Agenda and minutes

Venue: Committee Room - Civic Centre, Doncaster Road, Selby, YO8 9FT

Contact: Victoria Foreman  01757 292046 Email: vforeman@selby.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

37.

Apologies for Absence

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors J Cattanach and T Grogan.

38.

Disclosures of Interest

A copy of the Register of Interest for each Selby District Councillor is available for inspection at www.selby.gov.uk.

 

Councillors should declare to the meeting any disclosable pecuniary interest in any item of business on this agenda which is not already entered in their Register of Interests.

 

Councillors should leave the meeting and take no part in the consideration, discussion or vote on any matter in which they have a disclosable pecuniary interest.

 

Councillors should also declare any other interests. Having made the declaration, provided the other interest is not a disclosable pecuniary interest, the Councillor may stay in the meeting, speak and vote on that item of business.

 

If in doubt, Councillors are advised to seek advice from the Monitoring Officer.

 

Minutes:

There were no disclosures of interest.

39.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 268 KB

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meetings of the Policy Review Committee held on 15 October and 12 November 2019.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered the minutes of the meetings held on 15 October 2019 and 12 November 2019.

 

RESOLVED:

To approve the minutes of the Policy Review Committee meetings held on 15 October 2019 and 12 November 2019.

 

 

40.

Chair's Address to the Policy Review Committee

Minutes:

There was no Chair’s address.

41.

North Yorkshire Choice Based Lettings (Allocations Policy) (PR/19/14) pdf icon PDF 394 KB

To consider and comment on the North Yorkshire Choice Based Lettings (Allocations Policy).

Minutes:

The Committee received the report of the Council’s Housing and Environmental Health Service Manager which considered the objectives of the policy and provided an update for Members demonstrating how they were being met. The Committee were asked to consider and comment on the report.

 

Officers explained that the North Yorkshire Home Choice Policy was the Council’s allocations policy, used to allocate Council owned housing and linked to the wider sub-regional Housing Strategy and Tenancy Strategy, the Homelessness Strategy and Tenancy Policy. It was delivered in partnership with other local authorities and registered providers in North Yorkshire, and was focused on meeting housing need, making the best use of stock and supporting sustainable tenancies.

 

The Committee discussed the report and made a number of points relating to rural lettings, City of York Council leaving the partnership and the implications of this, the potential for Selby to develop its own stand-alone allocations policy and the need for rural housing.

 

Members felt that on balance it would be best for the Council to remain in the North Yorkshire Home Choice scheme, but that a review of that position 6 months after City of York Council had left could be beneficial.

 

RESOLVED:

i.       To note the report.

 

ii.     To recommend a review of the Council’s membership of the North Yorkshire Home Choice scheme after City of York Council had left and been absent from the scheme for 6 months.

 

42.

Private Sector Housing Assistance Policy (PR/19/15) pdf icon PDF 200 KB

To consider and comment on the Private Sector Housing Assistance Policy.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee received the report of the Council’s Housing and Environmental Health Service Manager which provided the Committee with performance information relating to the implementation of the Private Housing Assistance Policy. The Committee were asked to consider and comment on the report.

 

Members noted that the Private Housing Assistance Policy 2018-2023 was approved by Executive on 12April 2018. The aim of the policy was to improve housing conditions across the Selby District, help people manage their own health and wellbeing and live independently for as long as possible. To support this aim a number of new discretionary grants and loans were introduced; the report focused on the implementation of this new financial support.

 

The Committee queried why some grants or loans took longer to approve and process; Officers explained that some more complicated arrangements such as disabled facilities or new boilers required more detail. It was also noted that the approval processes were undertaken by North Yorkshire County Council.

 

Lastly, Officers explained that the budgets available for such assistance were limited, which was why they were not promoted a great deal.

 

RESOLVED:

                        To note the report.

 

 

43.

Tenant Participation Strategy 2019-2022 (PR/19/16) pdf icon PDF 386 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee received the report of the Council’s Housing and Environmental Health Service Manager which provided the Committee with information relating to the Council’s updated Tenant Participation Strategy 2019 – 2022. The Committee were asked to consider the content of the report and make any comments.

 

Officers explained that all social housing tenants and leaseholders had a right to be consulted and to be involved in tenant participation activities. The Council’s previous Tenant Participation Strategy was written in 2010 and required update, taking into account recent Government direction and modern methods of engagement. A draft version of the Strategy had now been consulted on with tenants, and a final version was ready for approval.

 

Members asked a number of questions on the strategy, on matters including the potential provision of estate walks and the following up of issues raised by tenants. The Committee also felt that tenant participation could be promoted more, especially in local libraries.

 

RESOLVED:

                        To note the report.

 

 

44.

Work Programme 2019-20 pdf icon PDF 320 KB

To consider the Committee’s work programme for 2019-20.

 

Minutes:

Members considered the work programme for the rest of the 2019-20 municipal year.

 

The Committee asked if a review of the Council’s Affordable Housing Policy could be brought back for consideration sooner than April 2020.

 

RESOLVED:

i.       To note the work programme 2019-20.

 

ii.     To ask the Democratic Services Officer to find out if the review of the Council’s Affordable Housing Policy could be brought back to the Committee for consideration sooner than April 2020.