Issue - meetings

1.    That the following six Housing Repairs and Maintenance Compliance Policies be approved and adopted, as set out in Appendices 1 to 6 of report CAB3520(H):

a)    Fire Safety Policy

b)    Gas and Heating Policy

c)    Electrical Safety Policy

d)    Asbestos Policy

e)    Water Hygiene Policy

f)      Lift Safety Policy

2.  That authority be delegated to the Corporate Head of Housing, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Good Homes, to make any minor amendments to the policies.

Councillor Becker introduced the report which sought approval for six housing repair and maintenance compliance policies which had been developed by specialist consultants to ensure that they meet the relevant legislative reform and regulative regulatory frameworks.

Councillor Becker, the Corporate Head of Housing, the Service Lead - Housing Landlord Services and other relevant officers from the team then responded to questions and comments raised by councillors as summarised below:

a)    What action was taken to mitigate against the risk of tenants disturbing asbestos-containing materials in council properties and garages. The Service Lead agreed to check that safety literature was provided to tenants of garages as well as homes.

b)    Whether Awaab’s Law applied to the private rented sector (PRS).

c)    A concern was raised that policy summaries were communicated primarily via the website, and alternative, non-digital methods were requested. It was advised that officers would review other means of communication, such as newsletters and leaflets, to ensure information was provided in a meaningful and accessible way.

The Cabinet Committee agreed the following for the reasons set out above and outlined in the report.

RESOLVED:

1.              That the following six Housing Repairs and Maintenance Compliance Policies be approved and adopted, as set out in Appendices 1 to 6 of report CAB3520(H):

a)              Fire Safety Policy

b)              Gas and Heating Policy

c)              Electrical Safety Policy

d)              Asbestos Policy

e)              Water Hygiene Policy

f)               Lift Safety Policy

2.              That authority be delegated to the Corporate Head of Housing, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Good Homes, to make any minor amendments to the policies.

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RECOMMENDATION:

It is recommended that the committee review and comment on the proposals within the attached draft report, ref CAB3520(H) which is to be considered by Cabinet Committee (Housing) at its meeting on the 4 November 2025.

Pennington’s Choice have been commissioned as a recognised authority in property and surveying to develop the six compliance policies. Accordingly, consultation is not directly sought on the individual policy context but instead it is to support Member understanding and implementation of the policies.

Gillian Knight, Corporate Head of Housing, introduced the report which was due to be presented to the Cabinet Committee (Housing) in November 2025 for approval. The introduction included the following points.

1.    The purpose of the report was to seek approval and adoption of six core housing repair, maintenance, and compliance policies covering fire safety, gas and heating, electrical safety, asbestos, water hygiene, and lift safety.

2.    There was a business need to navigate a complex framework of statutory obligations to ensure council homes were safe and legally compliant.

3.    Pennington's Choice, specialist property and surveying consultants, were commissioned to develop the policies in partnership with the council’s technical teams.

4.    The presentation was to raise awareness of the policies with committee members, rather than for consultation on the content.

5.    The policies were required to underpin the procurement of the housing repair, maintenance, and compliance contract, which was due for renewal the following summer.

6.    The policies incorporated legal requirements such as Awaab’s Law and the Building Safety Act 2022, and defined roles and responsibilities to foster a culture of respect and accountability.

7.    Tenant engagement was underway, and feedback would be incorporated into the final paper to be presented to the Cabinet Committee (Housing) in November 2025.

The committee was asked to review and comment on the proposals within the attached draft report, ref CAB3520(H) which is to be considered by Cabinet Committee (Housing) at its meeting on the 4 November 2025.

The committee proceeded to ask questions and debate the report. In summary, the following matters were raised.

1.    A question was asked to confirm that Pennington's Choice was selected to advise on the policies due to their professional accreditation in the relevant fields.

2.    Clarification was sought on how the finalised policies would be communicated to tenants in an accessible format, given the length and technical nature of the documents.

3.    A question was asked about the methods for disseminating the policies to relevant technical officers and other staff to ensure they were understood and implemented correctly.

4.    Further information was requested regarding the review process for the policies, including the frequency of reviews and who would be responsible for conducting them.

5.    A query was raised as to whether the policies were fixed or if they could be subject to negotiation by contractors during the procurement process for the new repairs and maintenance contract.

6.    A question was asked whether contractors or technical staff who would implement the work had been consulted to ensure the policies were practical.

7.    Clarification was sought regarding an apparent discrepancy in the lift safety policy, where two different emergency response times were listed for an incident where a person was trapped in a lift.

These points were responded to by Yvonne Anderson, Service Lead - Housing Landlord Services and Gillian Knight, Corporate Head of Housing accordingly.

RESOLVED:

1.    That the committee noted the report.

2.    That the committee thanked the officer for bringing the report forward and noted that  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9