AGENDA ITEM: / 4

ECONOMIC REGENERATION AND TRANSPORT

SCRUTINY PANEL

13 APRIL 2010

OLDER HOUSING AREAS
FURTHER EVIDENCE GATHERING

PURPOSE OF THE REPORT

  1. To present proposals to the Economic Regeneration and Transport Scrutiny Panel regarding the format of today’s meeting.

BACKGROUND

  1. To date the panel has received information from various sources in respect of the panel’s current review of the Older Housing Areas. At the panel’s initial meeting on the topic Members expressed the view that it was important to hear from the Mayor in respect of the position with regard to the Older Housing Areas and in particular the updated position in respect of Gresham.
  1. The Mayor attended a meeting of the panel on 23 November 2009 and provided information on the recent changes to the Council’s Strategy for Older Housing and highlighted the work being undertaken in partnership with the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) to realise a deliverable scheme within an acceptable timescale.
  1. The Mayor advised the panel meeting that a public consultation was underway and it was anticipated that the results of the consultation would indicate that around 700 to 950 houses in Gresham should be demolished, as opposed to the 1500 originally proposed. The panel requested that the Mayor be invited to attend a further meeting of the panel once the outcome of the consultation exercise was know. The mayor has been invited to attend today’s meeting in order to provide an update in respect of this information.
  1. In addition to the update from the Mayor the panel requested further information following a previous meeting in respect of a number of aspects including :-
  1. The migration rates of residents out of Middlesbrough to Stockton, in particular to Ingelby Barwick.
  2. The partnership work undertaken with Middlesbrough PCT to improve housing conditions within the private sector and particularly the private rented sector.
  3. The current position in respect of Middlesbrough joining the Regional Loans Scheme.
  1. The information provided in respect of the outward and inward migration patterns in Middlesbrough is attached at Appendix 1. Details of the joint work undertaken between the Council and the PCT are attached at Appendix 2.
  1. Members will recall that with regard to efforts to improve housing standards and conditions in the private sector a Regional Loans Scheme is due to commence in April 2010. The Panel was advised at a previous meeting that at present Middlesbrough Council is the only local authority within the region that is not signed up to the scheme. It was also noted at that meeting that if the Council decided not to join then it would not receive the £300k share Middlesbrough has been allocated by the Regional Housing Board (RHB) as part of the scheme. The panel requested an update and the following information has been received.
  1. The current position with regard to Middlesbrough Council joining the Regional Loans Scheme is as follows:-

The Council is not at risk of losing the £300k funding it has been allocated and the reason for not having yet signed up to the scheme is due to the financial risks associated with the way in which the fund is to be managed regionally. Discussions are ongoing with the RHB to help mitigate these risks and there is no risk that the Council will lose out on the level of funding it has been allocated.

Terms of Reference

  1. Members may wish to consider the terms of reference and take this opportunity to ensure that they have received the information they require. The terms of reference are as follows:-

To investigate the Council’s involvement in the regeneration of older housing areas of Middlesbrough. In particular:

  1. The updated position concerning the Gresham ward, including the revised Vision recently announced by the Mayor and developments since original proposals were published in 2005.
  1. How land in areas of regeneration is allocated for housing development (to include the influence of regional policies eg those of One North East).
  1. Joint work which has been undertaken with Tees Valley Living.
  1. Issues concerning private landlords - ie the Council’s powers, resources and actions taken in this area.

The Panel’s Next Meeting

  1. The date for the Panel’s next meeting is to be arranged and possible dates will be discussed at the meeting. Panel members will have to consider today if they have received sufficient information to cover the terms of reference in order that the panel can produce its final report and make recommendations. The panel may wish to consider the draft final report at an ‘informal’ meeting prior to a formal meeting being arranged.

RECOMMENDATION

  1. That the panel considers whether it has sufficient evidence to produce a final report and agrees a date for the next meeting.

BACKGROUND PAPERS

  1. The following background papers were used in the preparation of this report.

Agenda, reports and minutes of Economic Regeneration and Transport Scrutiny Panel 23 November 2009 and 15 February 2010

Contact Officer:

Caroline Breheny - Scrutiny Support Officer, Telephone: 01642 729711 (direct line) Email: