Agenda item

The Cabinet Member for Housing presented the regular housing compliance report which gave the status of the compliance figures in relation to the Council’s landlord function.  Legionella, asbestos, fire risk assessments and lift inspections were all at 100%. 

Gas safety inspections were at 99.24%.

Although the electrical inspections had increased to 93.51% there continued to be problems with gaining access to complete electrical certificate inspections.  As with gas, the legal route would be a last resort but in situations where tenants failed to allow access, the Council needed to take all reasonable steps to inspect these properties and ensure that safety standards were maintained. 

It was hoped that a proposed amendment to the Repairs Policy, whereby non-urgent repairs to properties would not be undertaken until a safety certificate was in place, would help with the situation.  The Director of Housing and Projects stated that work would be undertaken with the Tenancy Team because as part of the Tenancy Agreement, tenants did have to give the council access to their property to carry out required works.  Letters would be sent out to those tenants refusing access due to the importance of carrying out the safety compliance work.

A question was asked about the Damp and Mould compliance figures and what work was being carried out.  The Cabinet Member for Housing stated that the Council had voluntarily added Damp and Mould to the compliance checks.  Damp and mould issues had been looked at previously, but now the Council had a dedicated Team who were working through the damp and mould cases and were making progress even though more were coming in daily.

The Director of Housing and Projects stated that as well as the Damp and Mould Team there was also a Senior Team that looked at Damp and Mould cases fortnightly.  All jobs were booked in by the Repairs Team or the Council’s contractor and the Committee would be kept informed of progress.  It was noted that the Council received around 15 reports of Damp and Mould cases a week.   Surveys were carried out by the Damp and Mould team and remedial work booked in when contractors had capacity to carry out work to fit vents.  Next year new legislation would come into effect which would give strict timelines for work to be carried out which was why processes were being put in place now.

Discussion on the compliance figures followed. Comments were made in respect of the graphs which currently were not useful in their context and it was stated that perhaps a 12 month period would be more helpful.  A question was asked about the proposed changes to the Repairs Policy in respect of non-urgent repairs was this currently being done.  The Director of Housing and Projects stated that this was not currently happening as there was nothing presently in any of the Council’s policies. 

One Member asked about work to educate people in respect of Damp and Mould and how this is created.  The Head of Technical Services, (Housing), indicated that work was currently being done on leaflets.  The Member asked if these could be circulated once they were ready.

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That the Committee be circulated with the leaflets in respect of Damp and Mould once they were available.

The Cabinet Member for Housing stated that information on damp and mould was reproduced regularly in the Skyline magazine which was circulated to tenants.

Members noted the current compliance figures.