Agenda item

5.1

Mark Southall attended the Committee and brought the following petition which was answered by the Chair:

5.1.1

I am writing this letter on behalf of myself and the other residents in the block of flats. We are unhappy about the flat of 21A Creswick Way, S62 TP, being used as a halfway property when all of us were sent letters asking is anyone had any objections against the property being built. We did not object or have any issues with this, but we were not informed that it would become a halfway house. All of us have agreed that if this was the case then we would have objected and expressed concerns. Surrounding neighbours and I have signed a petition for the property in question to become a permanent residential property.

Answer

The tenants moved out back to Brightmore Drive (temporary accommodation block) on Friday following further ASB incidents.  The property on Creswick Way is now vacant.  This property will be returned back to the area for general needs letting based on the local concerns and the petition.

5.2

Jenny Carpenter attended the Committee and asked the following question which the Chair answered:

5.2.1

Private rented accommodation has some of the poorest energy efficiency performance standards and consequently the highest energy bills. Liverpool City Council has addressed this head on by using a selective licensing designation which requires landlords to comply with minimum energy standards. When will Sheffield follow suit and do something similar?

Answer

In term of selective licensing, it is on our workplan for discussion at a future meeting. I am advised that it is not technically correct that Liverpool is enforcing this type of energy through the selective licensing scheme. There are two pieces of different legislation and each one is enforced through its own route. They have done something interesting there and I am sure this will be considered.

The selective licensing is something that applies to private landlords in an area or across the whole city. The minimum energy efficiency standards is a separate piece of legislation and enforcement tool which can be applied and the advice is that we do not proactively carry that out within the private sector at present. This is because we do not have the resources to do that proactive work and it is something that is needed. We have been working with DLUHC on new legislation to push for the increase in the minimum standard to EPC level C and there are also some exemptions for landlords which we have and will continue to press the government to act on.