Present at the meeting:
- Councillor J D O’Brien (Chairman)
- Councillor R Clayton (Vice Chairman)
- Councillor R M Bleakley
- Councillor Mrs B Bourne
- Councillor Mrs P Cullen
- Councillor J Haley
- Councillor M Klieve
- Councillor J Miller
- Councillor W Rotherham
- Councillor G Wilkes
Cabinet Members in attendance
- Councillor K Anderson – Cabinet Champion Neighbourhoods
- Councillor D T Molyneux – Cabinet Champion Environment and Regeneration
- Councillor F B Walker – Cabinet Champion Efficiency
Officers in attendance
- Gary Finch – Principal Officer - Scrutiny
- John Mitchell – Head of Legal Services
- Michael Williamson – Committee Services Officer
Officers presenting reports
- Ashley Crumbley – Chief Executive Wigan and Leigh Homes
- Martin Kimber – Executive Director, Environmental Services
- Peter Layland – Head of Housing and Community
- Ken Wardale – Service Director – Regeneration and Communities
10 Apologies for absence: Councillors J S Birch, G W Fairhurst, Ms P L Holland, Mrs J M Peet and Mrs A Turnock.
11 Minutes: The minutes of the meeting of this Committee held on 3 June 2009 were approved as a correct record.
12 Exclusion of the public: Resolved: The public is excluded from the meeting when the Cabinet discusses the following item for the reason set out below:-
| Agenda Item No. |
Title of report |
Minute No. |
Description of exempt information by reference to the paragraph number in schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 |
| E1 |
Wigan Council’s Bid for Social Housing Grant for new Build Development |
18 |
3 (Information about the financial or business affairs of any person or organisation, including the Council) |
13 Whipping declarations: The Head of Legal Services, John Mitchell reminded the Committee that government guidance expected Members of Scrutiny Committees not to act in accordance with party whipping and that, if they did, they were to declare it.
There were no declarations made.
14 New Scrutiny arrangements and consequential amendments to the call in procedure: The Head of Legal Services, John Mitchell, presented a report, on the amendments to the call in procedure following the establishment of the five new Scrutiny Committees. The report set out who was eligible to call in a decision and the process that a call in could follow.
Resolved: The Committee:-
- welcomes the changes to the call in procedure; and
- thanks the Head of Legal Services for the report.
15 Wigan Borough Housing strategy: The Head of Housing and Community, Peter Layland, presented a report, on Wigan Council’s Housing strategy. The strategy set out the housing contribution to the wider Borough Sustainable Communities strategy. The strategy identified a series of housing issues that would be addressed on three main themes, quantity, quality and people.
Members asked a number of questions, which included the following salient points:-
- Would the strategy address the issue of the shortage of four bedroom properties within the borough?
- How would the new build elements of the strategy be funded?
- How did the strategy address the issue surrounding population projections?
- Could the Council use Section 106 monies to instruct developers to build new housing on behalf of the Council?
- When would the strategy be completed?
The Head of Housing and Community advised the Committee that elements of the strategy would address the issue of the shortfall of four bedroom houses in the borough, but one of the key objectives of the strategy would be to identify appropriate housing needs within each township.
The Committee was informed that Government had recently introduced a new funding stream purely for local authorities to submit bids to. This aim of this funding stream was to open up new areas of housing. Members were advised that Wigan and Leigh Housing’s funding stream would run parallel to this new source of funding and in effect, would give the Council to opportunities to acquire funding for new build schemes.
The Head of Housing and Community advised the Committee that the Council would be working closely with housing developers to try and encourage the development of appropriate accommodation to reflect the issues around the population projections.
The Committee was informed that requesting developer’s to build new housing on the Council’s behalf through the use of Section 106 monies was possible. However in the current economic climate, developers were not starting on any new build sites and therefore there was no Section 106 money available.
Finally, the Committee was advised that the strategy would be completed within the next few weeks and then ratified by the Local Strategic partnership.
Resolved: The Committee:-
- endorses the strategy as detailed in the report;
- thanks the Head of Housing and Community for the report.
16 Wigan and Leigh Housing performance 2008/09 and progress made against the priorities contained within the business plan: The Chief Executive of Wigan and Leigh Housing, Ashley Crumbley and the Head of Housing and Community, presented a report, which would be considered by Cabinet, on the performance of Wigan and Leigh Housing during 2008/09 and the progress that had been made against the priorities detailed within the business plan.
Members asked a number of questions, which included the following salient points:-
- Did the figure relating to number of days lost due to sickness refer to only Wigan and Leigh Homes (WALH) staff?
- Would WALH be more supportive to the PACT process?
- Would WALH do anything about tenant rent arrears and vandalism of property?
- How successful was WALH in carrying out repairs correctly on a first time basis?
The Chief Executive of Wigan and Leigh Homes, advised that all figures within the report related to WALH and its staff. He also explained that work was currently being undertaken to help improve the support that WALH gave to the PACT process.
The Committee was advised that WALH had a number of measures in place, which addressed the issue of tenant rent arrears and associated anti social behaviour within rented properties.
The Chief Executive of Wigan and Leigh Homes advised that WALH had one of the best repair services within the country, undertaking in the region of 100,000 repairs each year and continuously striving to improve this service.
Resolved: The Committee:-
- notes the performance of Wigan and Leigh Housing during 2008/09 and the progress that had been made against the priorities detailed within the business plan; and
- thanks the Chief Executive of Wigan and Leigh Homes and the Head of Housing and Community for the report.
17 Environmental Services draft performance plan 2009/12: The Service Director – Regeneration and Communities, Ken Wardale, presented a report, on the Environmental Services departmental priorities for the period 2009/12.
The Building Stronger Communities Scrutiny Committee had considered the report at Minute 9.
Members asked a number of questions, which included the following salient points:-
- When would the Carbon Management Plan be available?
- When would the Waste Collection Plan be available?
- Could future reports provide information which was previously considered at the Services Management Group?
The Service Director – Regeneration and Communities advised that the Carbon Management Plan was still awaiting guidance from Government in terms of its definition. The Plan would be available when this guidance had been received. He also advised that the Waste Collection Plan was available and this would be provided for Members on request.
Finally, the Service Director – Regeneration and Communities agreed that future reports would contain information, which had previously been considered at the Services Management Group.
Resolved: The Committee:
- notes the report; and
- thanks the Service Director – Regeneration and Communities for the Report.
18 Wigan Council’s bid for Social Housing Grant for new build development: The Head of Housing and Community, presented a report, which would be considered by Cabinet, on the submission of the proposed Council bid for new housing build to the Housing and Communities Agency (HCA).
Members asked a number of questions, which included the following salient points:-
- Was it possible to breakdown the grant per unit cost on each scheme?
- What were the consultation results on the proposed schemes?
- Which scheme was first priority?
The Chief Executive of Wigan and Leigh Homes advised the Committee that the HCA judged all bids on a set framework, which was based on dwellings, it did not assess bids on grant per unit cost.
The Committee was advised that the consultation on the proposed schemes would be made available to members upon request and that neither scheme was first priority and the bid submitted to the HCA would be for both schemes.
The Chief Executive of Wigan and Leigh Homes advised the Committee that this was a unique opportunity available to the Council. The deadline for submission of the bids was 31 July 2009 or 30 October 2009. The Committee was advised that there was a stronger potential to secure the funding if the Council could submit its bid by the 31 July deadline. This would also allow for the possibility to submit further bids later in the year.
Resolved: The Committee
- endorses the recommendations contained within the report now submitted; and
- thanks the Head of Housing and Community for the report.
