Issue - meetings

The Committee resolved:-

(i)            to note the contents of the report and appendix and

(ii)          to agree to receive a further Building Standards Activity Report at the meeting of the Communities, Housing and Public Protection Committee on 21st November 2024.

The Committee had before it a report by the Chief Officer – Strategic Place Planning, which provided assurance and an overview of the Council’s responsibilities in relation to securing dangerous buildings and protecting public safety, as well as activity on unauthorised building work and unauthorised occupation of buildings.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee -

(a)           note the contents of the report and appendix; and

(b)           agree to receive a further Building Standards Activity Report at the meeting of the Communities, Housing and Public Protection Committee on 21st November 2024.

The Committee resolved:-

to approve the recommendations.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)            to approve the criteria and management procedure of the Pilot Rent Assistance Fund detailed in Appendix 1;

(ii)          to instruct the Chief Officer – Early Intervention and Community Empowerment to make any changes to the criteria and management procedure of the Pilot Rent Assistance Fund as appropriate during the pilot phase and inform Members of any such changes through a Service Update;

(iii)         to instruct the Chief Officer – Finance to present an evaluation of the impact of the Pilot Rent Assistance Fund as part of the 2025/26 HRA Budget Report to Council in December 2024; and  

(iv)         to instruct the Chief Officer – Finance to present a further evaluation covering the full 12 months of the pilot to be presented to the Communities, Housing and Public Protection Committee after one full year of operation. 

The Committee had before it a report by the Chief Officer – Finance and Chief Officer – Early Intervention and Community Empowerment, which sought approval for the criteria and management of a £500,000 Rent Assistance Fund pilot funded from the 2024/25 Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Budget.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee –

(a)           approve the criteria and management procedure of the Pilot Rent Assistance Fund detailed in Appendix 1;

(b)           instruct the Chief Officer – Early Intervention and Community Empowerment to make any changes to the criteria and management procedure of the Pilot Rent Assistance Fund as appropriate during the pilot phase and inform Members of any such changes through a Service Update;

(c)           instruct the Chief Officer – Finance to present an evaluation of the impact of the Pilot Rent Assistance Fund as part of the 2025/26 HRA Budget Report to Council in December 2024; and 

(d)           instruct the Chief Officer – Finance to present a further evaluation covering the full 12 months of the pilot to the Communities, Housing and Public Protection Committee after one full year of operation.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)             to thank officers for their efforts with the Rent Assistance Fund; and

(ii)            to approve the recommendations.

-       Councillor Miranda Radley, Convener