Agenda item

The Director Housing submits a report which provides the formal feedback required by the Housing Scrutiny Commission on the recommendations made by the Communal Cleaning Task Group on 18^th March 2015. The previous report can be found at the following link: http://www.cabinet.leicester.gov.uk:8071/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=735&MId=6510&Ver=4

The Housing Scrutiny Commission is invited to approve the recommendations within the report.

The Director of Housing submitted a report which provided formal feedback to the Housing Scrutiny Commission on the recommendations made by the Communal Cleaning Task Group on 18^th March 2015. The Housing Scrutiny Commission was invited to approve the steps taken and set out within the report, which was presented by the Head of Service, Estate Management and Tenancy Support.

The Scrutiny Policy Officer provided Members with a briefing note on the background of the review, what prompted it and the way in which it was undertaken, and it is attached to the minutes for information. A link to the task group report was included in the agenda. It was recognised the people were undertaking a difficult job in all hours. Management of the cleaning work had been strengthened, but had been badly stretched, and Members were sympathetic to the conditions cleaning staff had to work in. it was also felt that there had been a lack of investment in cleaning equipment, but problems had been exacerbated by the ending of deep cleaning of surfaces across many estates.

The Head of Service referred to the short and long-term recommendations contained within the report. The meeting was informed that the current contractor for cleaning was City Cleansing, and there was a charge for tenants for cleaning. It was also noted that there were some poor surfaces in communal areas, mainly concrete, which were difficult to clean. It had been agreed by the Assistant Mayor that a programme of works be undertaken to improve the surfaces of the worst blocks on a yearly basis through a combination of a programme of deep cleaning, and Environmental and Communal Area budget. A separate bid for Capital Investment, separate from other housing Capital Investment, would be made to the Council.

Members were reminded that many tenants did not know how much their charge for cleaning was. The meeting was informed that Housing would look at reintroducing a breakdown of rent and charges for tenants on rent cards under the new Northgate IT system when in place.

The Assistant Mayor had indicated there would be no increase in service charges for cleaning and a working group be established to look at a number of issues identified in the report. It would include representatives from Housing, City Cleansing and members of the Tenants Forum. It was also suggested that the drying areas also be looked at by the working group. The Chair said he would await the report from the working group, and if necessary, would reconvene the task group at that stage.

The Assistant Mayor thanked the Task Group for the useful piece of work. He said that the recent budget statement by Government to introduce a 1% reduction in rent would impact heavily on the Housing Revenue Account. He added that the forecast for 2016 would see a reduction of £2.2million in rent income, rising to an £11.8million reduction in four years. He added that difficult decisions and savings would have to be made to balance the budget.

The Chair agreed to the recommendations included in the report, and asked for a six-month update from the working party and officers. He requested that a representative from City Cleansing attend the next meeting of the Housing Scrutiny Commission to give their response to the review.

AGREED:

that:

1.    the Scrutiny Commission approve the recommendation in the report;

2.    a six-month update be brought to a future meeting;

3.    a representative from City Cleansing be invited to the next Commission meeting on 8^th September 2015 to give their response to the review.