loughton and Shelly Close, Ongar. There were concerns about areas around the Debden Underground Station because of commuters parking on grass verges to avoid parking charges. Consideration was being given to undertaking a consultation exercise on enforcement measures in Torrington Drive, Loughton, to stop commuters parking on the grass verge opposite the flats.

It was noted that during this period, there had been 6 appeals against refusals of permission for vehicular crossovers, one of which had been upheld. It was suggested that the existing policy of carrying out parking enforcement measures on an ad hoc basis on housing owned land continued.

RESOLVED:

(1)        That the Review of Parking Enforcement Measures on Housing Estates be noted; and

(2)        That the existing policy of carrying out parking enforcement measures on an ad hoc basis in housing-owned land continue indefinitely.

To consider which reports are ready to be submitted to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee at its next meeting.

There were no reports being put forward to the next Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

The next meeting of the Panel will be on 24 March 2011 at 5.30p.m. in Committee Room 1.

The next meeting of the Panel was on 24 March 2011.