Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received on behalf of Councillors John Davis and Phil Hudson.  

To be apprised of any changes to the membership of the Committee in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 4.

There were no changes to the Membership of the Committee.  

Note:  No other business is permitted unless, by reason of special circumstances, which shall be specified at the meeting, the Chairman is of the opinion that the item(s) should be considered as a matter of urgency.

There were no items of urgent business.

If a member requires advice on Declarations of Interest, he/she is advised to contact the Borough Solicitor in advance of the meeting.  (For the assistance of members a checklist for use in considering their position on any particular item is included at the end of this agenda sheet.)

There were no declarations of interests.

In accordance with Overview and Scrutiny Committee Procedure Rule 16, Members must declare the existence of any Party Whip, and the nature of it, when considering any matter in the following categories:

-       The review of any decision of the Cabinet or

-       The performance of any Member of the Cabinet

N.B. The Secretary of State believes whipping is incompatible with Overview and Scrutiny.

There were no Declarations of Party Whip.  

Residents of West Lancashire on giving notice, may address the meeting to make representations on any item on the agenda except where the public and press are to be excluded during consideration of the item.  The deadline for submissions is 10.00am on Friday 19 January.  A copy of the public speaking protocol and form to be completed is attached.

There were no items under this heading.  

To receive as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting held on 23 November 2017.

RESOLVED:    That the minutes of the meeting held on the 23 November 2017 be received as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

To scrutinise the Minutes of Cabinet held on 9^th January 2018.

Consideration was given to the minutes of the meeting of Cabinet held on 9 January 2018.

Comments and questions were raised in respect of Minute 62 'Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Funding Programme 2018/19, particularly in relation to:

• The public consultation
• Member involvement in the process

RESOLVED:   A.   That the minutes of the Cabinet meeting held on 9 January 2018 be noted.

                      B.   That the comments of the Committee in relation to the concerns raised in respect of the lack of Member involvement in the process be reported to the Portfolio Holder.

There are no items under this heading.

There were no items under this heading.

To consider the report of the Director of Housing and Inclusion.

Consideration was given to the report of the Director of Housing and Inclusion as contained on pages 195 to 266 of the Book of Reports, which considered the Draft Housing Allocations and Pet Policy previously considered and approved for consultation at the meeting of Cabinet held on 9 January 2018.

Comments and questions were raised in respect of the following:

• Homelessness qualification for under 18's
• The percentage of vacant properties
• Potential for increase in homelessness levels due to changes in private sector landlords in relation to Income Tax
• Social activities – may increase demand levels in sheltered accommodation
• Concerns in relation to lowering of the age policy in sheltered accommodation
• Grouping of areas that have a local connection criteria
• Right to Work Regulations and Agricultural Workers
• Affordability assessments welcomed
• Concerns with problems associated with dogs barking, fouling etc
• The size of the dog shouldn't be specified
• Dogs should only be allowed in ground floor flats
• The benefits of having pets which can help prevent loneliness
• Cats should be expanded to two
• A definition is required when describing what small reptiles are
• The wording at 7.1 of the Pet Policy in relation to Pet Insurance should be reviewed to consider affordability issues  

RESOLVED:  A.  That the comments on the Draft Housing Allocations Policy and Pet Policy be submitted to the Director of Housing and Inclusion and fed into the consultation process.

                      B. That the Draft Housing Allocations Policy and Pet Policy be submitted to a future meeting of the Committee in order to consider the results of the consultation.

To consider the report of the Borough Treasurer.

Consideration was given to the report of the Borough Treasurer, as contained on pages 267 to 274 of the Book of Reports, that provided a summary of the current General Revenue Account budget position.

Questions were raised in respect of the 2% pay claim offer and the Local Government Finance Settlement figure.

RESOLVED:     That the budget position be noted.

To consider the report of the Borough Treasurer.

Consideration was given to the report of the Borough Treasurer as contained on pages 275 to 286 of the Book of Reports which set out details on the General Revenue Account (GRA) medium term capital receipt programme position for the next three years.

Comments and questions were raised in respect of the following:

• The number of Asset Sale Proceeds
• Right to buys and the impact on the Housing Revenue Account

The Director of Housing and Inclusion gave an undertaking to provide Members with the number of total Council housing the Council currently has. 

RESOLVED:   That the report be noted.

To consider the report of the Director of Housing and Inclusion and the Borough Treasurer.

Consideration was given to the joint report of the Director of Housing and Inclusion and Borough Treasurer, as contained on pages 287 to 306 of the Book of Reports, which provided a summary of the Housing Account financial position.

RESOLVED:    That the report be noted.