Scrutiny

What does this select committee do?

The Housing and Communities Select Committee is one of the council’s scrutiny committees. Its members are local councillors who are not part of the council’s decision-making Leadership Team. They hold decision-makers to account and review issues that affect life in the borough.

Topics this committee can review

The committee can scrutinise issues including:

• planning, managing and monitoring all housing services
• partnerships involved in delivering housing
• improving and delivering social housing
• managing the council’s housing stock, including organisations that manage it on the council’s behalf
• housing strategy and how it is put in place
• community relations
• how the council consults with the local community
• corporate asset management

The committee reviews these topics throughout the year by discussing reports at formal meetings, holding single-topic meetings for in-depth reviews and setting up working groups.

The committee also gathers evidence by listening to residents and experts.

Current priorities for 2025 to 2026

 Priorities for the municipal year 2025 to 2026 are:

• repairs
• sheltered accommodation and disabled access provision
• Grenfell rehousing policies
• report from the Social Housing Regulator
• temporary accommodation
• Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy
• support for voluntary and community groups
• New Homes Programme
• asset management strategy 2025 to 2030
• report and recommendations following the Lancaster West refurbishment review
• setting up a working group to review consultation and engagement
• reviewing 2026 to 2027 budget proposals, the Housing Revenue Account and key performance indicators for services under this committee's terms of reference

The committee will review these topics throughout the year. You can read meeting papers and agendas on the council committee pages.

Committee-led events

Lancaster West refurbishment special meeting

12 May 2025, 6.30pm
North Kensington Resource Centre
Lancaster West Estate
London W11 1WG

The Housing and Communities Select Committee held an extra meeting on the Lancaster West refurbishment. Casework stalls were open from 5.30pm, followed by a meeting at 6.30pm. Residents were able to give evidence directly to the committee.

The committee will use the evidence and feedback from the meeting to make recommendations for the lead member and the council’s Leadership Team.