Agenda item

To consider the attached report of the Strategic Director (Corporate Resources).

The Strategic Director (Corporate Resources) presented the repot on outcome of the formal consultation over the Council’s continued participation in East Kent Housing. The results of the tenant and leaseholder consultation, the cost/benefit analysis and the risk analysis all supported bringing the management of the Council’s housing stock back in-house.

Members were advised that this would be a complex task to undertake and that the Council had set-up seven work streams to do this. As part of these work streams tenant engagement and communication would be examined. However, the immediate priority was to restore stability to the service and ensure compliance was achieved.

There were also a number of risks in the process of bringing the management of the Council’s housing stock back in-house such as ensuring that the work needed to ensure compliance with key indicators carried on and retaining key staff during the transition period. In addition, East Kent Housing would remain a sovereign body during the transition process but at this point it only had one senior staff member on a full-time contract.

The Strategic Director (Corporate Resources) advised that the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) remained in good condition and that savings had never been the driving purpose behind the formation of East Kent Housing and examples of where East Kent Housing had been granted extra funding by the Council were cited (such as the development of the single IT system or supporting work in respect of Universal Credit).

The Council was not yet able to quantify the exact costs involved in bringing the service back in-house due to several variables and unknown costs. This included costs around the single IT system, compliance works and TUPE arrangements for staff.

Members expressed support for the decision to bring the housing stock back in-house and dismay at the findings of the Pennington report. In respect of issues around asset management and tackling anti-social behaviour where some Members felt there were failings in East Kent Housing, the Strategic Director (Corporate Resources) advised that these were areas in which Dover District Council was traditionally strong and when the service was brought back in-house it was hoped that these strengths would pass into the housing service.

RESOLVED:     That it be recommended to Cabinet:

(a)   That a report be made to Cabinet and Overview and Scrutiny Committee at key milestones in the process of bringing housing services in-house.

(b)   That the Cabinet be commended for taking control and tackling the issue.