A MEETING OF THE HOUSING OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY COMMITTEE
WAS HELD ON 11 MARCH 2002
Councillors Burgess (P), Cully (P), Gibson (P), Kimber (P), Langdon (P), Russell (P), Mrs Salter (P), Mrs Searle (P), Train (P) and Mrs Wright (Chairman) (P)
The Borough Secretary reported that, in accordance with Standing Orders, Councillor Train had been appointed to the Committee in place of The Mayor.
3. 2001/2002 HOUSING REPAIRS PROGRAMME
The Committee considered a report of the Housing Services Manager (a copy of which is affixed in the Minute Book as Appendix "A") which put forward a proposal to ensure adequate safeguards were in place to prevent substantial departure from Housing Repairs Programmes for 2002/2003 onwards, whilst retaining the flexibility of operation required to achieve the overall financial delivery of a complex budget.
The report had been written as a basis for discussion during post-scrutiny of the issue, and suggested a number of guiding principles that could be adopted by the Housing Board to advise Officers as to when they would be required to seek Board approval to vary the approved Housing Repairs Programme. This included:
- Where work within an identified element of the approved Housing Repairs Programme cannot take place;
- Where urgent works are identified after approval of the Housing Repairs Programme, for which there is no identified provision and the value of these works exceeds £100,000;
- Where work within an identified element of the approved Housing Repairs Programme is going to under or over spend by more than £100,000.
The Scrutiny Committee were satisfied that consultation with the Chairman of the Housing Board would be sufficient where works did not exceed a figure of £60,000 but considered that there needed to be greater consultation with other group spokesmen where the value was likely to be above this figure. It was also agreed that anything in excess would have to be approved by the Board. The Committee also stated that Members should be provided with information regarding elements of the Repairs Programme relevant to their Ward.
RESOLVED: That the following 'guiding principles' in respect of the Housing Repairs Programme be recommended to the Housing Board for approval:
(i) That Officers be required to seek Board approval to vary the Housing Repairs Programme where work within an identified element of the approved Housing Repairs Programme cannot take place;
(ii) That where urgent works are identified after approval of the Housing Repairs Programme, for which there is no identified provision, Officers in consultation with the Chairman of the Housing Board will permitted to vary the programme for works up to a value of £60,000;
(iii) That where urgent works are identified after approval of the Housing Repairs Programme, for which there is no identified provision, Officers in consultation with the Chairman and other Group Spokesmen be permitted to vary the programme for works between £60,000-£100,000;
(iv) That Officers be required to seek Board approval to vary the approved Housing Repairs Programme where urgent works are identified after approval of the Programme, for which there is no identified provision and the value of these works exceeds £100,000;
(v) That Officers be required to seek Board approval where work within an identified element of the approved Housing Repairs Programme is going to under or over spend by more than £100,000
(vi) That Members be informed of significant variations to the Programme, as outlined in (i) - (v) above, which are relevant to their Ward.
CHAIRMAN
