Agenda and minutes

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 7 December 2023 be confirmed and signed by the Chair as a true record.

RESOLVED that the order of business be changed to allow the report entitled 'Fire Safety Update’ to be considered as item number 3 on the agenda.

Matthew Hillman, Assistant Director of Investment:

a.    presented an update on the City of Lincoln Council (CoLC) current position regarding Fire Safety to the housing stock including high rise tower blocks, supported housing schemes and low risk flats

b.    reported that all of the high-rise tower blocks had a type 4 survey and the supported housing schemes had a current Fire Risk Assessment (FRA)

c.    stated that all low-rise blocks have had a FRA in the last three years (review frequency  every two years in low rise blocks), however those showing as not having a current FRA  would be prioritised for review

d.    noted that all three tower blocks had been registered with the building safety regulator prior to the deadline date of 30 September 2023

e.    advised that work on the Building Safety case report was underway and would be completed by 1 April 2024

f.     explained that  Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue had completed Fire Safety Visits at the three high rise tower blocks in February/March 2023 and a training exercise at Jarvis House had also been completed

g.    detailed the fire safety audits that had been completed at De Wint Court and the three high rise tower blocks which provided reassurance that the day-to-day fire safety was being managed at these locations

h.    invited questions and comments from Members of the Committee:

Question: Some residents of De Wint Court were taking their mobility scooters into their flats to charge them due to lack of storage space available. Was this a fire safety concern?
Response: From a building perspective if there was a fire in a flat the compartmentation system would work to contain the fire. This was not ideal from a tenant perspective but work was ongoing with Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue to educate customers on fire safety. The mobility scooter policy was currently under review to ensure that it was robust.

Question: How often did Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue visit the high rise tower blocks?

Response: Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue had been given additional powers and responsibilities under the Fire and Safety Act 2021. The Council worked closely with them and they could visit at any time. The Council had asked to be notified in advance of a visit so that some tenant engagement could be undertaken. It was expected that a visit would take place on an annual basis.

Question: How many fire doors had been tested to date?

Response: An answer would be provided following the meeting and the figure would be included in next years update report.

Question: Had the fire doors at Trent View been checked? There was  a rush of airflow through the door which was different to the fire doors at Shuttleworth House.

Response: The fire doors at Trent View were notional and they had been inspected. The vent system was different at Trent View and Jarvis House compared to Shuttleworth House which affected the air flow. Work was ongoing with Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue to ensure that they were happy  ...  view the full minutes text for item 60.

Councillor Donald Nannestad, Portfolio Holder for Quality Housing:

a.    presented a report to Performance Scrutiny Committee covering the following main areas:

·         Homelessness

·         Tenancy Services

·         Voids

·         Housing Repairs

·         Housing Investment

·         New Build

·         Decarbonisation

·         Control Centre

·         Private Sector Housing

·         Health

b.    suggested that in future this meeting be scheduled for one week later in the committee calendar due to the timescales and availability of the Quarter 3 data

c.    invited questions and comments from Members of the Committee:

Question: Did the number of damp and mould issues that were reported relate to Council Housing Stock or Private Housing?

Response: It related to Council Housing Stock.

Question: Could damp and mould be caused by lack of ventilation at a property?

Response: Each case was considered on its own merit and information was provided to the tenant.

Question: Did the plaster have to be replaced in the properties that were affected by damp and mould?
Response: We would look at different ways of improving the situation for example fitting vents. Plaster was replaced if all other solutions had been exhausted.

Question: Where would the new builds referenced in the report be located?

Response: Goldsmith Walk.

Question: There had been reports of issues with kitchen fittings at De Wint Court. Was this an issue in other De Wint Court flats?

Response: There had been a number of issues at De Wint Court. The Contractor had visited the site and would be investigating and addressing the issues.

Comment: When a Councillor reported a repair on behalf of a tenant, we did not receive any feedback as to whether the repair had been completed or not.

Response: Councillors should receive a response. This would be discussed with the relevant team to ensure this happens in future.

Question: Lincoln scored low in the statistics for health within the county. The City of Lincoln Council (CoLC) needed to do more to address this. Could the Portfolio Holder for Housing attend the Health Scrutiny Committee at Lincolnshire County Council (LCC) instead of the Chair of Policy Scrutiny Committee?

Response: The representative on the Health Scrutiny Committee at LCC had to be a back bencher and could not be a Portfolio Holder. The member representing CoLC had the same rights on the committee as the other district councillors. The Portfolio Holder attended many meetings relating to health at LCC. The CoLC could improve the health within the city through other ways such as addressing issues within housing and employment.

Response: Suggested that at the next Scrutiny Chair meeting, consideration could be given to how the information from Health Scrutiny Committee could be reported back to CoLC members.

Question: The number of damp and mould reports had increased year on year and there had been issues raised at 772 properties this year to date. How much compensation had the Council paid in disrepair claims?

Response: This information would be provided following the meeting. There had been an uptake in disrepair compensation claims recently due to no win no fee solicitors  ...  view the full minutes text for item 61.

The Chair:

a)    presented the work programme for 2023/24 as detailed at Appendix A of the report

b)    advised that the work programme for the Performance Scrutiny Committee was put forward annually for approval by Council; the work programme was then regularly updated throughout the year in consultation with the Performance Scrutiny Committee and its Chair

c)    reported that items had been scheduled in accordance with the existing work programme and officers’ guidance regarding the meetings at which the most up-to-date information could be reported to the committee; the work programme also included the list of portfolio holders under scrutiny

d)    requested any relevant comments or changes to the proposed work programme for 2023/24.

RESOLVED that the work programme 2023/24 be agreed.