Issue - meetings

(CAB3394(H))

The Property Services Manager provided an update and clarification to some areas of his report.

The Property Services Manager and Corporate Head of Housing responded to questions and comments raised by members and TACT representatives on the following:

·         Assurances of sufficient ‘van stock’ to enable completion of an appointment;

·         Ability to resolve disputes as to whether a contractor had met an appointment or not;

·         The council being inundated with heating system breakdowns following a period of mild weather and sudden onset of cold temperatures and the council’s proposed communication plan to help address this in the future; 

·         When a more ‘consumer friendly’ version of the new policy was to be prepared for circulation to tenants;

·         The proposed level of compensation for missed appointments and when the council was able to consider greater payments when loss of earnings could be demonstrated (paragraph 3.01 of the policy as set out at Appendix 1 to the report;

·         Compensation payments to be made in voucher equivalent and flexibility and understanding of tenant circumstance regarding this;

·         Consultation with tenants of the council’s Heating Strategy and moving those tenants who were ‘off grid’ to new systems which may cost more to run;

·         The potential negative impact of the policy on those tenants with protected characteristics – a common sense and reasonableness approach would be taken. 

During debate, the committee welcomed the proposal for regular review of the policy and two additional recommendations to those set out in the report were noted and agreed as set out in the resolution below (recommendations 2 and 3).