Agenda and minutes

To approve as a correct record.

The minutes were approved and signed as a correct record.

Two questions were submitted under Standing Order 30. The questions and the responses were provided at Appendix A to these minutes.

The Committee received an update on the progress made during the past year in delivering the Homeless Prevention and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2019-2023. The Strategy lay out the Council’s plan to address homelessness. It had been designed to complement the Council’s Housing Strategy and developed in line with national policy and legislation and tailored to take account of local needs. The Action Plan set out the Council’s actions it would undertake to deliver the Strategy.

The Council had continued to progress the actions set out in the Action Plan with most actions on or ahead of target.

In response to questions from Members, Officers confirmed:

·         there was one rough sleeper in the District. Outreach workers were in regular contact with him and continued to offer appropriate assistance.

·         they were confident that the actions marked as amber would be delivered during the life of the Strategy. Delays had been mainly due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

·         the Council continued to fund a domestic abuse sanctuary and worked with partners in the East Surrey Domestic Abuse Service. Surrey County Council had recently announced it would be funding sanctuary schemes across the County, including East Surrey. Tandridge District Council provided funding for a scheme coordinator and Independent Domestic Abuse Advocates to work alongside survivors of domestic abuse.

·         they would liaise with the Community Partnerships team and police colleagues to consider the development of a scheme enabling shops to be accredited as a safe space for people fleeing domestic abuse or whose safety is otherwise under threat

R E S O L V E D – that the contents of the report and progress made to date be noted.

The Committee received a report outlining the financial position of the Revenue and Capital budgets for the Committee, including Housing Revenue Account, as of Quarter 2 2022/23.

The report set out a projected underspend of £44k for the Housing General Fund. This was an £44k improvement from the Quarter 1 position. In terms of the Housing Revenue Account, there was a projected underspend of £67k. The main reasons for this were a £22k salaries underspend due to a vacancy, and a one off £30k saving on vehicle repairs, as the vehicles were still under warranty, and fuel, due to improved fuel efficiency of the vehicles.

There was also a total net underspend in the Capital Budget of £381k. In the Housing General Fund Capital Budget, there was a £60k underspend due to Disability Facilities Grant costs being less than forecast. In the Housing Revenue Account Capital Budget, additional funding had been provided for potential development sites and inflationary pressures, and there had also been delays in development and slippages. These factors resulted in a total forecast net underspend of £321k.

Members noted that an underspend on the Capital budget as a result of delays and slippages meant that the Council was unable to deliver housing as quickly as it would like.

In relation to Meadowside Mobile Homes, Officers confirmed that the reported £10k reduced income on commission of sales of mobile homes had been identified as a one off increase to the target income for the 2022/23 financial year, based on assumptions made in January 2022. However, sales had not been as expected, and this assumption would not be made in the emerging 2023/24 budget. Members thanked Officers for the engagement work undertaken with residents of Meadowside.

R E S O L V E D – that the Committee’s forecast Revenue and Capital budgets positions as at Quarter 2 / Month 6 (September) 2022 be noted (including the Housing Revenue Account).

That members of the press and public be excluded from the meeting for agenda item 9 under Section 100A (4) of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended) on the grounds that:

i)              it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 (information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information)) of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act; and

ii)             for the items the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

R E S O L V E D – that the press and public be excluded from agenda item 9 in accordance with Section 100A (4) of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended) on the grounds that:

i)              the item involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Act; and

ii)             the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

R E S O L V E D – that the recommendations in the report be approved.