Agenda item

Councillor Cathy Martyn (Cabinet Member for Housing and Public Safety), was in attendance and presented to the Committee a report summarising progress and performance in respect of the service areas within her portfolio of responsibility. The key objectives and role of the Cabinet Member for Housing and Public Safety is to:

1)    Provide the strategic direction for the management of all aspects of the Council’s social housing.

2)    Provide strategic direction to reduce and prevent homelessness where possible.

3)    Promote partnership engagement to address rough sleeping.

4)    Provide strategic leadership to promote safe public areas.

5)    Set the strategic vision for the Borough’s continuing social development.

6)    To work with other Cabinet Members to Manage Demand within the portfolio.

7)    Ensure that the Council's agreed priorities within the portfolio are delivered.

The Cabinet Member for Housing and Public Safety is responsible for delivering the following Pledges of Swindon’s Vision:

·         7. Build new affordable homes including 200 new council homes and 66 units through the Affordable Housing Development programme at sites including the Hawthorns, the Royal British Legion site in Penhill, Townsend House in Old Town and the Former Refuge in Park South.

·         8. Complete the redevelopment of Sussex Square.

·         26. To prevent homelessness where possible using additional measures including the temporary winter housing provision and enabling a day centre to prevent rough sleepers from returning to the streets.

The Cabinet Member for Housing and Public Safety also has delegated responsibility for:

·         Allocations and Advice Services

·         Empty Homes

·         Estate and Tenancy Management

·         Housing Enabling and Strategic Services

·         Homeline Services

·         Homelessness

·         Housing Right to Buy/Sales Services

·         Neighbourhood Wardens

·         Private Sector Housing Renovation Grants

·         Repair and Improvements to Council Housing Stock

·         Sheltered Accommodation

·         Environmental and Public Protection Services Gypsies, Travellers and Unauthorised Encampments

·         Reducing Drugs, Alcohol and Substance misuse

·         Control Room Operations

·         Reducing anti-social behaviour

·         Reducing domestic abuse

·         Community Safety Partnership

·         Licensing

·         Air Quality

Councillor Martyn, aided by the Director for Communities and Housing, the Interim Director of Public Health, the Head of Planning, Regulatory Services, Libraries and Heritage, the Head of Housing, the Licensing Manager, the Service Manager for Healthy Neighbourhoods and the Community Safety Team Leader, responded to questions put by Councillors Steve Allsopp,Emma Faramarzi, Jim Grant, Brian Mattock, Barbara Parry,Carol Shelley, Steve Weisinger and the Chair on the following matters:

·         How the law in England does not currently support the mandatory display of food scores by establishments but that the possibility of linking to the Food Standards Agency website, via the Council’s website, is being investigated so that residents have easy access to the data. The Committee agreed to write to the Swindon MPs to lobby for a change to this law.

·         The current restructuring of, and recruitment to, the Licensing Team (which is expected to be fully operational by the end of the current financial year) and how this will support the professional resilience of the team.

·         The compulsory training for new taxi license holders and applicants on issues of Child Sexual Exploitation, safeguarding and “county lines” activities, and the roll out of this training to the 1100+ existing license holders taking place over the next 18 months.

·         The report expected from the Department for Transport regarding in-car CCTV requirements for taxi drivers, which the Licensing Committee will consider before making a final decision on mandatory requirements in Swindon. The Committee noted that conditions are currently in place to which a driver wishing to voluntarily install CCTV in their vehicle has to adhere.  

·         How the prevention of public nuisance requirements can be in respect of odours and littering, as well as noise, when licenses for premises are being considered.

·         The involvement of In Swindon in bringing the Christmas Market stalls to the town centre this year.

·         How the Licensing Act 2003 will override the Public Space Protection Order currently in place in the town centre, and will allow for the sale of food and drink during the Christmas Market. The Committee noted that police colleagues had no objections to this proposal, and that additional waste collections for the site will be organised.  

·         How the amount of grant funding received from Homes England will affect the balance of the number of affordable versus social rent level homes built on the Queens Drive development.

·         How ‘affordable’ rents are set at 80% of the open market value (including service charges) and that individual developments will be assessed on a like for like basis using current market values at that time.

·         The Council’s ‘Green Light for Housing’ programme, which assists residents in being ready and aware of affordability issues before they are offered accommodation. The Committee noted that there is an open bidding system so residents are able to see in advance what the rent levels are.

·         The broad range of housing on offer within Swindon, particularly given the amount of socially rented stock owned by the Council. 

·         The ratio of the 146 affordable homes delivered through Housing Associations within the overall number of houses built in the first two quarters of 2019/2020, and whether this matches the Council’s stated 30% aspiration. It was agreed that a written analysis would be provided subsequent to the meeting. 

·         How development appraisals are weighted on the side of developers within the current British planning system.

·         The reviews of the Council’s Housing Association partners, undertaken every four to five years, which assesses: customer satisfaction; the ability and aspiration to develop; financial strength and management, and; the stock in Swindon.

·         The further improvements on collecting owed rent, which includes achieving ‘approved landlord’ status with the Department for Work and Pensions, and the development of in-house arrears progression system (a semi-automated messaging system aimed at preventing rent arrears from arising).

·         Engagement with the Council’s tenants on mitigating fire safety issues, and the advice being sought from the Fire Service on the ‘stay put and evacuate’ message.

·         The plethora of actions being taken across the Borough to improve air quality and reduce pollution.

·         How the general air quality across Swindon is good and all roads are within acceptable limits but there are some minor areas of future concern. It was agreed that the definition of what constitutes acceptable levels of air quality will be circulated subsequent to the meeting.

·         The difference between ‘particulates’ (from road dirt for example) as compared to ‘particles’ (like nitrogen dioxide from internal combustion engines), and the differing effects they have on health.

·         The time and costs involved in measuring air quality. It was agreed that the current list of measuring tube locations would be circulated subsequent to the meeting.

·         The legacy of under-reported housing repairs caused by historic difficulties and the actions being taken to create a smart and fast response for those tenants not using online systems. The Committee noted that the ‘My Tenancy’ portal will be relaunched with aim of reducing the stress on contact centre telephone lines.

·         The aspiration for tree planting nationally and how this can be incorporated in to the Swindon Community Forest Programme.

·         The public safety issues caused by tree roots raising paving slabs, and the actions being taken to mitigate future problems with more appropriate species being planted on sites.

·         The properties recovered as a consequence of tenants participating in illegal activities, and the plans to publicise these cases as a deterrent.

·         The rise in child abuse linked to faith groups, such as Female Genital Mutilation, and the preventative work being done in this area such as awareness-raising publicity campaigns.

·         The opportunities within the Housing Strategy for improving the key worker housing offer in Swindon.

·         The homelessness support provided to young people in Swindon, such as the performance related rough sleeper initiative, and the joint working on prevention planned for 2020 by children’s, adults and housing services.

·         The drug prevention work being done in Swindon and how accurately this can be measured given that, as an illegal activity, it has to be self-reported.

Resolved – (1) That Councillor Martyn be thanked for attending the meeting to present her performance report and for her full and open responses to members’ questions and observations on the issues raised.

(2) That the Chair, on behalf of the Committee, write to the Swindon MPs to lobby for a change to the law in England to enable the mandatory requirement for establishments to display their food score rating.

(3) That information requested by members during the course of the Committee’s consideration of this item be forwarded to them via the Committee Clerk.