Agenda and minutes

The Chair welcomed everyone to the March meeting of the Scrutiny Board (Housing and Regeneration).

To identify items which have been admitted to the agenda by the Chair for consideration.

(The special circumstances shall be specified in the minutes.)

There were no formal late items of business to consider, however the Chair agreed to accept the following as supplementary information:-

·  Executive Board – Minutes of a Meeting held on 13^th March 2013

(Agenda Item 9)(Minute 109 refers)

The document was not available at the time of the agenda despatch, but made available to the public on the Council’s website.

To disclose or draw attention to any disclosable pecuniary interests for the purposes of Section 31 of the Localism Act 2011 and paragraphs 13-16 of the Members’ Code of Conduct.

There were no disclosable pecuniary and other interests declared at the meeting.

To receive and apologies for absence and notification of substitutes.

Apologies for absence were received on behalf of Councillors J Cummins and G Wilkinson.

Notification had been received for Councillor M Lyons to substitute for Councillor J Cummins.

To confirm as a correct record, the minutes of the meeting held on 26^th February 2013.

RESOLVED – That the minutes of the meeting held on 26^th February 2013 be confirmed as a correct record.

To receive and consider a report from the Director of Environment and Neighbourhoods outlining the strengths and areas for development in relation to the Housing and Regeneration Strategic Partnership Board.

The report of the Head of Scrutiny and Member Development referred to the remit of the Scrutiny Board to act as the ‘critical friend’ to the Housing and Regeneration Strategic Partnership Board.  In doing so, the Board was asked to consider the strengths of this particular Partnership Board and also identify potential areas for development.  To assist the Scrutiny Board, a background report was also provided by the Housing and Regeneration Board entitled ‘Scrutiny Inquiry – Strategic Partnership Boards - Report of the Director of Environment and Neighbourhoods’.

 The following representatives were in attendance and responded to Members’ queries and comments:-

-  Councillor P Gruen, Executive Member, Neighbourhoods, Planning and Support Services

-  Councillor R Lewis, Executive Member, Development and the Economy

-  Mr Martin Farrington, Director of City Development

-  Ms Christine Addison, Chief Regeneration Officer/Acting Chief Asset Management Officer, City Development

-  Ms Maggie Gjessing, Housing Investment Manager, City Development

Prior to presenting the report, the Director of City Development conveyed an apology received from Neil Evans, Director of Neighbourhoods and Housing.

The Director of City Development introduced the report and highlighted and commented on the challenge of achieving growth in the current housing market. He stated that 3,828 housing units had been delivered in 2008/09 but this had fallen to 1,700 in 2010/11 and had risen to 1,931 in 2011/12. However, the latest figure of 1,200 houses delivered in 2012/13 was only 52% of what the target was in the Council’s core strategy and therefore there were significant areas of improvement to be made. Whilst the Council had significant influence it was not within its power to deliver the homes required. As the Council is the lead agency, the largest land owner and the planning and highways authority it has considered how it could facilitate housing growth. To this end it had developed a series of initiatives and mechanisms including the

• development of the brownfield land programme
• older peoples housing and care programme
• facilitation of self-build schemes
• reviewed its policies on affordable housing

Finally, the Director of City Development referred to the membership of the Housing and Regeneration Strategic Partnership Board and in particular to the importance of having Building Society representation on the Board as mortgage access was one of the key factors to housing growth. 

The Chief Regeneration Officer gave the Board a brief update on the  background and membership of the Housing and Regeneration Strategic Partnership Board. She stated that the strength of the Board was the range of its members but advised the meeting that it remained difficult to engage the private sector in its work. Specific reference was made to the

• work of the board’s Sub Groups, namely the East Leeds Regeneration Board and the Housing Forum
• Council’s City Priority Plan target for affordable housing in 2012/13 of 525 and the likely outcome of just under 500 affordable homes being delivered
• target set for reducing the number of empty properties by 2,200 and the likely outcome being 2,300
• various energy efficiency targets  ...  view the full minutes text for item 107.

To receive and consider a report from the Assistant Chief Executive (Customer Access and Performance) providing a summary of performance against the strategic priorities for the council and city relating to the Housing and Regeneration Scrutiny Board.

The Assistant Chief Executive (Customer Access and Performance) submitted a report providing a summary of performance against the strategic priorities for the council and city relating to the Housing and Regeneration Scrutiny Board.

Appended to the report were copies of the following documents for the information/comment of the meeting:-

·  City Priority Plan Performance Report – 2012/13 Quarter 3

·  2012/13 Directorate Scorecard – Quarter 3 20112-13

The following representatives were in attendance and responded to Members’ queries and comments:-

- Councillor P Gruen, Executive Member, Neighbourhoods, Planning and 

  Support Services

- Ms Christine Addison, Chief Regeneration Officer/Acting Chief Asset

  Management Officer, City Development

- Ms Maggie Gjessing, Housing Investment Manager, City Development

Prior to discussing the report, the Executive Board Member, Neighbourhoods, Planning and Support Services informed the meeting that it was his intention to develop and refresh the key performance indicators in an attempt to make them more meaningful.

The Chair, on behalf of the Board, welcomed this proposal which was also supported by the Chief Regeneration Officer who agreed to liaise with the Executive Board Member, Neighbourhoods, Planning and Support Services on the timescales involved with a view to providing a report on this issue at the next Board meeting in April 2013.

The Chief Regeneration Officer presented the report and provided the meeting with the latest figures and targets in relation to such key issues as the number of new homes and affordable homes that had been built, the reduction in the number of empty properties and energy conservation measures completed.

Specific reference was made to the Green Deal and that a report would be submitted to a future Executive Board meeting on this matter.

Detailed discussion ensued on the contents of the report and appendices.

In summary, specific reference was made to a number of issues including:-

·  Clarification of proposals in relation to the New Homes Bonus in 2014

·  Clarification if the empty homes referred to in the report were privately owned

(The Chief Regeneration Officer responded and confirmed that the empty homes were privately owned)

·  The need for the Board to revisit the ownership of properties and shops with a view to bringing council properties back into the housing stock

·  Clarification of pepper potting in relation to the type of affordable housing where it was delivered on site through s106 agreements

·  Clarification if the authority met the EU Energy Efficiency objectives in relation to Council non-housing property

(The Chief Regeneration Officer responded and agreed to ask colleagues in Neighbourhoods and Housing to investigate this issue and provide a written response to Members of the Board)

RESOLVED –

a)  That the contents of the report and appendices be noted.

b)  That an initial report on how a review of the current performance indicators might be achieved to make the data more meaningful be submitted to the next Scrutiny Board meeting on 30^th April 2013.

To receive and consider a report from the Head of Scrutiny and Member Development outlining the Scrutiny Board’s work programme for the remainder of the municipal year.

(Executive Board minutes to follow)

A report was submitted by the Head of Scrutiny and Member Development which detailed the Scrutiny Board’s work programme for the current municipal year.

Appended to the report was a copy of the following documents for the information/comment of the meeting:

• Scrutiny Board (Housing and Regeneration) Work Schedule for 2012/2013 Municipal Year (Appendix 1 refers)
• Executive Board – Minutes of a Meeting held on 13^th March 2013 (Appendix 2 refers)

The Principal Scrutiny Adviser, Scrutiny Support presented the report and responded to Members’ queries and comments.

The Chair made specific reference to the newly opened Trinity Shopping development within the city centre and raised his concerns as to what would happen to those shops/businesses which had been vacated as a result of relocating to major shopping developments. He requested a report at the next meeting of the Board in April 2013 on the engagement process that had taken place between the Council and affected businesses and land owners. He also made reference to Hammersons and development of the Eastgate Quarter and requested that the same information be incorporated in to the report to assist Board Members with their deliberations on this issue.

In concluding discussions, Mr G Hall referred to the Local Enterprise Partnership and requested that this issue be tied in with the report referred to above. The Principal Scrutiny Adviser responded and informed the meeting that on going discussions were being held with representatives from the Local Enterprise Partnership in relation to agreeing a convenient date for the organisation to attend a future Board meeting.

 RESOLVED -

a)  That the contents of the report and appendices be noted.

b)  That the work schedule be approved as now outlined.

c)  That the Director of City Development submit a report to the next Scrutiny Board meeting on 30^th April 2013 on what engagement there had been with building owners in the city centre following the opening of Trinity Leeds where businesses had vacated premises to relocate to this prestigious development. Similarly what engagement would there be with building owners where tenants vacate their premises to move to the Eastgate Quarter once completed. What were the projections for both these developments attracting new businesses and how many businesses were likely to close and relocate to the new developments? What was being done to prevent the decline of shopping areas that were vacated by branded names?

Tuesday, 30^th April 2013 at 10.00am.  (Pre meeting for the Board Members at 9.30am)

Tuesday 30^th April  2013 at 10.00am in the Civic Hall, Leeds

(Pre-meeting for Board Members at 9.30am)

(The meeting concluded at 11.45am)