Housing, Dundee Contract Services And Environment Services Committee - 26/06/2006

At a MEETING of the HOUSING COMMITTEE held at Dundee on 26th June, 2006.

Present:-

BAILIES

COUNCILLORS

Councillor REGAN, Convener, in the Chair.

The minute of meeting of this Committee of 15th May, 2006 was held as read.

Unless marked thus * all items stand delegated.

I HOUSING DEPARTMENT SERVICE PLAN PERFORMANCE REPORT 2005/06

The Director of Housing submitted Report No 348-2006 on the performance of the Housing Department against targets and projects identified in the Housing Service Plan 2003-2007.

The Committee noted the terms of the Report.

II STRATEGIC HOUSING INVESTMENT FRAMEWORK CONSULTATION PAPER - RESPONSE BY DUNDEE CITY COUNCIL AND DUNDEEHOUSING ASSOCIATION FORUM

The Director of Housing submitted Report No 385-2006 seeking approval of the response to Communities Scotland.

The Committee approved the response to Communities Scotland on the Strategic Housing Investment Framework Consultation Paper and remitted to the Dundee Partnership Co-ordination Group to consider the formation of a Strategic Housing Group within the Dundee Partnership Framework.

III CAPITAL CONTRACT SERVICES WORKING GROUP - INTERIM REPORT

The Director of Housing submitted Report No 390-2006 giving an update of the work of the Capital Contract Services Working Group, the progress made so far and the work still to do.

The Committee:-

(a) noted the actions recommended by the Capital Contracts Clean Teams listed in Appendix I of the Report;

(b) agreed to continue the pilot changes to the Tenants' Allowance Scheme as detailed in paragraph 6.5 and noted that a report of the success or otherwise of this initiative would be reported at the next review of the Tenants' Allowance Scheme.

(c) noted that a further report would come forward when there had been more time to evaluate the experiments listed in Appendix I and the further work on Clean Team projects with a view to this report being presented to this Committee by the end of 2006.

IV LETTING POLICY REVIEW - CONSULTATION DRAFT

The Director of Housing submitted Report No 379-2006 suggesting a review of the Council's House Letting and Allocation Policy to ensure that it took regard of legislative change and best practice and that a draft policy be consulted upon with the aim of adopting a revised Letting and Allocation Policy to coincide with the opening of the Letting Contact Centre.

The Committee:-

(a) agreed that the draft policy at Appendix I be circulated for consultation with all stakeholders and tenants' representatives and

(b) instructed the Director of Housing, on completion of the consultation exercise, to bring forward a finalised Letting and Allocation Policy to a future meeting of this Committee.

V EXTENSION OF SUPPORTED TENANCY INITIATIVE UNDER ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR FUNDING 2006-2008

The Director of Housing submitted Report No 344-2006 seeking authorisation to contract with an external agency to enhance housing support services to young tenants using funding secured from the Scottish Executive's Anti-Social Behaviour Funding arrangements as detailed in the Council's Outcome Agreement.

The Committee approved the bid from National Children's Homes (NCH) to provide a mentoring and support service for young tenants which would investigate, develop and implement preventative and diversionary measures to combat the anti-social behaviour of young people.

VI DUNDEE WOMEN'S AID SERVICE LEVEL AGREEMENT 2006-2009

The Director of Housing submitted Report No 242-2006 seeking approval for the establishment of a Service Level Agreement between Dundee City Council and Dundee Women's Aid in terms of which the Council would provide Council and rent free refuge and office premises to the Collective.

The Committee approved the establishment of a Service Level Agreement.

VII HOUSING DEPARTMENT EFQM SELF ASSESSMENT

The Director of Housing submitted Report No 368-2006 outlining the process and outcomes of a self-assessed audit using the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) Business Excellence Model which the Housing Department had completed and recommending an improvement action plan which the department should implement over the next two years.

The Committee agreed the Action Plan at Appendix I of the report and that progress on the Action Plan be reported through the Housing Department's Annual Service Plan.

VIII DEMOLITION OF 82 LOCK-UPS AND REMOVAL OF 62 PARKING BAYS

The Director of Housing submitted Report No 342-2006 seeking approval for the demolition of 82 lock-ups listed in Appendix I and removal of 62 parking bays listed in Appendix II of the report from the HRA.

The Committee:-

(a) agreed that the lock-up garages listed in Appendix 2 be demolished;

(b) agreed that the parking bays listed in Appendix II be removed from the Housing Revenue Account as and when they became vacant and at the discretion of the Director of Housing;

(c) agreed that limited post demolition treatment works be undertaken, if required, to ensure that the sites were rendered safe and had minimal ongoing maintenance costs with future use of sites to be considered as part of regeneration initiatives as appropriate and

(d) remitted to the City Engineer to include the demolition of the lock-up garages in an existing demolition contract.

IX CARRIER AND REMOVAL CONTRACTS - 2006/2007

The Director of Housing submitted Report No 386-2006 detailing arrangements for extending the contract of Tayside Removals to provide carrier and removal services to the Housing Department for 2006-2007.

The Committee approved the continuation of the carrier and removal contract with Tayside Removals for a further year.

X TENDERS RECEIVED

The City Engineer submitted Report No 376-2006 giving details of offers received to carry out concrete repairs to external elements for 2006-2007 for various developments.

The Committee agreed to accept the lowest offer by CCL Group Ltd amounting to 98,483, together with allowances of 2,500 for contingencies, 10,000 for professional fees and 1,000 for planning supervisor, making a total expenditure of 111,983.

XI UNIT RATE CONTRACT FOR LOW RISE HOUSING DEMOLITION - JUNE 2006 - JUNE 2008

The Director of Housing and City Engineer submitted Joint Report No 340-2006 detailing the Unit Rate Contract for demolition of low rise housing (five storeys or less) submitted by contractors from Dundee City Council's Select Tender List of Contractors.

The Committee agreed to accept the Unit Rates for the period June 2006 - June 2008 and noted the priority allowance for the letting of any resultant contracts.

XII COMMUNAL CLEANING - TENEMENTAL HOUSING STOCK

There was submitted Agenda Note AN229-2006 advising that it was proposed to increase the weekly charge for the above service from 1.30 to 1.35 with effect from 1st July 2006.

The Committee approved accordingly.

XIII REGISTERED TENANT ASSOCIATIONS - ADMINISTRATIVE GRANTS

There was submitted Agenda Note AN230-2006 requesting grant assistance towards administration costs for 2006/2007 from the following groups.

The Committee agreed to grant assistance as requested.

XIV HOUSING (SCOTLAND) ACT 2001 - IMPROVEMENT, REPAIRS AND ENVIRONMENTAL GRANTS, HOME LOANS ETC

There was submitted Agenda Note AN231-2006. Reference was made to the minute of meeting of the Housing Committee of 15th November 1999 when grant expenditure now under Private Sector Housing Grant was agreed.

It was agreed that the grants approved during April and May 2006 in each of the categories were as follows:-

The Committee resolved under Section 50(A)(4) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 that the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the undernoted items of business on the grounds that they involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraphs 6 and 9 of Part I of Schedule 7A of the Act.

XV REQUEST FOR PROVISION OF HOUSING

There was submitted Agenda Note AN232-2006 advising that a request had been received from the Environmental Health and Trading Standards Department to provide housing for a Senior Enforcement Officer.

The Committee agreed to the request and authorised the Director of Housing to offer appropriate accommodation.

XVI REPURCHASE OF PROPERTIES FOR DEMOLITION - MILL O MAINS

Reference was made to Article V of the minute of meeting of this Committee of 18th October 2004. There was submitted Agenda Note AN233-2006 advising that the Director of Economic Development had reached provisional agreement with the owner of one property on the terms and conditions detailed.

The Committee approved the repurchase of the property and instructed the Depute Chief Executive (Support Services) to conclude the necessary legal formalities.

GEORGE REGAN, Convener.