Agenda item

The Committee received an update from the Allocated Member for Middlesex Street, which highlighted snagging issues that affected the perceived quality of the estate, following a walkabout of the estate with residents. This had been reported to officers and action had been taken. The Member suggested that a report be received to a meeting of the Housing Management and Almshouses Sub-Committee (HMASC) on actions taken on improving the performance of Property Services and providing an explanation on how it operated. They also encouraged Allocated Members to look at the photographs they had shared and partake in walkabouts on estates with residents. Following the update, the Chairman echoed Members frustrations with repairs and maintenance on the estates.

Officers responded that they were working on identified outstanding repairs and maintenance in batches. An action list had been produced and was monitored by the resident services officer for the repairs and maintenance identified in Middlesex Street. It was agreed that a report on Property Services would be received at a meeting of HMASC, providing assurance that the issues that Members had raised were on the Department’s agenda.

A Member queried who was responsible for reviewing and signing off repairs and maintenance. The response was that this was a combination of external and internal staff. It was acknowledged that contract management was below expectations, and specialists were being engaged who had experience, such as in compliance, with managing contracts to share, educate, and bring confidence to staff to better hold contractors to account. Members commented that whilst this was good progress, residents needed visibility of staff, as not having staff ‘on the ground’ combined with slow progress of repairs and maintenance sent an unintended message of a lack of care.  Following this, the Committee heard that a request had been made for frontline staff to bring in more resources to have the tools to work better and more efficiently.

It was asked how the service worked with City Surveyors, especially with the sharing of how to work with contractors. Officers said that there were strong relations with City Surveyors, and this would continue for contract management and monitoring.

The Committee then heard an update from the Chairman of the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Sub-Committee. As noted earlier in the meeting, the numbers of rough sleepers had increased and there were anecdotes of increases in anti-social behaviour, and a promise from the Chairman of Policy & Resources to host an event in Guildhall on homelessness. The Committee also discussed the recent resolution from the Committee to the Finance Committee on homelessness and also heard the response from Finance Committee.