Issue - meetings

To note the initial findings of the housing stock condition surveys (report of the Assistant Director – Housing enclosed).

Consideration was given to the report of the Assistant Director – Housing which asked the Performance Monitoring Panel to note the initial findings of housing stock condition surveys.

The Housing Property and Repairs Manager, the Assistant Director – Housing and the Portfolio Holder for Strategic and Operational Housing were in attendance for this item.

In addition, two representatives from the Regulator of Social Housing, Rachael Walsh and James Brookfield, observed the item via Teams.

The Housing Property and Repairs Manager introduced the report which included information relating to the following areas:

• Background, including that:
  • The Regulator of Social Housing had mandated, through approved Consumer Standards, that Registered Providers held an accurate evidenced-based understanding of the condition of their properties to ensure the provision of good quality, well maintained and safe homes for tenants; and
  • The services of a contractor had been procured to undertake comprehensive and detailed surveys of all residential council dwellings and associated assets within the HRA;
• That 2133 properties had been surveyed, from a total of 3927 issued to the contractor. Since the report had been published, a further 281 surveys had been completed;
• Initial stock survey findings and survey representation by area are set out in the report;
• Decent Homes, the Housing, Health and Safety rating system and energy efficiency are all areas of focus within the surveys;
• The report highlighted the following themes: damp, condensation and mould (DCM); a proactive approach to identify issues was being taken;
• Fire safety;
• Energy Performance;
• Utilisation of data to inform planning and prioritisation of works;
• A future programme for assessing the condition of homes would need to be  considered and agreed;
• Interim findings; and
• That a final report summarising the findings and next steps would be presented to the panel in due course.

Members considered the report and made the following comments:

• Members noted the report summary which stated that the Regulator for Social Housing adopted a co-regulatory approach. In this respect Councillors were held responsible for ensuring that the Council, in its role as a registered provider of social housing, was delivering the outcomes of consumer standards. Members stated that such responsibilities were usually held corporately, and that the approach taken by the regulator clearly alerted Councillors to their responsibilities.   

• Members queried whether affordability was a factor regarding dealing with damp and mould.

o   The Housing Property and Repairs Manager responded that likely causes of damp and mould would be assessed. Any causation issues relating to the structure of the building would be addressed. In addition, the Cost Of Living team offered damp and mould prevention and remedial guidance to tenants.

• Members queried point 2 of the report regarding the procurement of MLCS3 to conduct stock condition surveys. Who were the company and on basis was the contract awarded?
  • The Housing Property and Repairs Manager responded that MLCS3 was an organisation which carried out stock condition surveys throughout the housing sector. With support from the procurement team, a full tender programme had been undertaken which had resulted in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 69

To provide Cabinet with an overview of the findings of the initial housing stock condition surveys (report of the Assistant Director – Housing enclosed).

Consideration was given to the report of the Assistant Director – Housing which provided Cabinet with an overview of the findings of the initial housing stock condition surveys.

The Portfolio Holder – Strategic and Operational Housing presented the report.

The Regulator of Social Housing adopted a co-regulatory approach, holding Councillors responsible for ensuring that the Council, in its role as a registered provider of social housing, was meeting the outcomes of consumer standards.

As Portfolio Holder for Strategic and Operational Housing, she attended Housing Compliance Clinic and scrutinised the service's performance. However, it was crucial that members also thoroughly scrutinised performance to ensure the council’s homes were safe and properly maintained.

This, and the next two items were being presented to Cabinet for their consideration prior to Performance Monitoring Panel to allow Performance Monitoring Panel to consider Cabinet’s observations as part of scrutiny. This approach was also taken for the HRA Governance Framework last year.

The report informed Cabinet of the interim findings of a comprehensive programme of stock condition surveys conducted on all residential properties managed by the Council. The primary objective of these surveys was to gather up-to-date data on the condition of building components, Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) assessments, energy audits, and routine repairs.

These surveys had been strategically scheduled during the winter months to gain a thorough understanding of property conditions under challenging weather circumstances. Over 55% of the stock surveys, which equated to 2,133 properties, had been successfully completed. The first round of access attempts was expected to be completed by the second quarter of 2025/2026. It was important to note that the number of surveys due for completion was a dynamic figure, influenced by Right to Buy sales and acquisitions.

Upon receipt, the data was analysed, with urgent prioritisation given to properties identified as having severe risks. To date, 13 such properties had been identified, 11 had had works completed and 2 were in progress. This data was being calibrated against existing data to ensure that accurate and up-to-date reports continued to be presented at the Housing Compliance Clinic and through performance metrics at the Performance Monitoring Panel. Additionally, this data was informing the drafting of the HRA Business Plan and Asset Management Strategy, which would be presented to members as part of the budget setting for 2026/2027.

Consideration was given to the report and the following issues were raised:

• With regard to damp, condensation and mould what had been identified to date and were there any concerns for the Authority?
  • The Portfolio Holder responded that there were concerns around damp, condensation and mould. From the stock condition surveys that had been completed so far, 6 category 1 (severe) cases had been identified, 4 of which had had remedial work undertaken and 2 were still in progress. Previously, the service had focussed on reactive cases and it was important going forward that it was proactive as well as reactive. The completed stock condition surveys would provide the foundation for reliable data  ...  view the full minutes text for item 75