Agenda and minutes

The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting of Scrutiny Board (Environment and Neighbourhoods.

To declare any personal / prejudicial interests for the purpose of Section 81 (3) of the Local Government Act 2000 and paragraphs 8 to 12 of the Members Code of Conduct.

The following personal interests were declared on Agenda item 10 – Minute 18:

·  Councillor B Anderson in his capacity as Chair of West/North West Homes

·  Councillor A Blackburn in her capacity as a Council Board Member on West/North West Homes.

·  Councillor  D Coupar in her capacity as a Member of Belle Isle Tenants

Management Organisation.

·  Councillor A Gabriel in her capacity as a Member of the Beeston Hill and Holbeck Residents Association.

·  Councillor D Hollingsworth in his capacity as a Council Board Member on East/North East Homes.

To receive any apologies for absence.

Apologies for absence were received on behalf of Councillors G Hyde and

A Ogilvie. 

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the last meeting held on 14^th June 2007.

(Minutes attached)

RESOLVED -  That the minutes of the last Scrutiny Board (Environment and Neighbourhoods) held on 14^th June 2007 be confirmed as a correct record.

To receive and note the minutes of the Executive Board meeting held on 4^th July 2007.

(Minutes attached)

RESOLVED -  That the minutes of the Executive Board meeting held on 4^th June 2007 be received and noted.

To receive and note the minutes of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting held on 4^th June 2007.

(Minutes attached)

RESOLVED – That the minutes of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting held on 4^th June 2007 be received and noted.

To receive a report of the Head of Scrutiny and Member Development on the opportunity to raise questions and issues with the Executive Board Member with responsibility for Neighbourhoods and Housing and the Executive Board Member with responsibility for Environmental Services, together with representatives from the Department of Environment and Neighbourhoods.

(Report attached)

The Head of Scrutiny and Member Development submitted a report which afforded Scrutiny Board Members the opportunity to put questions to the Executive Member with responsibility for Neighbourhoods and Housing portfolio.

Opening the session the Chair welcomed Councillor J L Carter and Mr Neil Evans, Director of Environment and Neighbourhoods to the meeting and he asked the Executive Board Member to briefly outline the current issues, pressures and opportunities facing his portfolio in the coming year.

The following issues were raised:

Housing  -  There is an ongoing priority to obtain decency and the need to secure sufficient funding. 

PFISwarcliffe and Holbeck Improvement Work  -  The recognition that such contracts were difficult to manage and the need to learn from this and past contracts, particularly in relation to tenant management. 

Gateway Review – Little London and Beeston Hill  -  The works for this scheme have gone well and it is anticipated that the scheme will be completed in October 2007. 

EASEL  -  Progress on this project was discussed. 

Affordable Housing  -  The Government’s green paper and the proposals therein in relation to affordable housing was discussed.  Particular issues discussed were land usage, definitions of affordability, the different schemes available to help house owners purchase properties.

The Executive Member suggested that this Scrutiny Board might like to consider further proposals within the Green Paper.

Community Safety – a broad ranging discussion was held around the Executive Member’s responsibilities in relation to community safety, particularly the following issues:

-  ‘Champion Operation’

-  Drugs and Rehabilitation.

-  PCSOs.

-  Tagging and the Early release of prisoners .

Choice Based Lettings -  A full debate took place on the current system of choice based lettings, other available means of letting and the relationship between letting policies and housing supply.  Members raised a number of concerns in relation to the current system.  The Executive Board member stated that he would welcome Scrutiny Board undertaking a full inquiry on this matter. 

Gypsies and Travellers -  The Executive Board Member informed the meeting that there is to be an independent review on this matter in the autumn.

Capital Receipts – A debate took place on the use and allocation of capital receipts.  The debate particularly focused on support for capital receipts being treated as ‘city receipts’ and the view that capital receipts in part or whole should stay within the ward in which they were generated.  Whilst not coming to any conclusions it was acknowledged that any review would require a review of all capital receipts generated and their contribution to capital developments as a whole.

Concluding the debate, the Chair thanked the Executive Board Member and the Director of Environment and Neighbourhoods for attending today’s meeting and commented on the fact that such an open and wide ranging discussion was good for the scrutiny function and transparent decision making.

RESOLVED - 

(a)  That all Members of Scrutiny Board (Environment and   Neighbourhoods) be supplied with a copy of the former boards inquiry   into Gypsy  ...  view the full minutes text for item 17.

To consider a report by the Head of Scrutiny and Member Development  together with the updates provided by the Department of Environment and Neighbourhoods following the inquiries into Anti Social Behaviour and Affordable Housing.  Members are asked to decide whether further scrutiny involvement is required on these inquiries.

The Head of Scrutiny and Member Development submitted a report following the recommendations from Overview and Scrutiny Committee to adopt a new, more robust system of recommendation tracking to ensure that Scrutiny recommendations were more rigorously followed through.

It was reported that each Scrutiny Board is to receive a quarterly report, coinciding with the quarterly presentation of performance information which will commence in September 2007.

Following the Chair’s request for an early update on the recommendations on

the inquiries made by the former Scrutiny Board (Neighbourhoods and Housing) into Anti Social Behaviour Intervention (2004/05) and the Affordable Housing (2005/06).  The Board was presented with an update on progress towards meeting these recommendations.

Julian Mayfield, Community Safety Manager and Ernie Gray, Housing Strategy Development Manager attended the meeting and responded to Members questions and comments in relation to their respective inquiry.

In brief, the main issues raised were:

-  Recommendation 3 and 4  relating to a system to prevent multiple   breaches of ASBOs.  In response the Officer informed the meeting that   more work was needed to ensure that the data was correct and that the   Department are looking at how these breaches are officially managed.  It   was announced that Members will receive an update on this issue at the   January 2008 meeting.

-  Recommendation 12 – Members to be kept informed of Anti-Social   Behaviour issues and activities within their Wards by Council department   and ALMOs within the constraints of the law.  Some Members informed   the meeting that they were not being kept informed.  In response, officers   assured the meeting that this matter would be investigated further and   would look at ways in which the information can be made more accessible.

  Members requested that some form of reminder should be sent out to

  Members with regard to those ASBOs in their own Wards.

RESOLVED - 

(a)  That the update on those recommendation provided by the Director of   Environment and Neighbourhoods be received and noted.

(b)  That a revision into the ways in which Members are notified with regard

  to Anti-Social Behaviour orders, especially multiple breaches be   investigated.

(c )  That this Board’s comments regarding the enforcement of Alcohol   Licences be passed on to the relevant officer.    

To note a report by the Head of Scrutiny and Member Development together with the formal responses provided by the Department of Environment and Neighbourhoods following the inquiry into Regeneration in Beeston Hill and Holbeck.

(Report attached)

The Head of Scrutiny and Member Development submitted a report attaching the formal responses provided by the Director of Environment and Neighbourhoods following this inquiry.

John Bracewell, Area Regeneration Officer – South Leeds attended the meeting and responded to Members’ questions and comments.

Members welcomed the positive response to the Board’s recommendations.

RESOLVED -  That the report and appendices be received and noted and be formally incorporated into the Recommendation Tracking system.

To consider a report by the Head of Scrutiny and Member Development on the Board’s current Work Programme (Appendix 1) and the Forward Plan of Key Decisions for July to October 2007 (Appendix 2).

(Report attached)

The Head of Scrutiny and Member Development submitted a report on the Board’s current work programme and the Forward Plan of Key Decisions for July to October 2007.

RESOLVED –

(a)  That the report and appendices be received and noted.

(b)  That the Principal Scrutiny Advisor be instructed to set up a Working   Group to draft terms of reference for an inquiry into Choice Based   Lettings to include:

  Councillors B Anderson, A Gabriel, D Hollingsworth and L Rhodes-  Clayton. 

Wednesday, 19^th September 2007 at 10.00 a.m.

(Pre-Meeting for Board Members at 9.320 a.m.)

Wednesday, 19^th September 2007 at 10.00 a.m. (Pre-meeting at 9.30 a.m.).

The Chair thanked everyone for their attendance.  The meeting concluded at approximately 12.15 p.m.