Councillors B Brown, Caldwell, E Devine, M Devine, Henry, Lawson, M MacLaren, McCartin, McEwan, McGurk, Murrin, Noon, Paterson, J Sharkey and Williams.

Councillor Williams, Convener, presided.

S MacDougall, Director of Community Resources; M Crearie, Director of Development & Housing Services; D Gillies, Head of Facilities Management, O Reid, Head of Public Protection, C Dalrymple, Regulatory Enforcement Manager and G Hannah, Strategic Change Manager (all Community Resources); F Carlin, Head of Planning & Housing Services, L Muirhead, Housing Strategy & Quality Manager and L Feely, Housing Asset and Investment Manager (all Development & Housing Services); and J Lynch, Head of Property Services, G Innes, Customer Services Operations Manager, D Farrell and V Howie, both Finance Business Partners and D Low, Senior Committee Services Officer (all Finance & Resources).

Chief Superintendent J Downie and Chief Inspector S Wright (both Police Scotland) and K Hughes, Station Manager (Scottish Fire and Rescue Service).

Councillor J Sharkey entered the meeting during consideration of the following item.

There was submitted a report by the Director of Development & Housing Services
relative to the monitoring report, for the first six months of 2016/17, in respect of the
Scottish Social Housing Charter.

The report advised that in terms of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2010 Scottish Ministers required to produce a Scottish Social Housing Charter. The Charter listed the standards and outcomes that social landlords should achieve for their customers. A copy of the half-year update report was appended to the report.

DECIDED: That the half-year Scottish Social Housing Charter update report, a copy of which was appended to the report, be noted.

Councillor Lawson having declared an interest in relation to the following item of business left the meeting and did not take part in any discussion or voting thereon.

 

 

 

 

There was submitted a report by the Director of Development & Housing Services relative to additional funding for energy efficiency made available through the recently announced Capital Stimulus Programme as well as the allocation of additional resources in the 2016/17 Home Energy Efficiency Programme for Scotland: Area Based Schemes (HEEPS:ABS) programme.

The report intimated that the Scottish Government had announced the availability of £9 million to assist social landlords to meet the Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housing (EESSH) as part of its Capital Stimulus Programme to support and stimulate the economy in the wake of the EU referendum. In accordance with the criteria outlined in the report and the requirement to submit applications by 7 October 2016, the Council had submitted an application for £1,365,700 for 11 proposed projects as detailed in Appendix 1 of the report.

Renfrewshire’s HEEPS:ABS funding allocation for 2016/17 was £1,185,582 which would be used to deliver external wall insulation in Gallowhill. The report advised that local authorities had been invited to bid for additional funding which had become available for 2016/17, with submissions required by 31 August 2016. The Council had been successful in its bid for an additional allocation of £762,450 to allow the completion of the final phase of works in Gallowhill as well as contributing to new projects in the Johnstone, Renfrew, Houston, Bridge of Weir and Kilbarchan areas as detailed in Appendix 2 of the report.

The report intimated that further HEEPS:ABS funding could become available during 2016/17 and the report proposed that the Director of Development & Housing Services be authorised to submit bids on behalf of Renfrewshire Council with the outcome of any further applications being reported to future meetings of this Board

DECIDED:

(a) That the decision of the Director of Development & Housing Services to apply for £1,365,700 in terms of the recently announced Capital Stimulus Programme for energy efficiency projects within the Renfrewshire Council area be homologated;

(b) That the Director of Development & Housing Services be authorised to oversee delivery and operational management of the Capital Stimulus programme and that it be noted that a further report will be submitted to this Policy Board confirming the outcome of the application;

(c) That the action of the Director of Development & Housing Services to apply for additional funding of £762,450 in terms of the HEEPS:ABS programme be homologated;

(d) That the Director of Development & Housing Services be authorised to oversee delivery and operational management £762,450 that had been awarded for qualifying projects within the Renfrewshire Council area for 2016/17 under the HEEPS:ABS programme;

(e) That the Director of Development & Housing Services be authorised to utilise
£481,000 of HRA capital funding to allow the completion of Council owned properties within the HEEPS:ABS project areas as set out in Appendix 2; and

(f) That the Director of Development & Housing Services be authorised to bid for projects within the Renfrewshire Council area for Scottish Government’s HEEPS:ABS programme, should additional funding become available during 2016/17. The outcome of any further applications would be reported to future meetings of this Policy Board.

Councillor Lawson re-entered the meeting prior to the following item of business.

Councillor Lawson declared a financial interest in item 12 of the agenda as he was the owner of a property which fell within the scope of the Housing Energy Efficiency and Carbon Reduction Programmes 2016/17 and indicated his intention to leave the meeting during consideration of the item and not to take part in any discussion or voting thereon.

There was submitted a joint revenue budget monitoring report by the Directors of Finance & Resources and Development & Housing Services for the period 1 April to 16 September 2016.

DECIDED:

(a) That the budget position be noted: and

(b) That it be noted that since the budget was approved there had been a number of budget adjustments resulting in a net increase of £97,903 primarily relating to rates realignment and the transfer of budget from Adult Services to Other Housing for disability adaptations, partially offset by procurement savings and the transfer of Policy and Commissioning to Chief Executive’s.

There was submitted a capital budget monitoring report by the Director of Finance & Resources in respect of the Housing Division of Development & Housing Services for the period 1 April to 16 September 2016.

DECIDED: That the report be noted.

There was submitted a report by the Local Senior Officer, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service relative to service performance and activities in the Renfrewshire area for the period 1 July to 30 September 2016 and highlighting improvements across a range of performance indicators and those areas where further interventions were required.

Over the period there had been an increase in the number of accidental dwelling fires; the total number of all non-fatal fire casualties had increased from six in the same period in 2015 to eight in the current reporting period; the total number of incidents involving deliberate fire raising had decreased; the total number of fires in non-domestic premises had also decreased; the number of unwanted fire alarm signal incidents had decreased; and the total number of non-fatal road traffic collisions attended by the Service had increased from 6 to 14. The appendix to the report provided a detailed analysis of performance and activities.

DECIDED: That the report be noted.

There was submitted a report by the Chief Superintendent, K Division Police Scotland, relative to service performance in the Renfrewshire area during the period 1 July to 30 September 2016. The report provided an analysis of key performance indicators for both recorded and detected crime and covered all local police plan priority areas as detailed in the local police plan.

DECIDED: That the report be noted.

There was submitted an update report by the Director of Community Resources relative to recent activities carried out in relation to public protection including information on protecting vulnerable residents; building safer communities; and diversionary activities.

DECIDED: That the progress report be noted.

There was submitted a report by the Director of Finance & Resources seeking approval to declare the land at Morar Drive, Paisley surplus to requirements, as outlined on plan E22508, a copy of which was appended to the report. Once declared surplus to requirements, the land extending to 0.24 hectares or thereby, would be transferred to the General Services Account for incorporation within the grounds of the adjacent St Paul’s Primary School.

DECIDED:

(a) That the land at Morar Drive Paisley extending to 0.24 Hectares or 0.59 acres or thereby, shown shaded on the plan attached to the report, be declared surplus to the requirements of the Housing Revenue Account;

(b) That this land be transferred at nil cost to the General Services Account for incorporation within the grounds of St Paul’s Primary School; and

(c) That it be noted that in accordance with the recent changes to Scottish Ministers’ consent when disposing of HRA assets, the proposed valuation of this open space for transfer was at such a level that General Consent was not required.

There was submitted a report by the Director of Finance & Resources seeking approval to declare the shop premises at 57 Kilnside Road, Paisley surplus to requirements, as outlined on plan E2506, a copy of which was appended to the report, to enable a disposal to the sitting tenant, Ms Susan Hall.

 

 

DECIDED:

(a) That the property at 57 Kilnside Road, Paisley, be declared surplus to the Council’s requirements to enable a disposal to the sitting tenant, Ms Susan Hall;

(b) That it be noted that the proposed disposal would be concluded by utilising the delegated powers of the Head of Property Services, subject to appropriate terms and conditions of sale being agreed with the Heads of Property Services and Corporate Governance; and

(c) That it be noted that in accordance with the recent changes to Scottish Ministers’ consent when disposing of HRA assets, the proposed disposal would be under the General Consent available and would be self-certified by the Council.

There was submitted a report by the Director of Finance & Resources seeking approval to declare the commercial premises at 16 Thornhill, Johnstone surplus to requirements, as outlined on plan E2509, a copy of which was appended to the report, to enable a disposal to the sitting tenant, Mr Wai Yin Lee.

DECIDED:

(a) That the commercial premises at 16 Thornhill, Johnstone, as detailed on the plan appended to the report, be declared surplus to the Council’s requirements;

(b) That the property be disposed of to the existing tenant, Mr Wai Yin Lee, on terms and conditions negotiated and agreeable to the Head of Property Services as detailed in the report; and

(c) That it be noted that in accordance with the recent changes to Scottish Ministers’ consent when disposing of HRA assets, the proposed disposal would be under the General Consent available and would be self-certified by the Council.

There was submitted a report by the Director of Community Resources relative to
the establishment of a policy and criteria for the referral of applications to the Private Rented Housing Panel (PRHP) on behalf of a tenant. The proposed policy was appended to the report.

The report intimated that the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006 as amended specified minimum living standards for private rented properties and landlords had a legal obligation to ensure property they let met these standards. Where they failed to do so, tenants could make an application to the PRHP who had powers to compel the landlord to effect repairs, imposing penalties where action was not taken to do so.

 

 

In recognition that many tenants were unwilling to make an application on their own behalf, often through fear of reprisal or eviction, amendments in legislation contained in the Housing (Scotland) Act 2014 provided local authorities with new powers to make third party applications to the PRHP on behalf of tenants. The proposed policy detailed the criteria on determining whether a third party referral to the PRHP would be made by the Council.

DECIDED: That the policy and criteria to support Third Party Applications to the Private Rented Housing Panel, as appended to the report, be approved.

There was submitted a report by the Director of Development & Housing Services
relative to housing equalities monitoring information for 2015/16.

The report intimated that the Council was committed to promoting equal opportunities and outlined recent activity within Development & Housing Services to ensure equality in service delivery. The report also provided information on the work within the Service to embrace diversity, promote equal opportunities and eliminate discrimination. The Housing Equalities Monitoring Report 2015/16, a copy of which was appended to the report, identified further action to promote equal opportunities and to inform future planning.

DECIDED: That the Housing Equalities Monitoring Report 2015/16, as appended to the report, and the action taken by Housing Services to ensure equality in service delivery, as detailed within the report, be noted.

There was submitted a report by the Director of Development & Housing Services relative to the Orchard Street Housing Renewal Area Draft Designation Order 2016 which, once approved, would allow the comprehensive improvement of the tenements at 3-9 Orchard Street and 33 Causeyside Street, Paisley as part of a partnership project involving Renfrewshire Council and Paisley Housing Association.

DECIDED:

(a) That the Director of Development & Housing Services be authorised to issue a Housing Renewal Area Draft Designation Order and Action Plan covering 33 Causeyside Street and 3, 5, 7 and 9 Orchard Street, as detailed in the appendix to the report, for a statutory 3 month public consultation period; and

(b) That it be noted that a report would be provided to a future meeting of this Policy Board on the consultation exercise and, if appropriate, a Finalised Housing Renewal Area Designation Order and Action Plan would be presented to this Policy Board for approval.

There was submitted a report by the Director of Development & Housing Services relative to the finalised Renfrewshire Strategic Housing Investment Plan (SHIP) 2017/18 – 2021/22 which set out an ambitious programme for investment in affordable housing across Renfrewshire which would create over 1,000 new affordable homes on sites across Renfrewshire’s villages and towns.

The report intimated that the finalised SHIP 2017/18 – 2021/22, a copy of which was appended to the report, provided details of the projects already included in the SHIP programme and the Strategic Local Programme Agreement between the Council and the Scottish Government and also listed a new series of projects that would be developed and brought forward during the lifetime of this SHIP. The SHIP would be reviewed on an annual basis and more detail would be provided on the new projects as the programme progressed.

DECIDED: That the Renfrewshire Strategic Housing Investment Plan 2017/18 – 2021/22 be approved and that the Director of Development & Housing Services be authorised to submit this document to the Scottish Government in relation to the Council’s objective to deliver affordable housing across Renfrewshire.

There was submitted a report by the Director of Development & Housing Services relative to the Annual Return on the Scottish Social Housing Charter, which had been submitted to the Scottish Housing Regulator, outlining the key Charter indicators and detailing Renfrewshire’s performance during 2015/16.

The Council’s performance in terms of tenant satisfaction; housing quality and maintenance; access to housing and support; homelessness; neighbourhood and community; and getting good value from rents and service charges was detailed in the appendix to the report.

DECIDED: That the Council’s performance during 2015/16, in relation to key Housing Charter indicators compared to other local authorities and Registered Social Landlords be noted.

There was submitted a report by the Director of Development & Housing Services relative to the Service Improvement Plan 2016/17 for Development & Housing Services.

The report detailed key achievements over the period 1 April to 30 September 2016; provided an update on the delivery of the Service Improvement Plan action plan as detailed in Appendix 1 to the report; and assessed service performance in the scorecard of core performance indicators as detailed in Appendix 2 to the report.

DECIDED:

(a) That the progress made on service performance be noted;

(b) That the progress made on actions and performance in the action plan be noted; and

(c) That it be noted that an out-turn report would be provided to this Policy Board in spring 2017.

The Board resolved to exclude the press and public from the meeting during consideration of the following item of business as it was likely, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted, that if members of the press and public were present, there could be disclosure to them of exempt information as defined in paragraphs 8 and 9 of Part I of Schedule 7A of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973.