Cabinet - Wednesday 20 March 2024, 5:00pm - Folkestone & Hythe webcasting

Cabinet
Wednesday, 20th March 2024 at 5:00pm 

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  2. Cllr Jim Martin
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Slide selection

Cllr Jim Martin - 0:00:10
Good evening, everyone and welcome to the meeting of the Cabinet. This meeting will be webcast live to the internet. For those who do not wish to be recorded or filmed, you will need to leave the Chamber for members, officers and other speaking at the meeting. It is important that the microphones are used, so viewers on the webcast and others in the room may hear you would anyone with a mobile phone, please switch it to silent mode as they can be distracting. I would like to remind Members that, although we all have strong opinions on the matters under consideration, it is important to treat members officers and public speakers with respect. Thank you very much

1 Apologies for Absence

so if we can go to apologies for absence, thank you leader, we have no
Mr Jake Hamilton - 0:00:58
apologies, no apologies, well that's good everyone.

2 Declarations of Interest

Cllr Jim Martin - 0:01:02
good show, declarations of interest does anyone have a declaration of interest to Mike?
not sure on this one, just because it's.
it's non-pecuniary, but as a
Cllr Gary Fuller - 0:01:21
Council tenant, as it were, I should probably declare an interest on item 7 and 8.
very much Councillor Fuller.
noted.

3 Minutes

Cllr Jim Martin - 0:01:32
and onto item 3 the minutes the minutes of the Cabinet meeting held on Wednesday, the 28th of February.
are there any issues or concerns?
can I sign them as agreed?
agreed.
in its 20th year.
so if.
thank you very much, Ms.

4 Quarter 3 Performance Report 2023-24

moving on to Item 4 or Quarter 3 performance report, pages 11 to 44 in your pack and who's going to lead us through this one?
Councillor Carter, yeah,
Cllr Tim Prater - 0:02:28
I thought you might get away without me speaking at this one, but that.
the quarter 3 performance report is in front of you as the quarters 1 and 2 have been over the last three months, I'd like to thank Gavin for all of his hard work in terms of the Nicola, it was noted by the Finance Sub-Committee a couple of weeks ago.
but they think that this is one of the best reports that this Council gets and is one of the clearest in terms of the indicators now, and really it is key, is continually evolving it and changing it, to make it clearer and easier to understand and to reflect questions and comments that had been made, it's as you see it in front of you.
that one of the comments that would was made was that many of the indicators in this I am moving very much in the right direction.
there is very much a an elephant in the room regarding ICO breaches, et cetera, but it's not a hidden elephant, it is very clear.
it is very clear and offered funding and it is being addressed.
as an important issue internally, it is being arrested in terms of training, et cetera, and it is interested in terms of the way that processing of
there are potential complaints and potential breaches is being taken forward, so I can only say that I have.
confidence that he was being taken seriously and being worked on as an issue, the rest of the reports in front of you if you have any questions of detail, I'd absolutely love to deflect them together.
Cllr Jim Martin - 0:04:10
thank you very much, does anyone had I I presumably you're gonna move, move the report, Councillor Procter, yes traffic, and would you like
Cllr Tim Prater - 0:04:16
to second Councillor Pullen happy to second, I was going to comment
Cllr Jim Martin - 0:04:19
Blackburn, please do comment oil
Cllr Gary Fuller - 0:04:20
it was just to to follow up on what Tim was saying about the the freedom of information and the subject access requests area.
although obviously there's still a lot of work to do, it is noted worth noting that three out of the four sort of external KPI is are on going in the right direction now, as it were, compared with the previous year, so there's a lot to do, but we're hopeful,
match or a Councillor statement.
Cllr Jim Martin - 0:04:51
Cllr Jeremy Speakman - 0:04:56
to comment, I mean this is just a bit of kind of naked crowing really, but I just wanted to.
it just just I wanted to just take the opportunity to congratulate the grant maintenance team for the Green Flag status last year and also that they have submitted which they submitted for all four parks against the service rise, blanket obviously the submissions in the and I've had a lot of comments about the wonderful display of hyacinth that's around the place absolutely looking absolutely fantastic which I think is really great.
also continuing on the crowing theme, there is under again my portfolio, I was pleased to see that the percentage of streetlight as our street survey, terrible litter, was up.
again to 97%, and also that the number of missed bins.
remains well within target at 29 per 100,000 which, as I think I worked at a 99.7% success rate, crying finished, thank you.
a Councillor Schofield won well following on on that exactly the same
Cllr Stephen Scoffham - 0:06:04
pay n 32 are in the next column or column row in the next row down when we got the percentage of household waste recycled, which has stubbornly been a bit below the
50% rate, which was, which would be wonderful to achieve, is good as we went up in in in in terms of other local authorities, but we've got further to go and one of the things which
I'd been talking to with the team, is about launching a 50 50 campaign, the chance to we can all do it together. We can break the 50 50 barrier if we just tried a little bit harder, and so that is taking shape, and I think I'm not certain at what point it's going to go onto the website, but there'll be an A to Z of of what you can recycle and a certain amount of publicity, and so on, and the team are getting behind the 50 50 notion, and hopefully we can persuade everybody else in the district to do their bit and between us we can we can get through that barrier. Thank you very much, Councillor Blackmore Mike sorry,
Cllr Jim Martin - 0:07:07
Cllr Mike Blakemore - 0:07:09
thank you, Chair risk of strike, a slightly more negative note.
in page 9, a thriving environment, the number of community environmental volunteer events supported, so I know we we missed that every quarter, although it says it was narrowly met in quarter 3, but actually that was the lowest lowest figure the year I'm just wondering how we can achieve that KPI going forward because I gather we've lost one area officer,
through the transformation process, so are we gonna be able to support those events going forward, I've got another question, but do you want to take that one first?
thank you, thank you for your comments on Councillor Blackmore with
Gavin Edwards - 0:07:46
regards to that KPI we are looking at that as well, because I note your points that we have obviously had a reduction in the staff resource there, so we are looking at the overall target on that and what's going forward? We have obviously reflected in the report that there has been some work obviously on giving out litter picking equipment to members of the public, as I say, as opposed to doing the events as well, but we do note those points and we are looking at the target on that KPI for next year as well.
I mean, it would be a shame to lose those community events or to
Cllr Mike Blakemore - 0:08:14
reduce them, because there I know they're very valued and we run one every month in charity, which is a big success with the Nepalese community and other members of the community, so it would be ashamed to reduce the number of those, but I know that it's putting an awful lot on the one area officer who tends to tends to manage all of them if I can ask another question if I may, on page 10,
on the number of related to fly tipping and how quickly it's cleared up, basically I'm just wondering whether we are also monitoring the number of fly tipping incidents, because anecdotally it appears that fly tipping is on the increase, certainly in terms of,
bits of furniture being left on the street, that kind of fly tipping, so do we have evidence of, so we have were monitoring how quickly we clear out the fly tipping, but are we monitoring how many incidents of fly tipping are so well as a proportion of the number of flights, and if we're not, is it possible to do that because it would be good to know whether we're doing that and whether the the increase in the charges for waste collection has an impact on that or not going forward? Thank you
thank you for your comments again on that. Councillor Blake was
Gavin Edwards - 0:09:22
regards to obviously the numbers and instances where I believe we would hold that information, I'd need to have that conversation with the Environmental Protection Team and obviously the waste team around that, but we could obviously they would obviously be aware of certain hotspots and incidences within the district through their intelligence and the work they have on the ground, but I will have a look into that with them and see if we can actually include some of those potential figures and then another bits and pieces to give some more context around that going forwards.
thank you very much, Councillor Blackmoor, following.
Cllr Jim Martin - 0:09:49
thank you, I just wanted to pick up where Councillor Speakman left off
Cllr Polly Blakemore - 0:09:54
with him, picking up the the teams because I've got a couple to pick up as well.
as the Food Safety Team have been inspected, 102 premises this quarter, and I think it's fair to say in the past three to four five years, maybe there has been a huge increase in the number of food outlets and in Folkestone.
both in the middle across the district rarely and particularly down at the harbour arm and which has massively increased their workload, so they're doing a fabulous job and are not very many of them and likewise the environmental enforcement team 6 enforcement notices which is for things such as waste accumulation on private land, noise abatement and so on, so that was six enforcement notices in the last quarter but the big one is 133 fixed penalty notices and that's the littering and the dog control that's a more low level stuff which is way above their annual target of 200 so they're doing a fabulous job.
well done. Thank you very much, OK, Councillor, I'll get I just a
Cllr Jim Martin - 0:11:01
Cllr Rich Holgate - 0:11:02
slight note around the vibrant economy piece of new businesses engaging with public sector programmes in marked 0 for the quarter, but in the last two weeks we've been rapidly reviewing lots of applications, so I think that's more of a timeline consequence than actual activity, so you look forward to next quarter being faster, far more forward.
yeah, I can certainly confirm that, with between the green business
Cllr Jim Martin - 0:11:26
grant and the rural economy, Grant were engaged fully on that any other Councillor Schofield,
yeah, I'm in paragraph 3, under the thriving economy, in paragraph 2.3
Cllr Stephen Scoffham - 0:11:40
2 on page 15, there's a little section on the green business grants and the rural England prosperity fund, both of which are, I'm delighted to say that I'd been sitting on the award panel, together with our leader and various others, and it's been a really interesting process for me, and I wanted to just say how thorough the background research which Andy Markwell has done on this is, I was really impressed by here his deep understanding of the context of the grant as well as the grant itself, and we've been had a really interesting range of applications from the usual or the more mainstream ideas of solar panels and so on, and integrated insulation or all sorts of full-scale enter into in insulation programmes. Wood pellets for Ubben, which we looked at very carefully to find out what we thought about it, all of these things, together with cooling water, which will allow for a food plant which is going to save a third of their water and, if something like a 700 litres an hour, a huge amount of water
really unexpected things coming forward, and I just felt that this is an example of the way in which a vibrant economy is being supported and able to move towards being a green economy, all these measures are quantifiable reductions in carbon and they show which are thriving, a current economy and the green economy go together to make this district more desirable and attract further businesses and further investment, so it's a really interesting.
process for me, and I just wanted to share that.
good, thank you very much, everyone, our archeologists, like to put in a.
a share on the on the mobile pantry.
Cllr Jim Martin - 0:13:26
I am sorry that a mobile country so needed, but it is, and this has been an an absolutely fantastic success, with a load of committed volunteers, a little bit of money, and you know a lot of a lot of effort, lots of facilitation from the church where it's based,
and a really good, you know, community partnership, that's got a job done, really important job to them so.
so well done everyone, that's involved would have put a pension, and I'm well done as they are found this report very, very clear, very crisp I've I would waffle on endlessly about all of these topics, but
I am very impressed, very impressed with what we're doing so, so we have a proposer and Councillor Price, whom we have a seconder Councillor Fuller all those in favour, please indicate.
thank you very much.
Cllr Jim Martin - 0:14:35
and we move forward to item 5 at the 22 23 annual equality report and I'm Councillor Blackmore, thank you, it falls to me to introduce.

5 2022-23 Annual Equality Report

Cllr Mike Blakemore - 0:14:48
so the Council needs to ensure it meets the statutory requirements of the public sector equality duty this report summarises the activities undertaken in 2022 to 23, remember then to promote equality, diversity and inclusion, and highlights the positive measures that are being taken to remove barriers, improve access to services and increased customer satisfaction.
the report is being presented much later in the year than anticipated due to a time lag in the publication of some datasets from external sources.
the 2023 24 report should be a little more timely or hopefully see it by October time.
Even if that means some of the external data won't yet have been updated. The public sector equality duty requires public authorities to consider how they could positively contribute to the advancement of equality and good relations. It requires equality considerations to be taken into account when making decisions and reflected in the design of policies and the delivery of services. While we have a legal obligation here, I'm sure members would agree that the equality duty should lead to better informed decision-making and services that effectively and appropriately meet diversity user needs in turn leading to increased customer satisfaction. The public sector equality duty is made up of a general equality duty and specific duties designed to ensure public authorities meet the general equality duty as the strategy requirement to publish information annually to demonstrate compliance with the general equality duty. Hence the publication of the annual report you have before you this evening. I'd like to move recommendations to receive and note the Cabinet report and consider and approve the draft equality and diversity annual report.
thank you very much, I'm very happy to second, that Councillor
Cllr Jim Martin - 0:16:34
Blackmoor and are open to all Members for comments, debate questions.
Cllr Tim Prater - 0:16:45
Councillor Bryter, thank you, and this is absolutely not directed to Mike, because I realised that he's presenting a report from prior to his existence on this Council, so at the the fact that he raised any is absolutely the right point is that this is really late and is absolutely not his fault. I do accept that some of it is about external data sources being late, but the purpose of doing this on an annual basis is that you get it early enough that you can learn and fix what you're doing and improve what you're doing.
and this is too late to improve what we've done this year.
it's broadly pointless for 23 23 24, because we've almost finished it, so I really welcome the fact that this will come forward much quicker, maybe if we're relying on datasets which are published until February, we should stop relying on those datasets and we should work on something else. So I really appreciate that the report itself, I think, is good and does show a a a a number of good actions, but I really hope that we can bring it forward early next year. Thank you.
thank you, Councillor Fuller.
Cllr Jim Martin - 0:17:50
Cllr Gary Fuller - 0:17:51
I'm gonna be negative as well. Sorry, I only briefly is a really dated report and I'm as ever I love to see all the data on our communities and things like that, and it goes into great detail that the one thing for me that feels like it's missing is the connection between those datasets and what we're doing because, and some of this is because you get the data maybe after you've done the thing and things like that, but but being able to say OK, so for example, where the let's let's pick one where we were not so good on, so so barriers to housing service where we're fifth lowest, so knowing what we've done to try and push ourselves up that list in later years and having it linked to that dataset might make it clearer for for the public and indeed for officers of a year
where the issues are and how are we dealing with them so that that was my only real concern with the report was that those sections on understanding our communities, our workforce and so on didn't necessarily naturally linked to all of the really good actions that have taken place so often that great report thank you very much, Councillor Schofield.
well, I've not seen one of these before and I was absolutely
Cllr Jim Martin - 0:19:06
fascinated by it.
Cllr Stephen Scoffham - 0:19:09
unfortunately, it's worth I didn't know it was, I not got the historic, your historical understanding of the of the timetable, so I wasn't able to look at it from the that lens, but when I saw annual Equality and diversity report reflections, I thought this might not be my number one.
interests.
but it was, it was absolutely fascinating and I learned so much about the district and that we've got the oldest population, as it were, across all the other districts in in Kent. This helps me, apart from anything else, to understand what we're doing and how we can best provide a service for the community. The fact that 70% of us live in one or two ha person households tells me something significant. We're 92% white. That again is, I've now got that data, it's very, very good data to know, and it helps me to understand how I can do my job better, and I think if anybody who reads it can appreciate that, but at the Links I take the point about the links. Yes, it could be there, but I could spend a lot of time with this report. I think it's really good, thank you.
Cllr Jim Martin - 0:20:12
thank you very much, any other Members wish to contribute, so we have a proposer Councillor Blake more, I've seconded all those in favour, please indicate.
and it's carried, thank you.

6 Oportunitas Limited - Progress report 2023/24 to 31 January 2024

moving on to next item item 6 opportunities, limited progress report 23 24
which can lead us through this one are giants I was wondering about.
the Chairman of opportunities were honored were honoured.
thank you Chair.
that is what I'm here for.
Cllr James Butcher - 0:20:56
so the report gives an update on the performance of the company compared to the beginning of the financial year but also compared with the update in December and paragraph 1.2 gives the headings that the report addresses and I'm going to go through those headings and just flesh them out a little bit so the first heading is the company's property portfolio and that's about to be revalued as it is every March that will be reported to April's Cabinet last more March, we had a cumulative valuation gain of about 1.6 million we're told that local movements in property prices may show a reduction in the value of the portfolio, but we will know that for April,
rental yield, which is a key metric for property portfolio, so that's rental income, as a percentage of the value of the portfolio is currently 5.9%.
a quick Google of the average for UK property portfolios, gives figures of between three and a half and 7%, so we're within that band. Second heading is rent arrears so rent arrears are currently two and a half per cent of the total rent charged and the figure for the HRA's 2.3%. So again we're in line with what might be expected, moving on to heading 3, so projected profit and loss account, and I think this is where it gets quite complex, so the
the budget at the beginning of the financial year was for a deficit of just under 50,000 in December we were projecting a very different figures, so that was a surplus of 94,000.
and we're now projecting a loss of nearly 11,000 so closer to what was budgeted at the beginning of the year.
this is not to do with the performance of the company, but it is to do with how things are accounted for, specifically the interest on the RBH to loans, so in December we thought that that wouldn't be accruing until next financial year, that's the position has now been revised to say no, the interest needs to be accruing this financial year and that's why there's a loss being reported, it's a lower loss than was budgeted for at the beginning of the financial year for two main reasons so we've got higher rental income than expected, particularly from our V H 2
and there are lower interest costs than were predicted for the RPI H 2 loan, and what will come on to that heading for is net return to the Council as shareholder, so at the beginning of the year that was estimated to be 113,000, it is now projected to be 213,000 so that's a very significant shift and the two.
factors contributing to that is the cost to the Council of financing the loan is some 83,000 higher than estimated given movements in interest rates, and loan interest being paid by the company is 14,000 pounds lower linked to that lower. Well we'll come on to that about the the the loan for our V H 2 so that that's the really significant fracture. I think about the cost of financing the company and the financial review that was mentioned back in December.
is addressing that and we will come on to that in just a moment, the provisional outturn for capital costs and funding for RV H to.
the company is using about 240,000 less of that loan than expected and that's going to reduce interest payments, and it's to do with lower stamp duty land tax unexpected and then finally heading 6 and 7 about the business plan and the financial review of the company.
that's coming in much later than expected so.
that the Board are going to be looking at that in April, ready to report to Cabinet in May, both with the outcome of that review and therefore with a proposed business plan. So the review is looking at this critical issue of how the company's finance and how do we get that on a more sustainable footing, so we're not seeing these huge deficits that over time that we can deal with that, and that's also going to include a look at the shape of the portfolio and then final thing just to say, as you'll see somewhere in the accounts there, a figure for officer support and just to say how much I think the board appreciate the support that we're getting from Andy from Allah and his colleagues in the finance team and from CAB into, so it really appreciate all the support that we get
and happy to take questions and possibly feels until people are better placed to answer them, but I'll do my best, thank you very much, James Councillors.
any questions or Councillor Price.
however.
I think that the a this is a good report, thank you be, it was really good to see Lee Walker's name associated with it, it's really good to see the back doing stuff for the Council and long may that continually.
must have you back in the room?
I think I I fully understand I accept the point in terms of the depth of this Council more than almost any one, so where you said it's there is a contribution from this Council of 213,000 pounds for the last financial year.
and there's nobody in this room who thinks that that sustainable long-term, clearly what we would like to see is opportunity,
not costing this Council here on you and I'm hoping that when we see that revised business plan, that will be one of the things, but alongside it and alongside opportunities, spinning that exemplar landlord in the district at year, end the market rent clear, we're good at this a number of landlords owned and it's really good to have somebody to turn round and say that's the type of
landlord that we should have in this district, and that's that landlords that people should aspire to be in this district and if we can do that at no cost to this Council, and that's a good thing. Also, although the net financial deficit this year is 213 in disappointing, as you said, the capital of the actual value of what is there is significantly larger than the Council has paid for that. Vivian. I do not want to sell it all tomorrow and to do something else, but if one sold it all tomorrow, you would pay back the debt that has involved there and end up with a chunk of money that capital value will
Cllr Tim Prater - 0:27:46
continue to increase over time. I accept that it's gonna be a revalue revaluation in March. I accept that the numbers on that gonna look unpleasant and you're gonna turn round and say that our rent returns are much better against the capital
against the capital value, because suddenly, the capital value has gotten down to the for the rent, return, all look like it's gone up, but long term, the capital VAT capital value will increase again long-term that that will go up, and that's a massive benefit to this Council and our having got to a scale which I think is sustainable. At this stage, there will then be a question as to whether we
maintaining that or whether we go further we build further, I'm looking looking forward to seeing that business model and most things coming forward, but I think around us, you know, opportunity does present us a really helpful opportunity to do things that we couldn't otherwise do in the market rent space to be that,
good landlord, but we can actually demonstrate to other people that this is how you should do those things and, I hope, re relatively quickly we can get ourselves back to that our position, whereby we're not Councillor Murray, costing the Council money. I think that the issue that may have been had there is that the numbers, the numbers were written as a fixed number in terms of the percentage in terms of the interest payment that was gonna, go back in terms of low agreement and then the world changed and suddenly everything went wrong. I I'd like us not to make that mistake again. I'd like us to make sure that we, we were able to flex with the times. If interest rates go down, then the repayments will come down. If interest rates go up, the payments will go up so that they reflect changes
effectively, the business model was built in a world whereby interest rates were 3% lower and the business case stacked up at that moment, and then the will changed if next time we cannot just pick a number and say that's the number and then turnaround in two years' time and go if that doesn't work any more.
but it moves up and down with the with the tide, I think it will be in a better place, but thanks very much for the report.
thank you very much, James.
yeah, it was just to come back quickly on that sort of spoiler alert
Cllr James Butcher - 0:29:48
about the review, I think we'll have recommendations about the way interest rates are set, to recognise your concern and deal with it, and I think he'll think we could do with seeing is what the the we've we've got in years.
the deficit to the Council, but we need to compare that with the cumulative benefits, since the company so that we can we can see that in context, and hopefully we can, we can have that figure too.
councillors, any other questions or.
Cllr Jim Martin - 0:30:15
I would just like to make the comment that every property company Councillor, I've ever looked at, they're always asset-rich and cash-poor, which is exactly what what we are, you know, it's a long term capital growth investment that's if we mean by given year to year, which is our ambition, that's really all we can or we can sensibly hopeful because the capital growth is our investment.
unhappy to propose that we accept the the report or we note the report and note the figures, do I have a seconder?
Councillor Schofield, thank you very much, so all those in favour, please indicate.
thank you very much.

7 Housing Compliance Policies - Legionella and Lift Safety

Item 7 Housing compliance policies, legionella and lift safety.
who's going to talk us through this you are?
well done, Rebecca Councillor Trump, thank you
Cllr Rebecca Shoob - 0:31:21
so further to the housing compliance policies which were approved by Cabinet in January and February.
I have two final policies in relation to health and safety for the landlord or the housing, landlord service and these cover legionella and lift safety, so these policies were originally approved by Cabinet in 2021 and are due for renewal this year.
the policies have been reviewed internally by officers and specialists in legionella and lift sleep safety, as well as external consultants, to ensure that they reflect current legislation and best practice.
aside from changes noted at 1.00.3 of the report, to identify new powers by the social housing regulator to proactively intervene where councils are underperforming.
and at 1.00.4 of the report in relation to our controlled access procedure, no other significant changes have been made to the policies, and there are no changes to the legal framework that underpins either policy.
however, a summary of minor changes made is included in the report, and these are also highlighted as track changes in the appendices.
cabinet needs to be aware of these changes and the policies updated for the Council to remain compliant and regulation.
so I am therefore recommending that Cabinet approve the proposed changes to the Council's held complaints, legionella and lift safety policies, as outlined in the report, and I'm happy to move those recommendations, thank you very much, Councillor shrewd, on very happy
Cllr Jim Martin - 0:33:09
to second those recommendations.
and are thrown open for discussion.
don't start me only legionella.
Cllr Jim Martin - 0:33:22
now that I'll tell you afterwards, I know why it's called legionella.
but nevertheless we have a proposer, we have a seconder, please indicate if you're in favour.
thank you, very much, councillors are moving on to the next item, which again, I suspect, is a cancerous shoe.

8 Tenant Engagement Strategy 2024-30

tenant engagement strategy.
thank you.
this report is seeking Cabinet approval for the updated tenant
Cllr Rebecca Shoob - 0:33:59
engagement strategy which expires next month, the current strategy, which was published in 2021, is largely fit for purpose, and so it has not been subject to a complete rewrite, the updated version reflects changes in policy and legislation and ensures compliance with the regulator of social housing requirements for giving tenants of social landlords a wide range of meaningful opportunities to influence and scrutinise strategies, policies and services.
previously, the regulator had required strategies to be updated every three years, but this requirement has now been removed, while the strategy will nonetheless be reviewed annually and any necessary updates made, it's proposed that this strategy presented today will run until 2030 and I'm very happy to move the recommendations of this report.
thank you very much, Councillor Sheard very happy to second and throw
Cllr Jim Martin - 0:34:59
it open for debate any members wishing to coin a Councillor Hulk.
Cllr Rich Holgate - 0:35:06
just one comment slash question around the consultation which took place three years ago and had seven comments.
given the data consultation and the lower leg is there, will there be ongoing opportunities for tenants to feed in feedback, engaging with the Council?
give it given that old timeline that they were working against excuse.
Cllr Rebecca Shoob - 0:35:36
yeah, I mean that the whole purpose of the strategy is that you know make sure that those opportunities are embedded, but they have to pass over to Mike we've got anything to add to that. Thank you. Councillor
Folkestone & Hythe Officer - 0:35:48
Soup and Councillor Holgate. Yes, just to add that one of the new regulatory requirements is that we do an annual tenant satisfaction survey now, and although they prescribe set questions that we have to ask, one of the other questions that we always ask is, are you interested in getting more involved in the housing service and we regularly review that one of my team contacts, the people that I am very interested to work out, how how it will best suit them to work with us
fantastic thank thank you.
Cllr Rich Holgate - 0:36:15
Cllr Jim Martin - 0:36:20
Councillor Speakman yeah, just a query really rounded a couple of, I
Cllr Jeremy Speakman - 0:36:24
think, changes the strategic tenant advisory board and the tenant scrutiny panel.
it wasn't quite amid, probably in here I may have missed it, but I wasn't quite sure I think these are new arrangements, aren't they, from what I understand?
how they set up. How is the process of selection who is on them or what's the difference, or wasn't quite clear from the report on that. Thank you, Councillor Speakman. I may have to look to Andy for a little bit of advice on this because I wasn't here folks, in Hive, when the Strategic Tenant Advisory Panel was first established. However, as I understand it, it was done in parallel with what was the previous tenant panel, these to the Shepway tenant and leaseholder board at that point, and the previous Chair of the SDLP, as was agreed to work with us while we established staff as we call them, and she was involved in recruiting the new members, along with managers and officers from the Housing Service and going forward, as we have vacancies here, we do panel interviews with myself, one of my team and the chair of the panel, and that's how we recruit to them, but it was done through word of mouth
we we promote it in tenant newsletters and online when we have vacancies and year and again, as I was making the point earlier in the tenants survey, we ask if people would like to be involved and we we, we worked through it that way, thank you very much thank you.
are there any other men are Councillor Paula?
Cllr Jim Martin - 0:37:53
Cllr Gary Fuller - 0:37:55
just to cut the quick questions, but towards the end of the report it seems to, if I've understood correctly, it's kind of remove the action plan is there is no longer a list of points, and that was that it is that because that's basically gonna be produced in a separate document that that can be used operationally as it were.
and also.
the I can't remember our sorry and this now, but that I might not it might have been the previous KPI, but the online housing service to take up to about 20% now if, if memory serves it are there is there going to be a plan to increase that and possibly look at integrating more of it into my account which I'd be more than happy to help with?
thank you, Councillor Fuller yeah, on the first point, where the
Folkestone & Hythe Officer - 0:38:41
action plan we we were not doing away with the action plan as such, but the the action plan that sat with this strategy originally was primarily needed when the housing service first came back to Council control to make sure that tenant engagement was embedded in the work of the Housing Service which largely now is so rather than having a separate tenant satisfaction survey action plan and a tenant engagement strategy action plan, the idea was to merge the two.
we took the first draft of the updated action plan to Overview and Scrutiny and I think it was in February and yeah once we've done dishes survey results and the new strategies live, we'll update that and it will be very much a live document and on the second point on housing online that is a very timely point I had a meeting with my boss today our chief officer for housing and we are very keen to increase that take-up rate so watch this space and will feedback.
Councillor Hogan,
Cllr Jim Martin - 0:39:36
as perhaps a detailed untainted question, so I am happy to to to be
Cllr Rich Holgate - 0:39:39
shoved onto to an e-mail response, but I'm under monitoring our performance, she talked about developing a set of key performance indicators assuming this this moves forward, how long will it take to get set up and I assume you're not reinventing the wheel or actually is it gonna be quite a new, a new look on how we monitor our performance.
because a supplementary question ahead is how will we know what good looks like?
Folkestone & Hythe Officer - 0:40:04
thank you, Councillor Hogg, I'm looking over to my colleague from our performance team here, Jonathan correct me if I'm wrong Jonathan we subscribed to HouseMark, which is a housing sector benchmarking service, and I believe they still have industry standard copy eyes for tenant engagement.
I can chip in, yes, I believe I have a few, so yes, we it's.
Mr Jonathan Hicks - 0:40:24
the the very few indicators about resident involvement, but, yes, where we can include benchmarking, we will, but a lot of this is about how the tenants are involved in monitoring our set of KPI is that you've seen today in the performance reports and how they're involved in reviewing those which relate specifically to tenants.
thank you, Jonathan, and then yeah, just to follow up on that point,
Folkestone & Hythe Officer - 0:40:54
staff do get a regular update on our performance, they meet every other month and they are a standing item on their agenda, is to review performance data and hold us to account, and I think Jonathan will agree they do that very well.
any other Councillors wishing to contribute.
Cllr Jim Martin - 0:41:11
can we go, while Mike is out of the room?
yep
no debates jolly good OK, so we we have just timely boils down my trophy.
so we had a proposer, we had a seconder all those in favour, please indicate.
sorry, good, thank you very much.

9 Disposal of property - Stour Bank, Stone Street, Stanford South, Kent, TN25 6DE

moving on to Item 9 disposal of property Star Bank Stone Street stamp itself, so this is me and it's a, this is a property that was acquired in the
Land.
land assembly phase of article as it turned out, it's not required, it's been let since 2020 since it was 0 since it was.
acquired but.
the the the tenants have gone and the the feeling is that the the property is in need of a great deal of repair and if we were to sensibly let it going forward, we would have to spend a great deal of money on it, it doesn't really fit in with our stock profile and therefore the recommendation is just to sell it get get rid of it.
and you'll see the figures that are set out in in the in the pink papers for you so on.
and so the proposal will be to receive and note the report, and then to authorise the Director of Housing and operations to give them delegated authority to dispose of the property and
I am happy to to propose that and move those recommendations.
Cllr Jim Martin - 0:43:37
Cllr Tim Prater - 0:43:38
Councillor Prayer happy with a slightly heavy heart, to second, it would be nice to have may be able to make use to it, but it's outside the red line, it's north of the railway line, it does us no good for otter Paul and it as you say it doesn't fit ha profile Toby so I understand and therefore support the logic of disposal.
sorry give Councillor Fowler, thank you Chair just I mean, obviously
Cllr Jim Martin - 0:44:01
Cllr Gary Fuller - 0:44:02
you didn't detail all the specifics, but the I found the backstory of of why we bought the property and the that there was no it was, I found it quite interesting and how it was done to help a helped some residents and that kind of thing and although obviously
it's not the kind of thing you could necessarily have shouted out at the time, I think it speaks well of the officers that they took that kind of decision to to buy a plot of land to support people that needed that support, even though it would be interesting to hear a bit more detail actually.
yeah, I think, as my mother used to say, the the road to hell is lined
Cllr Jim Martin - 0:44:44
with good intentions, you know, but I I think this is something on, I'm quite proud of of of the way in which the the Council acted, and so long as we so long as we get clear of this so long as we make our money back then I think we can we can credit ourselves with a with a good deed.
there, so we have a proposer, we have a seconder unless there's any other comments we can go to the vote.

10 Highview, Moat Farm Road, Folkestone, CT19 5DJ: Update on Proposed Sale, Land Matters, and revision to Unilateral Undertaking

so all those in favour, please indicate thank you very much, members, and the last item is number 10 High View Moat Farm Road, Folkestone and Councillor Shrew, but are you going to talk a serious one, yes, absolutely?
Cllr Rebecca Shoob - 0:45:35
so high view was purchased by fixing Hive District Council from KCC back in December 2017 and with the intention to deliver 100% affordable housing scheme as part of the HRA.
and furthermore, it was to deliver a 0 carbon in use.
development, so officers made significant progress with the scheme carrying out demolition and ecology works and securing planning permission for 30 affordable homes a contract was tendered to construct the scheme, but the resulting returns were considerably higher than anticipated.
so the Council was unable to deliver the scheme as originally conceived due to a significantly changed economic context, with financial pressures arising from acute and sudden interest rate rises, significant inflationary pressures within the construction sector and other competing HRA budgetary demands to meet our current and emerging stock reinvestment obligations.
so in February 2023 Cabinet resolved to pause the scheme and asked officers to investigate alternative delivery options which included a potential disposal to a third party with the benefit of planning consent this report informs members of the progress made since that previous reports back in February 23 and seeks to obtain approval to proceed with the sale to the preferred bidder following a marketing exercise undertaken in November 2023.
further decisions are also required to re approve an amendment to the unilateral undertaking and vary the scheme to be policy compliant at 22%, affordable housing to and to approve the purchase of the public right of way, land from KCC and to approve the amended overage agreement.
I think it's fair to say both members and officers are extremely disappointed not to be able to deliver the project as originally conceived.
however, the offer from the preferred bidder, combined with the brownfield land release fund, allows the Council to recoup the majority of its costs.
and it's important, I think, to note that the Council has played an important part and an important role in bringing this brownfield site forward, de-risking it for the market and allowing another developer to bring the scheme forward, delivering much-needed homes for the district and supporting our local businesses and their supply chains, which is a matter that this Council has recently indicated strong support for.
so I'm therefore Rick moving the recommendations as set out in the report, thank you.
Cllr Jim Martin - 0:48:41
thank you very much, Councillor Shooby very happy to second, your proposal and open it for discussion.
Councillor Prysor.
Cllr Jim Martin - 0:48:54
Cllr Tim Prater - 0:48:56
I am trying to dare other people to go first, but I I am losing.
I entirely.
agree with what Rebecca says and what any officer will say as well.
it's really disappointing, we can't bring this scheme forward and we'd really come
as the development of 30 units for HRA, which would be not agreed, it would have been something that would have been exciting for this district to be able to do, it had been exciting for the team to deliver, it would have been that exemplar thing.
and it's really difficult as somebody who actually sat there as this was actually brought forward a few years ago, it was actually yeah did vote in favour of this thing, it's really difficult to look at something that you thought was very close and watch it go away from you but effectively rent rates were effectively the
at cost of borrowing went away from us and the cost of the scheme went away with us in terms of inflation, and it just you have to in terms of the HRA, you have to have a business plan which says the cost of this can be repaid over 40 years that is for here around 40 years, and it just doesn't any more, it just doesn't add up in any way that we can do so in terms of building it was hr.
I
and in terms of this scheme, what has now come back is, I know that it's a redacted report for the public.
and that it says that its eight that were at the stage, whereby a disposal will mean that we make a small loss.
I think I just want to reassure people that small does not mean hundreds of thousands of pounds small genuinely does mean small it's yeah.
he needs tens of thousand, but he's is low.
so we're talking a very small together more and that the site will come forward, that it will be used for housing, which is good and as is referenced within for point 4.
and I think that's really important is that, though there will only be 22% affordable housing, we whilst we will look as a council very.
to vigorously pursue the opportunity of buying those affordable units for this Council so that they get added to our HRA and if that can be made to work and made it to work financially, that that we will do that, and I understand that the developer,
supports that suggestion as well, but negotiation will see why we go, so it's good to see that there may yet be a number more HR units on that site, then there were before. I certainly hope that in future and in future sites we can look at opportunities to seize where we look at things and go while the HRA can't build them on their own and we can't afford that themselves.
that we could potentially local opportunities with opportunities and with not an easy sentence.
as a code developer on a site it might be that, where building stuff for HR re alone doesn't work, building some stuff for HR and some stuff and market rent and splitting that risk between ourselves and opportunity tasks gives us a mix whereby we could bring forward more homes, not more HRA homes but more homes that are in the ownership of the Council or opportunity to opportunities between us and that we can work together as a scheme.
I don't think that this scheme is quite ready for it, we're doing the rebalancing of the business plan for opportunity, it's not the right time to do it, I'm at the right time to make that what would be hugely significant additional commitment then and therefore I can see why going for an external developer makes sense, it's an external developer for the council house some experience of working with and has delivered a number of other sites in the district.
and the, as I said, the finances of a car that we, we come out pretty close to break, even it's not quite break even, and it's more than I do you know what you want to do, but it's not not a significant amount of money so again with a heavy heart and accepting what Rebecca said entirely I can I have to vote for this.
Cllr Jim Martin - 0:53:19
thank you very much, any other contributions on this I I sat on Planning when this came to planning, and I can't think of a of a scheme that I'm more enthusiastically supported the NIS it had everything.
but unfortunately, a combination of factors just works against it in delivering and selves are I, I think, to reiterate what are both Rebecca and Tim have said, these is disappointing, but I think we're making the right decision, so that said we have a proposal we have a seconder all those in favour please indicate.
thank you very much, members, I know I think that's the conclusion of our business this evening, thank you very much for attending, thank you to all the officers for attending, thank you.