Substitutes are not allowed.

None

None

For the Panel to note and agree its work plan, which can be adjusted to reflect the wishes of the Panel.

The Panel considered the proposed workplan for the remainder of the civic year, which was AGREED.

For the Panel to approve the record of the meeting held on 03 September 2020.

The notes of the meeting held on 03 September 2020 were AGREED.

For the Panel to consider the Housing Performance Q2 update report, and to make any recommendations to Cabinet accordingly.

Richard Wood, Strategy and Service Development Manager, will be available to present the report and answer any questions.

The Panel AGREED to change the agenda order, to hear the Housing Performance Q1 item before the response to the Planning for the Future government consultation.

Richard Wood, Strategy and Service Development Manager introduced a report detailing the Council’s performance across its housing activities. Before introducing the main issues it was explained that Covid had made target-setting and delivery more difficult.

The demands on homelessness-related services had increased over normal numbers, with elevated numbers presenting as homeless week on week. Nevertheless, despite higher numbers the Council had been successful in keeping the numbers waiting for temporary accommodation within the targets set for a non-pandemic impacted environment. The normal measures for work on rough sleeping had not been able to be provided; all work by the provider had had to be suspended in order to develop and run the emergency accommodation required under the ‘Everybody In’ policy. Over the course of two weeks at the start of the lockdown period, it was necessary to find 121 rooms, which was achieved. Interim provision at Canterbury House and the YHA had also been established. The Council had successfully secured from central government £1m for the Next Steps programme, to support that accommodation and additional move-on options also and had another bid in the pipeline for further long-term accommodation. The impact of the Council’s efforts in implementing the ‘Everybody In’ policy meant that counts of street homeless showed a decrease in the number of individuals, with 25 at the last count.

In other areas of the Council, the demands of Housing Services had continued throughout the lockdown period, with the service needing to adapt its processes to enable new lets and repairs to continue, with the latter playing a key role in identifying and providing support for vulnerable tenants during the pandemic.

In the area of construction and the building of social housing, the pandemic had caused severe disruption, with work having to be paused during the lockdown on the majority of sites. This was due largely to the challenges of social distancing, but also because of disruption of supply chains. Following the lifting of lockdown, catch up work had commenced. The year to date delivery of affordable homes stood at the end of the quarter at 33, with an anticipated 93 to be delivered by the end of the financial year.

In discussion, the Panel discussed the following:

-       The adequacy of the number of homes being delivered in comparison to the number waiting for housing. It was recognised that the number did need to increase, but that the Council was taking what steps were available to increase supply.

-       The Council’s responsibilities towards rough sleepers from outside the City’s boundaries. It was explained that the Council would provide emergency accommodation and undertake initial assessments, but once an individual’s links to another area were established, the relevant district would become responsible for helping the individual.

-       Details of future bids for additional funding from government, which would be used, if granted, to supply  ...  view the full minutes text for item 22.

The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government issued the Planning for the Future White Paper on 6th August 2020 seeking views on a package of proposals for reform of the planning system in England. The Council’s response is scheduled to go to the Cabinet meeting of 14 October 2020. The Panel is asked to consider the response and make any recommendations to Cabinet as required.

Amanda Ford, Planning Policy Team Leader, will be available to present the report and answer questions. Councillor Alex Hollingsworth, Cabinet Member for Planning and Housing Delivery, has been invited to present also.

NB The report for this item will be issued as a supplement.

Councillor Alex Hollingsworth, Cabinet Member for Planning and Housing Supply, introduced a report presenting the response by the Council’s officers to central government’s consultation on far-reaching changes to its planning rules, the Planning for the Future white paper. The proposals in the white paper were introduced as the most profound challenge to democratic management of planning since 1947 and would remove from both councils and local people the ability to have any meaningful say in the Planning process. Local policies, such as housing numbers and environmental standards, would be replaced with centrally mandated standards. Centralisation of s.106 funding would likely result in the reduction of affordable homes being built. Considerations of the purpose and impact of a building would be deprioritised in relation to its aesthetic appeal, with as-yet-undefined ‘beautiful’ buildings automatically being granted planning permission.

A concurrent consultation was also being undertaken by government, to which the Panel’s attention was drawn. The key proposal was that the threshold of dwellings in a development required before the provision of or contributions towards social and affordable housing that would be required from developers would increase from 10 to 50. With Oxford’s large number of small to medium size developments, this would have a very significant negative impact on the number of social and affordable houses being delivered within the City. Other losses to affordable housing numbers were expected to arise from another government proposal, to increase the number of ‘starter homes’ in developments, which would be taken out of the requirement for affordable housing delivery, thereby reducing the numbers further.

Carolyn Ploszynski, Planning Policy and Place Manager, and Amanda Ford, Team Leader (Planning Policy) introduced the technical elements to government’s proposals and the Council officers’ response. The overriding objective, according to the proposals, was that the government wished to see more high quality homes being delivered faster, but it was the view of the officers that these objectives are unlikely to be achieved through the proposals being suggested. In Oxford it could mean housing sites being lost to other uses, or conservation areas being put in blanket “protection zones” reducing the amount appropriate development.

In response to the report, the Panel discussed a number of issues including:

-       The challenges of drafting a new Local Plan within 12 months and agreeing it within 30 months, which was suggested by Panel members and officers to leave little or no opportunity for public consultation or evidence gathering. Further, it was reported that the response from MCHLG to many practical challenges around implementation remained unclear.

-       Whether it would be possible to bring in zoning proposals of sufficient granularity to prevent unsuitable development. It was explained to the Panel that it would be possible to bring in the necessary granularity, but only if a master-planning exercise was undertaken. However, the level of master-planning required to deliver such granularity was reported not to be deliverable within the 12 month period proposed by the government.

-       What would happen under the proposals to viability testing.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 23.

Meetings are scheduled as follows:

-       05 November 2020

-       01 February 2021

The Panel is also asked to note that members are invited to participate in the Housing element of the Budget Review in Jan 2021 (precise date TBC)

All meetings begin at 6.00pm.

The Panel NOTED the date of the next meeting, 05 November 2020, and the invitation to participate in the Housing element of the Budget Review Group meeting on 06 January 2021.

Should the Panel consider it necessary to go into confidential session, it will be necessary to pass a resolution in accordance with the provisions of Paragraph 4(2)(b) of the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012 to exclude the press and members of the public during discussion of this item on the grounds that it might involve disclosure of exempt information as described in the relevant paragraphs of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972.

The Panel AGREED to pass a resolution in accordance with the provisions of Paragraph 4(2)(b) of the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012 to exclude the press and members of the public during discussion of this item on the grounds that it might involve disclosure of exempt information as described in the relevant paragraphs of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972.

At its previous meeting, the Panel heard an update on the Council’s position regarding the management of Covid-related domestic rent arrears. It was agreed that the topic required more time to consider fully. The Panel is therefore provided with a further opportunity to consider the issues, raise questions and make any recommendations to Cabinet as necessary.

Tanya Bandekar, Revenue and Benefits Service Manager, and Phil McGaskill, Revenues Manager will be available at the meeting to present the report and answer any questions.

NB The report for this item is restricted.

Tanya Bandekar, Service Manager (Revenues and Benefit), and Phil McGaskill, Revenues Manager presented a report to the Panel on the Council’s management of domestic arrears during Covid.

To date, the Council was reported to be tracking along a similar trajectory to 2018, but behind 2019. In 2019 the Council had implemented a strategy of engage and persuade, which had led to one of its most successful years of arrears reduction. If the impact of money sent to the Council regarding DWP but awaiting advice on which account to credit it to, the Council’s arrears figures were doing better than in 2018.

With the opening of the courts, the Council had begun considering its approach to formal court proceedings. One area of growth in arrears related to those tenants over six months in arrears; for these tenants the intention was to begin serving notices seeking possession. Oftentimes, those not engaging with the Council’s softer efforts to address arrears less formally would do so after receiving a letter seeking possession. The time delay between serving such a notice and going to court would be six months, allowing significant time for the tenant to start addressing their arrears. It was the Council’s intention usually to seek suspended possession on terms, not evicting the tenant but giving them the opportunity to stay in the property if progress was made against the arrears.

Garage arrears had increased sharply at the start of lockdown, largely due to those wishing to surrender their garage tenancy being unable to present their keys back. However, with focus from officers these arrears had largely been cleared and were trending towards normal levels.

For the Rent Guarantee scheme, numbers were actually running at half the level of 2019.

 The Panel sought more information about enforcement and the protection of vulnerable tenants facing enforcement. The Panel were informed that the Council had a very strict code for enforcement agent behaviour and a lot of work had been devoted to finding companies with the ability to deliver on those exacting standards. One aspect of the company was their strength in using technology and training for their operatives in identifying vulnerable tenants, and the Council had actually learned on a number of occasions of vulnerabilities that were previously unknown. Complaints were very low.

The question was raised whether there was capacity to track the level of people facing arrears who have language barriers. The team was in the process of adopting a new system of recording, which would be more sophisticated and provide the opportunity to track and interrogate a lot more fields. The Panel also examined in more detail the protections for those with English as a second language.

NB There are no confidential minutes for this item.