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V25-1113 : HOUSING INVESTMENT PROGRAMME MEETING WITH GOVERNMENT OFFICE

The Committee considered the report of the Director of Housing and Environmental Services on the annual meeting with the Government Office for Eastern Region to discuss the Council's Housing Investment Programme (HIP) Bid which took place on Tuesday 28 October. The meeting was important in that the HIP allocation process was partly discretionary and the Council's Housing Strategy and performance were influential in securing maximum resources.

Tenant representatives, as in previous years, were very supportive of the Council as landlord, and made an important contribution to the meeting. Officers from GOER had high regard for Waveney's commitment to tenant participation and the success achieved in this area. Feedback from members of the Waveney Housing Association Consortium, who also attended many other regional HIP meetings, judged Waveney's meeting as successful.

The Waveney Tenant Panel met the following week and asked to record their thanks to the officers of the Council for the work put in both in preparation for and during the HIP meeting.

RESOLVED

That the report on the meeting with GOER relating to the Housing Investment Programme Bid. 1114 ACCESS OFFICER'S WORK PROGRAMME

The Committee considered the report of the Director of Central Services which outlined the action taken and proposed by the Access Officer since the submission of the 1996 report. Members were reminded that the Access Officer's time was split equally between Great Yarmouth Borough Council and Waveney District Council with the post jointly funded by the two Authorities.

An additional paper detailing work on Polling Stations access was circulated at the meeting. Councillors who were County members also were urged to press for the re-instatement of the dropped kerb budget which had assisted greatly around the District in previous years.

RESOLVED

That the progress report and work programme of the Access Officer be approved and be made available to all relevant organisations involved in access/disability issues to ascertain their views on the future plans for the service.

1115 REFURBISHMENT OF MANOR COURT, LOWESTOFT

The Committee considered the report of the Director of Housing and Environmental Services, which outlined proposals for the above. The majority of accommodation on the ground and first floors of Manor Court were bedsit flats with shared bathing facilities. They were not popular with housing applicants and for some time had suffered from being difficult to let.

The Housing Capital Programme 1997/98 and 1998/99 contained provision for extensive refurbishment works to create self-contained one bedroom flats on the ground and first floors. Windows would be replaced to all three floors. The Director of Housing and Environmental Services presented the plans for the alterations at the meeting. On two elevations it would be possible to build new corridors to external elevations and then knock the bedsits through into the existing corridor space, thus maintaining the same number of flats. On the elevation fronting Jubilee Way the bedsits were served from a central corridor and groups of three bedsits would convert to two self-contained flats.

All residents of ground and first floor flats had been visited by the Housing Officer, and a meeting held in the Communal Lounge was well attended by tenants and their relatives. Problems were voiced by the tenants of the third floor flats regarding ineffective heating, and poor kitchen and bathroom fittings. All third floor tenants would be visited, and if concerns were justified separate provision for upgrading those flats would need to be considered.

The Chairman asked that tenants be given the option of either a bath or shower facility in the refurbishment.

RESOLVED

That the Director of Community Services be authorised to submit the necessary Planning Application and if necessary to seek Tenders for the refurbishment works at Manor Court, Lowestoft.

1116 DE-REGULATION OF THE DOMESTIC GAS SUPPLY INDUSTRY

The Committee were reminded that following the privatisation of British Gas the gas supply industry was presently being opened up to competition. De-regulation was moving southward by area and was expected to reach Post Code area NR in April 1998 and area IP later in the year.

The scheme was piloted in the South West during 1996/97 and experience gave cause for concern. Tenants were likely to be strongly lobbied by companies trying to win business from British Gas. In the South West British Gas lost 25% of their customers to other companies, although some 500 customers had since gone back. Supply price was only part of the package and the cheapest was not always the most appropriate. There were 16 companies licensed to supply gas. In the South West pilot tenants were bombarded with promotional material by suppliers. There were allegations of doorstep hard sell tactics by rival companies, including incorrect and misleading information and also independent brokers offering to find tenants the cheapest gas supply in return for payment of a fee. Elderly tenants would be particularly vulnerable to those sorts of tactics.

RESOLVED

That an article be published in the tenants newsletter and a separate leaflet be made available including the freephone number of OFFGAS, the gas regulatory body, alerting tenants of the potential pitfalls of gas de-regulation that may be encountered on the doorstep.

1117 RECHARGEABLE WORKS

The Committee were reminded that under present policy if a repair was necessary due to tenant negligence the works were recharged to the tenant. The tenant signed a form agreeing to the recharge and was then billed. Since April 1996 repair orders to the value of c.£20k had been recharged, of which very little was recovered and in most cases action in the County Court for recovery was not a viable option.

It was proposed in future to insist on payment in advance of the repair being carried out, except where there would be damage to the property such as a nail through a water pipe, or where the health of the tenant was from gas or electricity hazards, or an elderly tenant being locked out. Other repairs such as broken windows, damaged sanitary ware, etc. would not be attended to until payment was made.

RESOLVED

That the proposals on Re-chargeable works be taken to the next meeting of the Tenants' Panel and a further report presented to the next meeting of the Committee.

1118 CAMPAIGN FOR THE WARM HOMES BILL

The Committee were advised that the National Steering Group for the above campaign had written to all local authorities asking for support to the campaign for the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation (15 Year Programme) Bill.

The campaign would lead to the installation of a comprehensive package of insulation and other energy efficiency measures in 500,000 homes a year for 15 years, hopefully ending fuel poverty in the UK. Presently around eight million homes were so energy inefficient that it was impossible to keep them warm at a reasonable cost. Cold related illness had been estimated to cost the NHS £1 billion per annum.

It had been calculated that the annual maintenance and management expenditure on each house in the scheme would be cut by an average of £300. The programme would create almost 30,000 jobs, and would also assist local authorities attain the targets they have set under the Home Energy Conservation Act. Over the life of the programme the scheme was claimed to be revenue positive.

RESOLVED

That the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation (15 Year Programme) Bill be supported in principle, and local Members of Parliament be asked to consider doing so also by signing House of Commons resolution Early Day Motion No. 80.

1119 LIGHT POLLUTION

The Committee were informed of the campaign run by the British Astronomical Association (BAA) called the "Campaign for Dark Skies" (CfDS) and considered a copy of their latest leaflet. Light pollution was broadly outlined under three main headings, domestic security, sport and industrial floodlighting; development and design lighting; and highway and street lighting.

A nationwide survey by the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health had shown that complaints about outdoor lighting had risen by 44% since 1993. Of the total number of complaints recorded in the 1996 survey, 55% related to domestic security lighting, 21% to sports floodlighting, 19% to industrial, commercial and advertising lighting, and 5% to public highway lighting. Two thirds of all complaints received about outdoor lighting were found on investigation to be fully justified.

RESOLVED

That the Campaign for Dark Skies be supported, and the Council from existing budgets:

(i) produce a leaflet on domestic security lighting;
(ii) incorporate if necessary a statement in the Local Plan in support of reducing light pollution and check plans for compliance; and
(iii) lobby the appropriate bodies regarding the use and design of street/highway lighting.

1120 CANINE CONTROL - DISPOSAL OF FAECES

The Committee were informed that the Council's high profile policies relating to the control of dogs had generated much interest in the local press. This had been fuelled by the changes to the law brought about by the Council's adoption of the powers contained in the Dogs (Fouling of Land) Act, which introduced the offence of not cleaning up after dogs in public places. There was no legal requirement to sign land or provide bins. Several members of the public had written to the local papers and contacted the Environmental Services Division, expressing the opinion that the Council should provide bins in key areas specifically for the purpose of depositing dog faeces, in line with the policy adopted by other Councils.

The approach adopted so far in the District had been to educate and encourage dog owners to collect waste in a suitable bag, tie it, and dispose through the normal litter or domestic refuse bins. This approach had no additional cost implications since it made use of the extensive network of existing litter bins in public places, and domestic facilities. The majority of dog owners walked their pets near to their own homes.

RESOLVED

That the existing policy not to provide dog waste bins be re-affirmed and a renewed "bag it and bin it" campaign to promote the existing policy be supported.

*Policy Decision

1121 CANINE CONTROL - BEREAVEMENT COUNSELLING

Members were reminded that the Charter Mark Award for the Dog Warden Service would shortly be coming up for renewal. One of the criteria required for renewal was that new initiatives for the Service in question must have been introduced in order to enhance the Service provided.

Recently the Dog Warden Service had been approached and asked if there was anyone locally, who could help counsel people feeling bereaved after the loss of a pet. Emotions experienced could cause deep depression and lead to time off work. After making extensive enquiries it was found that there was no recognised/specific pet Bereavement Counsellor in Waveney.

It was proposed that Waveney became the first Council in the country to offer the services of a qualified Bereavement Counsellor, specifically for pet owners, via a Bereavement Course at Lowestoft College which was for one day a week for 10 weeks. The cost was £63.70, made up of Tuition fee, College Registration and Open College Network (OCN) Qualification. RESOLVED

That the appropriate fees and release for one of the Dog Wardens to attend a Bereavement Course at Lowestoft College be approved, and following successful attendance of the course, a Pet Owners Bereavement Councillor service be incorporated into the functions of the service.

*Policy Decision.

1122 ALLIANCE FOR HEALTH IN SUFFOLK

The Committee were informed that the Alliance for Health in Suffolk was a partnership of Statutory, Voluntary and Business Organisations working together for better health. It was launched four years ago in response to the Government's "Health of the Nation" strategy to improve the health of the population.

The Alliance had grown into a well established and effective joint working mechanism. However, limited evaluation had been carried out on how effective its work had been. In order to address the situation the Steering Group wished to bring together Alliance partners to design and agree an evaluation framework to be implemented over the next few years.

The Chairman, on behalf of the Steering Group, had written to members of the Alliance to ask for a one off financial contribution of £200 towards the cost of the evaluation project. A breakdown of the anticipated cost had been provided and was estimated at £1,600.

RESOLVED

That a sum of £200 be contributed towards the project to assess the effectiveness of the work of the Suffolk Health Alliance, to be met from existing budgets.

1123 EXEMPT/CONFIDENTIAL ITEMS

RESOLVED

That under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended) the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraphs 1-15 of Part I of Schedule 12A of the Act.

1124 MINUTES

The minutes of the last meeting (Part Two) held on 16 October 1997 which was taken in private in accordance with Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended) were confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

1125 HOUSING SUB-COMMITTEE MINUTES

The Committee adopted the non-delegated minutes of the meeting (Part Two) of the Housing Sub- Committee held on 11 November 1997, subject to the deferred decision at minute 1107 for a transfer application being refused in accordance with the re-decoration policy as there were no medical representation grounds.

1126 OUT OF HOURS SERVICE - ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES DIVISION

The Committee resolved that an out of hours service, as detailed in the report of the Director of Housing and Environmental Services, be introduced at an annual cost of £12,500, to be considered in the context of the forthcoming budget.

The Meeting was concluded at 9.05 pm

CHAIRMAN


Volume 25 Minute 1112

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