Minutes Template

Should you wish to refer any decisions contained in these minutes to Policy and Resources Committee, please submit a Decision Referral Form, signed by three Councillors, to the Head of Policy, Communications and Governance by: 2 April 2019.

 
 


MAIDSTONE BOROUGH COUNCIL

 

Communities, Housing and Environment Committee

 

Minutes of the meeting held on Tuesday 19 March 2019

 

Present:

Councillors M Burton, Garten, Joy, D Mortimer (Chairman), Powell, Purle, Mrs Robertson, Rose and Webb

 

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184.     Apologies for Absence

 

There were no apologies for absence.

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185.     Notification of Substitute Members

 

There were no Substitute Members.

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186.     Urgent Items

 

There were no urgent items.

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187.     Notification of Visiting Members

 

There were no Visiting Members.

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188.     Disclosures by Members and Officers

 

There were no disclosures by Members or Officers.

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189.     Disclosures of Lobbying

 

There were no disclosures of lobbying.

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190.     To consider whether any items should be taken in private because of the possible disclosure of exempt information.

 

RESOLVED: That all items be taken in public as proposed.

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191.     Minutes of the Meeting Held on 12 February 2019

 

RESOLVED: That the minutes of the meeting held on 12 February 2019 be approved as a correct record and signed.

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192.     Presentation of Petitions (if any)

 

There were no petitions.

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193.     Questions and answer session for members of the public (if any)

 

There were no questions from members of the public.

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194.     Committee Work Programme

 

RESOLVED: That the Committee Work Programme be noted.

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195.     Reports of Outside Bodies

 

There were no reports of Outside Bodies.

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196.     KPI Quarter 3 Update CHE

 

Mr Alex Munden, Information and Corporate Policy Officer, explained that the report contained a typographical error.  Paragraph 3.5 on page 12 was to read:

 

“The Percentage of fly-tips assessed or cleared within two working days was 94% against a target of 89%.”

 

Mr Munden outlined that five of the ten Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) had met or exceeded the target figures for the quarter.  Eight KPIs had improved when compared to the previous quarter.  It was stated that although the “Number of affordable homes delivered” was below target for Quarter 3, the KPI was on track to meet the year-end target.

 

The Committee congratulated Officers for significantly exceeding the target for “Percentage of fly tips resulting in enforcement action”.

 

In response to questions from the Committee, Mr John Littlemore, Head of Housing and Community Services, stated that:

 

·         The “Number of affordable homes delivered” was historically low between October and December.  Work was to be undertaken with the Policy and Information Team to profile KPIs, to account for quarterly trends.

 

·         The Disabled Facilities Grant Budget was a finite resource.  There was 5.9% of the grant budget remaining for Quarter 4.

 

RESOLVED: That the summary of performance for Quarter 3 of 2018/19 for Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) be noted.

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197.     3rd Quarter Revenue & Capital Budget Monitoring Report

 

Mr Mark Green, Director of Finance and Business Improvement, addressed the Committee.  It was explained that the revenue budget for the Committee was underspent by £221,000.  The purchase of properties for temporary accommodation had contributed to a positive revenue variance, while Grounds Maintenance income had exceeded the budget by £118,000.  It was stated that the £15m capital programme had largely been delivered.

 

In response to questions from the Committee, Officers said:

 

·         Expected savings had not been realised for the Public Conveniences contract, resulting in an overspend.  The budget was to be increased next year to ensure that the current service continued.

 

·         A review of recruitment in Housing, following a number of staff vacancies, had been undertaken.  As a result of the review, further recruitment had taken place and the Housing Teams were almost fully staffed.  This meant that a significant underspend was no longer anticipated for staffing costs.

 

·         Staff were allocated to the enforcement of HMO (House in Multiple Occupancy) licences.  It was acknowledged that the Council may not be aware of all HMOs in the Borough, and therefore information from Members regarding this was welcomed.

 

RESOLVED: That:

 

1.   The revenue position at the end of the third quarter and the actions being taken or proposed to improve the position, where significant variances have been identified, be noted.

 

2.   That the capital position at the end of the third quarter is noted.

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198.     Draft Homelessness and Rough Sleeper Strategy 2019 - 2024

 

Mr Littlemore explained that Maidstone Borough Council had a statutory responsibility to publish a Homelessness and Rough Sleeper Strategy.  This strategy contained four key priorities, which were designed to tackle the issues of homelessness and rough sleeping within the Borough.  There was a need to undertake a consultation process, and the final Homelessness and Rough Sleeper Strategy was to be produced following this process.

 

In response to a question from the Committee, Mr Littlemore stated that the consultation would commence in March 2019.  This would last for a minimum of thirty days.

 

RESOLVED: That:

 

1.   The draft Homelessness and Rough Sleeper Strategy is approved for consultation with key partners and stakeholders.

 

2.   The final Homelessness and Rough Sleeper Strategy is submitted to an appropriate Communities, Housing and Environment Committee for approval.

 

Voting: Unanimous

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199.     Duration of Meeting

 

8.25 p.m. to 9.06 p.m.

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