Overview and Scrutiny Committee - Thursday, 31st July, 2025 7.00 pm - Agenda and minutes

The Committee NOTED changes to the Membership of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, for the remainder of the 2025/26 Municipal Year, as set out below:

• Cllr C.P. Grattan to be appointed to the Committee in place of Cllr Abe Allen
• Cllr Dhan Sarki to be appointed as Standing Deputy for the Committee in place of Cllr C.P. Grattan

To confirm the Minutes of the Meeting held on 12th June, 2025 (copy attached).

The Minutes of the meeting held on 12th June 2025 were agreed as a correct record.

To receive an update from Zoe Paine, Housing Strategy and Enabling Officer, on progress with the Housing and Homelessness Prevention Strategy 2023-27. Jermaine Pinto, Housing Options Manager will be in attendance to answer any questions relating to the Housing Options Service.

The Portfolio Holder for Housing and Planning, Cllr Keith Dibble will also be in attendance.

The Committee welcomed Mrs Zoe Paine, Strategy and Enabling Manager, and Mr Jermiane Pinto, Housing Options Manager, who were in attendance to provide an update on the Housing and Homelessness Prevention Strategy 2023-27 as set out in Report No. PG2524. Cllr Keith Dibble, Housing and Planning Portfolio Holder, was also in attendance to answer Members’ questions.

It was noted that the Strategy, adopted by the Council in 2023, was an overarching way to deal with all housing matters. The Strategy supported the Council’s Homes for All priority and set out the approach to, housing delivery, homelessness prevention, and housing standards. The Committee were advised of the statutory duty to have a homelessness strategy and the good practice of having a published strategic approach to housing matters, to help underpin the operational work of the service.

The Strategy covered three themes, these included:

·         Theme 1 – increasing the supply of good quality homes for residents and prospective residents for every stage of life

·         Theme 2 – support residents to access affordable, well managed and maintained housing in the private and social sectors

·         Theme 3- work proactively to improve the condition and energy efficiency of housing in the Borough

A progress report was provided on each theme, which included:

·         Theme 1-

o   housing demand – 1,964 families were currently on the Homefinder list looking for a variety of different types of accommodation at affordable rents

o   officers were now sourcing private rented housing market data from local agents to help better assess local demand

o   £2billion was to be made available through planning reform and Government capital funding via the Social and Affordable Homes Programme (SAHP) aimed at helping deliver more homes – 60% of which would be social housing

o   introduction of new rent regimes for Registered Providers (RPs) and low interest loans

o   94 homes had been delivered in the last financial year with a further 236 to be delivered by April 2026

o   work was ongoing towards securing developments that would deliver affordable homes via S106 sites and with RPs to secure funding for non S106 sites – for example £7.5million had been secured for use on the Wellesley development for social and affordable rent properties

o   work was underway towards securing pathways for supported accommodation for street homeless individuals and safe temporary accommodation for homeless households to reduce the need to utilise bed and breakfast accommodation

·         Theme 2 –

o   the Council had achieved above the national average for homelessness prevention at 77.9% against 51.9% nationally

o   specialist staff had been recruited, including a domestic abuse worker and private rent and accommodation officer

o   the Communications team had a programme of work to engage with specific groups at risk of homelessness, this included addressing sever weather controls

o   work was underway with charities and faith groups to share expertise and enhance services to achieve positive outcomes

o   training was being provided to Members to inform how systems worked to assist with casework

o   work was underway with the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

To consider the Work Plan for the 2025/26 Municipal Year (copy attached).

The Committee noted the current Work Plan.

It was noted that a Special Meeting of the Committee had been scheduled for 4th September to carry out pre decision scrutiny on the Council’s response to Local Government Reorganisation prior to Cabinet on 16th September and the Full Council Meeting on 25th September, 2025. The Progress Group would follow up on this at their meeting on 13th August, 2025.

It was advised that the Police and Community Safety Team would be in attendance at the Meeting on 18th September, 2025. The Progress Group would scope the item at its meeting on 13th August, 2025.

The potential future items would also be considered at the Progress Group meeting.