Issue - meetings

(a)       That the report be received; and

(b)       That feedback be provided to the Corporate Resources Overview & Scrutiny Committee.

The Director of Community Services introduced the report for the Committee to note and consider elements of the 2013/14 Mid Year Improvement Plan Monitoring Report relevant to the Committee for the period October to December 2013.

The Director and Head of Housing each gave a short presentation on performance within each of the sub-priority areas, highlighting work which had been undertaken to improve performance and areas where improvement was needed, as outlined within each report.

Extra Care Housing

The Director reported that the Llys Jasmine complex had been shortlisted for the UK Housing Awards in the large development category, for consideration later in the month.  He went on to confirm that £550K was being made available from Welsh Government (WG) Intermediate Care Funding towards the development of two more extra care developments in Flint and Holywell.

In welcoming plans to develop further facilities following the success of Llys Eleanor and Llys Jasmine, Councillor Rosetta Dolphin asked how these would be publicised.  The Director said that events would be held locally to advertise the benefits of these types of facilities, however word of mouth about the quality of service had helped to quickly fill places available at the two current sites.

Councillor Hilary Isherwood spoke about a need for facilities in all of the Council’s wards and suggested that consideration of residents in surrounding areas should be built into the planning process for future developments to ensure that neighbouring properties were not overlooked.  The Director said that there had been local Member representation on the Board and that consideration had been given to the wider community.  When asked about the cost to individuals wishing to take up extra care provision such as Llys Jasmine, the Facilitator agreed to re-circulate details of costs.

In response to comments on plans for a facility in Holywell, the Director confirmed that plans to identify an appropriate site were underway and that all suggestions on potential sites had been evaluated.

Following a comment from Councillor Gareth Roberts, the Director confirmed that mixed tenure was part of the model, however demand for purchasing units was currently low across North Wales.

Councillor Brian Lloyd asked if priority was given to Council tenants as this would free up housing stock for allocation to others.  The Head of Housing said that many Council tenants had been accepted into Llys Jasmine as they had met the necessary qualification criteria for extra care.

Modern, Efficient and Adapted Homes

In response to a query from Councillor George Hardcastle on the 29 empty homes which had been brought back into use during the period, the Performance Support Manager replied that these were a mix of 2-3 bedroom properties which had remained empty for at least six months.

Councillor Peter Curtis referred to a recent local press article which had raised concerns about page 10 of the revised Tenancy Agreement.  The Neighbourhood Housing Manager explained that the changes had reflected the existing legal rights of tenants in terms of managing their properties.  She  ...  view the full minutes text for item 62