Agenda item

8.1

The Committee received a report of the Executive Director, Communities, and the Executive Director, Place, which provided information on the work that had recently commenced between the two Portfolios to look at future land responsibility and management arrangements within the Council. 

8.2

The report was presented Janet Sharpe, Interim Director of Housing, who explained that a significant proportion of land in Sheffield still remained in Council ownership, and was maintained each year from funding from the Council's own resources, mainly the General Fund and the Housing Revenue Account (HRA).  Historically, Council land had been divided up and managed within Council individual Portfolios and based on old agreements, and this made having a consistent maintenance standard difficult to achieve and communicate to customers in the City.  As a consequence, it had been agreed between the Communities and Place Portfolios to carry out a review of land management arrangements.

8.2

Members made various comments and asked a number of questions, to which responses were provided as follows:-

·                     The initial task was to work out who owned what pieces of land and ensure that the boundaries made sense.  For example, there was a pocket of land in the Woodseats area of the City which had no adjacent Council housing.  There would be community consultation and the aim would be to ensure the best use of land in the City.

·                     The Council’s call centres were aware that people may be reporting issues relating to these pieces of land, as a result of this project.

·                     Tenants had been involved in recommending this project through the Future of Council Housing Project and the ‘Greener, Cleaner, Safer Group’ and officers would report on progress to the Council Housing Board.  The Committee’s comments welcoming uniformity and the importance of community involvement would be passed on to the Walkabout representatives.

8.3

RESOLVED: That the Committee:-

(a)       thanks Janet Sharpe for her contribution to the meeting;

(b)       notes the contents of the report and the responses to questions; and

(c)        approves the formation of a project to look at Council owned land across the City.