Issue - meetings

(a)       That the comments/observations of the Committee are fed back to the Corporate Resources Overview & Scrutiny Committee who are responsible for the overview and monitoring of improvement targets; and

(b)       That the forthcoming Forward Work Programme workshop include prioritising of the topics suggested.

The Director of Community Services introduced a report for the Committee to note and consider the 2012/13 Quarter 4 (January to March 2013)/Year End service performance reports, note the position of the Strategic Assessment of Risks and Challenges (SARC) and progress made against the Improvement Targets contained within the performance reports.

The Director gave a short presentation on performance, outlining work which had been undertaken to improve performance and areas where improvement was needed, as outlined within the report.

Councillor W.P. Shotton welcomed the improved result in rent collection, particularly in view of the impact of Welfare Reforms and asked whether the modelling of community based hubs had responded to the identified needs.  The Director replied that the hub services were bedding in but that further progress would be made.  The Supporting People Manager said it was acknowledged that the hubs would require a period of adjustment during transition and that information was being collated on needs assessment for the remaining hubs.  On the issue with the contractor, the Director reported that there had been a reduction in the number of concerns but that officers remained vigilant in enforcing robustly.  When asked about penalty clauses, the Housing Asset Manager explained that default notices had been issued to the contractor.  In response to a further question on Flintshire’s first Energy Company Obligation (ECO) scheme, which was one of the first in Wales, the Housing Renewal Manager confirmed that this related to external solid wall insulation.

Councillor R. Dolphin noted the downturn in dealing with urgent repairs during Quarter 4 despite achieving the target and said that tenants would pay attention to issues such as this.  On voids properties, she said that some tenants felt obliged to sign-off on properties rather than miss out.  She referred to an incident where a tenant moving into a void property had paid for their garden to be cleared and that Council officers had then refused to remove the garden waste.  She said that the previous tenant should have been charged for this before the new tenant moved into the property.  The Head of Housing asked if details could be provided following the meeting so that she could follow up.

Councillor J.E. Falshaw asked how many void properties had been brought back into use during the last year and commented on statistics from another Authority.  The Head of Housing advised that this was between 550-600 Council properties.  Information on private properties was contained in the report and around 33 available empty stock had been brought into use.  The Housing Renewal Manager said that the figures for Flintshire represented additional activity not related to Houses into Homes, for whilst the loans were being provided, the first properties had not yet been fully completed and occupied.  Responding to a comment on the allocation of additional funding, he explained that £2.3m had been apportioned to North Wales of which £550K was directed to Flintshire during the last financial year.

Councillor M.A. Reece referred to a property in his ward  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4