Agenda and draft minutes
Venue: Council Chamber, County Hall, Ruthin and by video conference
Media
Webcast: View the webcast
No. | Item | |
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APOLOGIES Additional documents: Minutes: Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Chris Evans, Paul Keddie and Diane King. |
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DECLARATION OF INTERESTS PDF 116 KB Members to declare any personal or prejudicial interests in any business identified to be considered at this meeting. Additional documents: Minutes: No interests of a personal or prejudicial nature were declared. |
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URGENT MATTERS AS AGREED BY THE CHAIR Notice of items which, in the opinion of the Chair, should be considered at the meeting as a matter of urgency pursuant to Section 100B(4) of the Local Government Act 1972. Additional documents: Minutes: No matters of an urgent nature had been raised with the Chair or the Scrutiny Co-ordinator prior to the commencement of the meeting. |
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MINUTES OF THE LAST MEETING PDF 398 KB To receive the minutes of the Performance Scrutiny Committee meeting held on 26 January 2023 (copy attached).
Additional documents: Minutes: The minutes of the
Performance Scrutiny Committee meeting held on 26 January 2023 were
submitted. It was: Resolved:
that the minutes of the meeting held on 26 January 2023 be received and
approved as a true and correct record of the proceedings. No matters relating
to the accuracy of the minutes were raised.
However, the Vice-Chair, who had chaired the above meeting, thanked all
for attending and contributing to a constructive discussion. All members who had
participated in the Committee visit to the Cefndy workshop/factory on 1 March
2023 thanked all concerned for an enlightening experience. They urged all councillors to make
arrangements to visit the facility at some point in the future as they felt
they would benefit from seeing exactly how it was run and its benefits to the
workforce, community and the Council. Members requested
that a message be sent on their behalf to the Manager and staff to thank them
for permitting them to visit. |
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HOUSING & HOMELESSNESS STRATEGY PDF 241 KB To consider a report (copy attached) by the Strategic
Planning & Housing Manager which seeks the Committee to examine the progress
made in delivering the revised Housing & Homelessness Strategy and Action
Plan approved by County Council on 8th December 2020. 10.10
– 10.50 a.m. Additional documents:
Minutes: The Chair welcomed
the Lead Member for Housing and Communities, Councillor Rhys Thomas along with
officers to guide members through the agenda item. The Lead Member guided members through the
report (previously circulated), informing the Committee it provided information
regarding the progress made in the delivery of the revised Housing &
Homelessness Strategy and Action Plan approved by County Council on 8th
December 2020. He informed members the Strategy had been put in place to
continue to 2026. The Lead Member acknowledged the work of the previous Lead
Members for the work completed in the last Council. He informed members the delivery of the
Action Plan was overseen by the Strategic Housing & Homelessness Group
(SHHG), which was chaired by himself in his role as Lead Member for Housing
& Communities. Membership of the Group comprised of Lead Members with
responsibility for an area of housing or homelessness within their portfolios,
relevant Heads of Service and the Strategic Planning & Housing Manager. The
Group met every three months in order to monitor the strategy and share
information. The document was a live one, regularly monitored and acted
upon. Members heard the Strategy was
accompanied by a 41-point Action Plan. It set out in more detail the
responsibilities of the various relevant teams within the Council and how they
worked with partners to help to realise the Council’s vision for housing and
homelessness. The Housing & Homelessness Strategy had a five-year lifespan
(2021 – 2026) and would need to be reviewed by 2026. In addition, the Strategic Planning and
Housing Manager advised that a summary of the Strategy had been attached to the
documents included in the agenda pack, a copy of the full strategy was available
online to view. Accompanying the action plan was also a progress report on work
for each separate action point. She stressed to members the Strategy was a key
document for the authority, it was a corporate document that provided a
framework for all work completed in relation to housing. The Strategy identified six “Themes” which
were priority areas for action to be targeted: ·
More
homes to meet local need and demand; ·
Creating
a supply of affordable homes; ·
Ensuring
safe and healthy homes; ·
Preventing
& ending homelessness in Denbighshire ·
Homes
and support for vulnerable people; ·
Promoting
and supporting communities. Included in the report were notes on the key
areas of progress. It was stressed a lot of good work and progress had and
continued to be made. Close working across different services was key to
delivering against each action point. The Chair thanked the Lead Member and
officers for the detailed report and introduction. Responding to members’ questions, the Lead
Member and officers advised that: ·
there
were 316 households in emergency and temporary accommodation in the county.
This was broken down to 184 households in emergency accommodation and 132 in
temporary accommodation. During the last 12 months the service had supported
324 households into tenancies through the homelessness services. The number of
households in emergency accommodation had tended to remain fairly static since
the start of the Covid Pandemic. It had been observed the majority of
households presenting as homeless were in the North of the County, a large
proportion of households were accommodated in Rhyl. ·
Following
completion of a housing development in Prestatyn, 14 apartments would be
available for older residents/households in the community. These would be allocated to people currently
on the Single Access Route to Housing (SARTH) register. · Under occupancy had not been included in the action plan currently, officers agreed it would be a positive addition to include in the action plan. Being able to have under ... view the full minutes text for item 5. |
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MOULD & CONDENSATION IN DENBIGHSHIRE'S COUNCIL HOUSING STOCK PDF 218 KB To consider a report (copy attached) by the Head of
Communities & Customers and Lead Officer - Community Housing which outlines
the feedback provided to Welsh Government on how the authority manages and
prevents mould and condensation in Council Housing stock and seeks the
Committee’s views on the systems and processes in place to address such issues.
10.50 – 11.30 a.m. Additional documents:
Minutes: The Lead Member for
Housing and Communities, Councillor Rhys Thomas introduced the report to the
Committee (previously circulated). He introduced the report author Geoff
Davies, Lead Officer: Community Housing and Liz Grieve, Head of Communities and
Customers Services to respond to the Committee’s questions and comments. The report was in response to Welsh
Government’s request for assurance on how landlords were responding following
the tragic death that had occurred in Rochdale 2022. Welsh Government asked for
feedback from organisations on how they would scrutinise the concern within
their own governance structures. The Lead Member stressed the importance of the
Housing and Property Services being fully scrutinised on this issue, to ensure
support was provided to households in Council homes to prevent and tackle mould
and condensation. The Lead Officer: Community Housing
confirmed included in the pack was the documentation that had been submitted to
Welsh Government earlier in the year. He informed members the data included in
the papers was up to date. In his opinion the report demonstrated well the work
in response to mould and condensation in Denbighshire Council’s housing stock.
It was proposed a survey would be conducted for tenants who reported
condensation in order to receive feedback on the support they received. It was
stressed that not all mould and condensation in properties was due to a
building defect it could be a number of reasons. Members heard that black mould
was often caused from breath and air that collecting on house walls and wall
paper. He also stressed drying clothes on radiators in rooms was bad for
health. Council officers were quick to
respond to reports of mould and condensation to ascertain any issues or risks.
Over recent years a large amount of information had been made available to
residents to provide guidance and information to reduce the risk of mould. The
recent leaflet that had been issued was attached to the papers as appendix 4. He informed members once a report of mould
had been received, a property inspector would attend the property to inspect
the property to determine if there were any issues with the building. Advanced
equipment had been acquired for inspections to aid the officers in determining
a cause of the mould or condensation. Members heard the importance of removing any
black mould found straight away as the risk to the health and safety of tenants
was paramount for the authority. Targeted work on properties with the lowest
energy ratings had taken place, in theory they were the properties most liable
to develop condensation. Officers had contacted nearly 200 of these properties
to provide information and support. Officers had been in touch with tenants
that had not taken advantage of the energy help funds. Members also heard that
officers refused to disconnect the gas supply to properties but offered extra
support and help. It was noted that of the 11,000 repair
reports received during 2022 only 168 had been in relation to mould and
condensation this equated to 1.5% of all repair requests and 5% within the
whole housing stock in Denbighshire. There was no pattern of type of dwelling
that was more susceptible to mould or condensation problems. Officers made
reference to the increase in reporting of concerns, it was stressed this was
due to the increase in resources and an improvement in reporting. Hard to heat
properties had been identified, these properties had received some extra
resources and modifications to systems to aid heating the dwelling. Officers thanked the Committee for the
opportunity to scrutinise this service and demonstrate the work of the team in
this area. Members were ... view the full minutes text for item 6. |
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AT THIS
JUNCTURE (11.45 A.M.) THERE WAS A 20 MINUTE BREAK. THE MEETING RECONVENED AT 12.05 P.M. |
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LIBRARY SERVICE STANDARDS AND PERFORMANCE PDF 138 KB To consider a report (copy attached) by the Head of
Communities and Customers and Principal Librarian, which provides information
regarding performance in relation to the 6th Framework of Welsh
Public Library Standards 2017-20 and seeks the Committee’s observations on the
progress made in developing libraries as places of individual and community
well-being and resilience. 11.40 a.m. – 12.20 p.m. Additional documents:
Minutes: The Chair welcomed
Councillor Emrys Wynne, Lead Member for Welsh Language, Culture and Heritage
along with Liz Grieve Head of Communities and Customer Services and Bethan
Hughes, Principal Librarian. The Lead Member
thanked the Committee for extending an invitation to scrutinise the Library
Service Standards and Performance and introduced the report to members
(previously circulated). The purpose of the report was for the Committee to
scrutinise 2021-22 performance and standards of libraries in Denbighshire. He
also guided members through Appendix 2 which related to information on the
current performance for 2022-23. Members heard information on the progress
made to develop libraries as welfare hubs. The statutory duty placed on every
library in Wales was to have a library service to provide a comprehensive and
efficient service to residents. The Welsh Government measured and assessed how
each local authority fulfilled that duty. Following the Covid pandemic the
requirements for reporting for 2021-22 had been changed to recognise the
restrictions on the service. Members heard the narrative report was
significantly delayed and was due for publication in March 2023. It was
therefore not possible to include it in full with this report. The service had
received an early draft and selected comments were included in the papers. This report reflected on the data submitted
by Denbighshire in relation to 2021-22, on performance against 12 Core
Entitlement and 6 Quality indicators, with some commentary on the performance
by the Welsh Government Culture Division assessors. It was highlighted to the
Committee Denbighshire continued to meet all 12 Core Entitlements. The library provision contributed to a
number of the Corporate themes including; Healthier Denbighshire, a County that
grows and improves, a well-connected County, a fair and more equal County, a
County of vibrant culture and thriving Welsh language and a well-run, high
performing council. The Lead Member highlighted the successful
completion of the Summer Reading Challenge across Denbighshire Libraries. It
illustrated a significant increase in the use of the service. Members were made aware that each library in
Denbighshire had improved digital services for local residents to make use of.
Services including the One Stop Shops which were operating from libraries
across the County. The Head of Communities and Customer
Services added that the Welsh Library Standards were a great opportunity for
the Library Service to attend scrutiny to present the performance of the
service for debate. She was pleased to say libraries had recovered well
following the closures through the Covid Pandemic. She offered her thanks to
library staff for the dedication they all portrayed during the pandemic to
continue to offer a professional and supportive role to residents. The Principal Librarian concluded by
informing the Committee the framework enabled the service to measure and show
the effect the service had on residents in the community. The framework was
currently being revised and was likely to be more aspirational in the coming
years. She encouraged members to attend their local library to observe what had
taken place. The Chair thanked the Lead Member and
officers for the detailed introduction and the papers that had been provided to
accompany the report. Members congratulated the service for what
they offer to residents. The services provided offered support and guidance to
residents and libraries became more community hubs. In response to members’ comments and
questions the Lead Member along with the officers expanded on the following: · There was no target set for predicted growth in active members, however all advertising and marketing was in partnership with a range of partners and services. Part of that partnership was for those groups to encourage individuals to join the library. ... view the full minutes text for item 7. |
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SCRUTINY WORK PROGRAMME PDF 152 KB To consider a report by the Scrutiny Coordinator (copy enclosed) seeking a review of the committee’s forward work programme and updating members on relevant issues. 12.20 – 12.40 p.m. Additional documents:
Minutes: The Scrutiny
Coordinator introduced the report (previously circulated). The next meeting
was scheduled for the 27 April 2023 members heard the six monthly review of the
Corporate Risk Register was due to be presented to members. Members were reminded of previous discussions
on the issue of broadband in the county. She informed members she had made some
enquiries on the issue and it was apparent that Broadband provision was a very
complex issue. Members were made aware the Vice Chair Councillor Gareth
Sandilands and the Scrutiny Coordinator had attended a meeting with BT Open
Reach on the roll out of full fibre to Denbighshire. Following that meeting it
was decided that a workshop giving an overview of Broadband provision and
Upgrade Plans in Denbighshire would be beneficial for members, prior to
determining which aspects would benefit from detailed scrutiny. It was proposed
at the next meeting, to hold a workshop following the committee business. The Scrutiny Chairs and Vice Chairs Group
(SCVCG) had recently met. At that a meeting a request received from the Governance
and Audit Committee on staff recruitment, retention and work force planning had
been reviewed. The Governance and Audit Committee had previously received a
report and proposed Scrutiny debated the subject in greater depth. A report was
included on the SCVCG’s forward work programme for information on the same
issue. It was therefore proposed that a formal report be presented to
Performance Scrutiny Committee at the meeting scheduled for the 8th
June 2023 instead of to the SCVCG. Appendix
2 contained a copy of the Member Proposal form, members were informed the SCVCG
were due to meet again on 27April. Members were encouraged to complete the form
with any items they thought merited consideration. Appendix
3 to the report was the Cabinet’s forward work. Appendix 4 – informed members of the
recommendations made at the previous Scrutiny meeting and the progress made
with their implementation. Following the earlier discussion members
requested the Housing Strategy and Homelessness Strategy return with an update
in six months. Also a request for a follow up report on the Council’s Housing
and work with tenants be included. The Scrutiny Coordinator informed members
she had spoken to the officers and it was proposed that an information report
be included on the forward work programme (FWP) in 12 months’ time. It was also noted a
further report on Library Service Standards and Performance be added to the
proposed agenda for the Committee meeting in January 2024. Appendix 5 to the report was the expressions
of interest received to serve as committee representatives on the Service
Challenge groups. Members heard the Service Challenge groups would meet
virtually once a year. Attached was a list of the expressions received to date.
Members heard Councillor Terry Mendies along with Councillor Carol Holliday had
indicated an interest to represent the Committee on the Highways and
Environmental Service Challenge Group. Members were in agreement for Councillor
Mendies to attend Highways and Environmental Service Challenge meetings. It was noted a small number of services still
required meeting arrangements to be made, these were dependent on the outcome
of the SLT restructure which was imminent.
An up to date list would be provided when arrangements had been made.
The Corporate Director: Governance and Business encouraged members to
participate in service challenge meetings to understand the services in more
depth. The Chair guided members through the
suggested list and asked the Committee to confirm its representatives. The
Scrutiny Coordinator confirmed she would present an updated list to the
Committee when further details were available.
It was: Resolved: (i) subject ... view the full minutes text for item 8. |
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FEEDBACK FROM COMMITTEE REPRESENTATIVES To receive any
updates from Committee representatives on various Council Boards and Groups. 12.40 – 12.45 p.m. Additional documents: Minutes: The Chair, as
Scrutiny’s representative on the Queen’s Building Project Board, informed
members that the Board continued to meet on a monthly basis. Construction work on the new building was
well underway and the process for seeking expressions of interest for an
operator for the facility had commenced. Meeting concluded at 12.45pm. |