GREEN GROUP AMENDMENT

NOTICE OF MOTION

housing repairs backlog

That the motion be amended as shown in bold italics.

This Council:

1. Recognises that the successive lockdowns have created a significant backlog of housing repairs to work through, however notes that this backlog needs to be cleared urgently, non-essential repairs need to be addressed, the 28-day target must be met, and the department should be recruited to full capacity; and notes

· That this backlog needs to be cleared urgently

·  that non-essential repairs need to be addressed

·  the current steps being taken to bring the team up to full capacity in order that the 28-day target is met

· That the backlog figures have been regularly reported to Housing Committee as part of the quarterly updates.

Council therefore nevertheless calls for:

1.       An urgent officer report to be brought to the next full Housing Committee in November;

2.       For this report to update reiterate to Councillors on what the steps being taken to clear repairs backlog and hit targets of service delivery for residents;

3.       For this report to include steps to improve customer communication on progress with repairs;

4.       If possible, within the time available, for this report to also identify key lessons that can be learned from local authorities such as Stoke-on-Trent who have in-sourced their housing repairs services and are already delivering improvements for residents but having due regard to the fact that the move of the housing repairs team from Mears into BHCC coincided almost exactly with the onset of a global pandemic.

          Proposed by: Cllr Hugh-Jones                     Seconded by: Cllr Gibson

Recommendation if carried to read:

This Council:

1. Recognises that the successive lockdowns have created a significant backlog of housing repairs to work through, and notes

· That this backlog needs to be cleared urgently

·  that non-essential repairs need to be addressed

·  the current steps being taken to bring the team up to full capacity in order that the 28-day target is met

· That the backlog figures have been regularly reported to Housing Committee as part of the quarterly updates.

Council nevertheless calls for:

1.       An officer report to be brought to the next full Housing Committee in November;

2.       For this report to reiterate to Councillors the steps being taken to clear repairs backlog and hit targets of service delivery for residents;

3.       For this report to include steps to improve customer communication on progress with repairs;

4. If possible, within the time available, for this report to also identify key lessons that can be learned from local authorities such as Stoke-on-Trent who have in-sourced their housing repairs services and are already delivering improvements for residents but having due regard to the fact that the move of the housing repairs team from Mears into BHCC coincided almost exactly with the onset of a global pandemic.