HOUSING LEAD MEMBERS

31st August, 2001

Meeting commenced: 9.20 a.m.

" ended: 11.10 a.m

PRESENT: Councillor John Warmisham - in the Chair

Councillor Jim Hunt

OFFICERS: Harry Seaton - Director of Housing Services

John Townsend – Deputy Director of Housing Services

Bob Osborne – Assistant Director of Housing Services

Roger Taylor - Assistant Director of Housing Services

Keith Pearson – Assistant Director of Housing Services

Nigel Sedman – Housing Services Directorate

Peter Openshaw – Development Services Directorate

Mike Collier – Development Services Directorate

Mike Relph – Corporate Services Directorate

r:\status\working\admin\pmin\hlmm310801

Housing Lead Members - 31st August, 2001

47. MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS

The minutes of the meeting held on 17th August, 2001, were agreed as a correct record.

48A. ACTION TAKEN UNDER DELEGATED AUTHORITY

Details were submitted on the following matters which were dealt with under delegated authority and where the action of the Director of Housing Services indicated below were approved following consultation with the Lead Member and the Deputy Lead Member for the Housing Services function:-

(a) 36 Rosamond Drive, Salford 3

RESOLVED: THAT approval be given to disposal of garden land located at 36 Rosamond Drive for the sum of £500.

(b) 265 Great Cheetham Street East, Higher Broughton

RESOLVED: THAT approval be given to a review of the rent for premises at 265, Great Cheetham Street East, Higher Broughton, from £4,950 per annum to £5,400 per annum.

(c) 39 Rydal Crescent, Walkden

RESOLVED: THAT approval be given to the renewal of the lease on the shop premises located at 39 Rydal Crescent, Walkden, at an annual rental of £1,800.

(d) 4/6 The Gardens, Eccles

RESOLVED: THAT approval be given to the rent review of the shop lease of the premises located at 4/6 The Gardens, Eccles, from £5,170 per annum to £5,430 per annum.

(e) 20 Mocha Parade, Salford 7

RESOLVED: THAT approval be given to the granting of a licence to Search 4 Bargains to occupy Unit 20 Mocha Parade, for an initial three month period, at a fee of £1,750.

(f) 7 Alder Park, Eccles

RESOLVED: THAT approval be given to the acceptance of the tender of City of Salford, Housing Services Maintenance Division amounting to £426,047 to undertake the pre paint repairs and painting at Alder Park, Eccles.

(g) Jennings, Tamworth, Wesley, Knowsley and Mayflower Avenue –

Environmental Improvement Scheme

RESOLVED: THAT approval be given to the acceptance of the tender of Horticon Limited amounting to £290,826.26 in respect of the Jennings, Tamworth, Wesley, Knowsley and Mayflower Avenue Environmental Improvement Scheme.

(h) Valley Estate Phase 2 – Environmental Improvements

RESOLVED: THAT approval be given to the acceptance of the tender of Groundwork Landscapes Limited amounting to £566,249.74 to undertake the Valley Estate Phase 2 – Environmental Improvements.

(i) Appropriation of land at Eccles Recreation Centre – Barton Lane

RESOLVED: THAT approval be given to the transfer of 391 square metres of land located at Eccles Recreation Centre, Barton Lane, currently in the ownership of the Housing Services Directorate, to the Education and Leisure Directorate and the Development Services Directorate.

(j) Seedley and Langworthy Initiative

RESOLVED: THAT approval be given to the acquisition of the following properties so as to enable the implementation of proposals of the Langworthy and Seedley Initiative:-

Property / Purchase Price
4 Ash Street and 55 Norway Street / £10,000
63 Ash Street / £7,500 plus home loss payment of £1,500 plus disturbance payment to be agreed.
17 Fir Street / £1,500
34 Glendenning Street / £6,500 plus home loss payment of £1,500 plus disturbance payment to be agreed
11 Harmsworth Street / £9,500 plus home loss payment of £1,500 plus disturbance payment to be agreed
48 Langton Street / £8,000 plus home loss payment of £1,500 plus disturbance payment to be agreed
142 Langworthy Road / £16,000 plus business disturbance payment of £37,000
207 and 217 Langworthy Road / £22,000
40 Osborne Street / £5,500
35 Southern Street / £7,500
10 West Towers Street / £5,000

(k) Sale of Council Owned Dwellings

RESOLVED: THAT approval be given to the sale of Council owned dwellings at the price indicated in the report now submitted.

(l) Write-Off of Former Tenants Arrears

RESOLVED: THAT approval be given to the writing-off of former tenant rent arrears totalling £457,092.34 and the writing-on to the Housing Revenue Account former tenant credits totalling £14,410.38.

(m) Conversion of Solid Fuel Heating Systems to Gas – City of Salford

RESOLVED: THAT approval be given to the acceptance of the tender of Drake and Skull Engineering Limited amounting to £92,855 to undertake the conversion of solid fuel heating systems to gas throughout the City of Salford.

(n) Bathroom Refurbishments – Swinton and Salford South Management Areas

RESOLVED: THAT approval be given to the acceptance of the tender of the City of Salford, Housing Services Maintenance Division amounting to £262,893 for the provision of bathroom refurbishment works to 258 properties in the Swinton and Salford South Management areas of the City.

(o) Bathroom Refurbishments – Eccles and Irlam Management Areas

RESOLVED: THAT approval be given to the acceptance of a tender of the City of Salford, Housing Services Maintenance Division amounting to £319,736 for the renewal of bathrooms in the Eccles and Irlam Management Areas of the City.

(p) Wiltshire Street Area, Higher Broughton

RESOLVED: THAT approval be given to the acceptance of a revised side letter for the contract work associated with the investigation of options for the Higher Broughton (Wiltshire Street) area.

(q) The Eccles Energy Conservation Area HEC Action Scheme

RESOLVED: (1) THAT approval be given to the business plan in relation to the Eccles Energy Conservation Area (TEECA) HEC Action Scheme, together with the tender process for the appointment of a managing agent for the scheme.

(2) THAT approval be given to the appointment of Scottish Power as Managing Agent for the Eccles Energy Conservation Area (TEECA) HEC Action Scheme.

(r) Philip Street, Eccles – External Lighting and Partial Heating Upgrade of

Communal Areas

RESOLVED: THAT approval be given to the acceptance of the tender of W.J. Turnbull amounting to £85,738.59 to undertake the upgrade of external lighting and partial heating in the communal areas of Philip Street, Eccles.

(s) Temporary Post – Team Lead Re-Registration Project

RESOLVED: THAT approval be given to the establishment of a post of Team Leader (scale 6) for the Re-Registration Project, for a period of 6 months.

(t) Four posts of Housing Officer – Re-Registration Project

RESOLVED: THAT approval be given to the establishment of four posts of Housing Officer (scale 4/5) for the Re-Registration Project for a period of six months.

(u) Temporary Warden Support Workers

RESOLVED: THAT approval be given to the establishment of the posts of temporary Warden Support Workers.

(v) Housing Services Maintenance Division – Staffing Arrangements to Enable

the Completion of Best Value Review of Response to Repairs

RESOLVED: THAT approval be given to extend the temporary staffing arrangements for undertaking the Best Value Review of Response to Repairs by a further four months, so as to enable the completion of the review and incorporate additional work that has now been identified.

49. HOME LINK ALARMS – CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS

Nigel Sedman submitted a report detailing the outcome of contract negotiations with Home Link Technologies in relation to the provision of house alarms.

RESOLVED: THAT the report be noted.

50 242 WEASTE LANE, SALFORD

The Director of Housing Services submitted a report detailing the outcome of legal proceedings in relation to 242 Weaste Lane, Salford 5.

RESOLVED: THAT the report be noted.

51. 8 AND 16 GAINSBOROUGH STREET, 12 AND 24 NORTON STREET AND

5 AND 9 SIMMONS STREET, BROUGHTON

The Director of Housing Services submitted a report indicating his intention to waive the repayments of renovation grant monies in relation to a number of properties in Higher Broughton following breaches of rent conditions as a result of transfer of ownership.

RESOLVED: THAT the report be noted; and the intention of the Director of Housing Services not to seek repayment of the renovation grants detailed in therein be endorsed.

52. 10 CLIFF AVENUE, SALFORD 7

The Director of Housing Services detailed a report seeking the views of the Lead and Deputy Lead Member of the preferred course of action in relation to 10 Cliff Avenue, Salford 7.

RESOLVED: THAT at the present time no action be taken in respect of 10 Cliff Avenue, Salford 7.

53. 85 SEDDON STREET, LITTLE HULTON

The Director of Housing Services submitted a report outlining his intention to approve a disabled facilities grant up to a maximum of £42,000,exclusive of grant administration fee, for 85 Seddon Street to accommodate the costs of unforeseen works.

RESOLVED: THAT the intentions of the Director of Housing Services as detailed in a report now submitted be endorsed.

54. DUCHY/PENDLEBURY RENEWAL AREA – DECLARATION REPORT

The Director of Housing Services submitted a report detailing the findings from the neighbourhood renewal assessment of the Duchy/Pendlebury area of the City of Salford, and outlining the recommendations for strategy development implementation.

RESOLVED: THAT the report be noted.

55. DOMESTIC GAS AUDIT AND CONTRACT EXTENSION

The Director of Housing Services submitted a report (a) providing details of the recent independent audit of the Directorate’s management procedures for domestic gas and (b) taking views as to the extension of the current maintenance contracts for gas due to the implications of labour shortages within the domestic gas sector and the likely increase in labour costs.

RESOLVED: (1) THAT the report be noted.

(2) THAT approval be given to the Director of Housing Services entering into negotiations with the City Council’s current gas contractors, NWM UK Limited and West Lancashire Heating, to extend the current contracts by twelve months, subject to the results of these negotiations being submitted for Lead Member approval in due course.

56. ANY OTHER BUSINESS

Harry Seaton was to provide a brief update with regard to the following matters:-

·  Upavon Court

·  Lynton and The Views

·  Modernising of Local Government

·  Capital Programme 2001/02

RESOLVED: THAT the matters be noted.

r:\status\working\admin\pmin\hlmm310801