To appoint a Chairman and Vice-Chairman for the 2016/2017 Municipal Year.

Councillor Leo Walters (proposed by Councillor David Burbage and seconded by Councillor Malcolm Alexander) and Councillor Malcolm Alexander (proposed by Councillor David Hilton and seconded by Councillor David Evans) were elected Chairman and Vice-Chairman respectively, for the ensuing municipal year.

RESOLVED: That Councillor Leo Walters be elected Chairman and Councillor Malcolm Alexander be elected Vice-Chairman, for the ensuing municipal year.

To receive any apologies for absence.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Malcolm Beer.

To receive any declarations of interest.

None.

It was announced by the Chairman that the meeting was being recorded.

To confirm the Part I minutes of the meeting of Monday 18 April 2016.

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: That the Part I minutes of the meeting of Monday 18 April 2016 were agreed as a correct record.

To comment on the report to be considered by Cabinet on the 30 June 2016.

The Head of Commissioning - Adult, Children and Health, Hilary Hall, informed Members that the report set out proposals for providing more housing opportunities for key professional groups: teachers, social workers and clinical health staff, who take up employment in the Royal Borough.  It was noted that the proposals were set in the context of the local manifesto commitment and the government focus on home ownership.

Members were informed that the Royal Borough’s key worker private rental property portfolio would be managed through the Council’s trading company, RBWM Property Company Limited, with the purpose of optimising the property portfolio.  It was noted that refurbishment of the portfolio would be funded through existing Section 106 monies allocated for affordable housing and then transferred to the Company for rental.

The Head of Commissioning - Adult, Children and Health explained that work would continue with housing association partners to develop innovative schemes for key workers, releasing the agreed £500k of investment into the existing Do it Yourself Shared Ownership scheme and developing partnership agreements with the Homes and Communities Agency to release investment to support key worker housing.

The Planning & Housing Overview & Scrutiny Panel asked the following questions – they hoped the answers would be available for the Cabinet meeting on Thursday night:

•   That all Military Personnel (Army, Airforce, Navy) be included in the key worker definition.

•   If a key worker gained accommodation and then their location of employment changed (e.g. to High Wycombe) would they lose their accommodation?

•   How would the prioritisation of applications from key workers be undertaken?  It was felt criteria needed to be clear from the start or it would be challenged.

•   Covered by key worker policy?

•   If a key worker changed profession would they lose their home?

•   Are there any limitations on who key workers could sell their property to?

•   How does para 2.7 square with para 2.5 – will their be further refinement?

•   Para 2.10 (‘over the next 18 months….’) – the Panel was under the impression that the Council did not have a defined policy type and that it preferred ownership to rental options?

•   Are they 100% rented?  On assured shorthold tenancies?

•   It was suggested that they key worker document on the web had reduced in detail and might need to be re-looked at again.

•   Would salaries be looked at when deciding whether someone qualified as a key worker?

•   It was stated that the shared ownership scheme might or might not involve a key worker – it was asked whether this was true as key worker housing was listed in the report under the key implications section as being a measure of success?

•   That the terms needed to be set out along with information about how it could be renewed (if renewal was an option).

The Planning & Housing Overview & Scrutiny Panel agreed in principal with the recommendations in the report to Cabinet but felt that it was not a workable scheme as it  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

To comment on the report to be considered by Cabinet on the 30 June 2016.

The Head of Commissioning - Adult, Children and Health informed the Panel that the report sought approval for the use of two Council owned properties by a voluntary organisation to provide services for homeless residents in Maidenhead on a pilot basis.  It was noted that both properties were currently vacant and were part of the council’s commercial property portfolio.

Members were informed that the first property would be used to provide day services for homeless residents, including access to washing facilities, clean clothes and food with the potential for limited emergency overnight accommodation.  It was noted that the other property would be used to provide time limited accommodation for a small number of residents as a halfway house before moving into suitable accommodation.  The Head of Commissioning - Adult, Children and Health informed the Panel that residents in the halfway house would be accessing the standard therapeutic rehabilitation services delivered through the Drug and Alcohol Action Team to enable them to make the transition.  It was noted that this provision would work in partnership with the other services already working with homeless residents in the Borough and which are supported by the Royal Borough through support contracts.

In the ensuing discussion the following points were noted:

Ø  That it was two years continuous residence.

Ø  Jason Veradaguer, who currently resided in the tent outside the Town Hall, questioned why the former Leader of the Council had spent £20k to put up wore fencing when it could have been spent on homeless people.  Councillor Burbage explained that the fence was not his decision and that he had been pleased when it had been taken down.

Ø  Jason Veradaguer informed Members that he did not want to live in a tent, especially at 46 years of age.  It was noted that Jason had found Councillor Dudley to have been very accommodating of his situation.

Ø  Jason Veradaguer questioned why there were eighteen new builds in Woodlands Park that were about to be demolished when they could be used by the homeless in the Royal Borough.

Ø  The Head of Commissioning - Adult, Children and Health stated that she would be happy to look at a halfway house option.

Ø  Councillor David Evans stated that he believed the number of homeless residents in the Royal Borough should be included in the report.

Ø  That the day service could accommodate 80 people.

Ø  That the residential service could accommodate 10-12 bed spaces, not necessarily to be used at the same time.

Ø  That in addition to the accommodation the Council would be providing a whole range of services which would include therapeutic rehabilitation services, education, mentoring, etc which was not detailed in the report.  It was noted that this detail would be specified in the S106 detail.

Ø  Jason Veradaguer informed the Panel that he believed there to be between 40-50 people born in the Royal Borough that were currently sleeping rough in car parks, in the subways, behind the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

Dates of future meetings:

·         Thursday 18 August.

·         Tuesday 18 October.

·         Thursday 17 November.

·         Monday 23 January 2017.

·         Wednesday 19 April 2017.

Members noted the following future meeting dates (7pm start):

·         Thursday 18 August 2016.

·         Tuesday 18 October 2016.

·         Thursday 17 November 2016.

·         Monday 23 January 2017.

·         Wednesday 19 April 2017.

To confirm the Part II minutes of the meeting of Monday 18 April 2016.