Issue - meetings

To seek approval from Cabinet for the adoption of the Mobility Vehicle Policy having been recommended by the Housing Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting held on 17 March 2025.

Purpose of report

To seek approval from Cabinet for the adoption of the Mobility Vehicle Policy having been recommended by the Housing Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting held on 17 March 2025.

Decision

That Cabinet:

1. Approves the draft Mobility Vehicle Policy.

2. Delegates authority to make minor amendments to the policy, as required by changes to regulation or legislation to the Director of Housing and Projects, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Housing.

3. Undertakes a review of the new Policy within 12 months.

Alternative options considered and rejected

Option 1 – do nothing. Cabinet could have chosen not to implement this policy and the Mobility Vehicle Registration Scheme. The implication of this would have been continued fire, safeguarding and health and safety risks.

Option 2 – implement this policy but not implement the outside designated storage and charging facilities at the sheltered housing schemes. The implication of this would have been a reliance upon indoor designated storage and charging facilities at the sheltered housing schemes; some schemes had insufficient storage for the number of mobility scooters.

Reasons for the decision

To ensure the Council complied with legislation regarding fire, health and safety risks and provided a clear policy framework for tenants and leaseholders.

The creation of a Policy began as part of a far larger piece of work on 36 sheltered housing schemes. It became apparent that there were unusual ways of charging mobility scooters and consequently it was determined that a policy was required.

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 required that fire risks in common areas are assessed, and actions taken to reduce these risks. In residential buildings, mobility scooter and other battery powered vehicle fires could pose a risk to safety and life of tenants, leaseholders, employees, firefighters, and others, when stored in communal areas and/or evacuation routes.

A review of the mobility scooter storage facilities at the Council sheltered housing schemes across the district established that many scooters were being stored and charged inside schemes or externally and adjacent to buildings, causing unacceptable fire and health and safety risks. The residents were using the Council’s electricity supply (at no additional charge to the owner of each scooter). Furthermore, mobility vehicles were being stored in locations obstructing fire escape routes. Finally, officers reported that some mobility scooters were being charged outside via an extension cable through the window of resident accommodation which presented a further fire risk.

The number of scooters and other battery-operated vehicles would continue to increase, therefore it was essential to put a policy in place.

A Mobility Scooter Policy was first developed in 2021, and a widespread consultation took place. The policy had been revised since then and now encompassed other battery-operated mobility vehicles and was now the Mobility Vehicle Policy. The policy was presented to the Housing Overview and Scrutiny Committee (OSC) in March 2025, and consultation took place on this during August/September 2025. All tenants in the sheltered housing corridor schemes and a sample of other sheltered housing and general  ...  view the full minutes text for item 62