Minutes of meeting
Renfrewshire Council · 11 March 2025
Back to Communities and Housing Policy Board — 11 March 2025 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
Page 1
Minute of Meeting Communities and Housing Policy Board Date Time Venue Tuesday, 11 March 2025 13:00 Council Chambers (Renfrewshire), Council Headquarters, Renfrewshire House, Cotton Street, Paisley, PA1 1AN Present: Councillor Jacqueline Cameron, Councillor Gillian Graham, Councillor John Hood, Councillor Robert Innes, Councillor Kenny MacLaren, Councillor Mags MacLaren, Councillor Colin McCulloch, Councillor Janis McDonald, Councillor Cathy McEwan, Councillor Jamie McGuire, Councillor Marie McGurk, Councillor Iain McMillan, Councillor John McNaughtan, Councillor Iain Nicolson, Councillor Emma Rodden Chair Councillor McGurk, Convener, presided. In Attendance G McNeil, Director of Environment, Housing & Infrastructure; L McIntyre, Head of Policy & Partnerships, N Drummond, Lead Officer (Community Capacity), K Russell, Local Partnerships Development Officer, A Johnstone, Principal Estates Surveyor and M Kirk, Assistant Planning & Policy Development Officer (all Chief Executive’s); C Dalrymple, Head of Facilities & Property Services, L Feeley, Head of Housing Services, G Hannah, Head of Climate, Public Protection & Roads, C Hunter, Environmental Health Public Health Manager, T Irvine, Homeless & Housing Support Services Manager, M MacRury, Housing Newbuild Programme Manager, R Marshall, Environmental Health Business Regulation Manager, J Murdoch, Housing Regeneration Manager, K Sillars, Housing Asset & Investment Manager, P McLean, Housing Lead Officer (Participation, Performance & Policy), R Walkinshaw, Housing Regeneration & Development Manager, M Brown, Housing Asset & Energy Strategy Manager, A Andrews, Area Housing Manager (Council Housing), F Wilson, Serious Organised Crime & Trading Standards Manager and A Miller, Development Officer (Housing Regeneration & Service Improvement) (all Environment, Housing & Infrastructure); and J Kilpatrick, Finance Business Partner, C MacDonald, Senior Committee Services Officer and D Cunningham, Committee Services & Licensing Officer (all Finance & Resources).
Page 2
Webcasting of Meeting Prior to the commencement of the meeting the Convener intimated that this meeting of the Policy Board would be filmed for live or subsequent broadcast on the Council’s internet site. Apology Councillor Davidson. Declaration of Interest Councillor McCulloch declared an interest in item 4 by reason he was employed by Barrhead Housing Association which was part of the FLAIR Group. Councillor McCulloch indicated that as he had declared an interest he would withdraw from the meeting during any discussion and voting on the item. Transparency Statement Councillor Mags MacLaren indicated that she had a connection to item 4 by reason of being the Council Appointee on Williamsburgh Housing Association. However, she indicated that she had applied the objective test and did not consider she had an interest to declare. 1 Police and Fire and Rescue Services Scrutiny Sub-committee There was submitted the Minute of the meeting of the Sub-committee held on 14 January 2025, a copy of which forms the Appendix to this Minute. DECIDED: That the Minute be approved. 2 General Services Revenue, Housing Revenue Account (HRA) and Capital Budget Monitoring as at 7 January 2025 There was submitted a General Services Revenue, Housing Revenue Account and Capital Budget Monitoring report by the Director of Finance & Resources for the period 1 April 2024 to 7 January 2025. The report stated that the projected revenue outturn as at 31 March 2025 for all services reporting to this Policy Board was a break-even position against the revised budgets for both the General Services and Housing Revenue Account. The projected capital outturn for projects reporting to this Policy Board was also a break-even position. Summaries were provided over the relevant services in the tables within the report, together with further analysis.
Page 3
DECIDED: (a) That the projected Revenue outturn break-even position be noted; (b) That the projected Capital outturn break-even position be noted; and (c) That the budget adjustments, detailed at section 7.2 of the report, be homologated. 3 Service Update Report There was submitted a report by the Director of Environment, Housing & Infrastructure relative to key service activities and providing an operational performance update in connection with services and key projects and changes to service areas covered within the remit of this Policy Board since the previous meeting. DECIDED: That the contents of the report be noted. Declaration of Interest Councillor McCulloch, having previously declared an interest in the following item of business, left the meeting and took no part in the discussion or voting thereon. 4 Renfrewshire Common Housing Allocation Policy Review 2024 There was submitted a report by the Director of Environment, Housing & Infrastructure relative to the Common Housing Allocation Policy Review 2024. The report advised that the policy was originally scheduled for review three years after its inception in 2019 but due to the impact of the pandemic on housing lets this review was postponed until 2024 to ensure three full years of normal letting activity. A summary of the policy review and amendments were included in the report and the areas for clarification and minor rewording of the policy were set out at paragraphs 4.7 and 4.8 of the report. A copy of the revised policy was attached as an appendix to the report. DECIDED: (a) That the outcome of the review be noted; and (b) That the Renfrewshire Common Housing Allocation Policy be approved, with immediate effect, and be subject to a review in three years. Sederunt Councillor McCulloch re-joined the meeting.
Page 4
5 Renfrewshire Common Housing Allocation Policy – Council Allocation Targets for 2025/26 There was submitted a report by the Director of Environment, Housing & Infrastructure relative to the Council's allocation targets for 2025/26 in terms of the Common Housing Allocation Policy. The report intimated that the Renfrewshire Common Housing Allocation Policy was implemented by the Council on 1 May 2019, reviewed during 2024 and had been approved earlier in this meeting by this Policy Board. The report advised that applicants were placed in one of five groups according to their circumstances and targets had been set for the proportion of lets to each of the groups. The targets proposed for 2025/26 and an analysis of the lets over the previous 12 months were set out in the report. DECIDED: That the Council’s allocation targets for 2025/26 as set out in section 4 of the report be approved. 6 Renfrewshire Council Tenant Participation Strategy – Update There was submitted a report by the Director of Environment, Housing & Infrastructure relative to an update on the Council’s Tenant Participation Strategy. This report provided an update on the Council’s Tenant Participation Strategy Action Plan which had been approved by this Policy Board on 25 October 2022. The Strategy, which covered a five-year period was attached as an appendix to the report. DECIDED: That the progress made with regard to the Tenant Participation Strategy Action Plan, as set out within the Appendix to the report, be noted. 7 Housing Landlord Compliance There was submitted a report by the Director of Environment, Housing & Infrastructure relative to Housing Landlord compliance. The report presented the Housing Landlord Compliance Strategy 2025/28, which was attached as Appendix 1 to the report. The strategy set out the approach to compliance across the six key areas of compliance relating to Council housing assets: gas safety; electrical safety; fire safety; lift safety; asbestos management; and water safety. The report also presented the first two of six policies associated with the Strategy, the Gas and Carbon Monoxide Safety Policy, attached as Appendix 2 to the report, and the Electrical Safety Policy, attached as Appendix 3 to the report. The report described how Renfrewshire Council would meet the statutory, contractual, and regulatory requirements in relation to gas safety and electrical safety relating to the Council’s housing assets. Details of an independent external review of the strategy and policies by the Social Housing Safety Network Scotland were included within the report.
Page 5
DECIDED: (a) That the Housing Landlord Compliance Strategy 2025/28, as set out in Appendix 1 of the report, be approved; (b) That the Gas and Carbon Monoxide Safety Policy, as set out in Appendix 2 of the report, be approved; and (c) That the Electrical Safety Policy, as set out in Appendix 3 of the report, be approved. 8 Creating a smokefree generation and tackling youth vaping – Enforcement of the Environmental Protection (Single-Use Vapes) (Scotland) Regulations 2024 There was submitted a report by the Director of Environment, Housing & Infrastructure relative to the enforcement of the Environmental Protection (Single-Use Vapes) (Scotland) Regulations 2024. The report advised that the Scottish Parliament approved the first of a suite of planned legislative controls on 18 September 2024 which would prohibit the sale and supply of single-use vapes in Scotland. The regulations were made under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, which permitted the introduction of regulations by devolved Parliaments. The report noted that vapes were considered re-usable if they were both refillable and rechargeable. If products were only one or the other, they would be considered single-use vapes (SUV), and therefore prohibited for sale or supply by these Regulations. The report intimated that draft Amendment Regulations (Injurious Articles Regulations), proposed to come into force on 31 March 2025, would align the commencement date with the rest of the UK, meaning that the controls would be implemented across the UK from 1 June 2025. The report proposed that the legislation be adopted and that enforcement powers be delegated to officers, primarily to be utilised by Officers in the Trading Standards & Licensing team. These powers would supplement those already available to the team and would likely only require to be utilised where all other attempts to secure compliance failed. DECIDED: (a) That the progress made to date towards a smokefree future, and a ban on the sale or supply of single-use vaping products be noted; (b) That the powers included in the Environmental Protection (Single-Use Vapes)(Scotland) Regulations 2024 (as amended) be adopted and that it be noted that since the Regulations had been introduced under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, implementation of the Regulations was already delegated to the relevant officers within the Scheme of Delegated Functions; and
Page 6
(c) That it be noted that reports would be submitted to this Policy Board in the future as legislative controls were proposed. 9 Consultation on the Regulation of non-surgical cosmetic procedures There was submitted a report by the Director of Environment, Housing & Infrastructure relative to consultation of the regulation of non-surgical cosmetic procedures. The report advised that a public consultation had been launched by the Scottish Government on 20 December 2024 and closed on 14 February 2025. It sought to establish how best to further regulate non-surgical cosmetic procedures to reduce the potential for harm to those choosing to take up such procedures. A model of regulation was proposed which protected the public while being proportionate and sought to provide a framework where potential clients could undergo procedures with confidence and where responsible, suitably trained, and qualified providers could continue offering them. A copy of the consultation response on behalf of Renfrewshire Council was attached as an appendix to the report. DECIDED: (a) That the consultation proposals be noted, and that it be agreed to homologate the response, as detailed within Appendix 1: and (b) That it be noted that a further report would be brought to a future meeting of this Policy Board when the legal requirements had been established with an update on implications for the Council and the service. Valedictory The Convener advised that this was the last meeting of the Communities & Housing Policy Board that Robert Marshall, Environmental Health Business Regulation Manager would attend before his retirement and took the opportunity to thank him for his professionalism and, specifically the impartial help, support and advice he had provided during his employment with Renfrewshire Council. EXCLUSION OF PRESS AND PUBLIC The Board resolved that the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following item of business as it was likely, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted, that if members of the press and public were present, there would be disclosure to them of exempt information as defined in paragraph 9 of Part I of Schedule 7A of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973.
Page 7
10 Disposal of Land - Stirling Drive, Linwood • Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information);