SCRAIP Report for Community, Environment and Housing Overview and Scrutiny Committee 9 December 2014

As at 26 November 2014

CEH.140909.21a

That the following question be send to the Head of Housing and Community Services:

. Would funding beyond 2015 be available to staff the Empty Homes initiative?

Cabinet Member for Environment and Housing

As part of the Budget Review Housing has requested continued funding for this post.

John Littlemore

CEH.140909.21b

That the following questions be send to the Head of Planning and Development regarding the Empty Homes Strategy:

. Would the empty homes bought back into use be used as ‘windfall’ figures to reduce the objectively assessed housing need figure for the Local Plan?

Empty homes are already part of the borough's housing stock, which has been taken into account in the methodology used to calculate the borough's objectively assessed housing need. So bringing empty homes back into occupation would not reduce the housing need figure. Only new dwellings created through new build or conversions will count towards need.

Rob Jarman; Sue Whiteside

CEH.140909.22.1

That the Private Rented Sector Update report be presented to the 13 January meeting of the Community, environment and Housing OSC.

26/11/14 - report delayed until April 2015/

The report has been delayed by structural changes within the Housing Service, the lead officer for this report has left the service and this piece of work has yet to be reassigned.

John Littlemore

CEH.140909.22.2

That an update report on the second collective switching campaign be presented to the committee at their 10 February 2015 meeting by Programme Manager (Financial Inclusion and Maidstone Families Matter);

Cabinet Member for Community and Leisure Services; Cabinet Member for Environment and Housing

Agreed

Date noted, agreed.

Ellie Kershaw

CEH.141014.32.3

The Chair of the committee write a letter to Kent County Councils’ Cabinet Member for Community Services to express the committee’s deep concern should the Community Warden service cease and to appeal to him to find the funding to ensure its continuation.

Cabinet Member for Community and Leisure Services

Maidstone Borough Council and the Kent Chief Executives wrote to Kent County Council to express their concerns regarding the reduction in the Community Warden Service and outlined proposals to maintain the service.

Tessa Mallett

CEH.141014.34.1

The Head of Housing and Community Services provide the committee with an analysis of the costs of policing and clearing up after the Night Time Economy and the financial benefits it provided.

Cabinet Member for Community and Leisure Services

Will be approaching the relevant agencies to ascertain whether the information can be provided in the format requested by the committee.

John Littlemore

CEH.141014.35.1

The Cabinet Member for Environment and Housing be recommended to explore funding opportunities to ensure the important work of the street population project continues.

Cabinet Member for Community and Leisure Services

The Head of Housing and Community Services has approached Portchlight to establish whether they would agree to extend the arrangement.

Portchlight have stated they would be willing to have a further 12 month secondment. The head of Housing and Community Services is looking at possible ways of funding the post.

John Littlemore

CEH141014.32.4

That the Head of Housing and Community Service and the Chair of the Safer Maidstone Partnership formulate and submit a response to Kent County Councils consultation on the review of the Community Warden service.

Cabinet Member for Community and Leisure Services

See SCRAIP CEH.141014.32.3

John Littlemore