Eastleigh Borough Council Cabinet Meeting

There were no declarations of interest in relation to items of business on the agenda.

RESOLVED -

That the Minutes of the meeting held on 14 July 2023 be agreed as a correct record.

There was no public participation on this occasion.

Issue

The Council has an Empty Homes Strategy which sets out its approach to dealing with long-term empty domestic properties. The previous strategy was from 2016. (Paper 5)

Consideration

In order to ensure a proactive, fair and consistent approach to long-term empty homes and enforcement while also ensuring any approach is commensurate to the resources available, the Council has adopted an Empty Homes Strategy. This strategy is reviewed on periodic basis. The previous strategy was approved in 2016 and is now overdue for review and update.

RESOLVED –

That Cabinet approved the Empty Homes Strategy 2023 at appendix 1.

Issue

The Council has been a local authority Registered Provider of affordable homes since May 2021 and is due to be the landlord of its first affordable housing tenants (from the Hampshire Home Choice Register) in 2023/24. As a Registered Provider of affordable housing the Council must ensure that it meets not only its regulatory requirements but also puts in place a transparent high performing service for its customer. (Paper 6)

Consideration

Several policies require approval to enable the timely delivery of the Council’s new affordable housing service. The draft policies are fully compliant and up to date with the latest regulations. The policies will be monitored and reviewed annually, using lessons learnt and tenant input to further improve them and the services they underpin.

RESOLVED –

That Cabinet considered the fifth tranche of policies (Anti- Social Behaviour Policy and Unacceptable Behaviour Policy) and they were approved on the terms as outlined in the report.

Issue

Eastleigh Borough Council (the Council) has long recognised the valuable contribution individuals, community groups and voluntary organisations make to the enrichment of local communities within the Borough.

With increasing challenges to the sector exacerbated by the cost of living crisis, it is proposed that the Council consider a new approach for securing voluntary services in Eastleigh Borough that is fair and transparent, supports the Council’s ambitions and provides taxpayers with the best value for money. (Paper 7)

Consideration

The voluntary sector is a crucial partner for the Council, given the valuable services that it freely delivers locally. To best support this, the contract outlines key objectives and priority areas that the successful provider will be capable of delivering, and that align to the Council’s Corporate Plan priority for ‘enabling a healthier Eastleigh’.

RESOLVED –

That Cabinet:

(1)  noted the Invitation to Tender for Community Services; and

(2)  agreed the Invitation to Tender for Community Services should go live.

Issue

Reports to Cabinet in March 2021 and July 2022 approved mitigation and charging strategies for Nitrates and Phosphates using strategic land purchased by the Council for this purpose. (Paper 8)

Consideration

The Strategic Land Purchases, whilst delivering nutrient and phosphate mitigation also provide the opportunity to explore and develop opportunities to meet other strategic objectives which include investment in green infrastructure, habitat creation and renewable energy infrastructure.

RESOLVED –

That Cabinet noted the contents of this report.

Issue

This report brings together the context of the Council’s strategic ambitions, its performance working towards them, and the financial implications and challenges of both. This ensures greater transparency and presents a picture of the overall position. (Paper 9)

Consideration

Regular monitoring and management of the Council’s operation and financial performance is essential to understanding and supporting delivery against the corporate themes set out in the Council’s Corporate Plan 2023-2026 and contributes to the management of corporate risk.

RESOLVED –

That Cabinet:

(1)  noted the performance and forecast financial position of the Council for the first quarter of the year;

(2)  noted the performance of the Community Investment Programme in Appendix C;

(3)  approved capital expenditure of £1,628,947 in 2023/24 and £1,319,760 in 2024/25 for the Disabled Facilities Programme to be funded from government grants (para 60-63);

(4)  noted the Prudential Indicators for Quarter 1 of 2023/24 financial year in Appendix E;

(5)  noted the updated Medium Term Financial Plan as at July 2023;

(6)  approved additional transfers to/from earmarked reserves (para 40); and

(7)  approved the action plan to reduce the projected service overspend (para 72-77).

[NOTE: A Supplementary amendment was submitted to Cabinet for recommendation 3.)

Issue

Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) are short-term awards administered by Local Authorities to help people with housing costs. They can play an important role in sustaining tenancies, preventing homelessness, and enabling tenants to move to more affordable accommodation. Increasingly, DHPs are being given to assist those affected by welfare reform.

DFGs are grants awarded to pay for essential adaptations to a person’s home to enable them to remain living at home for longer and maintain or increase their independence. They play an important role in supporting the elderly and disabled residents of the Borough and help to improve quality of life and maintain as much independence as possible and their access to the community and other services. (Paper 10)

Consideration

The 2022/23 Discretionary Housing Policy had previously been agreed at Cabinet June 2023.

An amendment to the policy is proposed to disregard any war related incomes in the assessment of a Discretionary Housing Payment award to take immediate effect.

The Public Sector Housing (PSH) Financial Assistance Policy had previously been approved by Cabinet in September 2021.

An amendment to the policy is proposed to disregard any war related incomes from the statutory test of resources assessment of clients applying for Disabled Facility Grants (DFGs).

RESOLVED –

That Cabinet approved:

(1)  the attached revised Discretionary Housing Policy 23/24 at Appendix 1; and

(2)  the attached revised Public Sector Housing Financial Assistance Policy at Appendix 2.

Issue

Cabinet approved on 23 February 2023 agreement to sign the MOU with DLUHC and match funding of £1.5m to deliver a minimum of nine properties for eligible cohorts, this was known as LAHF (R1) 2022-2024. (Paper 11)

Consideration

The extended scheme continues to support the delivery of new or refurbished rented properties in the Borough as part of the Council’s Housing Programme, and continues to be part funded by DLUHC Local Authority Housing Fund Round 2.

RESOLVED –

That Cabinet:

(1)  Noted the signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) regarding the administration and delivery of the Local Authority Housing Fund – second funding round (LAHF R2) 2023-2024 – which was signed on 1 August 2023;

(2)  Approved expenditure of up to 60% match funding and project costs (estimated at £860,000) to deliver a minimum of four properties in the Borough, to be made available to eligible households in accordance with the Local Authority Housing Fund R2 terms, with expenditure funded by borrowing and repaid from the revenue generated from rental income;

(3)  Delegated approval to the Service Director of Finance, Improvement & Strategic Housing (Deputy CFO) and the Leader of the Council to finalise the funding and allocation of the LAHF R2; and

(4)  Delegated approval to the Chief Executive and or the Deputy Chief Executive for the individual property purchase with the support of Asset Management.

RESOLVED -

(1)  That, in pursuance of Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they are likely to involve the disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act; and

(2)  That, in pursuance of the public interest test, the public interest in disclosing the information contained in the following item of business was outweighed by the public interest in maintaining the exemption.

The Leader welcomed Peter Hopkins and Cabinet looks forward to working with him into the future.