Agenda item

(a)       That the report be received; and

(b)       That the comments about the layout and style of the report be collated and sent to the Policy Unit.   

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 April to September 2013. 

                        He explained that the new style Improvement Plan adopted by the Council in June 2013 was aligned to the new three year Outcome Agreement and focussed on the priorities which were expected to have the most impact during 2013/14.  In addition to the Improvement Plan Monitoring Report, bi-annually performance highlight reports would be presented from the Heads of Service.  The five sub-priority reports were included as appendices to the report and a short presentation on each of the areas was provided as follows:- 

• Extra Care Housing – Director of Community Services
• Modern, Efficient and Adapted Homes - Head of Housing
• Achieve the Wales Housing Quality Standard – Housing Asset Manager
• Welfare Reform - Community Support Services Manager
• Fuel Poverty - Housing Renewal Manager

Councillor George Hardcastle thanked the officers for the report.  He queried the initials used in the tables and highlighted pages 56 and 57 as an example.  He also queried why the future actions section on page 56 was blank.  Councillor Dave Mackie said that it had been proposed that a workshop be held to look at the layout of the new style Improvement Plan reports.  The Director of Community Services said that the comments made about the style and layout of the reports could be forwarded onto the Policy Unit.  In response to the question from Councillor Hardcastle, he explained that the gross score for the risk about ensuring that the Council prevent delays in planning approvals for affordable housing developments was amber and that with the current action which was identified in the report, the score would change to green; a future action was therefore not required. 

Councillor Alison Halford queried whether the previous system of Red/Amber/Green (RAG) and up/down arrows had now been replaced with this system.  The Head of Housing explained that the Mid Year Performance Report (item 6 on this agenda) had been produced in the traditional format.  She agreed that the risk information contained in this report had not been clear and that a simpler system needed to be developed. 

In response to a question from Councillor Halford about whether the 3% target referred to on page 59 was about void properties, the Head of Housing explained that this was to do with private sector empty properties not Council housing; she gave assurance that the year end target would be achieved.      

                        Councillor Halford also queried whether schemes for insulating properties also applied to landlords of private rented properties.  In response the Housing Renewal Manager explained that if it was a solid walled property, schemes with a proportion of funding were available and he provided further information on the schemes.  He also assured Members that the more challenging target of 6% which had been set for retuning empty properties back in to use had already been exceeded.   

                        Councillor Ron Davies referred to the Extra Care Housing at Llys Eleanor, which he said was a great facility, and asked that his thanks be passed on to the Manager.  Councillor Amanda Bragg referred to page 49 and asked where the two further extra care schemes which were currently being taken through the procurement process were to be sited.  The Director of Community Services responded that these would be in Holywell and Flint but sites had not yet been chosen.  Councillor Gareth Roberts said that it was important to include local Members when choosing sites due to their local knowledge of the areas. 

                        Councillor Brian Lloyd asked if there had been an increase in the Council housing stock due to tenants in Council properties moving to Llys Jasmine or Llys Eleanor.  The Head of Housing responded that she could undertake some analysis and report back to the Committee. 

            RESOLVED:

(a)       That the report be received; and

(b)       That the comments about the layout and style of the report be collated and sent to the Policy Unit.