Agenda and minutes

Housing Committee - Thursday, 12th September, 2024 7.30 pm

Venue: Council Chamber - Council Offices

Media

Items
No. Item

98.

Minutes of the meeting held on the 18 June 2024 pdf icon PDF 104 KB

To approve as a correct record.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The minutes were confirmed and signed as a correct record.

99.

Authority to Procure - Electrical Inspection, Rewiring and Repair pdf icon PDF 71 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee received a report regarding the procurement of a contract for the electrical inspection, testing and repair of the Council’s housing stock and general fund assets, including depots, pavilions and public conveniences.

 

The previous contracts, which were procured in 2019, expired in March 2024.

 

It was noted that none of the previous contracts had included a five yearly electrical installation condition report, this had now become a legal requirement due to a change in regulations.

 

The aim of the procurement exercise was to consolidate electrical inspection and safety work into a single contract to cover HRA and General Fund Assets. It was proposed that a new contract be procured by direct award, as set out in the report.

 

R E S O L V E D – that:

 

A.    the procurement of a single contract for the electrical inspection, testing and repair of the Council’s housing stock and general fund assets including depots, pavilions and public conveniences be approved, in accordance with the Council’s Contract Standing Orders and the Public Contract Regulations 2015.

 

B.    delegated authority be granted to the Head of Housing, Director of Resources and Deputy Chief Executive in consultation with the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Committee to award the contract to the most economically advantageous tenderer.

 

C.   the Head of Housing, Director of Resources and Deputy Chief Executive be authorised to enter into all necessary agreements with the preferred contractor to provide electrical inspection, testing and repair to the housing stock and other assets as set out in recommendation A.

 

D.   delegated authority be granted to the Head of Legal and Monitoring Officer to execute and enter into all necessary contractual agreements.

 

100.

Quarter 1 2024/25 Key Performance Indicators - Housing Committee pdf icon PDF 98 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee received a report outlining the Quarter 1 2024/25 performance against Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Two of the KPIs had not been met, with appendix A of the report outlining the reasons for this.

 

The Committee also received the Housing Risk Register as appendix B of the report, which included the mitigating actions taken against the identified risks. It was noted, in regards to the delivery of HRA grounds maintenance, that the risk remained high due both staff absences and machinery breakdowns.

 

An update on the position of the Council House Building Programme at the end Quarter 1 was outlined in appendix C of the report.

 

In response to member questions, Officers explained that:

 

·         in March 2024 authority to procure a new cleaning contract for all Council Housing Estates, as well as some General Fund Assets was approved, tender documents for this were expected to be sent within the next couple of weeks. Officers were hopeful of having a new contract in place by February 2025.

 

·         if any members or residents had concerns that they wished to raise with the current contractor they could either contact them directly at: tdccomplaints@wettons.co.uk, or speak to officers who would pass concerns on to them.

 

·         tendering for main construction contractors usually occurred through closed tenders with contractors that had experience in working with local authorities. Before appointing the contractor, officers looked at financial reports and recent accounts to monitor the cashflow of potential contractors. Officers tended to award design and build contracts, where contractors were paid for completed works rather than for works in advance. References were also collected as part of the procurement process and, once in contract, monthly site meetings and an employer’s agent were used to monitor the project.

 

·         a construction management firm had been appointed to assist with the Bronzeoak scheme, the individual trades that were appointed by the previous contractor had been appointed directly to complete the works. The scaffolding at the site had been removed and a number of units were nearing completion. Some external works was being held up by delays in highway works and electricity connections, once these were completed the remaining external works could then be undertaken. Officers were hopeful of completing in early December 2024.

 

·         for the Uplands scheme, contracts were in place to complete the works. Internal works had been completed. Officers were hopeful of the site being fully completed within the next seven weeks.

 

·         in regards to the bedsit mentioned in HO2a, this had now been re-let. Due to the difficultly in re-letting bedsits, where two adjacent bedsits to become available, officers would look into converting them into one larger property which would be more desirable for those of the housing register.

 

·         there had been a large number of void properties returned in the previous six months due to allocations to registered provider developments which had generated vacancies within the Council stock. On some occasions, the timetable for preparing properties for new residents had taken longer than expected due to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 100.

101.

Quarter 1 2024/25 Budget Monitoring - Housing Committee pdf icon PDF 68 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

A report was presented to the Committee outlining the financial position of the Revenue and Capital budgets for the committee, including the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) as of Quarter 1 2024/25.

 

In the Housing General Fund Revenue Account a £15k variance related to an overspend on Meadowside Mobile Home Park due to increased costs for planned repairs, improvements and tree works carried forward from the previous year.

 

There was a small overspend of £60k for the Revenue Budget HRA due an increase in fraud prevention work with Reigate & Banstead Borough Council to reduce the level of debt, particularly from former tenants.

 

The Capital Budget Housing General Fund at Q1 was noted to be on target with no variance.

 

For the Capital Programme HRA, a £205k slippage variance was largely as a result of the Council’s House Building Programmes.

 

It was explained that Appendix B of the report, the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, had been included in the report to explain the £849k allocated to the capital programme for the HRA as an additional spend. In response to a member’s question, officers explained that the total amount to spend from the fund was £1,900k, made up from £849k in grant funding and £1,109k in match funding. Existing funds allocated to the refurbishment of properties would be used to deliver on the required match funding for the grant.

 

R E S O L V E D – that the Committee’s Revenue and Capital Budget forecast positions as at Quater1/M3 (June) 2024/25 be noted.