Agenda item

A report updating the Select Committee regarding the activities of Wiltshire Council’s Housing Board between October 2022 and November 2023.

This report will go to Cabinet in February 2024.

Councillor Nick Holder, Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Change introduced the item on behalf of Councillor Phil Alford, Cabinet Member for Housing, Strategic Assets, and Asset Transfer. James Barrah, Director of Assets, alongside Nick Darbyshire, Head of Strategic Assets & FM, and Mike Dawson, Head of Estate and Development, presented a report updating the Committee regarding the activities of Wiltshire Council’s Housing Board (WCHB) between October 2022 and November 2023.

The background and brief overview of the report was detailed including a breakdown of the Membership of the Board, meeting activity, attendance, and reflections, achievements, and thoughts regarding future priorities for the upcoming year. It was confirmed that the report was also circulated to tenants and lease holders which contained specific examples of the work undertaken within the service.

The Council House Build Programme was highlighted, and Members were reassured that it was progressing well despite considerable financial pressures as a result of challenges such as increased build costs to meet higher environmental standards, inflation increases, and fluctuating labour costs. Consequently, it was noted that these financial strains had impacted on the Council’s Business Plan as the initial scoping of the programme cost had increased significantly. As such, officers were working hard to devise solutions to alleviate that substantial expenditure over the life of the Business Plan.

Paragraph 13b of the report was referenced and it was explained that the results of the Regulator of Social Housing’s Tenant Satisfaction Measures (TSM) survey had shown that service satisfaction had extensively declined across a range of indicators. As such, Members were reassured that an improvement action plan had been developed to address the areas of concern and increase tenant satisfaction levels. However, it was highlighted that the wider social housing sector had seen a similar decline of 5% across those measures. Furthermore, it was explained that Board Members had discussed in detail budget and rent setting activities and the impacts on individuals when balancing cost of living pressures on tenants and rent affordability with the financial viability of the service.

Finally, officers explained that from April 2024 the service would be subject to a renewed regulatory focus with greater scrutiny and as such, there was a lot of work being undertaken by officers to bolster all governance and assurance processes. Further priorities were highlighted as reviewing the policy framework which was an important foundation stone to the service, and maximising opportunities for resident involvement and engagement in different levels of decision making.

During the discussion, points included:

·       The two properties that had been fitted with an air source heat pump and infrared panels respectively were raised, and Members asked for an update on the progress of the project. Officers highlighted that it was still too early to come to any conclusions, however it was confirmed that officers were receiving a lot of data that would be analysed and brought back to the Committee in due course. The importance of maintaining a good dialogue with those tenants was emphasised, as achieving a general understanding of their lifestyles and behaviours was paramount to any subsequent results and confirming baseline figures. Officers also highlighted the current climate with regard to energy prices and noted that it was difficult to make comparisons between properties during this time.

·       Members requested a breakdown of the types of housing being built or purchased. In response, officers confirmed that Phases 3.1 to 3.5 of the Build Programme included 479 units of which 130 were 1 bed dwellings (27.14%), 220 were 2 bed (45.96%), 96 were 3 bed (20.04%), 22 were 4 bed (4.59%), and 1 was 5 bed (0.21%).

·       Ground source heat pumps were discussed with officers explaining that a relatively substantial plot per house was needed to generate enough heat from the ground, therefore it was larger houses rather than the standard houses within the Council’s portfolio that would usually utilise such methods. However, it was noted that officers would continue to consider installing them as technology and environmental requirements evolved. Furthermore, it was confirmed that the Climate Team had launched a project looking at district heating and heat networks to assess its viability in respect of housing need.

·       The target of 1,000 affordable homes being delivered by 2026 was highlighted and Members asked for a progress update alongside more details on how many homes out of that 1,000 were planned to be modular. Officers confirmed that approximately 103 had been delivered to date with approximately 550 in the pipeline ready for completion. Furthermore, there were 19 units across 3 sites that were modular and in construction. Officers explained that there were frameworks used to deliver modular homes and that officers in tandem with the existing provider, Rollalong, would work together to discuss where and when modular homes could be manufactured and if not, what other options would be more appropriate. It was further explained that there was a broad spectrum of delivery methods with the cost of those per unit varying significantly, therefore officers would compare each method of construction in terms of value for money, affordability, and national requirements, while bearing in mind the ability to deliver the scale of the programme. As such, it was highlighted that there was no best fit solution, and all appropriate methods would be assessed.

At the conclusion of the discussion, it was:

Resolved:

The Committee noted the annual report.