Agenda and minutes

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

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

Items
No. Item

1.

Minutes of the Previous Meeting pdf icon PDF 73 KB

Minutes:

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 23 October 2017, be agreed as a correct record.

2.

Absence of Members

Minutes:

None.

3.

Declarations of Members Disclosable Pecuniary Interests and Non-Pecuniary Interests

Minutes:

Councillor Arjun Mittra

Non-pecuniary interests:

 

7. Annual Review of Council Dwelling Rents;

8.Barnet Homes 2018/19 Delivery Plan;

9.Draft Corporate Plan 2018/19.

 

Mother a Barnet Homes Tenant.

Councillor Adam Langleben

Non-pecuniary interest:

 

7. Annual Review of Council Dwelling Rents

 

Trustee of West Hendon Community Estate       Trust Fund.

 

 

Councillor Ross Houston

Non-pecuniary interests:

 

7. Annual Review of Council Dwelling Rents;

8.Barnet Homes 2018/19 Delivery Plan;

9.Draft Corporate Plan 2018/19;

10.Proposed Monetary Penalties for Offences Related to Letting and Property Management Agents.

 

Council appointed Board Member, Barnet Group.

 

4.

Report of the Monitoring Officer (if any)

Minutes:

None.

5.

Public Questions and Comments (if any)

Minutes:

None.

6.

Proposed monetary penalties for offences related to letting and property management agents pdf icon PDF 293 KB

Minutes:

The Chairman changed the running order, to consider this item before item 6.

 

The Committee received the report.

 

RESOLVED that

 

1.         the Committee approve the London Borough of Barnet Trading Standards Team to impose monetary penalties in relation to the Consumer Rights Act and The Redress Schemes for Lettings Agency Work and Property Management Work Requirement to

Belong to a Scheme etc) (England) Order 2014;

 

2.         the Committee agree that any monetary penalties received in connection with the above offences be used to fund the cost of enforcing the legislation;

 

3.         The Trading Standards Department be tasked to create a policy to be followed in relation to these penalties, in consultation with the Deputy Chief Executive and Chairman of this Committee.

7.

Members' Items (if any) pdf icon PDF 263 KB

Minutes:

The Committee received the following Members Item:

 

Councillor Ross Houston

 

Barnet’s Housing Needs Assessment

 

Councils have a vital role to play in boosting homes for families

in need and solving our housing crisis. The borrowing cap on

local authorities restricts the number of new homes that local

authorities can deliver.

 

The November Budget did not abolish or raise the local authority

borrowing cap however it did allow councils in some “high

demand areas” to apply to have their cap lifted.

 

To maximise the effectiveness of an application by Barnet we

will rely on our housing needs data. As the last housing needs

assessment dates from 2014 I ask that the committee authorise a

new assessment so that Barnet is best placed to have the evidence

base to make a successful application.

 

RESOLVED that the above request be agreed and incorporated within the Housing Strategy.

8.

Annual Review of Council Dwelling Rents and Service Charges for 2018/19 pdf icon PDF 301 KB

Minutes:

The Committee received the report.

 

RESOLVED that

 

1.    the proposed rent decrease in line with Government policy for existing Council tenants as set out in paragraph 1.6 to take effect from 1 April 2018 be approved;

 

 

2.   the proposed increase in service charges as set out in paragraph 1.8 to take effect from 1 April 2018 be approved.

9.

Barnet Homes 2018/19 Delivery Plan pdf icon PDF 252 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee discussed this item in tandem with agenda item 9 – Draft Corporate Plan 2018/19 addendum. However, separate votes were taken on the two items.

 

Members raised the following issues:

 

1.    Care Leavers with Council Tax Arrears

 

Members asked if there were triggers in place as there were with rent arrears. Officers replied that there was not currently a process for cross referencing with Council Tax arrears. However, Officers would look at this and come back to Committee if there was a problem with Council Tax arrears.

 

2.    Impact of Housing Policy on Children

 

Members asked why this wasn’t incorporated in the Corporate Plan.

 

The Chairman requested that the Housing Strategy be refreshed to incorporate this or a separate paper be submitted to this Committee in October 2018 regarding the impact of Housing Policy on children.

 

3.    Non-Secure “TA” Tenants Moving from Regeneration Properties into other Regeneration Properties

 

Members requested to understand how many and on how many occasions non-secure “TA” tenants have moved from Regeneration properties into other Regeneration properties. It was agreed that this should sit in the most appropriate plan as a ‘monitor only’ indicator

 

The Committee voted as follows on approving the Barnet Homes 2018/19 Delivery Plan as follows:

 

For

5

Against

0

Abstained

4

 

RESOLVED that the Barnet Homes 2018/19 Delivery Plan be approved.

10.

Draft Corporate Plan 2018/19 addendum pdf icon PDF 481 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Committee had already discussed this issue in tandem with the Barnet Homes Delivery Plan.

 

Having considered the Draft Corporate Plan 2018/19 addendum, the Committee took a vote on recommending the Draft Corporate Plan 2018/19 addendum as drafted to Policy and Resources Committee on 13 February 2018:

 

For

5

Against

0

Abstained

4

 

RESOLVED that the Draft Corporate Plan 2018/19 addendum, as drafted, be recommended to Policy and Resources Committee on 13 February 2018.

11.

Committee Forward Work Programme pdf icon PDF 195 KB

Minutes:

Noted.

12.

Any Other Items that the Chairman Decides are Urgent

Minutes:

None.

13.

Vote of Thanks

Minutes:

The Vice-Chairman thanked the Chairman for his conduct of the Committee over the past year.