17 11 2005

The Mayor (Councillor Burgess) (ex-officio), Chairman of Policy and Organisation Board (Councillor Hook) (ex-officio) (P), Councillors Allen (P), Carter (P), Mrs Cully (P), Davis (P), Foster (P), Gill (P), Philpott (P), Rigg (P), Mrs Salter and Mrs Wright (P).

 

 

It was reported that, in accordance with Standing Orders, notice had been received that Councillor Smith would replace Councillor Mrs Salter for this meeting.

 

 

 

 

Apologies were received on behalf of The Mayor and Councillor Mrs Salter.

 

 

 

 

There were no declarations of interest.

 

 

 

 

RESOLVED:  That subject to the deletion of the words “…although it was confirmed that the majority of the homelessness caseload came from Gosport.” in the third paragraph of Minute No 18 – Funding Homelessness Prevention, the Minutes of the meeting of the Housing Board held on 7 September 2005 be approved and signed by the Chairman as a true and correct record.

 

 

 

 

There were no deputations.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Board received a copy of the Housing Services Manager’s report (a copy of which is attached in the Minute Book as Appendix ‘A’) setting out the changes to the Right to Buy Scheme brought about by the 2004 Act, along with a new Right to Buy Strategy, particularly related to the early re-sales by RTB purchasers.

 

 

The Board noted all the changes to the scheme that were indicated in bold type in the report.

 

 

Members noted that, following further consideration by officers of the Government Guidelines, an amended Appendix A to the report had been circulated prior to the meeting.  This Appendix proposed that the Borough Treasurer would determine applications to waive the repayment of a discount received on a Right to Buy sale and not the Housing Services Manager, as originally proposed.  In view of the budget implications inherent in any discounted repayment agreement, Members agreed that the Borough Treasurer should consider such applications in the first instance, with any appeal being considered by the Chief Executive.

 

 

RESOLVED:  That the Board:

 

(i)           note the changes to the Right to Buy legislation;

 

(ii)         adopt the new Right to Buy Strategy as outlined in Appendix A to the report; and

 

(iii)       delegate authority to the Borough Treasurer to determine applications to waive repayment of part or the whole amount of the repayable discount and also delegate authority to determine any appeals to the Chief Executive in accordance with the Council’s Right to Buy Strategy.

 

 

 

 

RESOLVED: That under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the under-mentioned item of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 9 of Part I of Schedule 12A of the Act.

 

 

 

 

The Board received an exempt copy of the report of the Head of Technical Services (a copy of which is attached in the Minute Book as Appendix “B”) setting out the background to the proposed partnering arrangement for response repairs, voids and associated works, and with a recommendation that a bespoke contract be entered into with Connaught Property Services Ltd for these services from 17 March 2006.

 

 

The Housing Services Manager thanked Councillors Carter, Gill and Mrs Wright for their valuable assistance in the tendering selection process for awarding this contract.

 

 

Board Members noted a revised recommendation to authorise the letting of the contract for a period of five years and to provide the option to extend the contract for a further two years.

 

 

RESOLVED:  That the Board:

 

(i)   authorise the letting of a bespoke partnering contract with Connaught Property Services Limited to run for five years from 17th March 2006, with an option to extend this for a further two years, in respect of the provision of response repairs, voids and associated works; and

 

(ii)  consider any recommendation to extend the contract at the end of the initial five-year period.