Agenda item

To approve the public minutes and summary of the meeting on 12 January 2015.

RESOLVED – That the public minutes and non-public summary of the meeting held on 12 January 2015 be approved as a correct record.

Matters Arising

Horace Jones House

The Chairman advised that the formal opening had taken place on 25^th March, and all tenants had accepted their places.

Welfare Benefits Update & Financial Inclusion Programme

Members noted that despite the expectation for rental arrears to increase, rental collections were better by £2,000 than the previous financial year. In response to a Member’s question, officers confirmed that the ‘bedroom tax’ had affected a number of residents, but the work to support tenants through money and budget management had helped mitigate the effects.

Asset Management – Golden Lane Estate

The Assistant Director – Barbican & Property Services reported that there had been two incidents at the Golden Lane Estate: a collapse of external cladding at Stanley Cohen House, and a fire in the basement of Crescent House.

(a)        Stanley Cohen House

The Assistant Director – Barbican & Property Services advised that, although there was a wider review of building fabric testing underway, Stanley Cohen House was being reviewed urgently, with fabric testing scheduled for later in the week.

(b)        Crescent House

The Assistant Director – Barbican & Property Services advised that the fire had originated in the basement, where a single meter had caught fire and spread to others, affecting 36 households. Members noted that, although it was the responsibility of residents to contact their suppliers to get meters replaced, blank meters had been installed to ensure residents had electricity again. Officers confirmed that currently three households were still without power as access could not be gained to the flats.

Members expressed their concern, and queried the level of inspection that could be undertaken to prevent reoccurrence. Officers confirmed that, although checks were carried out by electricity suppliers, no records were kept of which meters were checked and when. In future these could be maintained, along with the addition of meter checks and the possibility of thermal imaging in the five-year cyclical tests.

Members requested the report of the City Fire Officer be circulated electronically to Sub Committee Members, along with the report of the Fire Brigade once it had been received.