Decision - Annual report to council tenants and leaseholders 2013

7.1  The Committee considered the report of the Executive Director Environment Development and Housing regarding the Annual Report to council tenants and leaseholders. Ms Dafe, Head of Income Involvement & Improvement, presented the report. A colour copy of the draft Annual Report was provided at the meeting.

7.2  Councillor Farrow noted that under the heading ‘What we have done’, it said that there had been an increased use of social media to reply to enquiries, and he thought that that was a good way to interact with tenants and leaseholders. The Chair agreed and said that recently young people, who were being consulted about matters in the Whitehawk estate, had been asked to vote on issues via both Facebook and text message and it had proved very popular. 

7.3 Councillor Peltzer Dunn said that there was an assumption that all leaseholders were council tenants, and asked if the next report could have a paragraph on the Authority’s duty to leaseholders who weren’t council tenants.

7.4 Councillor Kennedy thanked officers for the report and said that it was clear and easy to understand.

7.5 Councillor Barnett noted that the Authority were developing a pet policy in line with RSPCA advice on promoting responsible pet ownership in council properties, and asked if the policy would be rolled out across the city. Ms Dafe said that the policy was currently being consulted on, and an update would be provided to the committee in due course.

7.6 Councillor Mears referred to Mutual Exchange Criteria and asked if the Committee could have a briefing on the current criteria. The Chair agreed that would be provided.   

7.7 Councillor Mears noted that the draft Annual Report was being considered by the Housing Management Consultative Sub Committee (HMCSC) and the Housing Committee before being looked at by tenants, and said that that was wrong and tenants should see the draft report first. Councillor Kennedy said that the draft report had been thoroughly discussed at the HMSCS meeting and all the tenants’ views had been incorporated. Ms Dafe added that tenants were on the editorial board and had assisted in preparing the draft report.

7.8RESOLVED – That the Housing Committee approved the Annual Report to council tenants and leaseholders 2013 for publication and distribution to all council tenants and leaseholders in the summer edition of Homing In.