Community Wellbeing and Housing Committee

 

 

 

Decisions taken at the meeting held on Thursday, 28 November 2024.

 

 

Meeting Time:

7.00 pm

 

Meeting Venue:

Council Chamber, Council Offices, Knowle Green, Staines-upon-Thames TW18 1XB

 

 

 

 

PRESENT:   Councillor Sue Doran (Chair), Councillor Olivia Rybinski (Vice-Chair), Councillor Michelle Arnold, Councillor Maureen Attewell, Councillor Chris Bateson, Councillor Mary Bing Dong, Councillor Lisa Brennan, Councillor Sandra Dunn, Councillor Adam Gale, Councillor Rebecca Geach and Councillor Kathy Grant

 

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5.            Community Wellbeing & Housing - Budget, Fees and Charges, Revenue Growth and Savings for 2025/26

 

Committee resolved to:

 

1.    Approve the Budget, Fees and Charges, Growth and Savings proposals for Community Wellbeing & Housing Committee subject to deferring the decision on increasing Meals on Wheels and Opal Group fees and charges until 7 January 2025 Committee in order for Officers to come back with alternative options.

2.    Recommend to Corporate Policy & Resources Committee that they approve the proposed budget, Fees and Charges, Growth and Savings proposals for Community Wellbeing & Housing Committee.

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6.            Household Support Fund Phase 6 (HSF)

 

The Committee resolved to:

 

1)    Agree the proposed scheme of distribution of Household Support fund Phase 6 as set out in option two of the report.

2)    Agree that in the event of any funds being unallocated that they are moved to the “General Allocation Pot” at the end of March 2025.

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7.            Housing, Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy

 

Committee resolved to approve the draft Housing, Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy for public consultation as set out in option one of the report.

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8.            Placement Policy for Emergency Accommodation

 

Committee resolved to approve the placement policy for emergency accommodation.

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9.            An update from the Environmental Health Department on Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs)

 

Committee resolved to note the contents of the report.

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NOTES:-

 

(1)          Members are reminded that the “call-in” procedure as set out in Part 4b of the Constitution, shall not apply to the following matters:

 

(a)         Urgent decisions as defined in Paragraph 9. of the Call-in Scrutiny Procedure Rules;

(b)         Decisions to award a contract following a lawful procurement process;

(c)          Those decisions:

                                i.          reserved to full Council

                               ii.          on regulatory matters

                              iii.          on member conduct issues.

 

(2)          Those matters to which Note (1) applies, if any, are identified with an asterisk [*] in the above Minutes.

 

(3)          Within three working days of the date on which this decision is published, not less than three members from two or more political groups by submission of the standard call-in pro-forma, may ask for that decision to be referred to a meeting of the Corporate Policy and Resources Committee for review (call-in). The completed pro-forma must be received by the Proper Officer by 5pm three working days after publication of the decision.

 

(4)          The members exercising the right of call-in must not be members of the Committee which considered the matter.

 

(5)          When calling in a decision for review the members doing so must demonstrate the following exceptional circumstances:

 

a.    Evidence which suggests that the decision maker, did not take the decision in accordance with the principles set out in Article 11 (Decision Making); or

 

b.    Evidence that the decision fails to support one or more of the Council’s Corporate Plan priorities to the detriment of the majority of the Borough’s residents; or

 

c.    Evidence that explicit Council Policy or legal requirements were disregarded.

 

(6)          Once the request for ‘call-in’ has been deemed valid by the Monitoring Officer the matter will be suspended until the call-in procedure has been exhausted.

 

(7)          The Chief Executive, in consultation with the relevant officer, will determine if the interests of the Council or Borough would be prejudiced by a delay in implementing a decision such that the call-in cannot wait until the next ordinary meeting of the Corporate Policy and Resources Committee.

 

(8)          Where the call-in cannot wait until the next ordinary meeting, the Monitoring Officer will arrange an extraordinary meeting of the Corporate Policy and Resources Committee to review the decision subject to call-in at the earliest possible opportunity.

 

(9)          In exceptional cases, where there is clear evidence that a delay to the implementation of a decision would lead to a specific and significant financial or reputational harm to the Council, a call-in request may be refused by the Chief Executive following consultation with the Chair and Vice-Chair of Corporate Policy and Resources Committee.

 

(10)       In reviewing a matter referred to it under the call-in scrutiny procedure rules, the Corporate Policy and Resources Committee shall follow the procedure for dealing with call-in scrutiny at its meetings as set out in Part 4b of the Constitution.

 

(11)       The deadline of three working days for "call in" in relation to the above decisions by the Committee is the close of business on …..4 December 2024.