Agenda item

Recommendations from Overview & Scrutiny Committee

To consider any recommendations referred to the Cabinet by the Overview & Scrutiny Committee for consideration by the Cabinet in accordance within the Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rules

 

The following recommendations to Cabinet were made at the meeting of Overview & Scrutiny Committee on 12th February:

 

Homelessness Task & Finish Group

 

RESOLVED that the:

 

  1. the Portfolio Holder for Housing & People Services writes to central government, setting out the situation in North Norfolk regarding the private rental sector reducing housing stock levels and the key reasons for the withdrawals and asks central government for action to address the progressive stock loss and help this Council retain and even grow private sector stock levels; and

 

  1. Committee should receive a further report on this subject in July 2025 to coincide with the pre scrutiny of the homeless strategy.

 

Corporate Plan 23-27 Action Plan 24-25

 

Resolved

 

  1. to note that Corporate Plan 2023-27 Action Plan 2024-2025; and
  2. that the Cabinet undertakes a review of the available options to:
  1. analyse the reasons why mobile phone mast applications fail.
  2. develop a map of signal "not spots" from data gathered by the current surveying program.
  3. support providers to improve mobile signals strength.

    iv.         evaluate how it communicates its actions regarding this issue to both residents and businesses.

Decision:

Homelessness Task & Finish Group

 

Decision

RESOLVED

 

That the:

 

  1. the Portfolio Holder for Housing & People Services writes to central government, setting out the situation in North Norfolk regarding the private rental sector reducing housing stock levels and the key reasons for the withdrawals and asks central government for action to address the progressive stock loss and help this Council retain and even grow private sector stock levels; and

 

  1. Committee should receive a further report on this subject in July 2025 to coincide with the pre scrutiny of the homeless strategy.

 

Minutes:

 

The Chairman, Cllr N Dixon, said that there were two matters to report on.

a)    Homelessness Task & Finish Group - the following recommendations were made to Cabinet:

That the:

  1. the Portfolio Holder for Housing & People Services writes to central government, setting out the situation in North Norfolk regarding the private rental sector reducing housing stock levels and the key reasons for the withdrawals and asks central government for action to address the progressive stock loss and help this Council retain and even grow private sector stock levels; and
  2. Committee should receive a further report on this subject in July 2025 to coincide with the pre scrutiny of the homeless strategy.

 

The Chairman said that there were three key points:

-        To incorporate any benefits from the council tax second homes premium such as investing in the prevention of homelessness, forming partnerships, refurbishing homes etc.

-        Working more proactively with partnership organisations

-        Need to incorporate, where possible, timelines to the streams of work that were in progress.

 

b)    Corporate Plan Action Plan 2024/2025 – the following recommendations were made:

Mobile Phone coverage:

-        analyse the reasons why mobile phone applications fail,

-        produce a map of mobile phone ‘not spots’ and support providers to improve mobile signal strength

-        evaluate how the Council communicates its actions regarding the above to residents and businesses.

Cllr J Boyle said that, on looking at the second recommendation, she believed that it should read ‘the Portfolio Holder and relevant Director to review options to improve mobile signal hot spots. Not spots and the reasons why mobile mast applications fail and communicate actions to residents and businesses’.

Cllr Dixon said that the Overview & Scrutiny Committee had not confirmed the recommendations yet as the minutes for this meeting had not been approved and he proposed that the second item should be deferred until the Committee had reviewed it.

The Chairman thanked Cllr Dixon and said that the first item would be taken forward and the second one deferred.

Cllr W Fredericks, Portfolio Holder for Housing, responded to the recommendations from Homelessness Task and Finish Group. She said that she was happy to accept them and any other actions agreed by the Overview & Scrutiny Committee. She went onto say that she had attended the Overview & Scrutiny Committee meeting and responded to all the matters raised and that the Housing Team was working hard to do everything that they could to reduce homelessness.

Cllr J Toye, Portfolio Holder for Sustainable Growth, said that he was happy to support the recommendations regarding mobile phone coverage, but would suggest that if the Overview & Scrutiny Committee was supportive, that the Council looked at the wider picture and considered all of the relevant factors that could support improvement in this area.

RESOLVED that the:

  1. the Portfolio Holder for Housing & People Services writes to central government, setting out the situation in North Norfolk regarding the private rental sector reducing housing stock levels and the key reasons for the withdrawals and asks central government for action to address the progressive stock loss and help this Council retain and even grow private sector stock levels; and
  2. Committee should receive a further report on this subject in July 2025 to coincide with the pre scrutiny of the homeless strategy.