Agenda item

To consider a report by Councillor Rhys Thomas, Lead Member for Housing and Communities (copy enclosed) seeking Cabinet approval for the re-tendering of the Council’s Community Housing Voids Framework.

RESOLVED that Cabinet –

(a)      confirms that it has read, understood and taken account of the Well-being Impact Assessment (Appendix 1 to the report) as part of its consideration, and

(b)      approves the re-tendering of the Council Housing Voids Refurbishment Framework.

Councillor Rhys Thomas presented the report seeking Cabinet approval for the re-tendering of the Council’s Housing Voids Refurbishment Framework.

The Housing Service managed approximately 3,480 tenanted properties with around 250 properties becoming void annually (empty while new tenants were allocated).  Those properties were refurbished to the new lettable standard resulting in expenditure in excess of £4m per annum.  The current framework had been authorised by Cabinet in 2018 to reduce cost and time spent on void housing works whilst maintaining quality standards.  The second iteration of the framework had been designed to continue those improvements.  The report included details of the framework and specifications including a 60/40 quality/price weighting with an expected value of £16m over four years and tenders split into 4 lots.

The Head of Housing and Communities Service and Lead Officer for Housing Property attended for this item.  Cabinet was advised that void properties provided an ideal opportunity to undertake refurbishment works.  However, the relatively small turnover of tenants, with some having lived in properties for decades before they were vacated, could result in some major refurbishment works required.  There was also a need for works to be carried out as quickly as possible given the loss of rental income whilst properties were unoccupied, and the need to work to the new mandated Welsh Housing Quality Standards (WHQS) going forward.  The framework provided an excellent opportunity to provide steady work for local contractors and expand their experience/abilities to meet modern housing needs.

Cabinet had been pleased to note that having nominated local contractors working with Denbighshire over the framework’s lifetime had resulted in improved service delivery in terms of quality and value, and using local contractors resulted in monies staying in Denbighshire.  It was also noted that the framework helped ensure faster turnaround times for both remedial works and tendering of new void works.  The community benefits listed in the report and Wellbeing Impact Assessment was also welcomed with opportunities for training, apprenticeships, and job creation.

Officers responded to questions from Cabinet and other members as follows –

·       the council was keen to maximise community benefits wherever possible and there were plans for housing services to be more proactive in measuring community benefits and how they impacted on tenants in particular; work was also ongoing with contractors through Working Denbighshire to support them in offering apprenticeships and workstart scheme placements, etc, together with physical works to community halls/spaces with such work completed at the Phoenix Centre in Rhydwen Drive used as an illustrative example

·       the Community Resilience Team also worked with community groups and third sector organisations to help them draw down funding to achieve their ambitions in areas where there was potential to access funding for community benefits

·       the Wellbeing Impact Assessment (WIA) had been completed as a group involving the Lead Officer for Housing Property, Principal Investment Housing Officer and Lead Officer – Corporate Property and Housing Stock.  Whilst Denbighshire Tenants Association had not been directly involved in developing the WIA, they had been involved in terms of developing the new framework

·       assurances were provided that the speed of completion of void housing works was closely monitored and challenged on a regular basis; the age and condition of the property, length of previous tenancy, and the requirements of the WHQS were all factors when considering the works required and impacted turnaround times; a breakdown of the type of work carried out was provided and new WHQS relating to flooring and affordable warmth; whilst the cost averaged £13k – 15k per property, costs of £60k on one property could easily be incurred

·       in terms of energy efficiency and improvements, insulated plaster board and loft insulation could be included in void housing works and consideration was given to the EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) in a property due to the target for all homes to be EPC rated C by 2030; external wall insulation would generally be carried out as part of a larger scheme across a housing estate.

Councillor Rhys Thomas thanked the officers for their work.  He highlighted that the Housing Revenue Account, which funded the void housing works, had also been impacted by the current economic and financial situation facing local authorities due to UK Government’s mismanagement, with increases in inflation and cost of building materials.  Consequently, it would be increasing difficult to deliver all the improvements needed given the finances available to invest in housing works.

RESOLVED that Cabinet –

(a)      confirms that it has read, understood and taken account of the Well-being Impact Assessment (Appendix 1 to the report) as part of its consideration, and

(b)      approves the re-tendering of the Council Housing Voids Refurbishment Framework.