Council and democracy

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the Housing Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting held on 2 March 2022.

The minutes of the Housing Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on the 2 March 2022 were approved.

Councillor Worrall referred to the C01 - Redevelopment Update and questioned when this item was due back onto the work programme, officers agreed to take this away and report back to members.

To receive additional items that the Chair is of the opinion should be considered as a matter of urgency, in accordance with Section 100B (4) (b) of the Local Government Act 1972. To agree any relevant briefing notes submitted to the Committee.

There were no urgent items of business.

No interests were declared.

The report presented to Members summarised the strategic aims and objectives of the Housing Strategy 2022-2027. With the previous Housing Strategy being adopted in 2015, this had expired in 2020 to which this was the earliest opportunity to report back to committee. Since then, a lot had changed in regard to legislation, regulation, welfare and of course COVID. The Housing Strategy addressed a range of things not just the housing the Council owned. Two other critical documents, Housing Asset Management Strategy and Housing Resident Engagement Strategy, had been presented alongside the Housing Strategy to provide supplementary information. The Housing Strategy was evidence based and also aligned with and supported the work of the Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy. Members were briefed on the Housing Strategy aims and objectives, the objectives of the Housing Support and Services, the Housing Need, Protect Resident Safety and the Strengthening of Community Engagement and Empowerment. Members were also briefed on the Housing Asset Management Strategy that detailed how the Council would manage, maintain and invest in its assets and the aims of that strategy were highlighted to Members. Finally, an overview of the Housing Resident Engagement Strategy was presented to Members on the aims and ambitions of the Housing Strategy to improve its interaction and communication with those that lived in and around Thurrock.

Councillor Mayes thanked officers for the report.

Councillor Liddiard thanked officers for the very comprehensive report and although he agreed with the strategy, he questioned whether this was the time to discuss those areas that were not working as well as they should. Ryan Farmer stated between the time of the previous strategy and now some significant changes had been made with the most difference being the person-centred approach looking across all the services that families were accessing. Members agreed a comparison of changes should be provided by officers in the form a briefing note. 

Councillor Liddiard stated COVID had changed how residents had access to officers and how vital this was in resident engagement and questioned how this and how information being provided to residents could be provided.

Councillor Redsell thanked officers for the ambitious report and stated Council properties should be inspected more regularly than every six months and that work on garages was not being undertaken quickly enough. Councillor Redsell suggested “lock-ups” could be an alternative means of offering storage facilities to residents.

Councillor Worrall thanked officers for the work undertaken on the strategy and recommended as the strategy was a working document should be returned to committee more regularly to which Ryan Farmer stated as part of the monitoring and reviewing of the strategy an annual report would be provided to this committee.

At 7.26pm, Councillor Ononaji arrived at the meeting.

Councillor Worrall referred to the 373 new Council-owned homes to be delivered by 2027 and stated the Council needed to be more ambitious. Councillor Worrall questioned what consultation had been undertaken for Teviot Avenue and referred to the specific considerations for the needs of different identified  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

Members discussed the work programme.

Councillor Worrall requested that C01 - Redevelopment Updates item be a item on the work programme and will be added to the 29 September 2022 committee.

Councillor Redsell requested Mears be invited to a meeting to give members the opportunity to ask questions.

Councillor Redsell requested the item on Garage Project Updated be brought forward from the 22 November 2022 meeting. The Chair suggested that at this time, a briefing note would be more appropriate and asked Officers to provide.