Agenda and minutes

1.1

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Ben Curran, Abtisam Mohamed and Alison Teal.  Councillor Fran Belbin attended as substitute Member for Councillor Curran.

2.1

No items were identified where resolutions may be moved to exclude the public and press.

3.1

There were no declarations of interest.

4.1

The minutes of the meetings of the Committee held on 16^th November and 14^th December, 2021, were approved as correct records.

4.2

Matters Arising – 16^th November

4.2.1

With regard to item 7 – Place Systems Review Housing Project – Councillor Joe Otten asked whether the concerns and issues raised by Members regarding the new IT system had been addressed.  Councillor Sioned-Mair Richards said that an update was expected to be brought to the March meeting of the Committee.

5.1

There were no public questions or petitions received from members of the public.

6.1

The Chair, Councillor Peter Garbutt referred to an Online Workshop that had been in held in January, 2022.  Councillor Garbutt drew the Committee’s attention to a report submitted by the Policy and Improvement Officer, Deborah Glen stating that the Committee had been asked to note the contents of the report and to consider making further a recommendation that the issue of Selective Licensing was taken forward under the new Committee system to be introduced in May, 2022.

6.2

Members made various comments on the items discussed at the Workshop as follows:-

• Councillor Sioned-Mair Richards stated that the Government announced that additional funding was to be added to the existing Building Safety Fund to speed up the process and cover the costs of removing and replacing the dangerous cladding in buildings that are 18 metres or higher. Councillor Richards stated that help for leaseholders living in London towards remediation expenses would be able to up to £15,000 and those outside London, £10,000.  She said that a new low interest loan scheme was to be introduced to cover the cost of remedial works related to unsafe cladding in buildings that were between 11-18 metres which currently did not qualify for the fund.  She added that it would be the developers’ responsibility to contribute to these costs and a new developer levy was to be introduced in the forthcoming Building Safety Bill, which would be applicable when developers aim to develop high rise buildings. She said that work replacing cladding had significantly slow and that leaseholders had been charged with the costs of temporary solutions, such as the installation of waking watch and she asked whether a briefing report could be presented to all Councillors so that they were aware of solid action being taken in Sheffield.

·                Deborah Glen said she would speak to Janet Sharp and ask for an update.

·                Councillor Paul Wood said the figures on the waking watch in the city would be circulated to everyone.

·                Deborah Glen stated that amount of work to be carried out regarding Selective Licensing was extensive and couldn’t be completed before May and she suggested that, due to there only being one more meeting of this Committee, it would be better to take this to the relevant Committee within the new Committee system.  Members responded by stating that there had been different concerns raised in Page Hall and London Road.  Members felt that the new Committee needed to develop a strategy for the introduction of Selective Licensing over the next two to three years.

6.3

RESOLVED: That the recommendations in the report be agreed.

7.1

The Policy and Improvement Officer stated that she hadn’t received any information from the Local Area Committees (LACs) to be reported to this Committee.

7.2

Councillor Joe Otten expressed his surprise that no items had been received from the LAC Chairs, as he was well aware that things were happening in the areas and decisions were being taken.  Councillor Andrew Sangar stated that with regard to items of business being reported, there was nowhere in the current structure for LAC chairs to make formal decisions, the LAC Chairs Group was just a useful forum.  Councillor Sangar added that It had been agreed at a meeting earlier in the day that Alex Polak, Assistant Director of Legal and Governance, who was assisting in formalising the new Committee system, would attend every LAC meeting in March to outline how the new Committee system would work alongside LACs.

7.3

The Chair noted these comments and said that, as far as he was aware, it had not yet been agreed on how information should be passed on to Committees.

7.4

Deborah Glen informed Members that they had requested that this item should be a standing item on every agenda

8.1

The Committee received the schedule of forthcoming Executive Decisions and made the following comments:-

Brownfield Housing Fund grant

·                Members asked was this something came under the remit of the Committee?

Private Sector Leasing Scheme and Rough Sleepers Accommodation Programme

·                Councillor Paul Wood stated that there were no finalised plans on this.

·                Members felt that there should be clarity regarding rough sleepers and asylum seekers and which Portfolio dealt with matters arising.  There was always going to be crossover elements, i.e. was rough sleeping a housing problem so part of the Place Portfolio or a people problem to be dealt with by the People Portfolio.  It was felt that there should be a watching brief on this, as other things came into play such as substance misuse, mental health, people trafficking etc.  Deborah Glen stated that she would contact the relevant Lead Officer on this to ascertain a timescale and if manageable, she would arrange for her to attend the next meeting of this Committee to provide an update.

Older Persons Independent Living Scheme

·                Members welcomed the intention to offer a café and community rooms within the Older Persons Independent Living scheme, the first to be built in the city for many years, which would provide residents and the wider community the opportunity for social inclusion and reduce loneliness and isolation and also offer a modern facility for local groups to meet. Councillor Paul Wood estimated that the scheme would open in the Parson Cross area in approximately six to seven months’ time and he extended an invitation to Members to visit the scheme.

Gypsy and Traveller Pitch Fee Increase 2022/23

·                Members asked whether the increase in pitch fees was due to inflation or due to improvements to sites.  Councillor Paul Wood stated that increases were set in December each year, in line with inflation.

Bolehill View Older Persons’ Residential Home

·                Members referred to the site and building had now been declared surplus to requirements and the proposal that the  site be appropriated to housing purposes and used for the for the provision of new housing through the Council Housing Stock and asked what sort of housing would be provided as it was felt there was a need for some residential places to be made available for young people. Was this something under consideration and could the site be adapted that way.   Councillor Paul Wood stated that the matter was under review and could be used in various ways.

8.2

RESOLVED: That the issues raised be taken forward.