Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Corporate Director for Place Management & Regeneration.

The Annual Portfolio Performance and Resource Report for the Communities and Housing Portfolio is presented for consideration by the Committee. This provides a summary of progress in delivering the portfolio priorities, reform programme and other key projects since the final update report, with a focus on the fourth quarter of the year (January to March). It includes out-turn performance and financial data (where this is available) for the Portfolio, along with an update on the portfolio savings programme.

Scrutiny Committee is recommended to:-

·        Consider the Annual Portfolio Performance and Resource Report;  

·        Review the progress against delivering key projects, priority outcomes, targets and budgets for 2016/17;

·        Highlight key areas of and responsibility for taking forward corrective action to address any performance or resource issues;

·        Highlight any significant issues or changes to be fed back to the Cabinet alongside the Corporate Performance and Resource Report;

·        Identify how areas of strong performance and good practice can be shared in other services.

Officer contact: Alan Lawson on 0161 474 5397 or email: alan.lawson@stockport.gov.uk / Kora Yohannan on 0161 474 4032 or email: kora.yohannan@stockport.gov.uk

The Corporate Director for Place Management & Regeneration submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) detailing the Annual Portfolio Performance and Resource Report for the Communities and Housing Portfolio providing a summary of progress in delivering the portfolio priorities, reform programme and other key projects since the final update report, with a focus on the fourth quarter of the year (January to March 2017). The report also included out-turn performance and financial data for the Portfolio, along with an update on the portfolio savings programme.

The Cabinet Member for Communities & Housing (Councillor Sheila Bailey) also attended the meeting to respond to councillors’ questions.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

·         The Viaduct Housing Partnership had now been set up and launched with the aim of providing as many affordable homes as possible.  It was stated that three council-owned sites were under investigation for development with two being progressed to the planning stage in the near future.

·         It was noted that there was an aspiration to introduce a mandatory registration scheme for private landlords, however there was currently no mechanism by which the Council could currently enforce such a requirement. 

·         With regard to the supply and subsequent development of brownfield sites, it was stated that such sites were often difficult to develop because of the need for expensive remediation works prior to development.

·         Further information was requested in relation to the ongoing discussions between the Council, United Utilities and the Environment Agency over the recent incidents of flooding in the Borough. 

·         In response to a question around the number of empty properties in the Borough and the Council’s work to bring them back into use, it was stated that there were often complex factors behind a property being left empty for a prolonged period of time.  It was further stated that a certain number of empty properties were necessary for a healthy housing market.

·         The Council had hostel accommodation available for those people who are made homeless, however the priority for the Council was to avoid people being made homeless in the first place.

·         While the number of referrals for the Mandatory Disabled Facilities Grant had increased, the Council currently had enough resource to meet current and forecast levels of expenditure. 

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.