Issue - items at meetings - Tenancy Strategy 2013

Report of Strategic Director, Place

59.1         RESOLVED

(1) That Housing Committee approves the Tenancy Strategy 2013 (Appendix 1 in the report).

(2) That Housing Committee delegates authority to the Directors and Heads of Service to take all steps necessary or incidental to the implementation and delivery f the Tenancy Strategy 2013.

(3) That the Tenancy Strategy be passed to Area Panels for their comments and suggestions, and for the Strategic Director Place to report back to Housing Committee after that for those comments and suggestions to be considered.

59.1         The Committee considered the report of the Strategic Director Place on the Tenancy Strategy 2013. The Localism Act 2011 makes it a statutory duty for each local authority to produce and publish a strategic Tenancy Strategy that will guide providers of social housing in the development of their Tenancy Policies.

59.2         Councillor Mears thanked officers for the report, but was concerned that the draft Strategy had not been to either the Area Panels or Housing Management Consultative Sub Committee (HMCSC) for their comments. The Head of Housing said that consultation had taken place with tenants 18 months ago, working groups had been held with tenants, and Housing Associations consulted and their comments and suggestions had been included in the draft Strategy. Councillor Mears said she recalled consultation taking place, but since then there had been a change of councillors and tenant reps and felt that for openness and transparency the Strategy should be passed back to Area Panels. The Head of Housing said that the proper route for consultation had taken place and that the Housing Committee was the correct body to approve the Tenancy Strategy, however if the Chair wanted the report to go the Area Panels and/or HMCSC it could .

59.3         Councillor Farrow suggested the matter could be deferred to a later meeting, and asked when the deadline for agreeing the Tenancy Strategy was. The solicitor said that the Strategy should have been prepared and published by 15 January 2013. A number of Councillors were concerned that the deadline had already been missed and asked why it had not come to an earlier meeting of the Housing Committee. The Head of Housing said that the consultation process had been undertaken and the earliest meeting it could be considered at was the meeting being held today. Councillor Jarrett suggested that as the deadline had already passed, that the Strategy could be reviewed again by tenants and then come back to a future meeting of the Housing Committee. The Chair said she was happy for the Strategy to go back to tenants.

59.4         Councillor Davey suggested that given the timeframe, the Committee consider and possibly approve the Strategy now and then Area Panels could be asked to look again at the Strategy in due course. Any comments/suggestions could be considered at a future meeting of the Housing Committee. That suggestion was agreed.      

59.5         RESOLVED

(1) That Housing Committee approves the Tenancy Strategy 2013 (Appendix 1 in the report).

(2) That Housing Committee delegates authority to the Directors and Heads of Service to take all steps necessary or incidental to the implementation and delivery f the Tenancy Strategy 2013.

(3) That the Tenancy Strategy be passed to Area Panels for their comments and suggestions, and for the Strategic Director Place to report back to Housing Committee after that for the comments and suggestions to be considered.