Agenda item

STAFF HOUSES – REFERRAL FROM FINANCE AND RESOURCES COMMITTEE ON 17 JUNE 2010

With reference to Article 51 of the minute of meeting of the Finance and Resources Committee of 17^th June, 2010, the Committee had before it by way of remit a report by the Director of Enterprise, Planning and Infrastructure which explained that the Head of Asset Management and Operations had responsibility for the ownership of 51 staff houses, of which three had been identified by the Service Committees as being required to remain as tied properties, and presented a number of options in respect of the future management of the tied houses.

The Finance and Resources Committee had resolved:-

(i)         to instruct that any houses currently vacant, and any other houses that become vacant in the future and which are identified as not being required for future use as staff houses, are withdrawn from the staff houses stock and declared surplus to requirements, and to authorise the Head of Asset Management and Operations, in relation to such houses, to follow the adopted procedure for dealing with surplus vacant properties, by circulating their availability to all Council Services and Partners; if no interest is expressed, he would then submit reports to future meetings of this Committee to consider their disposal on the open market; if any houses which adjoin or are adjacent to other Council properties earmarked for closure become vacant, then, pragmatically, consideration should be given to departing from the above procedure so that such a vacant house could be combined with the earmarked vacant property for a joint disposal;

(ii)        to instruct the Head of Asset Management and Operations to consult the tenants of the staff houses on various appropriate issues that may affect their future occupancy, including the proposal to remove the rental discounts currently applying and to increase the rents payable by them to the levels of the prevailing Housing Revenue Account rents, as detailed within the report, and to report back to this Committee on 28 September, 2010 with the outcome of that consultation;

(iii)       to instruct, in terms of any houses affected by the 3Rs Project or the closure of adjoining Council properties, where it is agreed that there is no future requirement for a house to be included with the adjoining property for joint disposal, that the Head of Asset Management and Operations consults the tenants of each house adjoining such a property without commitment, on whether (a) they would wish to purchase the house at a market value, or at the appropriate reduced value (should the Right to Buy apply in that case), or (b) would wish the house, and, therefore, their tenancy, to possibly transfer to the Housing Revenue Account, subject to the matter being referred to the Housing and Environment Committee at the appropriate time for its consideration; and to report back to this Committee with the outcome of that consultation;

(iv)       to authorise the Head of Asset Management and Operations, in terms of those houses currently occupied by retired non janitor staff, and where the tenant has transferred to the 3Rs operating company, together with any other such situations arising in the future, to take or instruct all necessary legal action in order to secure vacant possession of the houses in question, with the adopted procedure for dealing with surplus vacant properties thereafter being followed in relation to such houses;

(v)        to instruct the Head of Asset Management and Operations to submit a report to a future meeting of the Housing and Environment Committee regarding the feasibility of appropriate staff houses being transferred to the Housing Revenue Account in the future;

(vi)       to instruct that the Head of Asset Management and Operations, in consultation with the Head of Legal and Democratic Services, review the staff house leases with a view to ensuring they comply with relevant statutory provisions; and

(vii)      to refer this report to the meeting of the Audit and Risk Committee of 21 September, 2010 for its information.

The Committee resolved:-

to note the report and the decision of the Finance and Resources Committee.