To receive a report from the Service Manager for Safer Communities.

The Chairman welcomed Emily Spicer, Assistant Director (Wellbeing and Community Leadership) and Jon Challen, Safer Communities Service Manager to present Members with the South and East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership Private Sector Housing Strategy, pages 101 to 124 of the Agenda refer.

Members received a tabled briefing note which provided guidance and definitions for the Housing Health and Safety Ratings System (a copy is attached at Appendix E to the Minutes).

Members were advised that the purpose of the report was to set the context as to how the Council intended to meet the Private Sector Housing challenges and opportunities confronting the service and to set out the key priorities for action and delivery.

Members were advised that the strategy set out the strategic direction for Private Sector Housing within the South and East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership sub region and that priorities would focus on:

 • Raising standards in the private sector, paying particular attention to ensuring fire safety in Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMO) and removing or reducing serious hazards across both single and multiple households.

• Working with private landlords to encourage and support them to improve standards and increase the supply of affordable accommodation.

• Taking robust action against landlords who failed to remedy hazards, licence HMOs or comply with property management regulations.

• Maximise existing housing stock by focused interventions to return empty homes to use with the development of an Empty Homes Policy.

Councillor William Gray, as Portfolio Holder for Communities and Better Ageing spoke in support of the strategy of aligning standards across the Partnership to provide a consistent approach across the sub-region which would improve housing standards for East Lindsey’s residents.

Members were invited to put their comments and questions forward.

·         A Member voiced concerns with the increased potential for homelessness and queried whether the Council had any plans to encourage unused properties to be reutilised.  In response, the Safer Communities Service Manager advised Members that a push for the re-occupation of empty homes had decreased over the past ten years and that further changes were on the horizon.  Members were assured that ELDC was developing and bringing forward new operational policies such as the Empty Homes Policy.

·         A Member queried whether a team was in place to trace the ownership of empty properties.  In response, the Safer Communities Service Manager advised Members that the Empty Homes Policy would bring forward a range of options for consideration by the Partnership including whether to undertake compulsory purchasing or to adopt grant schemes.  Members were advised that Housing Standards officers were assisting with the work and that at present the Council did not have the resources for a dedicated team.

The Assistant Director (Wellbeing and Community Leadership) supported that a consistent approach was needed and further advised Members that the Revenues and Benefits Team had also undertaken investigation of properties which paid single occupancy Council Tax rates.

·         A Member queried whether a list of unoccupied properties was available.  In response, the Safer Communities Service Manager advised Members that a list was maintained and detailed what was necessary to bring any unoccupied properties back into use. 

No further comments or questions were received.

The Vice-Chairman thanked Emily Spicer, Assistant Director, Wellbeing and Community Leadership and Jon Challen, Safer Communities Service Manager for their report.

Following which it was,

RESOLVED:

That the Customer Feedback Policy be noted and presented to the Executive Board for approval.

N.B Emily Spicer, Assistant Director (Wellbeing and Community Leadership) and Jo Challen, Safer Communities Service Manager left the Meeting at 12.09pm.