Scrutiny

What does this committee do?

The Housing and Communities Select Committee is one of the Council’s scrutiny committees. This means that members of this committee are local councillors who are not part of the council’s decision-making Leadership Team. Instead, they hold the council to account and scrutinise issues affecting life in the borough. The topics and policy areas that fall within the remit of this select committee are listed below.

Topics this Select Committee can scrutinise

The Housing and Communities Select Committee has the power to scrutinise any of the following issues:

• The provision, planning, management and performance of all housing services;
• Partnerships associated with the delivery of housing;
• Improvement and delivery of social housing;
• Management of the Council’s housing stock, including organisations charged or contracted to undertake this;
• Housing strategy and implementation;
• Community relations;
• Consultation with the local community;
• Corporate asset management.

Current priorities for this Select Committee

The main priorities for the Housing and Communities Select Committee for the Council Year include:

• Housing and Social Investment inflation and cost pressures
• The cost of living
• Revision of the Council’s Tenancy Strategy
• Intermediate Rent Tenancy Policy
• Fire Risk Management 
• Repairs, maintenance and housing stock
• The Voluntary and Community Sector
• Needs of refugees and asylum seekers
• Local Lettings Plan Review
• Housing Allocations Scheme
• The HRA Business Plan
• Update on the New Homes Programme
• Tenancy conditions review
• Managing empty homes

The Select Committee will carry out scrutiny of these topics throughout the municipal year. Meeting papers and agendas are available on the Council committee pages.