Agenda and minutes

Housing Committee - Monday 27th June, 2016 7.00 pm

Venue: Hendon Town Hall, The Burroughs, London NW4 4BQ

Contact: Jan Natynczyk 020 8359 5129 Email:  jan.natynczyk@barnet.gov.uk 

Items
No. Item

1.

Minutes of the Previous Meeting pdf icon PDF 61 KB

Minutes:

The minutes of the meeting held on 6 April 2016, were agreed as a correct record.

2.

Absence of Members

Minutes:

Councillor McGuirk had sent her apologies, with Councillor Mittra as her substitute.

3.

Declarations of Members Disclosable Pecuniary Interests and Non-Pecuniary Interests

Minutes:

Member

Item

Interest

Councillor Mittra

6 – Petition to reject Barnet Homes Unilateral Decision to Remove Service Tenancies of Housing Caretakers

Non-pecuniary interest as Barnet Homes Tenant

Councillor Houston

6 (as above), 8 (Delegation of Part VII Housing Act 1996 Function, 9 Temporary Accommodation Placements and Procurement Policies, 10 Private Landlords Scheme, 11 Housing Commissioning Plan

Non-Pecuniary – Council appointed representative on Barnet Homes Board.

Councillor Houston declared that he would not vote on item 6

 

4.

Report of the Monitoring Officer (if any)

Minutes:

None.

5.

Public Questions and Comments (if any) pdf icon PDF 80 KB

Minutes:

The Committee received a list of questions received from Jasmin Parsons accompanied by the list of answers.

6.

Petition for the Committee's Consideration - Reject Barnet Homes unilateral Decision to remove service tenancies of housing caretakers pdf icon PDF 280 KB

Minutes:

The Committee received a petition and representation from the lead petitioner – Reject Barnet Homes Unilateral Decision to Remove Service Tenancies of Housing Caretakers.

 

The Lead Petitioner also praised the work of the caretaker on her estate.

 

RESOLVED that

 

(a)  No action be taken on this matter, as meetings were on-going between Barnet Homes and the employees affected and this matter did not full within the remit of Housing Committee to resolve;

 

(b)  The petition and the positive statement in relation to the caretaker in question be brought to the attention of the Chief Executive of Barnet Homes.

7.

Members' Items (if any) pdf icon PDF 235 KB

Minutes:

The following items were received:

 

 

Cllr Adam Langleben

Ladywell Pop-up Village: Using Modern Methods of Construction to tackle temporary accommodation

 

The council currently has an overspend on expensive temporary accommodation for homeless households. In order to try and reduce the council's spend in this area I ask the committee to look at LB Lewisham's Ladywell Pop-up Village project that utilises a vacant site earmarked for regeneration for temporary accommodation for 96 people for up to 4 years. The project uses fastbuild modular architecture with off-site construction delivering 24 homes and 8 units for commercial and civic use. The units are de-mountable and can be re-used on other sites in different configurations as needed. LB Lewisham believe the project will deliver a reduction in their spend on temporary accommodation.

 

I ask that the committee receive a briefing on this project in order to assess whether LB Barnet could do something similar.

 

RESOLVED that the request from Councillor Langleben be agreed.

Cllr Ross Houston

 

Local Lettings Policy 

 

To ask the Housing Committee to consider introducing a local lettings policy to ensure that local people benefit first and foremost from local regeneration and the council's plans for developing new homes.

 

As part of this request I ask that the committee look at best practice from other London boroughs, in particular LB Islington where local residents on any council estate that is being regenerated or where infill development is taking place are offered any new homes being built there first, based on need through their housing allocations scheme. In subsequent rounds once housing need is filled, new homes will be reserved for other local residents living on the estate who wish to move to a new property of the same size. After that remaining homes are let according to the council's housing allocations policy.

 see: http://www.islington.gov.uk/publicrecords/library/Housing/Information/Guidance/2012-2013/(2013-03-28)-Local-lettings.pdf

 

RESOLVED that the request from Councillor Houston be agreed.

Cllr Kath McGuirk

Affordable home ownership 

 

To ask for a report to come to the next Housing Committee setting out what affordable home ownership products are available for residents in Barnet, and assessing their affordability for the different household income levels in the Borough.

 

RESOLVED that the request from Councillor McGuirk be agreed.

 

 

Cllr Tim Roberts

Brent Cross North

 

To ask for the Housing Committee to be given an update on the progress of the Brent Cross North development in relation to the housing element. Please could the update include details of the project timelines, and how the project will feed in to the council’s affordable housing strategy.

 

RESOLVED that the report in relation to this, for submission to Assets, Regeneration and Growth Committee on 11 July 2016, be circulated to Members of Housing Committee for information.

 

 

 

8.

Delegation of Part VII Housing Act 1996 function pdf icon PDF 277 KB

Minutes:

The Committee received the report.

 

RESOLVED that the contracting out of Section 202 Reviews to RMG Limited be agreed.

 

For

Against

Abstained

5

0

4

 

9.

Temporary Accommodation Placements and Procurement Policies pdf icon PDF 264 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee received the report.

 

It was proposed that the delegation detailed in recommendation (e) below, be extended to include the lead opposition spokesman for Housing.

 

RESOLVED that

 

(a)  the introduction of the temporary accommodation placements policy as set out in Appendix 1 of this report be approved;

 

(b)  the introduction of the temporary accommodation procurement policy as set out in Appendix 2 of this report be approved;

 

(c)  the temporary accommodation placements policy should be published as a separate document from the Council’s Housing Allocations Scheme;

 

(d)  the temporary accommodation procurement policy  policies should be published as a separate document from the Council’s Housing Allocations Scheme;

 

(e)  approval for any future minor amendments to these policies is delegated to the Commissioning Director for Growth and Development and in consultation with the Chairman of the Housing Committeeand Lead Opposition Spokesman for Housing.

 

For (a-d above)

Against (a-d above)

(Abstained (a-d above)

5

0

4

 

For (e above)

Against (e above)

(Abstained e above)

9

0

0

 

10.

Effectiveness of the private landlords incentive scheme pdf icon PDF 300 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee received the report.

 

RESOLVED that the contents of the report and Appendix 1 be noted.

11.

Housing Commissioning Plan - 2016/17 addendum pdf icon PDF 312 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee received the report.

 

RESOLVED that

 

(a)  The progress against the Housing Committee Commissioning Plan in 2015/16 be noted;

 

(b)  The addendum to the Housing Commissioning Plan for 2016/17, having been reviewed by this Committee, be approved.

 

For (b) above

Against (b) above

Abstained (b) above

5

4

0

 

12.

Committee Forward Work Programme pdf icon PDF 226 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

RESOLVED that the Work Programme be noted.

13.

Any Other Items that the Chairman Decides are Urgent

Minutes:

None.