The Director of Housing submitted a report to request that Cabinet approve the new draft Social Housing Allocations Scheme for Oxford, following public consultation.

Cabinet is recommended to:

1.    Recommend that Full Council approve the new draft Social Housing Allocations Scheme for Oxford;

2.    Delegate authority to the Director of Housing, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities, to authorise the date on which the Allocations Scheme is implemented, noting the explanation and timelines in paragraph 23;

3.    Delegate authority to the Director of Housing, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities, to make minor changes to the Allocations Scheme in order to comply with changes to legislative and statutory guidance, related Council policies (approved by Cabinet) and to make technical changes to ensure the effective and efficient functioning of the scheme.

Cabinet resolved to:

1.       Recommend that Full Council approve the new draft Social Housing Allocations Scheme for Oxford;

2.       Recommend that Full Council delegates authority to the Director of Housing, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities, to authorise the date on which the Allocations Scheme is implemented, noting the explanation and timelines in paragraph 23;

3.       Recommend that Full Council delegates authority to the Director of Housing, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities, to make minor changes to the Allocations Scheme, in order to comply with changes to legislative and statutory guidance, related Council policies (approved by Cabinet) and to make technical changes to ensure the effective and efficient functioning of the scheme.

The Director of Housing had submitted a report to request that Cabinet approve the new draft Social Housing Allocations Scheme for Oxford, following public consultation.

Councillor Linda Smith presented the report. She noted that the first recommendation would be amended to the following

Recommend that Full Council approve the new draft Social Housing Allocations Scheme for Oxford;

Councillor Smith thanked the officers for their work in this area. She said that she was pleased with the outcomes of the survey and tenants’ engagement and awareness of the scheme.

Tom Porter, Senior Strategy and Service Development Officer, said that the report proposed minor changes to their current practice. He outlined how they had reviewed guidance, legislation, and the work that similar councils do in this area when drafting the report.

Councillor Chapman said that the paper was very clear and thanked officers for the transparency of the system and their hard work in this area.

With the change to the first recommendation, Cabinet resolved to:

1.       Recommend that Full Council approve the new draft Social Housing Allocations Scheme for Oxford;

2.       Recommend that Full Council delegates authority to the Director of Housing, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities, to authorise the date on which the Allocations Scheme is implemented, noting the explanation and timelines in paragraph 23;

3.       Recommend that Full Council delegates authority to the Director of Housing, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities, to make minor changes to the Allocations Scheme, in order to comply with changes to legislative and statutory guidance, related Council policies (approved by Cabinet) and to make technical changes to ensure the effective and efficient functioning of the scheme.