Issue - meetings

Purpose of Report

To present the new Neighbourhood Management Policy for approval, as detailed at Appendix A to the officer’s report.

Decision

That the Neighbourhood Management Policy be approved.

Alternative Options Considered

None.

Reason for Decision

The policy only applied to c.7,800 properties which were owned and managed by City of Lincoln Council and the areas Housing were responsible for throughout the city.

It represented an ‘Umbrella’ Policy that signposted a number of specific delivery policies that determined how we provided services.

Following consultation with Lincoln Tenant’s Panel LTP the following comments had been received:

• The Panel had agreed with the policy in principle and understand that it was an overall umbrella for other policies and procedures.

• They would like further work to be done with them on a separate policy looking at handling noise issues and communal living.

• The approach in the policy needed to be linked to work being done on ASB procedures and to align with this process, and the Allocations process.

• The Panel were happy to work with officers on the policies and procedures that fed directly into this policy, such as grounds maintenance, untidy gardens and communal areas.

This policy met the requirements of the Social Housing Regulator, specifically the Consumer Standards: Neighbourhood and Community, Safety and Quality, and Transparency, Influence and Accountability (including the Tenant Satisfaction Measures).

Included in these Standards were required outcomes for neighbourhoods and communal areas associated with homes to be clean and safe. This reinforced our aims to ensure that neighbourhoods were attractive, clean and safe places to live, work and socialise in.

It was a recommendation of the Housing Ombudsman’s “Spotlight on noise complaints – time to be heard” report that social housing landlords should have a neighbourhood management policy distinct from their Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) policy, and procedures in place for triaging neighbourhood management issues through early intervention and creating an environment that was attractive, clean and safe.

Members thanked Lincoln Tenant’s Panel for their continued involvement and contributions to the work of the Housing Team. It was important that residents were empowered and local people were engaged with to let them know their voice was heard.