Agenda item

To consider a report of the Head of Scrutiny and Member Development on initial findings following completion of the consultation on proposed major changes to Housing Policy.

The Head of Scrutiny and Member Development submitted a report on initial findings following completion of the consultation on proposed major changes to Housing Policy.

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

• Scrutiny Board (Housing and Regeneration) Working Group’s submission to the Consultation on Proposed Major Changes in Housing Policy – Minutes of a meeting held on 3^rd September 2012

The Board noted that Councillor P Grahame was in attendance at the Working Group meeting held on 3^rd September 2012. The Board’s Principal Scrutiny Adviser apologised for this omission and agreed to amend his records accordingly.

In addition to the above documents, a summary of the results received to date was circulated at the meeting.

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

-  Mr Robert McCartney, Head of Housing Support, Environment and Neighbourhoods

-  Ms Kathryn Bramall, Leeds Homes Policy Manager, Environment and Neighbourhoods

-  Ms Megan Godsell, Housing Policy Manager, Environment and Neighbourhoods

In summary, specific reference was made to the following issues:

• Clarification of how the survey was undertaken

(The Leeds Homes Policy Manager responded and outlined who had been consulted and the method by which this had been done)

• Clarification of the other representatives and organisations who had been consulted and on the number of tenants who had been interviewed face to face

(The Leeds Homes Policy Manager responded and outlined the consultation arrangements. It was reported that no face to face consultation had been undertaken with tenants)

• The Board expressed concern that a response rate of 200 replies to the  consultation survey when there were approximately 57,000 Council tenants was too low to be of any value. Members were surprised that there was no alternative to the online survey referred to when it had been previously acknowledged by the Council that online surveys did  not work, especially for elderly tenants

(The Head of Housing Support responded and stated that the three ALMOs had been asked to undertake consultation of its tenants and were due to report back this week, but Members wondered if this should have been left to the ALMOs)

• The Board confirmed that its comments on the proposed changes to housing policy and set out in the minutes of the Working Group held on 3^rd September 2012 were its formal response to the consultation. It was noted that these had been forwarded to the Director of Environment and Neighbourhoods. The Board asked that the Head of Housing Support highlight the Scrutiny Board’s submission in its report to the Executive Board on the outcome of its consultation

(The Head of Housing Support confirmed that he would highlight the Scrutiny Board’s submission to the consultation in his report to the Executive Board and point out the concerns the Board had on the validity of the consultation undertaken)

RESOLVED –

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

b)  To approve the minutes of the Working Group held on 3^rd September 2012 as the Board’s formal submission to the consultation on major changes to the Council’s housing policy which had been submitted to the Director of Environment and Neighbourhoods prior to this meeting.