Agenda item

The Scrutiny Research Officer presented the report and reminded Members that they had first embarked on the Tenancy Support review back in September 2021.  As the work evolved, Members took the opportunity to concurrently consider and respond to the Council’s review of the Selective Licensing Scheme that was coming to its conclusion after the five-year pilot period.

Having worked closely with the Service Manager for Strategic Housing & Lettings and the Environmental Health Team Leader to gather information and understand the implications and benefits of extending the Scheme, Members provisionally agreed two recommendations (for consideration by Cabinet) at the Scrutiny Panel A Informal Working Group meeting held on Thursday 20 January 2022 as follows:

1.    Cabinet is recommended to approve the renewal of the Selective Licensing Scheme.

2.    Cabinet is recommended to explore the feasibility of expanding the Selective Licensing Scheme to other areas in the District that may meet the criteria.

Feedback from the public consultation exercise and final proposals for extension of the Council’s Selective Licensing Scheme were due to be presented to Cabinet on 29 March 2022 and it was agreed that the Panel’s recommendations with regard to the Scheme, would be submitted alongside the report for consideration.

Members were therefore asked to endorse the two proposed recommendations and make any final additions/amendments to the Panel’s response, for encapsulation in the final Cabinet report.

A debate was undertaken, and Members considered the following:

·       some concerns were raised for empty properties that fell outside the Scheme boundaries and how inequalities might emerge within the District, in relation to property standards

·       the importance of the Scheme being self funding and not requiring the use of any funding from the Council’s Housing Revenue Account (HRA)

·       the potential benefits of widening the Scheme to other areas in the District to raise standards of private sector rental accommodation

·       acknowledgement that although valuable lessons had been learnt from the pilot scheme, the Scheme as a whole had more than delivered on its objectives

·       a request to see the finances associated with the pilot scheme to have confirmation that the pilot was self-funding in its delivery

·       concerns around the employment of two additional staff to support delivery of the Scheme and any potential duplication of support provided by the Council (in relation to tenant concerns) that was already being offered through the national housing ombudsman

·       acknowledgement of the importance of good private rental property provision being available alongside Council social housing to meet the ever increasing needs of residents who require warm, secure homes for themselves and their families

·       the benefits of the Council building good working relationships with private sector landlords to enable synergistic working practices to be undertaken to provide decent rental accommodation generally and to also meet the immediate needs of people presenting as homeless

·       recognition that the Selective Licensing Scheme had been a success and that Council officers had worked hard to deliver the pilot scheme.

On conclusion of the debate, the Scrutiny Research Officer summarised Members’ responses to the review and suggested a couple of further recommendations that would capture the views of Panel Members in relation to the Scheme’s funding arrangements and support being offered to residents/tenants falling outside of the designated Scheme boundaries.

RESOLVED

that the following final recommendations be submitted to Cabinet for consideration at its meeting on 29 March 2022:

a)    Support the renewal of the Selective Licensing Scheme in designated parts of Stanton Hill and Sutton Central (New Cross) for a further 5 years;

b)    Explore the feasibility of expanding the Selective Licensing Scheme to other areas in Ashfield that meet the conditions for selective licensing designation;

c)    Ensure that, if approved, the Selective Licensing Scheme continues to be self-funded through the license fee structure;

d)    Ensure that the Council continues to provide available support to private sector tenants outside of designated Selective Licensing Scheme areas.