Agenda and minutes

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 69 KB

Minutes:

The minutes of the meeting held on 27 June 2016 were agreed as a correct record.

2.

Absence of Members

Minutes:

None.

3.

Declarations of Members Disclosable Pecuniary Interests and Non-Pecuniary Interests

Minutes:

The following declarations were received:

 

Councillor McGuirk – Non-pecuniary interest in agenda item 8 (Annual Performance Review of Registered Providers) – social housing tenant;

 

Councillor Langleben - Non-pecuniary interest in agenda item 8 (Annual Performance Review of Registered Providers) – Member of West Hendon Estate Committee;

 

Councillor Houston: Non-pecuniary interest in agenda item 6 (Members Items), 7 (Key Worker Housing), 8 (Annual Performance Review of Registered Providers) – Council appointed representative on Barnet Homes Board.

4.

Report of the Monitoring Officer (if any)

Minutes:

None.

5.

Public Questions and Comments (if any) pdf icon PDF 104 KB

Minutes:

The Committee received written questions from Jasmin Parsons with regard to agenda items:

 

6. Members Items;

7. Key Worker Housing Strategy and Affordable Housing;

8. Annual Performance Review of Registered Providers.

 

Jasmine Parsons was also given the opportunity to ask supplementary questions and to make a public comment.

 

Officers were requested to provide Members with an update on adaptations on the West Hendon estate, both in terms of those completed and those due to be completed.

 

Officers were also requested to update Members on the health issues with regard to the West Hendon Estate.

 

RESOLVED that Officers be requested to provide updates to Members of the Committee in relation to the above.

 

 

6.

Members Item pdf icon PDF 241 KB

Minutes:

The Committee received the following Members Items:

 

Cllr Ross Houston

Increasing the supply of private rented housing at affordable levels using the council's wholly owned company

I request that the Housing Committee receives an update on plans by LB Barnet for Hillgreen Homes - the Council's wholly owned company - including whether it will be used for increasing the supply of private rented housing at affordable levels in Barnet.

RESOLVED that the item be noted and Councillor Houston be advised that ARG is the most appropriate Committee to consider this matter.

Cllr Kath McGuirk

Not-for-profit lettings agency

I request that the Housing Committee looks at London Boroughs like the London Borough of Islington, that have established not-for-profit lettings agencies, and considers the benefits and feasibility of the London Borough of Barnet doing the same.

RESOLVED that a report on this matter be submitted to a future meeting of this Committee.

ACTION: CATH SHAW/PAUL SHIPWAY

Cllr Adam Langleben

Best practice in delivering new housing through regeneration

 

The Council’s Housing Strategy sets out how regeneration schemes in Barnet will deliver over 29,000 new homes in the Borough by 2029. Increasing the supply of housing through regeneration has been controversial in Barnet, with already established communities in some cases feeling excluded from the process through lack of consultation and engagement, and feeling let down when agreed plans that affect them are changed.

 

The impact of regeneration on community cohesion has also been raised in a Member’s Item to Community Leadership Committee, and regular updates about community consultation on on-going projects are now being reported to the Assets, Regeneration and Growth Committee following a Member’s Item on the issue there.

 

In advance of the Mayor of London publishing London-wide best practice guidelines for regeneration, I request that the Housing Committee receives a report on:

 

·         the impact of regeneration schemes in Barnet on the delivery of the Committee’s commissioning plan, including whether regeneration in Barnet is meeting the aims of the Housing Strategy to truly deliver the maximum number of affordable homes possible in order to re-house existing tenants and residents

·         how regeneration has affected Barnet Homes’ leaseholders and secure / non-secure tenants,

·         best practice in other London Boroughs, like the London Borough of Islington and the London Borough of Haringey, including their policy on re-housing existing tenants on a like-for-like basis in regeneration schemes,

·         how the process from start to finish can be improved by learning from mistakes made in the West Hendon estate regeneration.

 

I therefore request that the Housing Committee considers this Member’s Item and further request a report at a future meeting in order to make any recommendations on these issues to the Assets, Regeneration and Growth Committee to assist in developing a London Borough of Barnet best practice check list for future regeneration projects.

 

RESOLVED that a report be submitted to a future meeting of the Housing Committee on the matters detailed above, with the exception of the item on West Hendon Estate (Members to be provided with the reports  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

7.

Referral from Full Council - Key Worker Housing Strategy and Affordable Housing pdf icon PDF 278 KB

Minutes:

The Committee received the referral.

 

RESOLVED that

 

1.    The referral be noted;

 

2.    A report on Key Worker Housing be submitted to a future meeting of this Committee.

 

 

8.

Annual Performance Review of Registered Providers (RPs) pdf icon PDF 261 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee received the report.

 

Members requested that:

 

1.    The possibility of Barnet Homes sharing their good practices with other registered providers be investigated;

2.    The issue of subsidised rents for residents moving across with regard to the West Hendon Estate be clarified;

3.    The direction Genesis are taking be clarified;

 

Concerns were also raised about the low satisfaction rate of Family Mosaic.

 

Cath Shaw, Director for Commissioning and also a non-executive board member and Vice-Chairman of Family Mosaic reported that Family Mosaic had parted company with their repairs company and were now engaging new partners, to increase performance.

 

Finally Members queried if Notting Hill Should still be included on the list, as they no longer accepted incomes below £29,000.

 

Officers replied that they would not expect Notting Hill to remain on the list.

 

RESOLVED that

 

1.    The report be noted;

 

2.    Officers be requested to brief Members of the Committee on the points raised in 1-3 above.

 

 

9.

Low Cost Home Ownership in Barnet pdf icon PDF 287 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

 

The Committee received the report.

 

Officers were requested to provide a briefing for Members of the Committee on the comparison of building costs in the area against increases in income since 2012.

 

It was also requested that the possibility of introducing a rent to buy scheme be investigated and included in the report back on Key Worker Housing.

 

RESOLVED that

 

1.    The report be noted;

 

2.    Officers be requested to provide a briefing for Members of the Committee on the comparison of building costs in the area against increases in income since 2012;

 

10.

Committee Work Programme Report pdf icon PDF 226 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

RESOLVED that

 

1.    The Work Programme be noted;

 

2.    A report on Local Lettings be added to the Work Programme for consideration at the February 2017 meeting.

 

11.

Any Other Items that the Chairman Decides are Urgent

Minutes:

None.