Agenda Document Pack - Housing and Technical Resources Committee - 14/12/2022
South Lanarkshire Council · 14 December 2022
Back to Housing and Technical Resources Committee — 14 December 2022 and its agenda
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Council Offices, Almada Street Hamilton, ML3 0AA Tuesday, 06 December 2022 Dear Councillor Housing and Technical Resources Committee The Members listed below are requested to attend a meeting of the above Committee to be held as follows:- Date: Wednesday, 14 December 2022 Time: 10:00 Venue: Hybrid - Council Chamber, Council Offices, Almada Street, Hamilton, ML3 0AA The business to be considered at the meeting is listed overleaf. Yours sincerely Cleland Sneddon Chief Executive Members Davie McLachlan (Chair), Martin Lennon (Depute Chair), Joe Fagan (ex officio), John Bradley, Walter Brogan, Archie Buchanan, Mathew Buchanan, Janine Calikes, Gerry Convery, Margaret Cooper, Andrea Cowan, Maureen Devlin, Colin Dewar, Allan Falconer, Grant Ferguson, Alistair Fulton, Ross Gowland, Geri Gray, Lynsey Hamilton, Ross Lambie, Richard Lockhart, Julia Marrs, Ian McAllan, Kenny McCreary, Norman Rae, David Shearer Substitutes Robert Brown, Poppy Corbett, Gladys Ferguson-Miller, Martin Hose, Cal Johnston- Dempsey, Gavin Keatt, Eileen Logan, Monique McAdams, Richard Nelson, Dr Ali Salamati, Helen Toner, Margaret B Walker, David Watson 1
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BUSINESS 1 Declaration of Interests 2 Minutes of Previous Meeting Minutes of the meeting of the Housing and Technical Resources Committee held on 5 October 2022 submitted for approval as a correct record. (Copy attached) 5 - 16 Monitoring Item(s) 3 Revenue Budget Monitoring 2022/2023 - Housing and Technical Resources (Excl Housing Revenue Account (HRA)) Joint report dated 23 November 2022 by the Executive Director (Finance and Corporate Resources) and Executive Director (Housing and Technical Resources). (Copy attached) 17 - 22 4 Revenue Budget Monitoring 2022/2023 - Housing and Technical Resources - Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Joint report dated 23 November 2022 by the Executive Director (Finance and Corporate Resources) and Executive Director (Housing and Technical Resources). (Copy attached) 23 - 26 5 Capital Budget Monitoring 2022/2023 - Housing and Technical Resources (excl Housing Revenue Account) Joint report dated 23 November 2022 by the Executive Director (Finance and Corporate Resources) and Executive Director (Housing and Technical Resources). (Copy attached) 27 - 30 6 Capital Budget Monitoring 2022/2023 - Housing and Technical Resources (Housing Revenue Account) Joint report dated 23 November 2022 by the Executive Director (Finance and Corporate Resources) and Executive Director (Housing and Technical Resources). (Copy attached) 31 - 34 7 Housing and Technical Resources – Workforce Monitoring – August and September 2022 Joint report dated 23 November 2022 by the Executive Director (Finance and Corporate Resources) and Executive Director (Housing and Technical Resources). (Copy attached) 35 - 42 Item(s) for Decision 8 Acquisition of Houses at Former Phillips Factory Site Wellhall Road, Hamilton - Section 75 Planning Reference PL/21/1697 Report dated 21 November 2022 by the Executive Director (Housing and Technical Resources). (Copy attached) 43 - 46 9 Acquisition of Houses at Brackenhill Farm, Hamilton - Section 75 Planning Reference PL/21/2093 Report dated 21 November 2022 by the Executive Director (Housing and Technical Resources). (Copy attached) 47 - 50 2
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10 Policy and Strategy Review Schedule Report dated 22 November 2022 by the Executive Director (Housing and Technical Resources). (Copy attached) 51 - 54 11 Enhancements to the South Lanarkshire Council Open Market Purchase Scheme Report dated 22 November 2022 by the Executive Director (Housing and Technical Resources). (Copy attached) 55 - 60 12 Notification of Use of Standing Order 37(c) – Lease of 26 Units within the Former Student Residencies at 2 Barrack Street, Hamilton for the Purposes of Accommodating Ukrainian Refugees and Resettlement Report dated 22 November 2022 by the Executive Director (Housing and Technical Resources). (Copy attached) 61 - 64 13 Disposal of Montrose House, Montrose Crescent, Hamilton ML3 6LB Report dated 21 November 2022 by the Executive Director (Housing and Technical Resources). (Copy attached) 65 - 68 14 Disposal of Vacant Domestic Dwelling House at 49 Nevis Avenue, Hamilton ML3 8UB Report dated 21 November 2022 by the Executive Director (Housing and Technical Resources). (Copy attached) 69 - 72 15 Stonefield Pitches, Blantyre – Asset Transfer to Blantyre Victoria Youth Football Club Report dated 23 November 2022 by the Executive Director (Housing and Technical Resources). (Copy attached) 73 - 78 Item(s) for Noting 16 Update of the Housing and Technical Resources Risk Register and Risk Control Plan Report dated 22 November 2022 by the Executive Director (Housing and Technical Resources). (Copy attached) 79 - 98 17 Annual Report - Mainstreaming Equality and Diversity within Housing and Technical Resources Report dated 22 November 2022 by the Executive Director (Housing and Technical Resources). (Copy attached) 99 - 108 18 Delegated Authority Report – Update Report dated 21 November 2022 by the Executive Director (Housing and Technical Resources). (Copy attached) 109 - 112 19 Notification of Contracts Awarded - 1 July to 27 October 2022 Report dated 22 November 2022 by the Executive Director (Housing and Technical Resources). (Copy attached) 113 - 120 Urgent Business 20 Urgent Business Any other items of business which the Chair decides are urgent. 3
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For further information, please contact:- Clerk Name: Helen Calley Clerk Telephone: 07385370069 Clerk Email: helen.calley@southlanarkshire.gov.uk 4
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HOUSING AND TECHNICAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE Minutes of meeting held via Confero and in the Council Chamber, Council Offices, Almada Street, Hamilton on 5 October 2022 Chair: Councillor Davie McLachlan Councillors Present: Councillor John Bradley, Councillor Walter Brogan, Councillor Archie Buchanan, Councillor Mathew Buchanan, Councillor Margaret Cooper, Councillor Andrea Cowan, Councillor Maureen Devlin, Councillor Colin Dewar, Councillor Allan Falconer, Councillor Grant Ferguson, Councillor Alistair Fulton, Councillor Ross Gowland, Councillor Geri Gray, Councillor Lynsey Hamilton, Councillor Gavin Keatt (substitute for Councillor Gerry Convery), Councillor Ross Lambie, Councillor Martin Lennon (Depute), Councillor Richard Lockhart, Councillor Julia Marrs, Councillor Kenny McCreary, Councillor Norman Rae, Councillor Dr Ali Salamati (substitute for Councillor Janine Calikes), Councillor David Shearer, Councillor Helen Toner (substitute for Councillor Ian McAllan) Councillors' Apologies: Councillor Janine Calikes, Councillor Gerry Convery, Councillor Joe Fagan (ex officio), Councillor Ian McAllan Attending: Finance and Corporate Resources H Goodwin, Finance Manager (Resources); C Lyon, Administration Officer; E Maxwell, HR Business Manager; K McLeod, Administration Assistant; L O’Hagan, Finance Manager (Strategy); M M Wilson, Legal Services Manager; L Wyllie, Administration Assistant Housing and Technical Resources A Finnan, Interim Executive Director; S Egan, Area Housing Manager; J Forbes, Head of Property Services; C Mitchell, Interim Head of Housing Services 1 Declaration of Interests No interests were declared. 2 Minutes of Previous Meeting The minutes of the meeting of the Housing and Technical Resources Committee held on 10 August 2022 were submitted for approval as a correct record. The Committee decided: that the minutes be approved as a correct record. 3 Revenue Budget Monitoring 2022/2023 - Housing and Technical Resources (excl Housing Revenue Account (HRA)) A joint report dated 31 August 2022 by the Executive Director (Finance and Corporate Resources) and Interim Executive Director (Housing and Technical Resources) was submitted advising of the actual expenditure measured against the revenue budget for the period 1 April to 12 August 2022 for Housing and Technical Resources (excl HRA). As at 12 August 2022, there was a breakeven position against the phased budget. 2 5
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The Committee decided: that the breakeven position as at 12 August 2022 on the Housing and Technical Resources’ (excl HRA) revenue budget, as detailed in Appendix A of the report, be noted. [Reference: Minutes of 10 August 2022 (Paragraph 4)] 4 Revenue Budget Monitoring 2022/2023 - Housing and Technical Resources - Housing Revenue Account (HRA) A joint report dated 31 August 2022 by the Executive Director (Finance and Corporate Resources) and Interim Executive Director (Housing and Technical Resources) was submitted advising of the actual expenditure measured against the revenue budget for the period 1 April to 12 August for Housing and Technical Resources (HRA). As at 12 August 2022, there was a breakeven position against the phased budget. The Committee decided: that the breakeven position on the Housing and Technical Resources’ (HRA) revenue budget, as detailed in Appendix A of the report, be noted. [Reference: Minutes of 10 August 2022 (Paragraph 5)] 5 Capital Budget Monitoring 2022/2023 - Housing and Technical Resources (excl Housing Revenue Account (HRA)) A joint report dated 14 September 2022 by the Executive Director (Finance and Corporate Resources) and Interim Executive Director (Housing and Technical Resources) was submitted advising of progress on the capital programme for Housing and Technical Resources (excl HRA) for the period 1 April to 12 August 2022. At its meeting on 10 August 2022, this Committee noted that the budget for Housing and Technical Resources for the financial year 2022/2023 totalled £8.125 million. Since that meeting, the Executive Committee at its meetings on 24 August and 21 September 2022, had also agreed changes to the Housing and Technical Resources’ capital programme, totalling a net increase of £0.361 million, as detailed in Appendix A to the report. This took the Housing and Technical Resources’ programme for 2022/2023 to £8.486 million. Anticipated spend to date was £0.544 million and spend to 12 August 2022 amounted to £0.466 million, an underspend of £0.078 million. This mainly reflected the timing of spend on the multi- year and multi-project Prioritised Urgent Investment programmes. The Committee decided: that the Housing and Technical Resources’ (excl HRA) capital programme of £8.486 million and expenditure to date of £0.466 million be noted. [Reference: Minutes of 10 August 2022 (Paragraph 8) and Minutes of the Executive Committee of 24 August 2022 (Paragraph 4) and 21 September 2022 (Paragraph 4)] 6
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6 Capital Budget Monitoring 2022/2023 - Housing and Technical Resources (Housing Revenue Account (HRA)) A joint report dated 6 July 2022 by the Executive Director (Finance and Corporate Resources) and Interim Executive Director (Housing and Technical Resources) was submitted advising of progress on the capital programme for Housing and Technical Resources (HRA) for the period 1 April to 12 August 2022. The Housing capital programme for 2022/2023 totalled £66.361 million and was detailed, along with the funding sources, at Appendix A to the report. The budget was based on the revised capital programme agreed at the Executive Committee on 24 August 2022. Actual expenditure to 12 August 2022 was £16.150 million. The Committee decided: that the revised Housing and Technical Resources’ (HRA) capital programme of £66.361 million and expenditure to date of £16.150 million be noted. [Reference: Minutes of 10 August 2022 (Paragraph 9) and Minutes of the Executive Committee of 24 August 2022 (Paragraph 4)] Councillor Lambie entered the meeting during this item of business 7 Housing and Technical Resources – Workforce Monitoring – June and July 2022 A joint report dated 6 September 2022 by the Executive Director (Finance and Corporate Resources) and Interim Executive Director (Housing and Technical Resources) was submitted on the following employee information for Housing and Technical Resources for June and July 2022:- attendance statistics occupational health statistics accident/incident statistics discipline, grievance and Dignity at Work cases analysis of leavers and exit interviews Staffing Watch as at 11 June 2022 The Committee decided: that the report be noted. [Reference: Minutes of 10 August 2022 (Paragraph 10)] Councillor Salamati entered the meeting after this item of business 8 Housing and Technical Resources’ Resource Plan - Quarter 4 Progress Report 2021/2022 A report dated 4 August 2022 by the Interim Executive Director (Housing and Technical Resources) was submitted on the Housing and Technical Resource Plan Quarter 4 Progress Report for 2021/2022 for the period 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022. The Resource Plan measures were rated using a traffic light system of red, amber or green as well as blue (BRAG), which indicated that an action had been completed. 7
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Details were provided on:- progress made in implementing the priority projects identified in the Resource Plan 2021/2022, as detailed in the Quarter 4 Progress Report, attached as Appendix 2 to the report key achievements made by the Resource to date, as detailed in Section 5.3 of the report areas for improvement and associated management actions, as detailed in Section 5.4 of the report measures which had changed from Quarter 2 to Quarter 4, as detailed in Appendix 3 to the report Officers responded to members’ questions on various aspects of the report. In response to a member’s request for further information to be added to the key achievements to included monetary values as well as percentages and days, the Interim Head of Housing Services agreed to provide this information and respond to the member. The Committee decided: (1) that the Quarter 4 Progress Report for 2021/2022, as summarised in paragraph 5.2 and attached as Appendix 2 of the report, be noted; (2) that the key achievements made by the Resource to date, as detailed in paragraph 5.3 of the report, be noted; (3) that the areas for improvement and associated management actions, as detailed in paragraph 5.4 of the report, be noted; and (4) that the additional scrutiny of changes in BRAG status between Quarter 2 and Quarter 4, as summarised at paragraph 5.5 and detailed in Appendix 3 of the report, be noted. [Reference: Minutes of 29 September 2021 (Paragraph 8)] 9 Housing and Technical Resources’ Workforce Plan 2022 to 2025 A report dated 12 September 2022 by the Interim Executive Director (Housing and Technical Resources) was submitted on the Housing and Technical Resources’ Workforce Plan for the period 2022 to 2025 and the associated key strategic actions for the Council. The Executive Committee had agreed the Council Workforce Plan 2017 to 2022, with Resources being required to provide updates on their Workforce Plan to their respective Committees. The review of the Workforce Plans had been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and Resources had produced plans covering the period 2022 to 2025. The Housing and Technical Resources’ Workforce Plan 2022 to 2025, together with the Action Plan, was attached as Appendix 1 to the report. The Plan provided an overview of the services delivered by the Resource, the service demands and a workforce profile. This, along with the strategic plans and drivers, was used to identify the objectives and actions required. The key themes for workforce planning that had been identified were:- demographic of the workforce and the impact on succession planning ability to recruit and retain employees development of current workforce to ensure skills were available to deliver in key strategic areas for future developments and changes in respect of climate change and sustainability and new IT technology 8
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Refugee Resettlement Programme expansion and widening asylum dispersal maintaining employee wellbeing and resilience The key activities identified were:- improved recruitment practices to attract and retain employees graduate and other apprenticeship approach to recruitment further expand links with schools and colleges to encourage consideration of a role with the Council expand on methods, training and development to grow our own talent and future proof the workforce robust succession planning across several key areas review working practices, making improved use of workforce/assets and considering future needs to deliver key services in a changing environment optimise efficiency of existing workforce, including staff absence cover, application of employee wellbeing supports/wellbeing, application of Maximising Attendance processes and maintaining a solution focused approach to complex issues This aligned with the general common themes from all Resource Action Plans which were:- increased demand and a reduced workforce pool which was a national issue demographic challenges, increased turnover, employees retiring earlier than expected and succession planning employee wellbeing In response to a member’s question in relation to why there was no equality and diversity monitoring included in this report, the HR Business Manager advised that the relevant information in this report was the age demographic of the workforce and undertook to direct the member to the information that he was looking for. The Committee decided: (1) that the content of the report be noted; and (2) that the Housing and Technical Resources’ Workforce Plan 2022 to 2025, attached as Appendix 1 to the report, be approved. [Reference: Minutes of 4 October 2017 (Paragraph 9)] 10 Scottish Housing Regulator – Annual Assurance Statement 2021/2022 A report dated 22 August 2022 by the Interim Executive Director (Housing and Technical Resources) was submitted on the Annual Assurance Statement for South Lanarkshire Council. The Scottish Housing Regulator (SHR) had been established in 2011 as an independent body directly accountable to the Scottish Government to regulate registered social landlords (RSLs) and local authority housing and homelessness services. The SHR did this by assessing and reporting on social landlords’ delivery of services, RSLs financial well-being and standards of governance and, where necessary, the SHR would intervene to secure improvements. The SHR had published a revised Regulatory Framework in 2019. Local authority landlords were required to submit an Annual Assurance Statement confirming compliance with the regulatory requirements. 9
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South Lanarkshire’s Annual Assurance Statement for 2021/2022 was attached at Appendix 1 to the report. The key requirement of the Annual Assurance Statement was for the Committee to confirm that it was confident that appropriate systems, evidence, relationships and channels of communication were in place to ensure the effective planning, delivery and monitoring of relevant services against statutory and regulatory requirements. Within South Lanarkshire, the assurance required was provided through a wide range of arrangements which were in place at a Council and Resource wide level. A summary of the key requirements for assurance and how those were addressed was attached as Appendix 2 to the report. The Regulator recognised that councils and RSLs continued to work to recover from the impact of the pandemic and fully restore services and programmes of work, and that the pandemic might continue to impact on compliance with regulatory requirements. The Council was required to identify any non-compliance with regulatory requirements that was directly due to the pandemic and distinguish this from non-compliance for other reasons. The SHR had indicated that, provided that tenant and resident safety was not compromised, it would not engage with a landlord where there was not full compliance with regulatory requirements, specifically where the non-compliance was exclusively or largely a consequence of the pandemic, and the landlord had effective plans to return to full compliance. In relation to this year’s statement, there were 2 points, highlighted below, where the Council was partially compliant due to the ongoing effects from the pandemic:- ♦ fire safety for Gypsy/Traveller sites ♦ Scottish Housing Quality Standards (SHQS) – Fire Tolerable Standards and Fixed Electrical Testing In relation to the Council’s 2 Gypsy/Traveller sites, a programme of improvement work had been progressed and compliance in terms of the revised fire safety standards had now been fully met at one of the sites with partial compliance at the other. Progress at the Council’s larger site at Shawlands Crescent in Larkhall was now well advanced and would be fully compliant by the end of November 2022. Fire safety guidance continued to be a key focus of activity for the Council. In relation to SHQS and the reporting requirements of Fire Tolerable Standards and Fixed Electrical Testing, a programme of work had progressed well, however, a number of actions remained outstanding due to issues in relation to the availability of the required equipment and also the ability to gain access to properties to carry out the installations/testing. A further programme of work was now in place to address those issues and was being closely monitored within the Resource. Sector guidance on equalities data collection, ‘Collecting equality information: National Guidance for Scottish social landlords’, had been published in August 2022 and updated in June 2022. In this year’s Annual Assurance Statement, social landlords were asked to provide assurance that they had or were in the process of implementing an effective approach to the collection of equalities information and were considering how a human rights approach to their work could be adopted. This was reflected in the proposed Annual Assurance Statement. If approved, the Annual Assurance Statement would be submitted to the SHR to confirm the required assurance. The Committee decided: that the Council’s Annual Assurance Statement 2021/2022, attached as Appendix 1 to the report, be approved and submitted to the Scottish Housing Regulator. [Reference: Minutes of 29 September 2021 (Paragraph 9)] 10
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11 South Lanarkshire Council's Strategic Housing Investment Plan 2023 to 2028 A report dated 20 September 2022 by the Interim Executive Director (Housing and Technical Resources) was submitted on:- progress in delivering affordable housing through the Strategic Local Programme Agreement (SLPA) during 2021/2022 ♦ the Strategic Housing Investment Plan (SHIP) for the 5-year period from 2023 to 2028 The SHIP identified strategic housing projects to help deliver affordable homes and inform the allocation of the affordable housing grant through the SLPA. The SHIP and SLPA were reviewed and updated annually to reflect changes to the 5 year rolling SHIP to include progress made to deliver affordable housing in 2021/2022 and planned progress in the current year 2022/2023. The previous Local Housing Strategy (LHS), covering the period 2017 to 2022, was due to end and a new strategy, covering the period 2022 to 2027, was currently at the consultation stage. The finalised strategy would be presented to the Executive Committee on 30 November 2022 for approval. During 2021/2022, 551 affordable homes for rent had been delivered. A summary of completions by the Council and Registered Social Landlord (RSL) partners during 2021/2022 was provided in Appendix 1 to the report. The impact of the COVID-19 restrictions had interrupted all sectors of society, affecting the construction and housing sectors’ ability to reach the national target for 50,000 affordable homes by March 2021. The target for completion of those homes had been extended to 2021/2022, as detailed in the national housing strategy ‘Housing to 2040’. Despite the challenges presented by the pandemic, the Council and its RSL partners had continued to make positive progress on increasing the supply of affordable housing across South Lanarkshire. This included the Council being on track to achieving its own target, set in 2017, of delivering 1,000 additional Council homes, within 2022/2023. The Scottish Government’s Affordable Housing Investment Benchmark Working Group worked with the housing sector and CoSLA to undertake a review of the affordable housing benchmark system and published revised information on this in October 2021. The revised baseline benchmark had been set for local authorities at £71,500 (3-person equivalent), with the option to apply additional quality measure benchmarks where there was an increase to the specification of properties to include items such as space for work or study, fire suppression systems, zero emission heating systems amongst others, which could increase the figure to £84,800. Local authorities across Scotland were now working to the revised benchmark levels. The Council would continue to deliver on its Home+ programme to increase the supply of Council homes through the building of new homes and purchasing existing homes. The previous target of delivering 1,000 units would be achieved in 2022/2023, with a breakdown of projects detailed in Appendix 2 to the report. Reports would be presented to this Committee requesting approval for the delivery of sites for new homes and market purchases that would contribute to the delivery of the SHIP and assist in achieving national supply targets, as detailed in the report. 11
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Of the 1,008 additional homes built or under construction to date, 383 homes (38%) had been designed for particular needs, including 168 (17%) barrier free lift access amenity flats and 70 (7%) bungalows, all designed to meet the needs of older people and wheelchair users. This exceeded the 8% wheelchair housing target set within the LHS for the proportion of new build social homes built to wheelchair accessible standards. The Council’s Open Market Purchase Scheme (OMPS) was closely aligned to the LHS priorities and targeted the purchase of property to increase the Council’s supply of priority house types and sizes depleted through Right to Buy. The key aims were to meet specific and urgent housing needs and wider housing quality improvement and regeneration priorities. In 2021/2022, 53 homes had been purchased through the scheme and a further 60 had been budgeted for acquisition during 2022/2023. A copy of the proposed SHIP and associated table of priority sites was attached as Appendix 3 to the report and included projects with total capacity for delivering up to 2,562 affordable homes in South Lanarkshire over its lifespan. It had been updated in line with national guidance for the preparation of SHIPs. Any financial impact in relation to the costs of delivering additional Council housing would be reported to this Committee for approval and would also be submitted for approval as part of the Annual Housing Revenue and Capital Account Budget. The Council would continue to review its Affordable Housing Supply Programme to consider, wherever possible, opportunities to extend the current programme to meet identified local housing need and demand. If approved, the SHIP 2023 to 2028 would be submitted to the Scottish Government by 28 October 2022 to inform the allocation of the affordable housing grant funding through the SLPA. Thereafter, it would be collated into a national programme for Ministerial approval, following which, the SLPAs would be prepared for sign-off by each local authority. The Interim Executive Director (Housing and Technical Resources) advised members that some of the figures detailed in the report were incorrect and advised of the updated figures. The Chair requested that the correct figures be minuted and that the updated report be published to the Council’s website. Officers responded to members’ questions on various aspects of the report. The Committee decided: (1) that the progress made in increasing the supply of affordable housing through the SHIP 2022 to 2027 and SLPA be noted; and (2) that the content of the SHIP 2023 to 2028, as set out in Appendix 3 to the report, be approved. [Reference: Minutes of 29 September 2021 (Paragraph 14)] In terms of Standing Order No 14, the Chair adjourned the meeting at 10.59am and reconvened at 11.01am 12
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12 Housing Services’ Customer Involvement Strategy 2018 to 2022 Annual Review 2021/2022 A report dated 9 September 2022 by the Interim Executive Director (Housing and Technical Resources) was submitted on:- ♦ the fourth annual review of Housing Services’ Customer Involvement Strategy 2018 to 2022 ♦ proposals to develop a new Housing Services’ Customer Involvement Strategy during 2022/2023 The Housing Services’ Customer Involvement Strategy 2018 to 2022 had been approved by this Committee on 23 May 2018. The Annual Review of the Strategy 2021/2022 and associated Action Plan was attached as Appendix 1 to the report and summarised progress made between 1 April 2021 and 31 March 2022 in engaging with and involving customers in developing and shaping Housing Services. The report outlined key achievements in 2021/2022 and the priority areas to be continued in 2022/2023. As detailed throughout the annual review, a range of actions had not been able to be progressed as intended due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated restrictions. As such, Tenant Participation Co-ordination Group (TPCG) members had proposed that the Strategy be continued in its current form to enable commencement or completion of those actions throughout 2022/2023, with a new strategy developed and submitted to this Committee for approval in 2023/2024. As part of the review, customer representatives within the TCPG highlighted the priorities they wished to see progressed by Housing Services in 2022/2023. Officers would continue to work with customer representatives and other services and partners to progress those priorities through the remaining term of the Strategy. Consideration would also be given as to how the current approach to and methods of engagement could be developed as part of the new strategy, revised and improved as necessary to meet the continually evolving requirements of housing and homelessness customers. Officers responded to members’ questions on various aspects of the report. The Committee decided: (1) that the Housing Services’ Customer Involvement Strategy 2018 to 2022 Annual Review 2021/2022, as detailed Appendix 1, be noted; and (2) that the proposed timeline for the development of the new Housing Services’ Customer Involvement Strategy be approved. [Reference: Minutes of 23 May 2018 (Paragraph 9) and 21 September 2021 (Paragraph 17)] 13 1 Kilmory Road, Carluke – Asset Transfer to Carluke Men’s Shed A report dated 8 September 2022 by the Interim Executive Director (Housing and Technical Resources) was submitted on a request for asset transfer, by lease, of the former Wilton Cemetery House to Carluke Men’s Shed. The Council owned the former Wilton Cemetery House, 1 Kilmory Road, Carluke which had been vacant since 2016, having previously been used as an office base by a local charity. 13
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Carluke Men’s Shed had submitted a request for the Community Asset Transfer of 1 Kilmory Road, which included the house and 2 small outbuildings, and the validation date for this was 13 July 2022. In addition to placing the application and supporting documentation on the Council’s Planning Portal, notices had been placed on the property advising that the Council was considering an asset transfer. The closing date for responses had been 11 August 2022 at which time 10 representations had been received, 9 in support and 1 neutral. The request had been placed before the Community Asset Transfer Assessment Panel on 12 September 2022 and details of the matters taken into consideration were provided in the report. The Community Asset Transfer Working Group assessed the potential community benefits and recommended that a discount of 71% be applied to the market value to reflect the benefits to the community, which suggested a rent of £1,100 per annum. Carluke Men’s Shed had offered a rental of £500 per annum and also to undertake the repair works estimated at £25,000. This was considered to represent Best Value to the Council. The risks associated with the asset transfer were considered low. It was proposed to lease 1 Kilmory Road, Carluke, as shown on the attached plan, to Carluke Men’s Shed, on the principal terms and conditions as detailed in the report. The Committee decided: (1) that the former Wilton Cemetery House, 1 Kilmory Road, Carluke be leased to Carluke Men’s Shed, subject to the terms and conditions outlined in Section 5 of the report; and (2) that the Interim Executive Director (Housing and Technical Resources), in conjunction with the Head of Administration and Legal Services, be authorised to conclude all matters in respect of the lease and enter into the necessary legal agreements on terms which were in the best interests of the Council. 14 Annual Report on the Charter (ARC) 2021/2022 A report dated 24 August 2022 by the Interim Executive Director (Housing and Technical Resources) was submitted providing an update on:- the Scottish Social Housing Charter and the requirement to produce an Annual Report on the Charter (ARC) covering performance during 2021/2022 arrangements to monitor and report on Charter progress throughout 2022/2023 The Charter contained 32 measures of performance which reflected a mixture of qualitative, survey-based information as well as a range of efficiency and effectiveness measures. To comply with the requirements set out by the Scottish Housing Regulator (SHR), the Resource submitted its 2021/2022 performance information to the Regulator on 26 May 2022. The Charter report was consistent with those of previous years and a summary, attached as Appendix 1 to the report, provided further details on each indicator together with a comparison against the Scottish average for all social landlords and that of the other Scottish local authority landlords. Of the 12 reported indicators, 3 had improved, 3 remained the same and 6 had declined. The report provided further information on each performance indicator. The Resource Plan 2022/2023 would continue to be monitored and reported as part of the 6-monthly update to the Committee. 14
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The Committee decided: (1) that the Council’s reported performance and contextual information for the Scottish Social Housing Charter and comparisons with other landlords, as detailed at Appendix 1 of the report, be noted; and (2) that the future use of the Charter for ongoing scrutiny by the Scottish Housing Regulator (SHR), tenants and other service users be noted. [Reference: Minutes of 29 September 2021 (Paragraph 15)] 15 Housing and Technical Resource Plan 2022/2023 A report dated 9 September 2022 by the Interim Executive Director (Housing and Technical Resources) was submitted on the Housing and Technical Resource Plan 2022/2023. Details were provided on the Resource Plan for 2022/2023, attached as Appendix 1 to the report, which outlined the:- key areas of focus for the year ahead objectives and outcomes measures and actions resourcing of the Plan The Resource had established a number of objectives to support the delivery of the Connect priorities in 2022/2023, which were detailed in Appendix 2 to the report. In line with the Council’s performance management arrangements, a mid-year progress report on actions identified in the 2022/2023 Resource Plan and an end of year progress respectively, would be submitted to a future meeting of the Committee. The Committee decided: that the Housing and Technical Resource Plan for 2022/2023 be noted and uploaded to the Council’s website. [Reference: Minutes of the Executive Committee of 24 August 2022 (Paragraph 8)] 16 Urgent Business There were no items of urgent business. 15
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Report Agenda Item Report to: Housing and Technical Resources Committee Date of Meeting: 14 December 2022 Report by: Executive Director (Finance and Corporate Resources) Executive Director (Housing and Technical Resources) Subject: Revenue Budget Monitoring 2022/2023 - Housing and Technical Resources (Excl Housing Revenue Account (HRA)) 1. Purpose of Report 1.1. The purpose of the report is to:- [purpose] provide information on the actual expenditure measured against the revenue budget for the period 1 April 2022 to 4 November 2022 for Housing and Technical Resources (excl HRA) [1pur 2. Recommendation(s) 2.1. The Committee is asked to approve the following recommendation(s):- [recs] (1) that the breakeven position as at 4 November 2022 on Housing and Technical Resources (excl HRA) Revenue Budget, as detailed in Appendix A of the report, be noted; and (2) that the proposed budget virements, be approved. [1recs] 3. Background 3.1. This is the third revenue budget monitoring report presented to the Housing and Technical Resources Committee for the financial year 2022/2023. 3.2. The report details the financial position for Housing and Technical Resources (excl HRA) in Appendix A, then details the individual services in Appendices B and C. 4. Employee Implications 4.1. There are no employee implications as a result of this report. 5. Financial Implications 5.1. As at 4 November 2022, there is a breakeven position against the phased budget. 6. Other Implications 6.1. The main risk associated with the Council’s Revenue Budget is that there is an overspend. The risk is managed through 4-weekly Budget Monitoring meetings at which any variance is analysed. In addition, the probable outturn exercise ensures early warning for corrective action to be taken where appropriate. 6.2. Inflationary and budget pressures this year increase the risk of overspend, however, we have mitigated this through providing additional funds in future years budget strategy and in this year, through some reserve funds available. 3 17
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7. Climate Change, Sustainability and Environmental Implications 7.1. There are no climate change, sustainability and environmental Implications in terms of the information contained within this report. 8. Equality Impact Assessment and Consultation Arrangements 8.1. This report does not introduce a new policy, function or strategy or recommend a change to an existing policy, function or strategy and therefore no impact assessment is required. 8.2. There is also no requirement to undertake any consultation in terms of the information contained in this report. Paul Manning Executive Director (Finance and Corporate Resources) Stephen Gibson Executive Director (Housing and Technical Resources) 23 November 2022 Link(s) to Council Values/Priorities/Outcomes Accountable, effective, efficient and transparent Previous References Housing and Technical Resources Committee, 5 October 2022 List of Background Papers Financial ledger and budget monitoring results to 4 November 2022 Contact for Further Information If you would like to inspect the background papers or want further information, please contact: - Hazel Goodwin, Finance Manager Ext: 2699 (Tel: 01698 452699) E-mail : Hazel.Goodwin@southlanarkshire.gov.uk 18
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Appendix A SOUTH LANARKSHIRE COUNCIL Revenue Budget Monitoring Report Housing and Technical Resources Committee: Period Ended 4 November 2022 (No.8) Housing and Technical Resources Summary (excl HRA) Annual Budget Forecast for Year Annual Forecast Variance Budget Proportion 04/11/22 Actual 04/11/22 Variance 04/11/22 % Variance 04/11/22 Notes Budget Category Employee Costs 44,426 44,426 0 25,109 24,876 233 under 0.9% Property Costs 19,898 19,898 0 14,009 14,329 (320) over (2.3%) Supplies & Services 14,167 14,167 0 7,927 6,552 1,375 under 17.3% Transport & Plant 4,677 4,677 0 2,455 2,417 38 under 1.5% Administration Costs 3,746 3,746 0 2,276 2,314 (38) over (1.7%) Payments to Other Bodies 8,711 8,711 0 4,811 4,808 3 under 0.1% Payments to Contractors 18,756 18,756 0 10,784 10,526 258 under 2.4% Transfer Payments 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 0.0% Financing Charges 154 154 0 98 95 3 under 3.1% Total Controllable Exp. 114,535 114,535 0 67,469 65,917 1,552 under 2.3% Total Controllable Inc. (96,727) (96,727) 0 (53,734) (52,182) (1,552) under recovered (2.9%) Net Controllable Exp. 17,808 17,808 0 13,735 13,735 0 - 0.0% Transfer to Reserves as at (04/11/22) 0 0 0 0 0 0 - Position After Transfers to Reserves (04/11/22) 17,808 17,808 0 13,735 13,735 0 - 0.0% Variance Explanations Variances are shown in Appendix B and C as appropriate. Budget Virements Virements are shown in Appendix B and C as appropriate. 19
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Appendix B SOUTH LANARKSHIRE COUNCIL Revenue Budget Monitoring Report Housing and Technical Resources Committee: Period Ended 4 November 2022 (No.8) Housing Services Annual Budget Forecast for Year Annual Forecast Variance Budget Proportion 04/11/22 Actual 04/11/22 Variance 04/11/22 % Variance 04/11/22 Notes Budget Category Employee Costs 2,882 2,882 0 1,571 1,547 24 under 1.5% Property Costs 5,765 5,765 0 3,639 3,687 (48) over (1.3%) a Supplies & Services 130 130 0 73 65 8 under 11.0% Transport & Plant 129 129 0 73 61 12 under 16.4% Administration Costs 147 147 0 97 101 (4) over (4.1%) Payments to Other Bodies 4,838 4,838 0 2,810 2,806 4 under 0.1% b Payments to Contractors 2,750 2,750 0 1,126 1,126 0 - 0.0% Transfer Payments 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 0.0% Financing Charges 11 11 0 9 11 (2) over (22.2%) Total Controllable Exp. 16,652 16,652 0 9,398 9,404 (6) over (0.1%) Total Controllable Inc. (7,568) (7,568) 0 (3,890) (3,939) 49 over recovered 1.3% Net Controllable Exp. 9,084 9,084 0 5,508 5,465 43 under (0.8%) Transfer to Reserves as at (04/11/22) 0 0 0 0 0 0 - Position After Transfers to Reserves (04/11/22) 9,084 9,084 0 5,508 5,465 43 under (0.8%) Variance Explanations No significant variances to report. Budget Virements a. Corporate Procurement Savings Property Costs net (£0.014m): (£0.014m) Property Costs. b. Transfer of Homeless Funding (LACER and RRTP) from Reserves net £0.617m: £0.617m Payments to Other Bodies. 20
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Appendix C SOUTH LANARKSHIRE COUNCIL Revenue Budget Monitoring Report Housing and Technical Resources Committee: Period Ended 4 November 2022 (No.8) Property Services Annual Budget Forecast for Year Annual Forecast Variance Budget Proportion 04/11/22 Actual 04/11/22 Variance 04/11/22 % Variance 04/11/22 Notes Budget Category Employee Costs 41,544 41,544 0 23,538 23,329 209 under 0.9% 1 Property Costs 14,133 14,133 0 10,370 10,642 (272) over (2.6%) 2 Supplies & Services 14,037 14,037 0 7,854 6,487 1,367 under 17.4% 3, a Transport & Plant 4,548 4,548 0 2,382 2,356 26 under 1.1% Administration Costs 3,599 3,599 0 2,179 2,213 (34) over (1.6%) Payments to Other Bodies 3,873 3,873 0 2,001 2,002 (1) over (0.0%) b Payments to Contractors 16,006 16,006 0 9,658 9,400 258 under 2.7% 4 Transfer Payments 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 0.0% Financing Charges 143 143 0 89 84 5 under 5.6% Total Controllable Exp. 97,883 97,883 0 58,071 56,513 1,558 under 2.7% Total Controllable Inc. (89,159) (89,159) 0 (49,844) (48,243) (1,601) under recovered (3.2%) 5 Net Controllable Exp. 8,724 8,724 0 8,227 8,270 (43) over 0.5% Transfer to Reserves as at (04/11/22) 0 0 0 0 0 0 - Position After Transfers to Reserves (04/11/22) 8,724 8,724 0 8,227 8,270 (43) over 0.5% Variance Explanations 1. The variance relates to vacancies which are actively being recruited or are still under consideration whilst service requirements are determined. 2. The overspend relates primarily to service charges within the estates service. 3. The level of expenditure on materials varies depending on the current workload demands and timing of works on a wide variety of capital and revenue works. 4. The use of private contractors varies depending on the current workload demands and timing of works on a wide variety of capital and revenue works. 5. The level of income recovered varies depending on the current workload and timing for the recovery of income on a wide variety of major capital and revenue works. Budget Virements a. Corporate Procurement Savings Supplies and Services net (£0.024m): (£0.024m) Supplies & Services. b. Transfer of Community Assets to Finance and Corporate Resources net (£0.113m): (£0.113m) Payments to Other Bodies. 21
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Report Agenda Item Report to: Housing and Technical Resources Committee Date of Meeting: 14 December 2022 Report by: Executive Director (Finance and Corporate Resources) Executive Director (Housing and Technical Resources) Subject: Revenue Budget Monitoring 2022/2023 - Housing and Technical Resources - Housing Revenue Account (HRA) 1. Purpose of Report 1.1. The purpose of the report is to:- [purpose] provide information on the actual expenditure measured against the revenue budget for the period 1 April 2022 to 4 November 2022 for Housing and Technical Resources HRA [1purpose] 2. Recommendation(s) 2.1. The Committee is asked to approve the following recommendation(s):- [recs] (1) that the breakeven position on Housing and Technical Resources’ HRA revenue budget, as detailed in Appendix A of the report, be noted. 1recs] 3. Background 3.1. This is the third revenue budget monitoring report presented to the Housing and Technical Resources Committee for the financial year 2022/2023. 3.2. The report details the financial position for Housing and Technical Resources HRA in Appendix A. 4. Employee Implications 4.1. There are no employee implications as a result of this report. 5. Financial Implications 5.1. As at 4 November 2022, there is a breakeven position against the phased budget. 6. Other Implications 6.1. The main risk associated with the Council’s Revenue Budget is that there is an overspend. The risk is managed through 4-weekly Budget Monitoring meetings at which any variance is analysed. In addition, the probable outturn exercise ensures early warning for corrective action to be taken where appropriate. 6.2. Inflationary and budget pressures this year increase the risk of overspend, however, these pressures are assessed and managed within the budget planning exercise for current and future years. 4 23
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7. Climate Change, Sustainability and Environmental Implications 7.1. There are no climate change, sustainability and environmental Implications in terms of the information contained within this report. 8. Equality Impact Assessment and Consultation Arrangements 8.1. This report does not introduce a new policy, function or strategy or recommend a change to an existing policy, function or strategy and therefore no impact assessment is required. 8.2. There is also no requirement to undertake any consultation in terms of the information contained in this report. Paul Manning Executive Director (Finance and Corporate Resources) Stephen Gibson Executive Director (Housing and Technical Resources) 23 November 2022 Link(s) to Council Values/Priorities/Outcomes Accountable, effective, efficient and transparent Previous References Executive Committee, 30 November 2022 List of Background Papers Financial ledger and budget monitoring results to 4 November 2022. Contact for Further Information If you would like to inspect the background papers or want further information, please contact: - Hazel Goodwin, Finance Manager Ext: 2699 (Tel: 01698 452699) E-mail : Hazel.Goodwin@southlanarkshire.gov.uk 24
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Appendix A SOUTH LANARKSHIRE COUNCIL Revenue Budget Monitoring Report Housing and Technical Resources Committee: Period Ended 4 November 2022 (No.8) Housing Revenue Account Annual Budget Forecast for Year Annual Forecast Variance Budget Proportion 04/11/22 Actual 04/11/22 Variance 04/11/22 % Variance 04/11/22 Notes Budget Category Employee Costs 13,914 13,914 0 7,880 7,809 71 under 0.9% 1 Property Costs 46,906 46,906 0 30,586 30,589 (3) over (0.0%) Supplies & Services 609 609 0 268 246 22 under 8.2% Transport & Plant 195 195 0 100 66 34 under 34.0% Administration Costs 5,644 5,644 0 3,368 3,375 (7) over (0.2%) Payments to Other Bodies 3,030 3,030 0 1,701 1,703 (2) over (0.1%) Payments to Contractors 100 100 0 73 104 (31) over (42.5%) Transfer Payments 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 0.0% Financing Charges 26,050 26,050 0 22,584 22,584 0 - 0.0% Total Controllable Exp. 96,448 96,448 0 66,560 66,476 84 under 0.1% Total Controllable Inc. (112,000) (112,000) 0 (60,107) (60,107) 0 - 0.0% Transfer to/(from) Balance Sheet (2,773) (2,773) 0 (1,848) (1,764) (84) under recovered (4.5%) 2 Net Controllable Exp. (18,325) (18,325) 0 4,605 4,605 0 - 0.0% Loan Charges 18,325 18,325 0 0 0 0 - Net Controllable Exp. 0 0 0 4,605 4,605 0 - 0.0% Variance Explanations 1. The variance is due to higher than anticipated staff turnover. 2. The net combined underspend to date allows for a lower than budgeted transfer from reserves. Virements None. 25
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Report Agenda Item Report to: Housing and Technical Resources Committee Date of Meeting: 14 December 2022 Report by: Executive Director (Finance and Corporate Resources) Executive Director (Housing and Technical Resources) Subject: Capital Budget Monitoring 2022/2023 - Housing and Technical Resources (excl Housing Revenue Account) 1. Purpose of Report 1.1. The purpose of the report is to:- [purpose] provide information on the progress of the capital programme for Housing and Technical Resources (excl HRA) for the period 1 April 2022 to 4 November 2022 [1purpose] 2. Recommendation(s) 2.1. The Committee is asked to approve the following recommendation(s):- [recs] (1) that the Housing and Technical Resources (excl HRA) capital programme of £8.486 million and expenditure to date of £0.924 million, be noted. [1recs] 3. Background 3.1. This is the third capital monitoring report presented to the Housing and Technical Resources Committee for the financial year 2022/2023. Further reports will follow throughout the year. 3.2. As noted in the last report to this Committee (5 October 2022), the budget for Housing and Technical Resources for financial year 2022/2023 is £8.486 million. There has been no change to this budget since the last report to this Committee. 3.3. The report details the financial position for Housing and Technical Resources in Appendix A. 4. Employee Implications 4.1. There are no employee implications as a result of this report. 5. Financial Implications 5.1. As detailed in Section 3.3, the revised capital programme for Housing and Technical Resources for 2022/2023 is £8.486 million. 5.2. Period 8 Position Anticipated spend to date was £1.045 million and spend to 4 November 2022 amounts to £0.924 million, an underspend of £0.121 million. This mainly reflects the timing of spend on the multi-year and multi-project Prioritised Urgent Investment and Principal Offices programmes. 5 27
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6. Climate Change, Sustainability and Environmental Implications 6.1. There are no implications for climate change, sustainability or the environment in terms of the information contained in this report. 7. Other Implications 7.1. The main risk associated with the Council’s Capital Programme is that there is an overspend. The Council continues to experience material shortages, longer lead times and extraordinary inflationary price increases and it is anticipated that this will continue to impact the supply chain for the foreseeable future. The impact of this will continue to be monitored through the 4-weekly investment management meetings. Further updates will be reported in the coming months with any significant increases in contract values being brought to members’ attention. 8. Equality Impact Assessment and Consultation Arrangements 8.1. This report does not introduce a new policy, function or strategy or recommend a change to an existing policy, function or strategy and therefore no impact assessment is required. 8.2. There was also no requirement to undertake any consultation in terms of the information contained in the report. Paul Manning Executive Director (Finance and Corporate Resources) Stephen Gibson Executive Director (Housing and Technical Resources) 23 November 2022 Link(s) to Council Values/Priorities/Outcomes Accountable, effective, efficient and transparent Previous References Housing and Technical Resources Committee, 5 October 2022 List of Background Papers Financial ledger to 4 November 2022 Contact for Further Information If you would like to inspect the background papers or want further information, please contact: Lorraine O’Hagan, Finance Manager (Strategy) Ext: 2601 (Tel: 01698 452601) E-mail: lorraine.o’hagan@southlanarkshire.gov.uk 28
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Appendix A South Lanarkshire Council Capital Expenditure 2022-2023 Housing and Technical Resources Programme (excl HRA) For Period 1 April 2022 – 4 November 2022 Housing and Technical Resources (excl HRA) Base Budget £000 Budget Adjustments £000 Slippage £000 Total Budget £000 Budget to Date £000 Actual Expenditure £000 Asset Management Programmes 7,758 188 0 7,946 992 871 Other Housing 367 173 0 540 53 53 TOTAL 8,125 361 0 8,486 1,045 924 29
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Report Agenda Item Report to: Housing and Technical Resources Committee Date of Meeting: 14 December 2022 Report by: Executive Director (Finance and Corporate Resources) Executive Director (Housing and Technical Resources) Subject: Capital Budget Monitoring 2022/2023 - Housing and Technical Resources (Housing Revenue Account) 1. Purpose of Report 1.1. The purpose of the report is to:- [purpose] provide information on the progress of the capital programme for Housing and Technical Resources HRA for the period 1 April 2022 to 4 November 2022 [1purpose] 2. Recommendation(s) 2.1. The Committee is asked to approve the following recommendation(s):- [recs] (1) that the revised Housing and Technical Resources HRA capital programme of £66.361 million and expenditure of £30.783 million, be noted. [1recs] 3. Background 3.1. This is the third capital monitoring report presented to the Housing and Technical Resources Committee for the financial year 2022/2023. 3.2. The budget is based on the revised capital programme for the year, which was approved by the Executive Committee on 24 August 2022. 3.3. The report details the financial position for Housing and Technical Resources HRA in Appendix A. 4. Employee Implications 4.1. There are no employee implications contained within this report. 5. Financial Implications 5.1. The Housing Capital Programme for 2022/2023 totals £66.361 million and is detailed along with the funding sources at Appendix A to this report. Actual expenditure to 4 November 2022 is £30.783 million. 5.2. The Resource is expecting to spend to this level and work will continue in the coming months to monitor achievable spend. 6. Climate Change, Sustainability and Environmental Implications 6.1. There are no implications for climate change, sustainability or the environment in terms of the information contained in this report. 6 31
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7. Other Implications 7.1. The main risk associated with the Council’s Capital Programme is an overspend. The risk is mitigated through the detailed project management plans prepared and monitored for each project. The risk of overspend is managed through 4-weekly Investment Management meetings. 7.2 The Council continues to experience material shortages, longer lead times and extraordinary inflationary price increases and it is anticipated that this will continue to impact on the supply chain for the foreseeable future. The impact will continue to be monitored through the 4-weekly investment management meetings. Further updates will be reported in the coming months with any significant increases in contract values being brought to members’ attention. 8. Equality Impact Assessment and Consultation Arrangements 8.1. This report does not introduce a new policy, function or strategy or recommend a change to existing policy, function or strategy and therefore no impact assessment is required. 8.2. There was also no requirement to undertake any consultation in terms of the information contained in this report. Paul Manning Executive Director (Finance and Corporate Resources) Stephen Gibson Executive Director (Housing and Technical Resources) 23 November 2022 Link(s) to Council Values/Priorities/Outcomes ▪ Accountable, effective, efficient and transparent Previous References ▪ Executive Committee, 24 August 2022 List of Background Papers ▪ Financial ledger to 4 November 2022 Contact for Further Information If you would like to inspect the background papers or want further information, please contact:- Hazel Goodwin, Finance Manager (Resources) Ext: 2699 (Tel: 01698 452699) E-mail: hazel.goodwin@southlanarkshire.gov.uk 32
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South Lanarkshire Council Appendix A Housing Capital Programme 2022/23 As at 4 November 2022 £m £m Anticipated Capital Expenditure 2022/23 66.361 Estimated Financing Position 2022/23 Capital Receipts 7.311 Capital Financed From Current Revenue 26.050 Prudential Borrowing 26.462 Specific Grant – Scottish Government New Council Houses 4.048 Specific Grant – Scottish Government Buy Backs 2.370 Specific Grant – Scottish Government Mortgage to Rent 0.120 Other Income 0.000 66.361 Actual Expenditure to 4 November 2022 30.783 Actual Financing Position to 4 November 2022 Capital Receipts 4.613 Capital Financed From Current Revenue 22.534 Prudential Borrowing 0.000 Specific Grant – Scottish Government New Council Houses 3.581 Specific Grant – Scottish Government Buy Backs 0.000 Specific Grant – Scottish Government Mortgage to Rent 0.055 Other Income 0.000 30.783 33
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Report Agenda Item Report to: Housing and Technical Resources Committee Date of Meeting: 14 December 2022 Report by: Executive Director (Finance and Corporate Resources) Executive Director (Housing and Technical Resources) Subject: Housing and Technical Resources – Workforce Monitoring – August and September 2022 1. Purpose of Report 1.1. The purpose of the report is to:- [purpose] provide employment information for August and September 2022 relating to Housing and Technical Resources [1purpose] 2. Recommendation(s) 2.1. The Committee is asked to approve the following recommendation(s):- [recs] (1) that the following employment information for August and September 2022 relating to Housing and Technical Resources be noted:- attendance statistics occupational health accident/incident statistics discipline, grievance and Dignity at Work cases analysis of leavers and exit interviews staffing watch as at 10 September 2022 [1recs] 3. Background 3.1. As part of the Council’s performance management arrangements, regular workforce monitoring reports are submitted to Committee. This report for Housing and Technical Resources provides information on the position for August and September 2022. 4. Monitoring Statistics 4.1. Attendance Statistics (Appendix 1) Information on absence statistics is analysed for the month of September 2022 for Housing and Technical Resources. The Resource absence figure for September 2022 was 5.2%, this figure has decreased by 0.5% when compared to last month and is 0.2% lower than the Council-wide figure. Compared to September 2021, the Resource absence figure has decreased by 1.6%. Based on the absence figures at September 2022 and annual trends, the projected annual average absence for the Resource for 2022/2023 is 6.8% compared to a Council-wide average figure of 6.0%. 7 35
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Managers follow the procedures outlined in the Maximising Attendance Policy to support employees to remain at work or to return to work after a sickness absence. There are comprehensive employee supports in place and additionally, Personnel Services works in close partnership with line managers and Resource Management Teams on a case management basis to ensure that appropriate actions are taken. The attendance information contained in this report includes absences as a result of COVID-19 and employees are being supported to maintain attendance levels where they can. At the time of this report, the Council overall absence level was 6.12% with 0.54% of this relating to COVID-19 for sickness and special leave. 4.2. Occupational Health (Appendix 2) In terms of referrals to occupational health, which include medical examinations and physiotherapy, overall 87 referrals were made this period. This represents a decrease of 39 when compared with the same period last year. 4.3. Accident/Incident Statistics (Appendix 2) There were 5 accidents/incidents recorded within the Resource this period, an increase of 3 when compared to the same period last year. 4.4. Discipline, Grievance and Dignity at Work (Appendix 2) During the period, no disciplinary hearings were held within the Resource, this represents a decrease of 3 when compared to the same period last year. During this period no appeals were heard by the Appeals Panel. No grievances were raised within the Resource, this figure has decreased by 1 when compared to the same period last year. No Dignity at Work complaints were raised within the Resource, this figure has decreased by 1 when compared to the same period last year. 4.5. Analysis of Leavers (Appendix 2) There was a total of 11 leavers in the Resource this period eligible for an exit interview. This figure has increased by 3 when compared with the same period last year. Five exit interviews were conducted in this period, this remains unchanged when compared with the same period last year. 4.6. When processing an employee termination, managers were asked to identify whether they intended to replace the employee who had left the Council. If they indicated that they did not intend to replace the employee, they were asked to select from the following options:- plan to hold for savings fill on a fixed term basis pending savings transfer budget to another post end of fixed term contract 4.7. Appendix 2a provides a breakdown of vacant posts and whether these are being replaced or held for savings. In the period August and September 2022, 24 (20.29 FTE) employees in total left employment, managers indicated that all employees will be replaced. 5. Staffing Watch 5.1. There has been a decrease of 8 in the number of employees in post from 11 June 2022 to 10 September 2022. 36
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6. Employee Implications 6.1. There are no implications for employees arising from the information presented in this report. 7. Financial Implications 7.1. All financial implications are accommodated within existing budgets. 8. Climate Change, Sustainability and Environmental Implications 8.1. There are no climate change, sustainability and environmental Implications in terms of the information contained within this report. 9. Other Implications 9.1. There are no other implications or risk in terms of the information contained within this report. 10. Equality Impact Assessment and Consultation Arrangements 10.1. This report does not introduce a new policy, function or strategy or recommend a change to an existing policy, function or strategy and therefore no impact assessment is required. 10.2. There was no requirement to undertake any consultation in terms of the information contained in this report. Paul Manning Executive Director (Finance and Corporate Resources) Stephen Gibson Executive Director (Housing and Technical Resources) 23 November 2022 Link(s) to Council Values/Priorities/Outcomes Accountable, effective, efficient and transparent Fair, open and sustainable Ambitious, self aware and improving Excellent employer Focused on people and their needs Working with and respecting others Previous References Housing and Technical Resources, 5 October 2022 List of Background Papers Monitoring information provided by Finance and Corporate Resources Contact for Further Information If you would like to inspect the background papers or want further information, please contact:- Elaine Maxwell, HR Business Manager Ext: (Tel: 01698 454647) E-mail: Elaine.Maxwell@southlanarkshire.gov.uk 37
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2020 / 2021 2021 / 2022 2022 / 2023 2020 / 2021 2021 / 2022 2022 / 2023 2020 / 2021 2021 / 2022 2022 / 2023 2020 / 2021 2021 / 2022 2022 / 2023 % % % % % % % % % % % % April 4.1 3.2 5.5 April 3.5 3.6 10.6 April 3.8 3.3 7.6 April 4.4 4.3 5.6 May 2.8 2.9 4.5 May 2.0 4.2 8.1 May 2.5 3.4 6.0 May 3.1 4.9 5.4 June 3.2 3.5 4.9 June 2.0 6.2 8.5 June 2.7 4.6 6.4 June 2.7 4.7 5.3 July 2.7 4.0 5.5 July 2.7 5.7 8.9 July 2.7 4.7 6.9 July 2.3 4.0 4.6 August 2.5 4.9 4.7 August 3.4 7.9 7.1 August 2.8 6.2 5.7 August 3.1 4.7 4.4 September 2.1 5.8 4.5 September 3.3 8.1 6.3 September 2.6 6.8 5.2 September 4.2 6.4 5.4 October 2.9 5.2 October 3.9 9.0 October 3.3 6.8 October 4.8 6.3 November 3.7 5.7 November 5.6 9.2 November 4.5 7.2 November 5.8 6.9 December 3.3 4.6 December 4.8 9.5 December 3.9 6.7 December 5.6 6.9 January 3.5 5.2 January 4.4 8.8 January 3.9 6.7 January 4.8 7.0 February 3.2 6.4 February 4.7 8.5 February 3.8 7.3 February 4.8 6.6 March 3.1 7.8 March 4.5 10.7 March 3.6 9.0 March 4.9 7.9 Annual Average 3.1 4.9 5.4 Annual Average 3.7 7.6 8.8 Annual Average 3.3 6.1 6.8 Annual Average 4.2 5.9 6.0 Average Apr-Sep 2.9 4.1 4.9 Average Apr-Sep 2.8 6.0 8.3 Average Apr-Sep 2.9 4.8 6.3 Average Apr-Sep 3.3 4.8 5.1 862 578 1440 16136 Council Wide No of Employees at 30 Sept 2022No of Employees at 30 Sept 2022 No of Employees at 30 Sept 2022 No of Employees at 30 Sept 2022 Appendix 1 Housing & Technical Resources Resource Total Absence Trends - 2020/2021, 2021/2022 & 2022/2023 APT&C Manual Workers 38
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HOUSING AND TECHNICAL RESOURCES Aug-Sep Aug-Sep 2021 2022 MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS Number of Employees Attending EMPLOYEE COUNSELLING SERVICE Total Number of Referrals PHYSIOTHERAPY SERVICE Total Number of Referrals REFERRALS TO EMPLOYEE SUPPORT OFFICER 33 19 REFERRALS TO COGNITIVE BEHAVIOUR THERAPY 0 0 TOTAL 126 87 Aug-Sep Aug-Sep 2021 2022 Specified Injuries* 0 0 Over 7 day absences 0 1 Over 3 day absences** 0 1 Minor 2 1 Near Miss 0 0 Violent Incident: Physical**** 0 0 Violent Incident: Verbal***** 0 2 Total Accidents/Incidents 2 5 Aug-Sep Aug-Sep 2021 2022 Total Number of Hearings 3 0 Time Taken to Convene Hearing Aug - Sep 2022 0-3 Weeks 4-6 Weeks Over 6 Weeks 0 0 0 Aug-Sep Aug-Sep 2021 2022 Number of Grievances 1 0 Number Resolved at Stage 2 1 0 Aug-Sep Aug-Sep 2021 2022 Number of Incidents 1 0 Still in Process 1 0 Aug-Sep Aug-Sep 2021 2022 Career Advancement 3 2 Poor Relationship with Manager/Colleagues 1 1 Personal Reasons 0 2 Other 1 0 Number of Exit Interviews conducted 5 5 Total Number of Leavers Eligible for Exit Interview 8 11 Percentage of interviews conducted 63% 45% ****Physical violent incidents and ***** Verbal Violent Incidents are included in the "Over 3-day or Over 7-day" figures, where applicable, to provide the "Total Over 3-day or Over 7-day" figures. ****Physical Violent Incidents and ***** Verbal Violent Incidents are included in the "Minor" figures, where applicable, to provide the "Total Minor" figures. 25 APPENDIX 2 41 36 5 7 ANALYSIS OF REASONS FOR LEAVING RECORD OF DISCIPLINARY HEARINGS RECORD OF GRIEVANCE HEARINGS RECORD OF DIGNITY AT WORK CAUSE OF ACCIDENTS/INCIDENTS 47 *A Specified Injury is any fracture (other than to the fingers, thumbs or toes), amputation, loss of sight, serious burns, crushing injury, scalping, loss of consciousness caused by asphyxiation/ head injury, a chemical or hot metal burn to the eye or penetrating injury as defined by the HSE. **Over 3 day / over 7day absence is an injury sustained outwith specified injury category that results in a period of absence of absence as defined by the HSE. ***Near Miss - Any unexpected, unplanned occurrence (except Dangerous Occurrences) that does not lead to injury of persons, damage to property, plant or equipment but may have done so in different circumstance. ****Physical violent incidents are included in the "Specified" figures, where applicable, to provide the "Total Specified" figures. 39
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Appendix 2a Aug - Sep 2022 Cumulative total (Apr 22 - Mar 23) FTE* H/C** FTE H/C Number of Leavers 20.29 24 55.83 69 Replace Employee 20.29 24 54.83 68 Filling on a Temp Basis 0.00 0 0.00 0 Plan to transfer budget to another post 0.00 0 0.00 0 End of fixed term post 0.00 0 0.00 0 Leave vacant pending savings or service review 0.00 0 1.00 1 Plan to remove for savings 0.00 0 0.00 0 * Full time equivalent ** Head count/number of employees 40
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As at 10 September 2022 Total Number of Employees F/T P/T F/T P/T 823 26 320 122 Director Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 Grade 6 Fixed SCP Teacher TOTAL 1.00 216.87 615.18 358.87 28.60 11.00 2.00 0.00 0.00 1233.52 As at 11 June 2022 Total Number of Employees F/T P/T F/T P/T 829 24 320 126 Director Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 Grade 6 Fixed SCP Teacher TOTAL 1.00 214.12 622.86 358.48 33.60 9.00 2.00 0.00 0.00 1241.06 Salary Bands Appendix 3 JOINT STAFFING WATCH RETURN HOUSING & TECHNICAL RESOURCES 1291 1299 *Full - Time Equivalent No of Employees MALE FEMALE MALE FEMALE TOTAL TOTAL *Full - Time Equivalent No of Employees Salary Bands 41
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Report Agenda Item Report to: Housing and Technical Resources Committee Date of Meeting: 14 December 2022 Report by: Executive Director (Housing and Technical Resources) Subject: Acquisition of Houses at Former Phillips Factory Site Wellhall Road, Hamilton - Section 75 Planning Reference PL/21/1697 1. Purpose of Report 1.1. The purpose of the report is to:- [purpose] seek approval to acquire 40 homes at the former Philips factory site Wellhall Road, Hamilton from Lovell Homes, for inclusion in the Council’s housing stock in fulfilment of the planning obligations associated with the residential development of the site [1purpose] 2. Recommendation(s) 2.1. The Committee is asked to approve the following recommendation(s):- [recs] (1) that the Executive Director (Housing and Technical Resources) be authorised to acquire 40 completed affordable homes from Lovell Homes for a total price, not in excess of £7.0 million (which includes the cost of land), to fulfil the planning obligations associated with the residential development of the site; and (2) that authority is granted to the Executive Director (Housing and Technical Resources), in conjunction with the Head of Administration and Legal Services, to conclude transactions, in the appropriate manner and in the best interest of the Council. [1recs] 3. Background 3.1. The site at the former Philips factory, Wellhall Road in Hamilton is identified within the Council’s Strategic Housing Investment Plan as a priority site in delivering the Council’s target of 1,300 additional homes by 2027. 3.2. The application for the development at Wellhall Road, Hamilton was approved by the Planning Committee on 15 February 2022. The approval was granted for the erection of 163 dwellings to Lovell Homes and includes an obligation for an on-site provision of up to 40 affordable homes. 3.3. The Council entered into discussions with Lovell Homes to provide its planning obligation for new affordable homes via a turnkey arrangement with the Council only paying the full amount due on completion of each house. The proposal provided by Lovell Homes has been assessed by the Council’s Technical and Commercial Team as presenting value for money. 8 43
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4. Proposal 4.1. It is, therefore, proposed to acquire, 40 completed properties subject to the following principal conditions:- ♦ the Council will pay a deposit of the land value of £1,238,183.81 plus VAT ♦ an additional payment of £25,000 will be made for each foundation completed on a quarterly basis ♦ 50% of balance per total number of roofs tiled - payable quarterly for all roofs tiled within the period ♦ the balance of the purchase price will be paid upon completion and transfer of title ♦ the properties will be acquired in batches of 6 units or more, at a time ♦ the Council will obtain a standard security over the site until such times as all properties have been completed ♦ the Council will receive a third party warranty covering defects and structure ♦ each party will be responsible for their own legal fees 5. Employee Implications 5.1. There are no employee implications associated with this report. 6. Financial Implications 6.1. In line with the Home+ Programme, including the new target established at Executive Committee on 30 November 2022, acquisition of the plots will be funded through a combination of Scottish Government grant funding, Housing Revenue Account capital investment and Council borrowing. 6.2. Should expected levels of Scottish Government grant be received and average costs for borrowing and capital contributions continue, it is expected the new build aspect of the Home+ programme and in particular the acquisitions of these plots, would have a neutral impact to the Housing Revenue Account Business Plan over a 40- year period. This means that over the 40-year period, the net cost of the additional borrowing and all other costs can be met from the additional rental income received. 6.3. Whilst there is a neutral impact on the Housing Revenue Account Business Plan over a 40-year period, there are initial construction and purchase costs at the start of the programme which impact on the cash flow in the early years of the programme. The estimated costs have been included in the Business Plan in respect of the rent uplift projections for 2023/2024. 7. Climate Change, Sustainability and Environmental Implications 7.1. There are no climate change, sustainability or environmental implications arising from this proposal. 8 Other Implications 8.1. If the proposal did not proceed there would be implications on the supply of social housing units within the Council’s New Housing Supply Programme. 9. Equality Impact Assessment and Consultation Arrangements 9.1. All necessary consultations with Housing, Planning, Roads and Legal Services have taken place and they are supportive of the proposal. 9.2. This report does not introduce a new policy, function or strategy or recommend a change to an existing policy, function or strategy and therefore no impact assessment is required. 44
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Stephen Gibson Executive Director (Housing and Technical Resources) 21 November 2022 Link(s) to Council Values/Priorities/Outcomes Good quality, suitable and sustainable places to live Accountable, effective, efficient and transparent Previous References None List of Background Papers None Contact for Further Information If you would like to inspect the background papers or want further information, please contact:- Joanne Forbes, Head of Property Services Ext: 4073 (Tel: 01698 454073) E-mail: joanne.forbes@southlanarkshire.gov.uk 45
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Report Agenda Item Report to: Housing and Technical Resources Committee Date of Meeting: 14 December 2022 Report by: Executive Director (Housing and Technical Resources) Subject: Acquisition of Houses at Brackenhill Farm, Hamilton - Section 75 Planning Reference PL/21/2093 1. Purpose of Report 1.1. The purpose of the report is to:- [purpose] seek approval to acquire 50 homes at Brackenhill Farm, Hamilton from Taylor Wimpey, for inclusion in the Council’s housing stock, in fulfilment of the planning obligations associated with the residential development of the site [1purpose] 2. Recommendation(s) 2.1. The Committee is asked to approve the following recommendation(s):- [recs] (1) that the Executive Director (Housing and Technical Resources) be authorised to acquire 50 completed affordable homes from Taylor Wimpey, for a total price not in excess of £8.545 million (which includes the cost of land), to fulfil the planning obligations associated with the residential development of the site; and (2) that authority is granted to the Executive Director (Housing and Technical Resources), in conjunction with the Head of Administration and Legal Services, to conclude transactions, in the appropriate manner and in the best interest of the Council. [1recs] 3. Background 3.1. The site at Brackenhill Farm in Hamilton is identified within the Council’s Strategic Housing Investment Plan as a priority site in delivering the Council’s target of 1,300 additional homes by 2027. This site forms 1 part of the Hamilton Community Growth Area (CGA), which is located on the south west edge of Hamilton and is designated for residential development to meet Glasgow and Clyde Valley Structure Plan requirements for the release of 2,000 houses. 3.2. The application for the development at Brackenhill Farm, Hamilton was approved by the Planning Committee on 11 October 2022. The approval was granted for the erection of 53 dwellings to Taylor Wimpey, this has now been consented and includes an obligation for an on-site provision of up to 50 affordable homes. 3.3. The Council entered into discussions with Taylor Wimpey to provide its planning obligation for new affordable homes via a turnkey arrangement with the Council only paying the full amount due on completion of each property. The proposal provided by Taylor Wimpey has been assessed by the Council’s Technical and Commercial Team as representing value for money. 9 47
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4. Proposal 4.1. It is, therefore, proposed to acquire, 50 completed properties subject to the following principal conditions:- ♦ the Council will pay a deposit of £20,000 per unit ♦ an additional payment of £25,000 will be made when foundations are complete to be valued on a quarterly basis ♦ 50% of balance per total number of roofs tiled - payable quarterly for all roofs tiled within the period ♦ the balance of the purchase price will be paid upon completion and transfer of title ♦ the properties will be acquired in batches of 6 units or more, at a time ♦ the Council will obtain a standard security over the site until such times as all properties have been completed ♦ the Council will receive a third party warranty covering defects and structure ♦ each party will be responsible for their own legal fees 5. Employee Implications 5.1. There are no employee implications associated with this report. 6. Financial Implications 6.1. In line with the Home+ Programme, including the new target established at Executive Committee on 30 November 2022, acquisition of the plots will be funded through a combination of Scottish Government grant funding, Housing Revenue Account capital investment and Council borrowing. 6.2. Should expected levels of Scottish Government grant be received and average costs for borrowing and capital contributions continue, it is expected the new build aspect of the Home+ programme and in particular the acquisitions of these plots, would have a neutral impact to the Housing Revenue Account Business Plan over a 40- year period. This means that over the 40-year period, the net cost of the additional borrowing and all other costs can be met from the additional rental income received. 6.3. Whilst there is a neutral impact on the Housing Revenue Account Business Plan over a 40-year period, there are initial construction and purchase costs at the start of the programme which impact on the cash flow in the early years of the programme. The estimated costs have been included in the Business Plan in respect of the rent uplift projections for 2023/2024. 7. Climate Change, Sustainability and Environmental Implications 7.1. There are no climate change, sustainability or environmental implications arising from this proposal. 8 Other Implications 8.1. If the proposal did not proceed there would be implications on the supply of social housing units within the Council’s New Housing Supply Programme. 9. Equality Impact Assessment and Consultation Arrangements 9.1. All necessary consultations with Housing, Planning, Roads and Legal Services have taken place and they are supportive of the proposal. 9.2. This report does not introduce a new policy, function or strategy or recommend a change to an existing policy, function or strategy and therefore no impact assessment is required. 48
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Stephen Gibson Executive Director ( Housing and Technical Resources) 21 November 2022 Link(s) to Council Values/Priorities/Outcomes Good quality, suitable and sustainable places to live Accountable, effective, efficient and transparent Previous References None List of Background Papers None Contact for Further Information If you would like to inspect the background papers or want further information, please contact:- Joanne Forbes, Head of Property Services Ext: 4073 (Tel: 01698 454073) E-mail: joanne.forbes@southlanarkshire.gov.uk 49
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Report Agenda Item Report to: Housing and Technical Resources Committee Date of Meeting: 14 December 2022 Report by: Executive Director (Housing and Technical Resources) Subject: Policy and Strategy Review Schedule 1. Purpose of Report 1.1. The purpose of the report is to:- seek approval for the policy and strategy review schedule for Housing and Technical Resources [1purpose] 2. Recommendation(s) 2.1. The Committee is asked to approve the following recommendation(s):- [recs] (1) that the policy and strategy review schedule, attached at Appendix 1, be approved; and (2) that the outcome of policy and strategy reviews be reported to future Committees, in line with the schedule [1recs] 3. Background 3.1. To support ongoing and systematic service improvement processes, a formal policy and strategy review schedule was established in October 2011. This schedule is reviewed on an annual basis and reported to the Housing and Technical Resources Committee. The last updated policy and strategy review schedule was presented to Committee on 8 December 2021. 3.2. The policy and strategy review schedule assists annual service planning by providing a clear timeframe for the formal review of all key housing policies and strategies. The review schedule also informs the development of the annual work plan for customer involvement. This provides a basis for the Council to ensure that its statutory obligations in relation to engagement, participation and consultation take place with service users helping to inform and influence housing policy and service delivery. 3.3. This report seeks approval for an updated policy and strategy review schedule. The updated schedule reflects changes in the local and national policy context, including legislative and regulatory changes. 4. Outline of the Policy and Strategy Review Schedule 4.1. The policy and strategy review schedule, attached as Appendix 1, sets out:- ♦ details of housing policies and strategies ♦ the frequency of reviews ♦ when the reviews are next scheduled to take place 10 51
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4.2. As part of the policy and strategy review process, associated procedures and protocols, which support the delivery of services, are also considered and reviewed as appropriate. This ensures that scope for service improvements is also considered as part of the review process. 4.3. The scope of the policy/strategy areas covered by the schedule is consistent with the key service areas identified by the Scottish Housing Regulator’s regulatory framework. In summary, these are:- ♦ allocation of housing ♦ rent management ♦ tenancy and estate management services ♦ repairs, maintenance and improvement ♦ services provided at Council managed Gypsy/Traveller sites ♦ tenant participation ♦ homelessness 4.4. In addition to the areas noted at 4.3, the review also incorporates key housing and other strategies which the Resource has lead responsibility for within the Council. 5. Next Steps 5.1. The schedule will inform the Resource and Service Plans for 2023/2024 and will be used to establish a joint programme for customer engagement and scrutiny, a key objective within the Customer Involvement Strategy. 5.2. The proposed frequency of review is considered appropriate to the individual policy or strategy area. In some circumstances, linked to legislative or regulatory changes, there may be a requirement for a policy or strategy to be revised within a scheduled period. An updated schedule will be presented to the Housing and Technical Resources Committee on an annual basis which will advise of progress and any amendments to the schedule. 5.3. The Housing and Technical Resources Committee will continue to be updated fully and separately in relation to the development of the specific policies and strategies contained within the schedule. 6. Employee Implications 6.1. There are no employee implications associated with this report. 7. Financial Implications 7.1. There are no financial implications associated with this report. 8. Climate Change, Sustainability and Environmental Implications 8.1. This report does not introduce a new policy, function or strategy which impacts on the natural environment, climate change or sustainability. 9. Other Implications 9.1. The content of this report will contribute to the evidence to support the requirements of the Annual Assurance Statement to the Scottish Housing Regulator. 10. Equality Impact Assessment and Consultation Arrangements 10.1 This report does not introduce a new policy, function or strategy or recommend a change to an existing policy, function or strategy and therefore no impact assessment is required. 52
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10.2. On an ongoing basis, discussions take place with customer representatives on the future programme for customer engagement. These discussions are reflected in the proposed schedule. The schedule provides a basis for discussion with customers and other service users to facilitate planning for future service delivery. Stephen Gibson Executive Director (Housing and Technical Resources) 22 November 2022 Link(s) to Council Values/Priorities/Outcomes Accountable, effective, efficient and transparent Housing and Land - good quality, suitable and sustainable places to live Communities and Environment - caring, connected, sustainable communities Previous References Policy and Strategy Review Schedule, Housing and Technical Resources Committee, 8 December 2021 List of Background Papers None Contact for Further Information If you require further information, please contact: - Linda Pearson, Strategy Co-ordinator Ext: 4092 (Tel: 01698 454092) Email: linda.pearson@southlanarkshire.gov.uk 53
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Appendix 1: Housing and Technical Resources Policy and Strategy Review Schedule (Revised October 2022) Strategy and Policy Review frequency Date of next review 1. Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan (RRTP) Annually 2023/2024 2. Strategic Housing Investment Plan (SHIP) Annually 2023/2024 3. Customer Involvement Strategy 4-yearly 2023/2024 4. Home Improve/Scheme of Assistance Grants 5-yearly 2023/2024 5. Anti-social Behaviour Strategy 5-yearly 2023/2024 6. Gypsy/Travellers Pitch Allocation Policy 5-yearly 2024/2025 7. Repairs Policy 5-yearly 2024/2025 8. Housing Allocation Policy 5-yearly 2024/2025 9. Rent Management Policy 5-yearly 2025/2026 10. Tenancy and Estate Management Policy 5-yearly 2025/2026 11. Anti-social Behaviour Policy 5-yearly 2026/2027 12. Local Housing Strategy 5-yearly 2027/2028 54
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Report Agenda Item Report to: Housing and Technical Resources Committee Date of Meeting: 14 December 2022 Report by: Executive Director (Housing and Technical Resources) Subject: Enhancements to the South Lanarkshire Council Open Market Purchase Scheme 1. Purpose of Report 1.1. The purpose of this report is to:- seek approval from Committee to broaden the scope of the South Lanarkshire’s Open Market Purchase Scheme, as detailed at sections 4.3 and 4.4 below 2. Recommendations 2.1. The Committee is asked to approve the following recommendations:- (1) that the additional criteria for an enhanced Open Market Purchase Scheme, as detailed within sections 4.3 and 4.4, be approved. 3. Background 3.1. The current South Lanarkshire Open Market Purchase Scheme (OMPS) was approved by the Housing and Technical Resources Committee in July 2015 and amended in February 2021. The scheme aims to help increase the supply of Council housing to meet housing need, whilst maximising use of Scottish Government Affordable Housing Supply Programme funding. 3.2. The OMPS allows officers from within Housing and Technical Resources to review properties for sale on the housing market with a view to purchasing them to add to the Council’s housing stock. 3.3. The existing criteria for the OMPS, aligned with the key strategic outcomes set out within the South Lanarkshire Local Housing Strategy 2022 to 2027, requires:- ♦ that the property is of a particular type or size required to meet identified housing need and demand within an area ♦ that the property will support regeneration within an area or allow the Council to tackle a particular issue in an area ♦ that the property will make the Council the majority owner in a block and allow for future investment or improvement work to be undertaken ♦ that the property provides the most cost effective and appropriate solution to meeting an urgent and specific housing need ♦ that the property has a valid Home Report available to review 3.4. In February 2021, the Housing and Technical Resources Committee approved the extension of the criteria for the OMPS to include consideration of long-term empty properties in the private sector not being marketed for sale. This extension stipulated that the property required to be empty for at least a 24-month period, as detailed within Council Tax records. 11 55
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3.5. This extension aimed to provide greater flexibility in acquiring properties under the OMPS, improving opportunities for the Council to meet identified housing need as well as having the ability to bring long-term empty homes back into use across South Lanarkshire. 3.6. Annual targets for the existing OMPS are set out in the Strategic Housing Investment Plan and reported to the Housing and Technical Resources Committee each year. Since 2018 this target has been set at 60 properties. 3.7. In 2018/2019 and 2019/2020 this target was exceeded with 61 properties purchased in both years. In 2020/2021 the target was not met with 53 properties purchased. This was mainly due to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact that had on the property market at that time. In 2021/2022, again 53 properties were purchased with the Council’s purchasing ability impacted by market conditions. 4. Proposed Enhancements to the South Lanarkshire OMPS 4.1. On 30 November 2022, the Executive Committee approved a new target to deliver an additional 1,300 Council homes within South Lanarkshire by 2027. To support the Council in achieving this target and to align with updated strategic priorities within the new South Lanarkshire Local Housing Strategy 2022 to 2027, it is proposed that the current OMPS scheme be revised to take account of 1 amendment to the current provisions and the addition of 2 new criteria. 4.2. An outline of the context and rationale for the amendment and additions is detailed in Appendix 1. It should be noted that the proposed amendment and additions to the scheme will operate in conjunction with the existing criteria noted at section 3.3 above. 4.3. It is proposed that the scope provided through the scheme to purchase long-term empty properties (noted at section 3.4 above) is revised to:- ♦ allow private sector properties which are not being actively marketed for sale and which have been empty for a period of more than 12 months, as determined by Council Tax records, to be considered by the Council for purchase under the scheme 4.4. Proposed criteria to expand the scope within which the Council can purchase properties through the scheme are detailed below:- ♦ that owner occupiers and private landlords of former Council properties can contact the Council directly with the offer of property for sale ♦ the Council can engage with private landlords who currently lease properties to the Council but no longer wish to remain in the sector, to purchase their properties directly from them 5. Next Steps 5.1. Following Committee approval, it is proposed that the amendment to the current OMPS and the additional new criteria, as set out in section 4, be introduced with immediate effect. 5.2. Details relating to the enhanced scheme will be appropriately publicised and promoted and Housing and Technical Resources will develop new or revised internal procedures and guidance to facilitate these enhancements. 56
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5.3. Performance in relation to the number of purchases completed as part of the OMPS will continue to be reported to the Housing and Technical Resources Committee as part of the annual Strategic Housing Investment Plan report. 5.4. Housing and Technical Resources will continue to actively monitor national context and consider any further proposals that may be appropriate to acquire properties to help increase the supply of affordable housing and meet identified housing needs. 5.5. Any future proposals to further develop the scheme will be reported to the Housing and Technical Resources Committee for approval. 6. Employee implications 6.1. There are no employee implications associated with this report. 7. Financial implications 7.1. Homes acquired by the Council through the Open Market Purchase Scheme qualify for Scottish Government grant funding and based on current projections, will positively contribute to the Housing Revenue Account Business Plan once acquired. 7.2. Financial implications relating to the delivery of the OMPS, as part of the wider Home+ Programme, will continue to be monitored and adjusted as part of the Strategic Housing Investment Plan and Housing Revenue and Capital Account Budget, both reported to the Housing and Technical Resources Committee on an annual basis. 8. Climate Change, Sustainability and Environmental Implications 8.1. The contents and proposals within this report link with key strategic priorities of the Local Housing Strategy. As part of the development of the Local Housing Strategy 2022 to 2027, a full Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) was undertaken with the report submitted to the SEA Gateway and published online for consultation. 8.2. This assessment identified that the specification for future housing projects will contribute to improved energy efficiency standards and therefore make a positive contribution to local and national sustainability and climate change targets. 9. Other implications 9.1. There are no other implications as a consequence of this report. 10. Impact Assessments and Consultation arrangements 10.1. Equality Impact Assessment (EqIA) processes were undertaken throughout the development of the Local Housing Strategy 2022 to 2027 to identify and mitigate any negative impacts and seek opportunities to promote equality. This identified the Local Housing Strategy 2022 to 2027 will have no negative impacts on any protected characteristics groups and will have significant positive impacts in relation to age and disability. 10.2. The OMPS, as part of the wider Home+ programme, remains a key aspect of the Local Housing Strategy’s priority to increase the supply of affordable housing across South Lanarkshire. As part of the development of the Strategy, a range of consultation activities were completed with internal and external partners as well as members of the public. Stephen Gibson Executive Director (Housing and Technical Resources) 57
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22 November 2022 Links to Council Values/Priorities/Outcomes Focused on people and their needs Accountable, effective, efficient and transparent Achieve results through leadership, good governance and organisational effectiveness Making communities safer, stronger and sustainable Improve the availability, quality and access of housing Work with Communities and Partners to promote high quality, thriving and sustainable Communities. Previous References Housing and Technical Resources Committee, 1 July 2015 Housing and Technical Resources Committee, 17 February 2021 List of Background Papers South Lanarkshire Strategic Housing Investment Plan 2023-2028 Contact for Further Information If you would like further information, please contact:- Annette Finnan, Head of Housing Services, Housing and Technical Resources Ext: 4595 (Phone: 01698 454595) E-mail: Annette.Finnan@southlanarkshire.gov.uk 58
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Appendix 1 Table 1: Proposed amendment to existing OMPS criteria Current position Background to Amendment Amendment Long-term empty properties The current criteria for the OMPS requires that a property has been empty for a period of at least 24 months, as determined by council tax records, in order that the property may be considered by the council for purchase, without being actively marketed for sale. In 2019, following the introduction of new legislation to tackle empty homes across Scotland, the council introduced an Empty Property Surcharge for properties which have been empty for a period of 12 months or longer. This equates to a 200% council tax charge being applied until the property becomes occupied, with the aim being to encourage owners to return the property to use. To align with this approach, it is proposed that the OMPS be amended to allow properties that have been empty for a period of more than 12 months, as determined by council tax records, to be considered by the council for purchase under the scheme, without being actively marketed for sale. Allow properties which are not being actively marketed for sale and which have been empty for a period of more than 12 months, as determined by council tax records, to be considered by the council for purchase under the scheme. Table 2: Proposed additions to existing OMPS criteria Current position Background to Additional Criteria New Criteria Contact with agents and private owners The council currently engages with estate agents and other property professionals to facilitate the identification of suitable properties for purchase under the OMPS. Whilst this will continue, it is proposed to expand the existing OMPS scheme to allow owner occupiers and private landlords of former council properties to contact the council directly with the offer of property for sale. To be eligible for consideration, these properties will require to align with the existing criteria of the scheme as noted at section 3.3, and the sellers would have to provide the council with a valid home report for review prior to entering into negotiations. Allow owner occupiers and private landlords of former council properties to contact the council directly with the offer of property for sale. 59
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Current position Background to Additional Criteria New Criteria Engage with landlords of properties in the Private Leasing Scheme The council currently leases 120 properties from landlords in the private rented sector through the Private Leasing Scheme (PLS) which assists in meeting demand and service requirements within some areas of South Lanarkshire. Principally these properties are used to augment the council’s temporary accommodation portfolio for homeless households and support achievement of the council’s statutory requirements. Under the current PLS scheme, any lease is agreed for 2 years with a breakpoint every 6 months where the council or landlord can break the lease. This breakpoint would serve as an appropriate opportunity to discuss the purchase of the property where suitable and a landlord has indicated that they wish to end the lease. To allow acquisition of PLS properties, guidance and procedures would be developed to ensure appropriate consideration is given to the impact on the wider supply of temporary accommodation. Enable the council to engage with private landlords who currently lease properties to the council, and no longer wish to remain in the sector, to purchase their properties directly from them. 60
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Report Report to: Housing and Technical Resources Committee Date of Meeting: 14 December 2022 Report by: Executive Director (Housing and Technical Resources) Subject: Notification of Use of Standing Order 37(c) – Lease of 26 Units within the Former Student Residencies at 2 Barrack Street, Hamilton for the Purposes of Accommodating Ukrainian Refugees and Resettlement 1. Purpose of Report 1.1. The purpose of the report is to:- [purpose] advise Committee on the use of Standing Order No 37(c) which was approved due to the timescales involved and the urgent requirement to enter into a lease agreement to provide accommodation for refugees, at 2 Barrack Street, Hamilton [1purpose] 2. Recommendation(s) 2.1. Committee is asked to approve the following recommendation(s):- (1) that the Executive Director (Housing and Technical Resources) was authorised to lease the subjects at 2 Barrack Street, Hamilton to meet the identified housing needs for Ukrainian refugees, on the principle terms and conditions set out in Section 4 of this report, be noted; and (2) that authority was granted to the Executive Director (Housing and Technical Resources), in conjunction with the Head of Administration and Legal Services, to conclude matters and to enter into the necessary legal agreements on terms which are in the best interests of the Council, be noted. 3. Background 3.1. In March 2022, the UK Government established the Homes for Ukrainian Scheme to enable individuals fleeing the conflict in the Ukraine to move to and secure accommodation in the United Kingdom. The Scottish Government established the ‘Scottish Super Sponsor’ Scheme to assist individuals seeking to move to Scotland by selecting the Scottish Government as their sponsor. 3.2. South Lanarkshire Council, along with other local authorities, plays a key role in the delivering of the scheme and currently operates a welcome hub on behalf of the Scottish Government providing temporary accommodation and support to “Ukrainian Displaced Persons” when they arrive in Scotland. The Council’s Resettlement Team works to assist those housed at the hub move towards a more permanent home. The Council also plays an important role in carrying out checks on the properties and backgrounds of individuals who wish to host a Ukrainian refugee. 12 61
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There has been an extremely high demand for the Scottish Super Sponsor Scheme which resulted in the scheme being passed on 13 July 2022. 3.3. The level of demand has led to significant pressure on the availability of accommodation and the Scottish Government has written to Councils on a number of occasions to ask that they consider accommodation options that could be progressed to meet the needs of Ukrainian households. 3.4. Having previously utilised part of the property for temporary accommodation to support homeless households during the COVID-19 pandemic, Housing and Technical Resources has identified the subjects at 2 Barrack Street, Hamilton as a suitable accommodation option. 3.5. The subjects are vacant following purchase by C&S Facilities Management Limited from the University of West of Scotland in 2022 and offer 26 accommodation units with 6 individual rooms in each, split over 3 separate blocks. It has been agreed that the lease and all associated services relating to the proposed accommodation at 2 Barrack Street, Hamilton are to be delivered at no overall cost to South Lanarkshire Council. 3.6. The proposal is to utilise the subjects at 2 Barrack Street, Hamilton as interim accommodation for parties currently residing in short term, ‘welcome hub’ hotel accommodation, whilst continuing to be supported to find settled accommodation in South Lanarkshire or elsewhere. 3.7. Following positive discussions with the subject owners and the Scottish Government, Housing and Technical Resources entered into negotiations with C&S Facilities Management Limited for the lease of occupation of 26 units, within the former student residencies at Barrack Street, Hamilton for use by the Council for the purposes of interim accommodation of up to 200 Ukrainian refugees. 4. Proposal 4.1. The following terms and conditions have been agreed with C&S Facilities Management Limited: 1. Lease duration: for a period of 1 year 2. Break options: mutual 6 months subject to 28 days’ notice 3. Use: refugee interim accommodation 4. Date of entry: 2nd November 2022 5. Rent. £21,450 per month (£257,400 per annum) 6. Deposit: 3 month rent deposit (£64,350) 7. Rates/Council tax: Council, as lease responsible for any Council tax/Business rates 8. Extension: Tenant only 1 year renewal option exercisable 3 months prior to expiry date 9. Fees: All costs, legal fees and outgoings incurred by the Council to be met by Scottish Government 4.2. The cost of the works required to bring the internal accommodation up to a standard suitable for letting, which will be carried out by the Landlord, will be recharged to the Council and reimbursed by Scottish Government and the Homes for Ukraine Tariff Grant. 62
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5. Employee Implications 5.1. An externally commissioned service will be utilised to manage the building and support the occupants throughout the duration of the lease. Existing resources within Housing and Technical Resources will also be utilised to provide support to occupants. 6. Financial Implications 6.1. The lease and all associated services relating to the proposed accommodation at 2 Barrack Street, Hamilton are to be delivered at no overall cost to South Lanarkshire Council. 6.2. A grant will be provided by the Scottish Government to the Council of up to £820,000 to cover the costs of the project, however, actual grant received will be based on the actual costs incurred by the Council for the duration of the accommodation offer. Opportunities to attract funding from the Homes for Ukraine Tariff Grant will also be explored for eligible occupants of the accommodation. 7. Climate Change, Sustainability and Environmental Implications 7.1. There are no climate change, sustainability or environmental implications arising from this proposal. 8. Other Implications 8.1. The lease of the subjects enabled by this report will ensure South Lanarkshire Council continues to actively contribute to the Scottish Government’s national response to the Ukraine crisis. 8.2. There are no significant risks associated with this report. 8.3. Normal Council protocols to ensure that there are no conflicts of interest apply to this scheme. 9. Equality Impact Assessment and Consultation Arrangements 9.1. This report does not introduce a new policy, function or strategy and therefore no separate impact assessment is required. 9.2. No formal consultation process was required in terms of the recommendation contained in this report. Stephen Gibson Executive Director (Housing and Technical Resources) 22 November 2022 Link(s) to Council Values/Priorities/Outcomes Good quality, suitable and sustainable places to live Previous References ♦ None List of Background Papers Internal Briefing Paper ‘ Ukrainian move on accommodation proposal’, Annette Finnan Head of Housing Services, 21 July 2022 63
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Contact for Further Information If you would like further information, please contact:- Annette Finnan, Head of Housing Services, Housing and Technical Resources Ext: 4595 (Phone: 01698 454595) E-mail: Annette.Finnan@southlanarkshire.gov.uk 64
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Report Agenda Item Report to: Housing and Technical Resources Committee Date of Meeting: 14 December 2022 Report by: Executive Director (Housing and Technical Resources) Subject: Disposal of Montrose House, Montrose Crescent, Hamilton, ML3 6LB 1. Purpose of Report 1.1. The purpose of the report is to:- [purpose] seek approval for the disposal of the site of the former Council Offices at Montrose House, Montrose Crescent, Hamilton to AC Land Regeneration Limited (or assignees or nominees) [1purpose] 2. Recommendation(s) 2.1. The Committee is asked to approve the following recommendation(s):- [recs] (1) that Montrose House, Montrose Crescent, Hamilton on a site extending to 0.591 hectares (1.48 acres) or thereby, as detailed within Appendix 1, be disposed of to AC Land Regeneration Limited (or assignees or nominees) for the sum of £205,000 exclusive of VAT and in terms of the principal conditions contained in Section 4 of this report; and (2) that the Executive Director (Housing and Technical Resources), in conjunction with the Head of Administration and Legal Services, be authorised to conclude all other matters pertaining to the disposal of the site and to enter into the necessary legal agreements on terms which are in the best interests of the Council [1recs] 3. Background 3.1. The property is located within the Hamilton West area, adjacent to the Council’s Headquarters and approximately 1.5 miles from Hamilton town centre and is surrounded by a mix of residential and commercial properties. It is a detached 3 storey building and includes 76 car parking spaces. 3.2. The introduction of more agile ways of working led to a reduction in the floorspace requirements for office accommodation for the Council. On the basis of this, Montrose House, Montrose Crescent, Hamilton formerly used by the Council as office accommodation, was declared surplus by the Executive Committee at its meeting on 2 March 2022. 3.3. The property was marketed with a closing date of 8 July 2022. One offer was received, that being an offer of £205,000 from AC Land Regeneration Limited who is considering a range of redevelopment options for the site, however, initially focusing on use as a rental opportunity for 1 of its businesses. 13 65
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3.4. AC Land Regeneration Limited was founded on 28 July 2021. The company specialises in property development and is a sister company of Advance Construction (Scotland) Limited who specialises in the construction of domestic buildings. 3.5. The property is largely vacant with the majority of staff relocated to Headquarters. A project is underway to relocate the remaining services to other locations. 4. Proposal 4.1. The current proposal, which is subject to detailed planning consent, is to redevelop the building and rent it out as commercial premises although other uses are still being considered. 4.2. AC Land Regeneration Limited has offered terms to purchase the Council’s interest for £205,000 exclusive of VAT. The offer is conditional only on satisfactory Title which the bidder has informally advised was satisfactory to them upon carrying out its initial due diligence. 4.3. It is proposed to dispose of Montrose House, Montrose Crescent, Hamilton extending to 0.591 hectares (1.48 acres) or thereby, as shown on the attached indicative plan, to AC Land Regeneration Limited (or assignees or nominees) subject to the following principal conditions:- 1. the purchase price to be £205,000 exclusive of VAT 2. the offer will be subject to satisfactory Title 3. the purchasers to meet the Council’s reasonably incurred legal fees 5. Employee Implications 5.1. Some staff within Montrose House are still to be relocated to alternative premises to allow Montrose House to be sold with vacant possession. 5.2. Arrangements have already been made for the redeployment of facilities management staff and Council officers will be redeployed when the building fully closes. 6. Financial Implications 6.1. Disposal of the property will generate a receipt of £205,000 (2 hundred and 5 thousand pounds), subject to satisfactory Title, for the Council’s capital programme in year 2023/2024. 6.2. The current annual running costs for the building are in the region of £400,000 per annum. The disposal will remove this ongoing revenue liability. 6.3. Due to the largely unconditional nature of the offer to purchase, the Council will be able to mitigate against property costs and liabilities associated with holding vacant property and achieve the ongoing savings earlier than in the case of a sale suspensive on planning consent for alternative use. 7. Other Implications 7.1. The risk of not proceeding with this proposal would have adverse implications for the Council. A capital receipt for the Council’s non-housing programme would fail to materialise. The Council would remain liable for a dilapidated asset with associated empty property costs and the possible cost of future demolition. 66
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8. Climate Change, Sustainability and Environmental Implications 8.1. There are no issues in relation to climate change, sustainability and environment contained within this report. 9. Equality Impact Assessment and Consultation Arrangements 9.1. Consultations with Planning, Housing, Roads and Legal Services will take place as and when the anticipated change of use goes through the planning application process. 9.2. This report does not introduce a new policy, function or strategy or recommend a change to an existing policy, function or strategy and therefore no impact assessment is required. Stephen Gibson Executive Director (Housing and Technical Resources) 21 November 2022 Link(s) to Council Values/Priorities/Outcomes Accountable, effective, efficient and transparent Fair, open and sustainable Previous References Executive Committee, 2 March 2022 List of Background Papers None Contact for Further Information If you would like to inspect the background papers or want further information, please contact:- Joanne Forbes, Head of Property Services Ext: 845 4073) email: joanne.forbes@southlanarkshire.gov.uk 67
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Report Agenda Item Report to: Housing and Technical Resources Committee Date of Meeting: 14 December 2022 Report by: Executive Director (Housing and Technical Resources) Subject: Disposal of Vacant Domestic Dwelling House at 49 Nevis Avenue, Hamilton, ML3 8UB 1. Purpose of Report 1.1. The purpose of the report is to:- ♦ seek approval to declare the vacant property at 49 Nevis Avenue, Hamilton surplus to the operational requirements of Housing Services and progress its disposal 2. Recommendation(s) 2.1. The Committee is asked to approve the following recommendation(s):- (1) that the vacant property at 49 Nevis Avenue, Hamilton, as detailed within Appendix 1, be declared surplus to the operational requirements of Housing Services; (2) that the Executive Director (Housing and Technical Resources) be authorised to progress disposal of the property from the Housing Account, through the Council’s normal surplus property procedure; and (3) that the Executive Director (Housing and Technical Resources), in consultation with the Head of Administration and Legal Services, be authorised to conclude all matters in respect of any subsequent disposal and enter into the necessary legal agreements in terms which are in the best interest of the Council 3. Background 3.1. The property at 49 Nevis Avenue, Hamilton was acquired by South Lanarkshire Council in 2000 and comprises of a 3 bedroom mid-terraced property. 3.2. The property was constructed in 1975 within an estate formerly owned by Scottish Special Housing Association. Latterly, the estate consists of a majority of privately owned properties as well as a number of properties owned and let by Clyde Valley Housing Association. 3.3. The property was initially purchased by the Council to be utilised as temporary homeless accommodation, meeting demand and requirements for the service at that time. 14 69
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3.4. In 2013, the property ceased being used as temporary homeless accommodation due to the resulting management issues within this locale and has been let as a mainstream property since this time. 4. Current position 4.1. The property is currently vacant and is situated outwith a Council managed area. 4.2. Given the Council does not own any other housing stock in this locale, the property no longer fits with the Council’s property portfolio for management and investment purposes and it is therefore recommended that the property be declared surplus. 5. Next Steps 5.1. Following approval from the Housing and Technical Resources Committee, officers will be instructed to declare the vacant property at 49 Nevis Avenue, Hamilton surplus, and market the property for sale on the open market. 6. Employee Implications 6.1. There are no employee implications arising from this report. 7. Financial Implications 7.1. Disposal of the property will generate a capital receipt which will contribute to the Housing Revenue Account’s Capital Programme. 7.2. Disposal of this property will reduce the Council’s liability in terms of management and maintenance. 8. Climate Change, Sustainability and Environmental Implications 8.1. There are no climate change, sustainability, environmental or risk implications in terms of the information contained within this report. 9. Other Implications 9.1. There are no other implications in terms of the information contained within this report. 10. Equality Impact Assessment and Consultation Arrangements 10.1. This report does not introduce a new policy, function or strategy or recommend a change to existing policy, function or strategy and therefore no impact assessment is required. 10.2. There was also no requirement to undertake any consultation in terms of the information contained in this report. Stephen Gibson Executive Director (Housing and Technical Resources) 21 November 2022 Link(s) to Council Values/Priorities/Outcomes ♦ Good quality, suitable and sustainable places to live ♦ Accountable, effective, efficient and transparent Previous References ♦ None 70
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List of Background papers ♦ None Contact for further information If you would like to inspect the background papers or want further information, please contact:- Joanne Forbes, Head of Property Services Telephone: 01698 454073 Email: joanne.forbes@southlanarkshire.gov.uk 71
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Appendix 1 72
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Report Agenda Item Report to: Housing and Technical Resources Committee Date of Meeting: 14 December 2022 Report by: Executive Director (Housing and Technical Resources) Subject: Stonefield Pitches, Blantyre – Asset Transfer to Blantyre Victoria Youth Football Club 1. Purpose of Report 1.1. The purpose of the report is to:- [purpose] advise the Committee of the request for asset transfer, by lease, of the pitches at Stonefield Road, Blantyre to Blantyre Victoria Youth Football Club and request approval to the principal terms and conditions of asset transfer as set out in Section 5 of the report [1purpose] 2. Recommendation(s) 2.1. The Committee is asked to approve the following recommendation(s):- [recs] (1) that the pitches at Stonefield Road, Blantyre be leased to Blantyre Victoria Youth FC subject to the terms and conditions outlined in Section 5 of the report; and (2) that the Executive Director (Housing and Technical Resources), in conjunction with the Head of Administration and Legal Services, be authorised to conclude all matters in respect of the lease and enter into the necessary legal agreements on terms which are in the best interests of the Council. [1recs] 3. Background 3.1. The pitches and pavilion at Stonefield Road, Blantyre are currently managed by South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture (SLLC). 3.2. Blantyre Victoria Youth FC is the principal user of the pitches and has aspirations to develop long-term proposals for both the pitches and the pavilion, however, is seeking a lease of the pitches as a first stage. Blantyre Victoria Youth FC submitted a request for Community Asset Transfer, the validation date for which was 11 May 2022. 3.3. The initial request included the pavilion, however, in light of issues associated with the relocation of electric equipment within the pavilion, Blantyre Victoria Youth FC has withdrawn this aspect at the moment. The request being considered, therefore, is for the pitches alone, as shown on Appendix 1. 3.4. In addition to placing the application and supporting documentation on the Council’s Planning Portal, notices were placed on the property advising that the Council was considering an asset transfer. The closing date for responses was 24 June 2022 at which time 58 responses were received, 52 positive, 1 neutral and 5 negative. 15 73
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The negative responses highlight concerns regarding reduced local access for dog walking and the loss of green areas by the community if the transfer takes place. One football club objected after the closing date. 3.5. The request was placed before the Community Asset Transfer Assessment Panel on 30 September 2022 and 9 November 2022 when the following matters were taken into consideration. 3.6. Property 3.6.1. The extent of the property requested, is shown on the attached plan and as there is no change of use or development, proposed planning consent will not be required. 3.6.2. The pitches are currently leased to SLLC and this arrangement will require to be amended to enable the lease to proceed. An income in the region of £13,300 per annum can be generated from the let of the pitches. 3.6.3. The Council is responsible for the ground’s maintenance and this costs in the region on £11,400 per annum. 3.7. Organisation 3.7.1. Blantyre Victoria Youth FC is an unincorporated organisation controlled by a management committee which is elected at its AGM. The organisation, previously known as Lanarkshire Sports Club, became Blantyre Victoria Youth FC in 2016. 3.7.2. The purpose of the organisation is the advancement of sport and fitness and to provide people in Blantyre and the wider area with the opportunity to play association football. 3.7.3. The organisation is managed by a Board of 10 and has over 200 members, with potential to expand. 3.8. Project 3.8.1. The proposal is for Blantyre Victoria Youth FC to formally have exclusive use and management of the pitches which will enable the development of a sustainable community business model for the longer term through delivery of a community training facility and greater participation in football for all. The grant of a year-to-year lease will allow the organisation to evidence the community benefits and develop proposals for a future, longer term agreement. 3.8.2. The organisation will continue to use facilities at the nearby Blantyre Victoria Junior Stadium with whom it has an affiliation. The organisation has confirmed that it will have in place arrangements that will enable other organisations to book the pitches. 3.8.3. The business plan submitted in support of the application shows that savings to the organisation and booking fee income will cover the costs associated with the pitch maintenance. 4. Assessment 4.1. The property is suitable for the proposed use and the organisation has the capacity to further develop. 4.2. The community benefits anticipated from the proposal relate to health and wellbeing, education, environmental and recreation. 74
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4.3. The Community Asset Transfer Working Group assessed the potential community benefits and recommended that a discount of 93% be applied to the market rental value to reflect the benefits to the community. The majority of the Council’s leases to unlicensed sports clubs are at £1 per annum on the basis that all maintenance is undertaken by the tenant and is to a satisfactory standard, therefore, there is no market rental figure. 4.4. If the lease is on an annual basis, there is a loss of income to SLLC and a gain from reduction to ground maintenance to SLC. Across the 2 organisations the net effect is minimal at £1,900 loss. However, it is considered essential that there is clear evidence of delivery of the community benefit to offset this loss. 4.5. The risks associated with the asset transfer are considered low, given that the request is for a year-to-year lease. The key concerns are that the land is maintained to a high standard and that there is evidence of benefits to the local community. Therefore, it is proposed that annual renewal of the lease will be dependent upon an annual inspection of the ground conditions and a report from Blantyre Victoria Youth FC evidencing the increased outcomes from control of the pitch passing to the organisation. 5. Proposal 5.1. It is proposed to lease the pitches at Stonefield Road, Blantyre, as shown on the attached plan, to Blantyre Victoria Youth FC, on the following principal terms and conditions:- 1. The lease will be to Blantyre Victoria Youth FC 2. The lease will be for a period of 1 year 3. The date of entry to be agreed 4. The rental shall be £1 per annum 5. The lease to be fully repairing and insuring, 6. The tenants will be required to obtain and exhibit as required public liability insurance to the value of £5 million for any one claim. 7. The property will be used in conjunction with the tenant’s activities as a football club 8. The tenants to be responsible for any rates or property charges resulting from their occupation and use of the subjects 9. Assignation and subletting will not be allowed without the Council's express consent 10. Each party to be responsible for their own legal costs however the tenants will require to pay any registration fees and Land & Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT) if required 5.2. Any annual renewal of the lease will be conditional upon:- 1. Satisfactory ground condition inspection by Land Services 2. Submission of a report evidencing delivered community benefits by Blantyre Victoria Youth FC 6. Employee Implications 6.1. There are no employee implications associated with this report. 7. Financial Implications 7.1. The asset transfer will result in a loss of income to SLLC of £13,300 per annum. It will also result in a reduction in the costs to the Council of maintaining the land equating to around £11,400. 75
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8 Climate Change, Sustainability and Environmental Implications 8.1. There are no issues in relation to climate change, sustainability and the environment contained within this report. 9. Other Implications 9.1. In terms of the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015, the Council had until 11 November 2022 to provide a notice of its decision whether to agree to or refuse the asset transfer request, however, Blantyre Victoria Youth FC agreed an extension to the date of the Housing and Technical Resources Committee. 9.2. The organisation has a right to appeal to Scottish Ministers should a decision not be made in that timescale or the asset transfer request be refused. 10. Equality Impact Assessment and Consultation Arrangements 10.1. Consultation has taken place with the SLLC, Land Services, Planning, Legal and Finance Services as well as having been published for public consultation. 10.2. This report does not introduce a new policy, function or strategy or recommend a change to an existing policy, function or strategy and therefore no impact assessment is required. Stephen Gibson Executive Director (Housing and Technical Resources) 23 November 2022 Link(s) to Council Values/Priorities/Outcomes Accountable, effective, efficient and transparent Caring, connected, sustainable communities People live the healthiest lives possible Previous References ♦ None List of Background Papers None Contact for Further Information If you would like to inspect the background papers or want further information, please contact:- Joanne Forbes, Head of Property Services Ext: 4073 (Tel: 01698 454073) email: joanne.forbes@southlanarkshire.gov.uk 76
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Report Agenda Item Report to: Housing and Technical Resources Committee Date of Meeting: 14 December 2022 Report by: Executive Director (Housing and Technical Resources) Subject: Update of the Housing and Technical Resources Risk Register and Risk Control Plan 1. Purpose of Report 1.1. The purpose of the report is to:- ] provide an update to Committee on the Risk Register and Risk Control actions for Housing and Technical Resources [1purpose] 2. Recommendation(s) 2.1. The Committee is asked to approve the following recommendation(s):- [ (1) that the contents of the Resource Risk Register, be noted; and (2) that the outstanding Risk Control Actions, be noted. [1recs] 3. Background 3.1. The Council’s Risk Management Strategy promotes consideration of risk in service delivery, planning and decision making processes. The strategy requires Resources to record and review risks and control actions regularly. Housing and Technical Resources follows the guidance in developing, monitoring and updating the Risk Register on an ongoing basis. 3.2. The purpose of the register is to ensure that the Resource is fully aware of its top risks, that these risks are prioritised and that controls are in place to eliminate or minimise the impact of the risks. 3.3. The Resource scores the risks in accordance with the Council scoring mechanism, based on likelihood and impact. This results in risks being scored between 1 and 25 (low to very high). 3.4. Risks are scored on their inherent score (risk if we do nothing) and their residual risk (risk after applying controls). The Council’s scoring matrix is attached at Appendix 1. 3.5. The last update of the Housing and Technical Resources Risk Register was reported to Committee on 29 September 2021. 3.6. The Resource’s top Risk Register and risk control plan has been reviewed. This work was completed in August 2022. 3.7. The Central Risk Management Team annually reviews Resource compliance with the Risk Management Strategy. The outcome of the 2021/2022 review identified that Housing and Technical Resources achieved 100 per cent compliance, scoring 45 out of a possible 45. 16 79
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4. Resource Risk Management 4.1. Each Resource has a Resource Risk Management Group which has responsibility for the promotion and management of risk. 4.2. The Housing and Technical Resources Risk Management Group continues to meet on a regular basis. 4.3. The work of the Group over the last year has focused on the review and update of the Resource Risk Register and ensuring that the register reflected the Council Plan and individual Service Plans. 5. Risk Register 5.1. Work has been completed by the Resource Risk Management Group to finalise the review of the Resource Risk Register. The update gave consideration to risks at a Service level, as well as strategic Council risks. 5.2. The Resource Risk Register is monitored on an ongoing basis to allow new risks to be added and for the control measures and scores of the existing risks to be reviewed in light of new information. 5.3. Risks can result from internal or external influences, with examples being the impact of projected funding cuts, legislative changes or the impact of internal service changes. 5.4. The development process for the Resource Plan requires a risk assessment process to be undertaken as appropriate resulting in some actions within the Resource Plan having a corresponding risk identified within the Risk Register. 5.5. The main changes to the register are summarised below:- four new risks have been added:- ♦ the Council fails to support households significantly impacted by the cost- of-living crisis, resulting in increasing levels of poverty, debt and damage to health ♦ the Council fails to deliver the objectives of the Community Wealth Building Strategy ♦ inability of partners to effectively accommodate and support households who arrive in South Lanarkshire as part of refugee resettlement and the asylum seeker dispersal programmes ♦ failure to achieve the outcomes of the Council Plan the ‘Homes+’ programme risk has been updated to make reference to material supply issues and the impact influenced by ongoing global factors the ‘Failure to provide suitable temporary and settled accommodation for homeless applicants’ risk has been updated to reflect the review of the temporary accommodation portfolio 80
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the ‘Fire in Council Properties’ risk has been updated to include published Scottish Government practical fire safety guidance which applies to ‘specialised housing’ and similar premises that are provided for older people and others requiring care and support. This includes sheltered housing services provided by the Council. Tenants within mainstream Council properties who receive a ‘care at home’ service are also covered by aspects of the guidance. High rise domestic buildings and other specialist accommodation, including Gypsy/Traveller sites, are covered by separate guidance and legislation the risk description on ‘Funding’ has been updated to reflect the level of Government grant received, inflationary increases, rising energy costs, reduced income (cost-of-living crisis) and greater pressure on council budgets the ‘pandemic’ risk description has been refocused to consider potential future events and residual effects of the current pandemic being managed at Resource level. The residual risk score has been reduced from 16 to 12 the ‘sustainable development and climate change’ risk has been updated to reflect the recently approved strategy and the impact of capital budget spend/funding on zero carbon targets. This risk has increased from 6 to 12 the ‘procurement’ risk has been updated to reflect issues relating to the supply chain, cost of materials and the stability of tender market prices. The risk score has increased accordingly from 9 to 12 the ‘extreme weather’ risk has been updated to cover droughts/water supply issues and wildfires the Brexit risk card has been removed from the register with residual actions have been added to the procurement risk card risk descriptions, controls and actions have been updated as required on individual risks, following discussion with risk owners 5.6. Risks scored 15 to 25 are considered to be very high risks and risks scored eight to 12 are considered to be high risks. Very high and high risks are monitored closely. The top risks identified for the Resource, that is those that are residually scored as being very high and high, are attached at Appendix 2. 5.7. Appendix 3 provides a comparison of risk scores for 2021 and 2022. This Appendix also details changes in risk descriptions. 5.8. Risks evaluated residually as being medium or low risk will be monitored to ensure that they continue to be adequately managed. 6. Insurance Hotspots 6.1. Following the completion of claims analysis reports by insurers, various areas of work have been identified to mitigate insured losses. Those which affect Housing and Technical Resources include a property insurer survey programme; awareness raising and advice to tenants in respect of council house fires, ongoing development of driving at work training and a health and safety training review to be undertaken by the Council’s claims handlers. 6.2. Progress with implementation and effectiveness of actions will be reported back to the Committee, via the Risk and Audit Committee insured risks reports. 81
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7. Scope and Appetite for Risk 7.1. The Council aims to be risk embracing, that is it will accept a tolerable level of risk in seeking service efficiencies and in agreeing control measures. 7.2. The level of risk facing the Council is measured both before (inherent risk) and after (residual risk) consideration of controls. The Council should never carry a very high residual risk exposure as this would indicate instability but a low residual risk exposure should also be avoided as this indicates lack of innovation. 7.3. The Council’s universal risk tolerance levels were updated as part of the review of the Risk Management Strategy last year, with the ideal risk profile defined as:- no more than 10 per cent of residual risks at a very high level no more than 15 per cent of risks at a high level around 50 to 60 per cent of residual risks at a medium level no more than 30 per cent of residual risks at a low level 7.4. Table 1 below shows the top risks heat map, ie, it details the total number of risks for each individual residual risk score. Table 2 below notes the overall risk profile for the top risks. Table 1 – Housing and Technical Resources Top Risks Heat Map Likelihood 5 Almost Certain 2 4 Likely 4 3 Possible 10 2 1 2 Unlikely 5 3 1 Rare 1 Negligible 2 Minor 3 Moderate 4 Major 5 Catastrophic Impact Table 2 – Housing and Technical Resources Risk Profile Risk Category Risk Rating Number of residual risks Percentage of residual risks 1 Very high 2 7.4% 2 High 10 55.6% 3 Medium 15 37.0% 4 Low 0 0.0% 7.5. The profile noted in Table 2 is outwith the ideal universal risk exposure defined by the Risk Management Strategy, however, this risk exposure is considered reasonable given the number of high level risks currently being faced by the Resource. 7.6. Housing and Technical Resources has ensured that all inherent risks scored at a very high and high level have cost effective control measures in place. Where further control measures are required, these are included within the Resource Risk Control Plan. 82
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8. Risk Control Actions 8.1. No risk control actions were due for delivery between April and August 2022. 8.2. There was 1 risk control action due for completion in 2020/2021 (Affordable Housing Supply Programme – failure to increase supply of affordable homes by completion of 1,000 new council houses), however, as a result of COVID-19, the target was revised with the Scottish Government to completion during 2021/2022. 9. Major Projects, Partnerships or Change 9.1. Within Housing and Technical Resources 2 partnerships have been identified. Both of these are considered to be low risk. 9.2. Appropriate risk management arrangements are in place for the Community Safety Partnership and Hub SW Partnership. 10. Next Steps 10.1. The Resource Risk Management Group will continue to meet on a regular basis. The Risk Register will be reviewed on an ongoing basis by the Group to ensure that risks remain valid for the appropriate Service areas and to identify new areas of risk that affect the Resource. An update report will be provided to Committee on an annual basis. 11. Employee Implications 11.1. Time will be required by the Resource Risk Management Group in the management of the Resource Risk Register and Risk Control Plan. 12. Financial Implications 12.1. There are no direct financial implications associated with the Resource’s top risks. There are a number of proposed risks which are classified under the heading of financial. Where this is the case, the appropriate controls and actions have been included in the risk control cards and progress will be monitored. 13. Climate Change, Sustainability and Environmental Implications 13.1. Sustainable development issues are included within the Council’s top Risk Register through being linked directly to the Council Plan Objective ‘make communities safer, stronger and sustainable’. 14. Other Implications 14.1. Failure to demonstrate that risk is actively considered and managed cannot only lead to avoidable financial loss but could also affect delivery of services and could affect the Resources’ reputation. 15. Equality Impact Assessment and Consultation Arrangements 15.1. This report does not introduce a new policy, function or strategy or recommend a change to existing policy, function or strategy and therefore, no impact assessment is required. 15.2. Consultation on the content of this report has been undertaken with the Resource Management Team. Stephen Gibson Executive Director (Housing and Technical Resources) 22 November 2022 83
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Link(s) to Council Values/Priorities/Outcomes Accountable, effective, efficient and transparent Previous References Housing and Technical Resources Committee, 21 September 2021 List of Background Papers ♦ None Contact for Further Information If you would like to inspect the background papers or want further information, please contact:- Cameron Mitchell, Strategy and Support Manager Telephone: 01698 454862 Email: cameron.mitchell@southlanarkshire.gov.uk 84
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Appendix 1 – Risk scoring matrix and likelihood and impact definitions Likelihood Score 1 2 3 4 5 Description Rare Unlikely Possible Likely Almost certain Likelihood of occurrence 1 in 10 years 1 in 3 years 1 in 2 years Annually Monthly Probability of occurrence The event may occur in certain circumstances The event could occur The event may occur The event will probably occur The event is expected to occur or occurs regularly Impact Reputation Financial Service delivery/ Time to recover Compliance Safety 1 Negligible Public concern restricted to local complaints <£50,000 per annum No impact to service quality; limited disruption to operations. No external interest Minor injury – no lost time 2 Minor Minor adverse local/public/me dia attention and complaints £50,000- £250,000 per annum Minor impact to service quality; minor service standards are not met; short term Very minor attention from legislative /Regulatory body Minor injury – resulting in lost time 3 Moderate Adverse national media Public attention £250,000 to £500,000 per annum Significant fall in service quality; major partnership relationships strained; serious disruption in service standards Short-term attention from legislative/ regulatory body Major injury or ill health resulting in lost time 4 Major Serious negative national or regional criticism £500,000 to £1million per annum Major impact to service delivery; multiple service standards are not met; long term disruption to operations; multiple partnerships affected Medium-term attention from legislative/ regulatory body Fatality; Or injuries to several people 5 Catastrophic Prolonged international, regional and national condemnation >£1million per annum Catastrophic fail in service quality and key service standards are not met; long term catastrophic interruption to operations; several major partnerships are affected National impact with rapid intervention of legislative/ regulatory body Multiple fatalities; Or injuries to large number of people The assessments for impact and likelihood combine to provide an overall inherent risk score on the scale of between 1 and 25, using the Council’s recognised risk matrix. 85
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Risk matrix Likelihood 5 Almost Certain 5 10 15 20 25 4 Likely 4 8 12 16 20 3 Possible 3 6 9 12 15 2 Unlikely 2 4 6 8 10 1 Rare 1 2 3 4 5 1 Negligible 2 Minor 3 Moderate 4 Major 5 Catastrophic Impact The risk score is calculated as follows: Likelihood score x Impact score = Risk Score 86
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Appendix 2 Housing and Technical Resources Risk Register (as at 31 August 2022) Extract of risks with residual score category of Very High and High Risk Category Key risk Inherent Risk Score Sample of Controls Residual Risk Score 1 Very High (15-25) Reduction in external funding and fees/income received by the Council, as well as the increased demand for services including the residual impact of the pandemic, and the increased cost of services due to rising inflation and the cost of living crisis, results in increasing budget gaps. The Council is seeing considerable increases in prices in terms of energy, fuel and supplies reflecting the global economic environment. These will have an impact on the current and future years’ Budget Strategy. This may also affect the level of service that the council can provide. (Council Top Risk) • Failure to deliver key services / projects • Failure to achieve Resource savings targets • Failure to collect Rent/income • Increased level of arrears 25 • Embedded structure and systematic approach to savings identification. • Revised working arrangements and deployment of staff resources. • Close partnership working with Department for Work and Pensions and other agencies. • Robust rent collection and arrears management processes to reflect all circumstances. • Robust arrangements in place to monitor service delivery and outturns against budgets. • Regular reporting to Housing and Technical Resources Committee and Corporate Management Team. 20 87
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• Failure to effectively manage the processes and practices to reduce the impact of cost of living crisis • Extension of Scottish Government rent freeze/cap beyond 31 March 2023 The Council is unable to support households most impacted by the cost of living crisis resulting in increasing levels of poverty, debt, and damage to health (Council Top Risk) • increase council tax and rent arrears • an increase in consumer debt • an increase in the use of prepaid energy meters • detrimental impact on mental and physical health 25 • Support from Tenancy Sustainment and Tenant Grant Fund for tenants facing difficulty paying their rent • Provision of housing benefit and Discretionary Housing Payments support • Debt and money advice from the Money Matters Advice Service • Financial support for those households on prepaid meters • Energy support from dedicated energy advisors 20 2 High (8-12) Fire in Council Properties • Poor / inadequate fire risk assessments/precautions • Failure to adhere to building regulations/statutory legislative requirements • Tenants’ lifestyle • Tenants’ failure to insure their own contents • Owners failure to insure their own property • Building Users behaviour • Wilful Fire Raising 25 • Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) Home Fire Safety Visits encouraged including at tenancy sign up/within temporary accommodation/within supported accommodation, including sheltered housing • Tenancy Agreement – restrictions • Promotion of home contents insurance – booklet and flyers • Joint article to be produced in conjunction with SFRS and Housing Services for inclusion in Housing News • Ongoing liaison with SFRS and staff training 12 88
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• Criminality • Faulty electrical equipment • Failure to maintain plant and equipment • Property damage • Loss of rent • Financial costs for reinstatement • Common Sense Initiative – communal areas fire safety posters • Legislative compliance checks – gas / electrical etc • Fire risk assessments. • Health and Safety audits undertaken • All new schools have sprinkler or fire suppression systems • Cyclical visits within schools • Programmes of work to install controlled door entry systems • Outcomes of public inquiries The council does not have the appropriate emergency / business continuity plans; contingency arrangements or partnerships in place to respond to/or recover from a pandemic/endemic event. (Council Top Risk) • Lack of robust business continuity plans/resilience arrangements • Restriction on service delivery – statutory and non-statutory • Clarity/timing of Government guidance • Ineffective communication by employee and service users • Workforce absences/shortage • Lack of mobile IT devices • Lack of PPE 25 • Emergency Response Commitments as a Category One responder. • Temporary testing centres identified by Resource. • Monitoring of national guidance. • Resource / Service Recovery Plans and Service Restart Framework. • Business Continuity Plans. • IT software licences to allow agile working procured. • IT – Roll out of Microsoft Teams throughout the Council. • IT – Increased numbers of agile workers and increased number of laptops/tablets. • Guidance on Health and Safety Risk Assessments/Safe Systems of Work for Covid- 19 has been issued. • Introduction of Virtual Call Centre. • Tenancy Sustainment Fund Assistance. • Health and Wellbeing Group established. 12 89
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Procurement activity is affected by supply chain issues; a lack of resources; non- compliance or legal challenge (Council Top Risk) • Failure to fulfil statutory requirements • Failure to achieve best value. • Service delivery affected/fails. • Cyber Attacks - failure to protect our data systems or assets held by Council • Serious organised crime - proceeds of crime or money laundering • Lack of trained personnel 25 • Full contract wording includes SLC expectations from contractors. • Guidance on new legislation including the Bribery Act and the linkages with procurement issued by Legal Services. Council has a security framework in place. • Contractor vetting (Health and Safety), construction line and financial checks undertaken for all contractors. • Meetings with contractors to review performance/appraisals. • iProc used extensively by all Resources. • Learn online employee training – Quick quote/procurement awareness. • Standard procurement documents/processes held on intranet and reviewed/updated on an ongoing basis. These are used consistently across Resources. • Review of procedures for financial appraisals. • Performance monitoring of all significant contracts. 12 Failure to meet sustainable development and climate change objectives. (Council Top Risk) • inadequate or lack of funding lead to slippage against targets and timescales • failure by the Council to meet carbon reduction and sustainability targets 20 • Climate change and sustainability governance (committee and steering group) • Council's Sustainable Development and Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan • Carbon Management Plan • Long-term capital programme that tackles climate change mitigation and adaptation • Energy efficiency investment programmes and strategic energy reviews of all domestic and non-domestic properties • Report 6 monthly to RMT. 12 90
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• failure to deliver energy efficiency would see an increase in tenants paying more money for fuel to heat their homes • SLC Properties will fail to have energy efficient homes and not meet EESSH2 compliance. • Resource energy framework and action plan. • Energy management software in properties. • Renewable energy ie new house build programme • Environmental projects • Reduction in carbon emissions, zero carbon targets • Compliance built into future projects • Capital budget spend/funding. The inability of the council to effectively accommodate and support households who arrive in South Lanarkshire as part of refugee resettlement and the asylum seeker dispersal programmes. (Council Top Risk) • Statutory requirements not fulfilled • Failure to provide suitable accommodation • Failure to provide the required support based on individuals needs • Maintain good relationships / partnerships with National / Local Governments and Community Planning Partners • Failure to resource support mechanisms required 16 • Dedicated resources within Housing and Technical Resources – Resettlement Team to co-ordinate approach in implementation of national programmes. • Established partnership working practices which are closely monitored at a local and national level • A range of partnership structures in place to support implementation • Monitoring and reporting to RMT, CMT, Community Planning Partnership and Committees • COSLA Strategic Migration Partnership (SMP) – partnership meetings attended by appropriate representatives to co-ordinate and support delivery of national programmes in asylum and refugees’ programmes. 12 The Council fails to meet statutory and legislative duties in respect of public protection 16 • Multi-agency child protection committee in place • Multi-agency adult protection committee in place 9 91
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(Council Top Risk) Failure to deliver statutory and legislative duty to deliver services that protect everybody within our communities: • Child Protection • Adult Protection • Prevent people supporting terrorism or extremism (Counter terrorism and Security) • Environmental services • Multi-agency procedures adopted to provide guidance to staff • Multi- agency MAPPA arrangements in place • Significant case review protocol in place • Data sharing agreements in place to support alert messaging and sharing key information • Multi-agency Prevent case discussions take place • Training to raise awareness – Learn on line modules • Existing partnership working with Police Scotland and other organisations (Community Planning Partnership) Increasing levels of adverse weather (Council Top Risk) • Inability of the Council to deliver its core services • Failure to maintain Council assets • Increase in the number of insurance claims received • A potential overspend in budget as the Council responds to emergencies • Damage to public and private property 16 • Emergency Planning arrangements in place and contact details updated. • Severe Weather Group established to control the delivery of the service. • Decant properties identified. • Additional Labour/Trades identified. • Additional Plant/Transport. • Additional stock. • Additional sub-contractors identified if work content becomes high. • Additional admin staff to deal with calls/enquiries/complaints. • Better housing stock though capital programmes. • 24 hour control centre. • General Met Office alerts to Contingency Planning Officers. 9 92
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Health, Safety (including death or serious injury) and wellbeing of employees; and protection of service users and members of the public affected by council operations (Council Top Risk) • Increased claims intimated against the council • Involvement in Fatal Accident Inquiries • Increased employee absence • HSE Involvement - prohibition notice, improvement notices. • Prosecution of organisation/employee under Corporate Homicide legislation or Health and Safety at Work Act. • Industrial disease claims • Historical claims 20 • Occupational Health and Safety Management System embedded throughout the Council. • Risk Assessments and Safe Systems of Work developed and implemented. • Resource, Service and Trade Union communication and consultation arrangements in place. • Health and Safety Training matrices (Specific training requirements for employees) • Claims lessons learned reports. • Resource and Service Health and Safety Groups meet on a regular basis within all Resources. • Management of Occupational Road Risk Policy and associated documents • Analysis of statistics to identify trends and advise on mitigations to reduce risks. • Violent incident reporting procedures. • Record management and record retention schedules. 8 Failure to achieve the outcomes of the Community Plan (Council Top Risk) • Failure to tackle inequalities in priority areas • Failure to comply with statutory requirements • Failure to improve outcomes for communities 20 • Participation in CP Outcomes Lead and Progress Groups. • Delivery of Local Housing Strategy and Strategic Housing Investment Plan • Safer South Lanarkshire Steering Group undertake a monitoring role and report progress regularly to Safer South Lanarkshire Board. • Delivery of the Anti-Social Behaviour Strategy. • Promotion and delivery of Anti-Social Behaviour services 8 93
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• Promotion of Equality and Diversity through Resource Co-ordination Group • Fuel poverty – work towards achieving national targets • Promotion of a community engagement approach and events • Cross Resource Security Working Group meet quarterly • Specific targets within Resource plan, reported quarterly • Local Child Poverty Action Plan Report Failure to achieve the outcomes of the Council Plan (Council Top Risk) • Failure to reduce inequalities in priority areas • Failure to comply with statutory requirements • Not improving outcomes for individuals/families 20 • Resource Risk Register maintained, monitored and reported to Committee • Annual performance reporting and annual performance spotlights • Governance arrangements via the Executive Committee, PRSF and Resource Committees of the council • Resource Plan and Service Plans are prepared annually • Resource Plans are reported and monitored by Committee. 8 94
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Appendix 3 : Comparison of the 2021 and 2022 Housing and Technical Resources Risk Register Risk Category 2021 Key risk description 2021 Residual risk score 2022 Residual risk score Change in residual risk scores Changes to key risk descriptions Very High (15-25) Reduction in external funding and fees/income received by the Council, as well as the increased demand for services including the residual impact of the pandemic, and the increased cost of services due to rising inflation and the cost of living crisis, results in increasing budget gaps. The Council is seeing considerable increases in prices in terms of energy, fuel and supply costs reflecting the global economic environment. These will have an impact on the current and future years’ Budget Strategy. This may also affect the level of service that the council can provide. 20 20 = Wording updated to reflect inflationary increases, energy costs, reduced income (cost of living crisis) and greater pressure on council budgets The council is unable to support households most impacted by the cost of living crisis resulting in increasing levels of poverty, debt, and damage to health N/A 20 New Risk High (8-12) Fire in Council Properties 12 12 = Wording updated to include published Scottish Government practical fire safety guidance which applies to ‘specialised housing’ and 95
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Risk Category 2021 Key risk description 2021 Residual risk score 2022 Residual risk score Change in residual risk scores Changes to key risk descriptions similar premises that are provided for older people and others requiring care and support. The council does not have the appropriate emergency / business continuity plans; contingency arrangements or partnerships in place to respond to/or recover from a pandemic/endemic event. 16 12 Wording amended to focus on response and recovery from future pandemic events The inability of the council to effectively accommodate and support households who arrive in South Lanarkshire as part of refugee resettlement and the asylum seeker dispersal programmes. N/A 12 New Risk Procurement activity is affected by supply chain issues; a lack of resources; non-compliance or legal challenge 9 12 Wording updated to include Supply Chain issues Failure to meet the Council’s sustainable development and climate change objectives 6 12 Wording updated to reflect approved strategy and impact on capital budget spend/funding on zero carbon targets. The Council fails meet statutory and legislative duties in respect of public protection 9 9 = Increasing levels of adverse weather 9 9 = 96
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Risk Category 2021 Key risk description 2021 Residual risk score 2022 Residual risk score Change in residual risk scores Changes to key risk descriptions Health, Safety (including death or serious injury) and wellbeing of employees; and protection of service users and members of the public affected by council operations 8 8 = Failure to achieve the outcomes of the Council Plan N/A 8 New Risk Failure to achieve the outcomes of the Community Plan 8 8 = Medium (4-6) Failure to fulfil emergency response commitments befitting the Council’s status as a Category One (emergency) responder. 6 6 = Information Governance not subject to adequate control 6 6 = Failure to deliver City Deal projects and realise anticipated economic benefits 6 6 = Failure to achieve results and demonstrate continuous improvement, through leadership, good governance and organisational effectiveness 6 6 = Failure to deliver the Council’s “Homes+” council house supply programme and impact on ability to meet housing need 6 6 = Addition - updated to make reference to material supply issues and note that impact influenced by ongoing global factors. The council fails to maximise the benefits of the Community Wealth Building Strategy N/A 6 New Risk 97
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Risk Category 2021 Key risk description 2021 Residual risk score 2022 Residual risk score Change in residual risk scores Changes to key risk descriptions Failure to implement the new Integrated Housing and Property Management System 6 6 = Failure to address fuel poverty in council houses 6 6 = Failure to deliver the Council's Capital Programme 6 6 = Failure to provide suitable temporary and settled accommodation for homeless applicants 4 4 = Addition - updated to reflect a full review of temporary accommodation portfolio was completed and the development of temporary accommodation standards and mapping. Failure to improve tenants’ sustainability 4 4 = Failure to implement Local Housing Strategy (LHS) 4 4 = Failure to implement planned maintenance programmes 4 4 = New and amended legislation 4 4 = Failure to ensure the Corporate Asset Management Plan is progressed 4 4 = 98
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Report Agenda Item Report to: Housing and Technical Resources Committee Date of Meeting: 14 December 2022 Report by: Executive Director (Housing and Technical Resources) Subject: Annual Report - Mainstreaming Equality and Diversity within Housing and Technical Resources 1. Purpose of Report 1.1. The purpose of the report is to:- provide an overview of progress made in relation to mainstreaming equalities within Housing and Technical Resources during 2021/2022 highlight the key actions being progressed during 2022/2023 2. Recommendation(s) 2.1. Housing and Technical Resources Committee is asked to approve the following recommendation(s):- (1) that the progress made during 2021/2022 and key actions for 2022/2023 in relation to mainstreaming equalities, detailed in appendices 1 and 2, be noted. 3. Background 3.1. The Housing and Technical Resources Equality and Diversity Co-ordinating Group has oversight of progress in relation to the equality and diversity work plan, supporting a consistent approach to mainstreaming equality and diversity across the Resource. 3.2. The range of work being carried out across the Resource in relation to mainstreaming equality and diversity is reported on an annual basis. The last annual report, covering the period 2020/2021, was presented to the Housing and Technical Resources Committee on 8 December 2021. 3.3. It has been widely recognised that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a disproportionate impact upon vulnerable and disadvantaged individuals and groups within communities. While restrictions had eased, work across the Resource to help mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on potentially vulnerable customer groups has remained a focus during 2021/2022. 3.4. This report provides further details of this work, alongside other activities, progressed during 2021/2022 and sets out the key priorities to be progressed during 2022/2023. 4. National and Local Policy Developments 4.1. A New Deal for Tenants - Draft Rented Sector Strategy In December 2021, the Scottish Government launched the consultative draft strategy, ‘A New Deal for Tenants’ which aims to help deliver the Housing to 2040 vision of improving accessibility, affordability choices and standards across the whole rented sector in Scotland. The results of the consultation will feed into the final version of the strategy, with elements of the proposals included within a Housing Bill to be presented to Parliament in 2023. 17 99
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4.2. Review of Public Sector Equality Duty In December 2021, the Scottish Government published a consultation on the ‘Review of the Operation of the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) in Scotland’. The Public Sector Equality Duty emanates from the Equality Act 2010, with Scottish Specific Duties introduced in 2012. The Scottish Specific Duties outline the key responsibilities for public bodies and include statutory requirements to report against Equality Outcomes and to continue to evidence that decisions relating to policy and practice are properly assessed against the general duties. The Resource contributed to the development of the Council’s response to the consultation, which was submitted in March 2022. The Scottish Government and the Equality and Human Rights Commission are currently reviewing the Scottish Specific Duties with a view to revising these for 2025, in time for the next Mainstreaming Equalities reports. 4.3. Strategic Commissioning Plan (SCP) 2022 to 2025 During 2021/2022, the Resource worked with colleagues from the Health and Social Care Partnership to develop the new Strategic Commissioning Plan (SCP) 2022 to 2025. A Housing Contribution Statement is, as is statutorily required, embedded within the SCP. This includes a range of actions identified to support 2 strategic housing priorities:- suitable and sustainable housing and preventing and reducing homelessness Broadly defined, the housing actions identified aim to widen access to housing options, support older and disabled people to live independently at home for longer and prevent homelessness and its impact by improving access to health and support services, especially for those with complex needs. Progress against the actions will be monitored against identified performance measures. 4.4. South Lanarkshire Council’s Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan (RRTP) In 2020/2021, as part of a review of the Council’s Equalities Outcomes, Housing and Technical Resources identified a new headline Equality Outcome, ‘Prevent homelessness occurring and significantly reduce homelessness’ for the period 2021 to 2025, with specific actions identified which align to the Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan (RRTP). These actions are routinely monitored and reported on as part of the RRTP annual review process and progress against the Resource’s Equality Outcomes for 2021 to 2025 is also closely monitored by the Resource Equality and Diversity Co-ordination Group. An update on progress in relation to the Council’s Equality Outcomes and its approach to mainstreaming equalities will be reported to Executive Committee and the Scottish Government during 2023. 4.5. Equality Impact Assessment and the Fairer Scotland Duty The Resource continues to undertake Equality Impact and Fairer Scotland Duty assessments against new or revised policies and strategies as a means of mitigating inequalities. 100
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During 2021/2022, the Resource continued to work with the Corporate Equality and Diversity Working Group to develop an integrated approach to Equality Impact Assessment and the Fairer Scotland Duty. The proposed new approach will also consider human rights, children’s rights and climate change as part of policy development processes. It is anticipated that the new integrated impact assessment will be implemented during 2022/2023. 5. Key Areas of Progress 2021/2022 5.1. Key highlights in relation to mainstreaming equalities for Housing and Technical Resources during 2021/2022 are detailed in Appendix 1 and include:- the delivery of the Home+ affordable housing supply programme, with a focus on accessibility progression of a number of initiatives supporting digital inclusion and technology enabled care for housing customers a range of supports to vulnerable individuals and groups including those experiencing homelessness, Gypsy/Travellers, refugees, older people and those with disabilities national recognition of the Council’s engagement activity and collaborative approach with Gypsy/Traveller residents with the Council winning awards from both COSLA and the UK Municipal Journal the continued strong focus on partnership working to deliver homelessness prevention and tenancy sustainment services the implementation of a person-centred housing pathway approach for people experiencing domestic abuse and care experienced young people the continued implementation of the ‘Homes for Ukraine’ scheme and other resettlement programmes, by providing accommodation and support to refugees supporting the identification of appropriate accommodation for asylum seekers 5.2. Full details of key areas of progress for the Resource during 2021/2022 can be found at Appendix 1. 6. Consultation, Engagement and Customer Feedback 6.1. As part of the Resource’s annual consultation programme and in addition to the broader programme of engagement, officers continued to work closely with a range of equalities groups and stakeholders including:- Disability Partnership Housing Sub-Group South Lanarkshire Access Panel residents of the Council’s 2 gypsy/travellers’ sites Seniors Together sheltered housing tenants people with lived experience of homelessness care-experienced young people South Lanarkshire Gender-based Violence Partnership South Lanarkshire Autism Strategy Group Financial Inclusion Network Digital Inclusion Sub-Group South Lanarkshire Youth Council Bord-na-Gaidhlig 101
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During 2021/2022, these groups and stakeholders were instrumental in contributing to the development of key strategic pieces of work, including the review of the Anti- Social Behaviour Policy and the annual rent setting scrutiny and engagement programme. 7. Complaints 7.1. There were no complaints recorded within the Equalities category during 2021/2022. 8. Employee Learning and Development 8.1. Resource employees participated in a wide range of equality and diversity related e- learning activities during 2021/2022. This included a core set of mandatory training modules for all employees which included:- Equality and Diversity Awareness (completed by 749 employees) Unconscious Bias (completed by 473 employees) Marriage and Civil Partnership (completed by 463 employees) Race Discrimination (completed by 728 employees) This programme of equalities training will continue to be rolled out by Employee Development on an ongoing basis. Additionally, the Resource also delivered training/awareness sessions on the following topics:- British Sign Language training at an appropriate level for employees to support customers with a hearing impairment in July 2021, guidance in relation to Equality Impact Assessment and the Fairer Scotland Duty was delivered to appropriate housing staff as part of a service development session. This aimed to ensure that these processes continue to be considered in all new or revised strategic pieces of work in December 2021, a service development session on the Housing and Dementia Framework was delivered to all housing operational staff to raise awareness of the Framework. This included information and advice on the Herbert Protocol, a tool which provides vital information to the police about vulnerable people who may have gone missing 9. Equality and Diversity Reporting Framework 9.1. On an annual basis, the Resource reports the range of work and activities being progressed to support mainstreaming equality to the following key stakeholders:- Housing and Technical Resources, Resource Management Team Equal Opportunities Forum Parent Joint Consultative Committee Housing and Technical Resources Committee 10. Key Priorities for 2022/2023 10.1. The Resource Equality and Diversity Co-ordinating Group (EDCG) will continue to oversee the work in relation to mainstreaming equality across Housing and Technical Resources during 2022/2023. 10.2. Key priorities for the Resource during 2022/2023 include:- continue to implement Equality Impact and Fairer Scotland Duty assessments to new and revised policies and strategies continuing to deliver a range of housing solutions to meet a wide variety of needs 102
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delivering Year 4 of the Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan continue to implement the adaptations programme to support independent living for older people with disabilities continuing to support the refugee resettlement programmes, including the ‘Homes for Ukraine’ scheme and the provision of accommodation for asylum seekers continue a programme of consultation and engagement with a range of equality groups to help shape housing services and practice continue to provide a range of translation services to customers with specific communication requirements, including sign language provision 10.3. Full details of key priorities to be taken forward during 2022/2023 can be found at Appendix 2. 11. Next Steps 11.1. During 2022/2023, in line with the agreed reporting schedule, an annual update has been reported to the groups/stakeholders detailed at 9.1 above. 12. Employee Implications 12.1. There are no employee implications associated with this report. 13. Financial Implications 13.1. There are no financial implications associated with this report. 14. Climate Change, Sustainability and Environmental Implications 14.1. This report does not introduce a new policy, function or strategy which impacts on the natural environment, climate change or sustainability. 15. Other Implications 15.1. There is a risk to South Lanarkshire Council should the Resource not comply with the relevant equalities’ duty and legislation. 15.2. The content of this report will contribute to the evidence to support the requirements of the Annual Assurance Statement to the Scottish Housing Regulator. 16. Equality Impact Assessment and Consultation Arrangements 16.1. This report does not introduce a new policy, function or strategy or recommend a change to an existing policy, function or strategy and therefore no impact assessment or formal consultation is required. Stephen Gibson Executive Director (Housing and Technical Resources) 22 November 2022 Link(s) to Council Values/Priorities/Objectives Focused on people and their needs Working with and respecting others Accountable, effective, efficient and transparent Ambitious, self-aware and improving Fair, open and sustainable Good quality, suitable and sustainable places to live Caring, connected, sustainable communities 103
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People live the healthiest lives possible Our children and young people thrive Previous References Mainstreaming Equality and Diversity within Housing and Technical Resources – Annual Report to Housing and Technical Resources Committee (8 December 2021) List of Background Papers A New Deal for Tenants – Draft Strategy Consultation Paper (The Scottish Government – December 2021) Review of the Operation of the Public Sector Equality Duty in Scotland: Consultation Paper (The Scottish Government – December 2021) South Lanarkshire Health and Social Care Partnership Strategic Commissioning Plan 2022 to 2025 South Lanarkshire Council Equality Outcomes 2021-2025 Fairer Scotland Duty Guidance for Public Bodies (The Scottish Government – October 2021) South Lanarkshire Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan 2019 to 2024 Contact for further Information If you would like to inspect the background papers or want further information, please contact: Linda Pearson, Strategy Co-ordinator Tel: 01698 454092 E-mail: linda.pearson@southlanarkshire.gov.uk 104
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APPENDIX 1 KEY AREAS OF PROGRESS 2021/22 Home+ Affordable Housing Supply Programme During 2021/22, a total of 551 additional affordable homes for social rent were delivered across South Lanarkshire. This included 362 additional homes delivered by the council and 189 new build homes built by Registered Social Landlords (RSLs). In delivering the council’s new build housing programme, 23% of these properties were designed to meet the needs of those with particular needs, including wheelchair users. Adaptations Programme During 2021/22, a total of 1,514 homes were adapted to support people with health conditions or disabilities to continue to live independently within their own homes, without the need for rehousing or moving to a care setting. The Resource completed 993 adaptations to council properties and a further 521 adaptations were completed in private homes through grant funding provided through the Scheme of Assistance. Housing and Homelessness Through the Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan (RRTP), the Resource and its housing and homelessness partners continue to take forward a range of actions to prevent and reduce homelessness and limit the time people experiencing homelessness spend in temporary accommodation. The third annual review of the RRTP was undertaken during 2021/22 and was reported to Housing and Technical Resources Committee on 10 August 2022. The review noted that significant progress had been made in the third year of the plan. Key highlights included:- a 21% reduction in the number of households who were homeless (969 households at 31 March 2021 reducing to 765 household at the end of March 2022); a significant reduction in long-term homelessness with 25% fewer homeless households living in temporary accommodation for more than 12 months; the continued strong focus on partnership working to deliver homelessness prevention and tenancy sustainment services; the further development of Housing First, with a total of 33 households supported through the programme; the continuation of the positive Personal Housing Planning approach for vulnerable groups including women experiencing domestic abuse, care experienced young people and those leaving prison. Technology Enabled Care Programme During 2021/22, the Resource continued to progress a range of Technology Enabled Care (TEC) initiatives to support independent living for older people, those with disabilities and other vulnerable customers. Some examples of the work undertaken in the year included:- the delivery of 20 TEC enabled council homes at the Blantyre housing and care development. 176 digital devices with data supplied to vulnerable tenants and other customers through successful bids to Connecting Scotland, the Lintel Trust and the ‘Bringing IT Home’ project. installation of wi-fi at both council-owned Gypsy/Traveller sites. utilising Turning Point Scotland’s out of hours crisis response service Digital 105
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Harm Reduction Toolkit with homelessness service users. Truecall call blockers and video doorbells installed for sheltered tenants and other vulnerable customers by Trading Standards. use of the NHS ‘Near Me’ video consulting service promoted across homelessness and sheltered housing services to facilitate virtual face-to-face medical appointments for service users. joint working with IT and Social Work Occupational Therapy services to test telecare solutions for sheltered housing tenants. To augment the work that is ongoing around TEC, during 2021/22, the Resource also completed sign-up to the Scottish Federation of Housing Association’s TEC in Housing Charter. This provides an opportunity to join a network of housing providers across Scotland to share good practice and explore new innovations. Housing and Dementia During 2021/22, the Resource commenced implementation of the Chartered Institute of Housing’s Housing and Dementia Framework. This aims to better support tenants who are living with dementia to lead full and independent lives for as long as possible, within the comfort of their own home. An initial self-assessment of the sheltered housing service was undertaken, and an action plan has been developed to take forward a number of improvements. This aims to ensure that people living with dementia are provided with the right advice, the right home and the right support. Refugee Resettlement As at the end of March 2022, 56 families (202 individuals) had been settled across South Lanarkshire, with over half being children under 16 years of age. These families have come to the UK through the Syrian Refugee Resettlement Programme and the new UK Resettlement Programme and are supported by specialist Support Officers from the Refugee Resettlement Team. The Refugee Resettlement Team work closely with four Youth, Family and Community Learning Officers (ESOL), within Education Resources, enabling individuals to access opportunities, positively engage and integrate with communities and develop English language skills. Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, the UK Government announced a ‘Homes for Ukraine’ scheme to assist Ukrainian nationals displaced by the war to apply for a visa to live in the UK. The council and its partners have a pivotal role in helping to support Ukrainian nationals, by providing accommodation, conducting property and safeguarding checks, providing a range of practical support and assistance and managing health and wellbeing. This work will help support the implementation of the scheme and the associated Scottish Super Sponsor scheme during the year ahead. The Resource has also been working to support the identification of accommodation for asylum seekers. Gypsy/Travellers During 2021/22, the Resource continued to work closely with residents of its two Gypsy/Traveller sites to improve both accommodation and site provision. A range of improvement projects were progressed in line with site investment masterplans previously co-developed with site residents. These included: - the installation of a new community facility and events space at Shawlands Crescent, Larkhall, designed and managed by residents. the extension and reconfiguration of pitches across both sites to meet fire safety guidance and provide residents with more space to allow larger accommodation options. a range of upgrades to the amenity units at both sites, including the installation of 106
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new decarbonised heating, insulation, doors, windows and roofs. the installation of wi-fi at both sites to help residents overcome social isolation and digital accessibility issues commonly observed within the Gypsy/Traveller community. The Resource’s engagement activity and collaborative approach with Gypsy/Traveller residents recently received recognition at a national level, with the council winning awards from both COSLA and the UK Municipal Journal. Equality Data Collection and Knowing our Customers During 2021/22, the Resource provided an update to the Scottish Housing Regulator, through the Annual Assurance Statement, confirming that plans were being developed to review and adjust the existing approach to the collection of equalities and human rights information to support new regulatory requirements. A Resource working group was established to consider actions to improve the efficacy and level of equalities monitoring information held for customers. An action plan has been developed, prioritising key areas to be progressed in conjunction with the development of the new Integrated Housing and Property Management System. This work will be a key priority area for the Resource Equality and Diversity Co- ordinating group during 2022/23 and will help ensure that the specific needs of customers are being met. Support to Victims of Domestic Abuse During 2021/22, the Resource implemented a person-centred housing pathway approach for people experiencing domestic abuse. The pathway considers options to support victims that can include agency support and safety planning to remain in their current accommodation or provision of housing advice, should they wish to move to a different location. A total of 19 housing pathways were completed for people experiencing domestic abuse during 2021/22. Translation and Interpretation Services The Resource continues to provide a range of translation (written) and interpretation (verbal) services to customers with specific communication requirements, including sign language provision. These services have helped to make housing services more inclusive for people whose first language is not English. 107
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APPENDIX 2 KEY PRIORITIES FOR 2022/23 Equality Impact Assessment and the Fairer Scotland Duty Continue to implement Equality Impact and Fairer Scotland Duty assessments to new and revised policies and strategies, whilst contributing to development of the new integrated approach. Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan (RRTP) Continue to implement, monitor and report on progress in relation to the Equality Outcomes for 2021-25, linking to the implementation of Year 4 of the RRTP. Equalities Data Collection and Monitoring Take forward priority actions identified to improve equalities monitoring information held for customers to help better understand and meet their needs. Home+ Affordable Housing Supply Programme Continue to implement the Home+ affordable housing supply programme, to support the delivery of additional affordable homes that meet a variety of needs. Adaptations Programme Continue to implement the adaptations programme to support independent living for older people and those with disabilities. Technology Enabled Care Continue to explore and deliver new innovations around Technology Enabled Care and digital inclusion to support health and wellbeing for vulnerable customers. Refugee Resettlement Programme Continue to contribute to the UK Refugee Resettlement Programme and support the Homes for Ukraine and Scottish Super Sponsor Scheme. Asylum Dispersal Take forward actions in support of the introduction of the UK Government’s system for widening asylum dispersal. A New Deal for Tenants – Rented Sector Strategy Consider implications and respond to requirements arising from the finalised Rented Sector Strategy due to be published by the Scottish Government in late 2022 and related housing legislation to be introduced in 2023. Housing and Dementia Continue to implement the Housing and Dementia framework to support customers living with dementia to maintain their independence for as long as possible. Gypsy/Travellers Continue to engage with Gypsy/Traveller site residents to inform and shape services and the programme of investment which continues to be delivered at both sites. Translation and Interpretation Continue to make housing services more accessible for people whose first language is not English by providing translation and interpretation services. Consultation and Engagement Continue a programme of consultation and engagement with a range of equality groups to help shape housing services and practice. Learning and Development Continue to provide equalities-based learning and development opportunities for employees and Elected Members to reflect current priorities. Public Sector Equality Duty Consider any implications for the Resource arising from the Scottish Government’s revised Public Sector Equality Duty, when published. Gaelic Language Plan Support the implementation of the council’s Gaelic Language Plan. 108
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Report Agenda Item Report to: Housing and Technical Resources Committee Date of Meeting: 14 December 2022 Report by: Executive Director (Housing and Technical Resources) Subject: Delegated Authority Report – Update 1. Purpose of Report 1.1. The purpose of the report is to:- advise the Committee on transactions processed by delegated authority by Property Services during Quarter 2 of 2022/2023 [1purpose] 2. Recommendation(s) 2.1. The Housing and Technical Resources Committee is asked to approve the following recommendation(s):- (1) that the transactions processed by delegated authority by Property Services during Quarter 2 of 2022/2023, be noted 3. Background 3.1. The Executive Director (Housing and Technical Resources) has delegated authority to deal with various transactions, including:- leases of a value up to £50,000 per annum and a maximum period of 20 years rent reviews up to an increase of £20,000 per annum disposals up to a value of £200,000 acquisitions up to a value of £200,000 3.2. Delegated authority reports are prepared by case officers and submitted to the Head of Property Services for approval, once provisional agreement has been reached with the third party. A weekly list of approved reports is published on the Council’s intranet under “Estates Property Transactions”. 3.3. The delegated reports provide authority for officers to progress transactions and where appropriate, to instruct Legal Services. The receipt of any monies arising from the transactions occurs at a date in the future once missives have been concluded and any suspensive conditions met. It should be noted that some transactions may never settle. 4. Summary Quarter 2 2022/2023 4.1. The summary of transactions progressed under delegated authority during Quarter 2 of 2022/2023 is shown in Appendix 1, however, can be summarised as follows:- Total number of transactions 60 Total value of lease transactions £305,543 per annum Total value of capital transactions £1,594,065 Total number of miscellaneous transactions £0 18 109
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5. Employee Implications 5.1. There are no employee implications associated with this report. 6. Financial Implications 6.1. The rental income to the Council is increased as a result of the new lettings and lease renewals. 6.2. Disposals generate additional capital funds for the Council’s Capital Programme. 6.3. Acquisitions are carried out in accordance with project plans and approved capital budgets, to enable investment programmes to proceed. 7. Climate Change, Sustainability and Environmental Implications 7.1. There are no issues in relation to climate change, sustainability and environment contained within this report. 8. Other Implications 8.1. There is a low risk that the rental and capital receipts identified within these delegated authority reports are not achieved if, for reasons outwith the Council’s control, the tenant/purchaser chooses not to proceed with the transactions. However, Property Services has in place procedures and consultations intended to minimise this risk. 9. Equality Impact Assessment and Consultation Arrangements 9.1. Consultation takes place with the occupying Resource, Planning, Roads and Legal Services on a transaction by transaction basis as and when required. 9.2. This report does not introduce a new policy, function or strategy or recommend a change to an existing policy, function or strategy and therefore, no impact assessment is required. Stephen Gibson Executive Director (Housing and Technical Resources) 21 November 2022 Link(s) to Council Values/Priorities/Outcomes Accountable, effective, efficient and transparent Previous References Housing and Technical Resources Committee, 10 August 2022 Housing and Technical Resources Committee, 8 December 2021 List of Background Papers Plans and drawings of the property involved in these transactions can be obtained from the Assets and Estates Team, Property Services Weekly List of Delegated Authority Transactions can be obtained on the Council’s intranet 110
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Contact for Further Information If you would like to inspect the background papers or want further information, please contact:- Joanne Forbes, Head of Property Services Ext: 4073 (Tel: 01698 454073) E-mail: joanne.forbes@southlanarkshire.gov.uk 111
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Appendix 1 Delegated Authority Transactions Transaction Type Quarter 2 2022/2023 No Value Lease Renewal 13 £102,650 New Lease Landlords Consent 11 2 £165,542 £0 Assignation 1 £0 Rent Review 1 £37,351 Total Revenue 28 £305,543 Disposal 4 £15,400 Compensation 0 £0 Wayleave/Servitude 3 £1,075 Acquisition Title Waiver 20 0 £1,577,590 £0 Total Capital 27 £1,594,065 Miscellaneous 5 £0 112
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Report Agenda Item Report to: Housing and Technical Resources Committee Date of Meeting: 14 December 2022 Report by: Executive Director (Housing and Technical Resources) Subject: Notification of Contracts Awarded - 1 July to 27 October 2022 1. Purpose of Report 1.1. The purpose of the report is to:- [purpose] provide notification to Committee of contracts awarded by Housing and Technical Resources for the supply of Goods, Services and Works, following formal tendering in excess of £50,000 during the period 1 July to 27 October 2022 [1purpose] 2. Recommendation(s) 2.1. The Committee is asked to approve the following recommendation(s):- [r] (1) that the details of the contracts awarded by Consultancy Services in Appendix A, be noted; (2) that the details of the contracts awarded by Procurement Team in Appendix B, be noted; and (3) that the details of the sub contracts awarded by Building Services in Appendix C, be noted. [1recs] 3. Background 3.1. It is a requirement of Clause 21.8 of the Standing Orders on contracts that details of the acceptance of all tenders above £50,000, be reported retrospectively to the relevant Committee for noting other than those under Clause 21.3 where the award is not the lowest in a price only tender or costs exceed the approved financial provision. In these instances, a report is submitted to the appropriate Committee and subsequent authority to award is granted by that Committee. 4. Contracts Awarded 4.1. A full list of the contracts is provided in the appendices to this report. 5. Employee Implications 5.1. There are no employee implications. 6. Financial Implications 6.1. Appropriate budgetary provision is available for each of the contracts awarded. 7. Climate Change, Sustainability and Environmental Implications 7.1 There are no climate change, sustainability or environmental implications in terms of the information contained within this report. 19 113
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8. Other Implications 8.1. There are no implications for risk in terms of the information contained within this report. 9. Equality Impact Assessment and Consultation Arrangements 9.1. This report does not introduce a new policy, function or strategy or recommend a change to an existing policy, function or strategy and therefore, no impact assessment is required. 9.2. There is no requirement to undertake any consultation in relation to the content of this report. Stephen Gibson Executive Director (Housing and Technical Resources) 22 November 2022 Link(s) to Council Values/Priorities/Outcomes Accountable, effective, efficient and transparent Previous References Housing and Technical Resources Committee, 10 August 2022 List of Background Papers None Contact for Further Information If you would like to inspect the background papers or want further information, please contact:- Derek Craig, Property Manager (Consultancy Services) Ext: 845 3517 (Tel: 01698 453517) E-mail: Derek.Craig@southlanarkshire.gov.uk 114
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Appendix A Contracts Awarded (Consultancy Services) 1 July – 27 October 2022 Client Project Ref Title Winning Contractor Brief Description of Work Contract Sum Letter of Acceptance Issued Education EDD011120.004 Clyde Terrace Nursery SLC Building Services New Build Nursery £3,230,699.23 05/07/2022 Education EDD011888 Cathkin Nursery Expansion SLC Building Services Nursery Expansion £104,880.28 07/07/2022 Education EDD011859 Carnwath Nursery Expansion SLC Building Services Nursery Expansion £105,223.38 07/07/2022 Housing General Fund HGF011901 Lanark Lifestyles Pool - Roof Works Procladd (Small Works) Ltd Roof Works £97,147.58 01/08/2022 Housing HOD011742 Wyler Tower, Hamilton - Emergency Lighting SLC Building Services Emergency Lighting £143,561.37 04/08/2022 Housing HOD011863 Strutherhill Zone B External Fabric Repairs SLC Building Services External Fabric Repairs £1,736,881.43 07/08/2022 Housing General Fund HGF011889 Lanark Business Unit Roof Replacement Procladd (Small Works) Ltd Roof Replacement £90,928.05 09/08/2022 Community COM011639 Carnwath Roads Depot – Pre- Demolition Works SLC Building Services Pre-Demolition Works £82,808.12 18/08/2022 115
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Client Project Ref Title Winning Contractor Brief Description of Work Contract Sum Letter of Acceptance Issued Education EDD011239 Castlefield PS Extension SLC Building Services Castlefield PS Extension £1,025,884.00 18/08/2022 Housing HOD011521.002 Hamilton Road, Larkhall SLC Building Services Aids & Adaptations (Extension) £112,275.82 29/09/2022 Housing General Fund HGF011819 Replacement Roof to the Land & Fleet Depot, Rutherglen SLC Building Services Roof Replacement £72,246.30 04/10/2022 Housing General Fund HGF 011964 Calderglen Park Conservatory Blantyre Park Services Ltd H&V Controls £60,000.00 14/10/2022 Housing HOD011876 Margaretvale Sheltered Housing Complex SLC Building Services Internal Area Upgrade £130,418.63 24/10/2022 116
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Appendix B Contracts Awarded (Procurement Team) 1 July – 27 October 2022 Project Ref Title Winning Contractor Brief Description of Work Contract Sum Letter of Acceptance Issued SLC/PS/FINCOR/21/140 Provision of Independent Advice and Support for Tenants in South Lanarkshire Tenants Information Service Provision of Independent Advice and Support for tenants in South Lanarkshire £160,000.00 24/05/2022 SLC/PS/HTR/21/115 Close Lighting Upgrade, Cathkin GD Chalmers Ltd Close Lighting Upgrade, Cathkin £58,196.20 04/07/2022 SLC/PS/HTR/21/262 Provision of Manned Security Services Profile Security Services Ltd Provision of Manned Security Services £3,250,000.00 05/07/2022 SLC/PS/HTR/21/278 Maintenance of Closed Protocol Combined Heat Power (CHP) Units Sav United Kingdom Ltd Maintenance of Closed Protocol Combined Heat Power (CHP) Units £152,710.95 08/07/2022 SLC/HTR/16/353 Maintenance Of BEMS Installations Building Management Solutions Maintenance Of BEMS Installations £117,113.20 29/07/2022 SLC/PS/HTR/21/231 Maintenance and Contracts Term Scaffolding Contract Turner Access Ltd Maintenance and Contracts Term Scaffolding Contract £2,352,665.04 05/09/2022 SLC/PS/HTR/22/089 SLC Phase 4 Demolition George Beattie & Sons Ltd SLC Phase 4 Demolition £1,275,000.00 04/10/2022 SLC/PS/HTR/22/244 Service and Maintenance of Chiller Units at EK Ice Rink Star Refrigeration Ltd Service and Maintenance of Chiller Units at EK Ice Rink £88,528.00 05/10/2022 117
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Appendix C Contracts Awarded (Building Services) 1 July – 27 October 2022 Project Ref Title Winning Contractor Brief Description of Work Contract Sum Letter of Acceptance Issued BSP011947.002 Clyde Terrace New Build Nursery Fleming Buildings Ltd Sub-Contract: Timber Kit £276,967.00 14/07/2022 BSP011947.004 Clyde Terrace New Build Nursery Blantyre Park Services Ltd Sub-Contract: Mechanical & Plumbing £308,834.59 14/07/2022 BSP011947.001 Clyde Terrace New Build Nursery Joseph Leckie & Sons Ltd Sub-Contact: Groundworks, Brickworks & Piling £788,629.20 14/07/2022 BSP011947.003 Clyde Terrace New Build Nursery Procladd (Scotland) Ltd Sub-Contract: Roof & Wall Cladding £246, 789.91 14/07/2022 BSP011947.007 Clyde Terrace New Build Nursery Scottech Ltd Sub-Contract: Curtain Walling £112,290.50 19/07/2022 BSP011947.008 Clyde Terrace New Build Nursery Orona Ltd Sub-Contract: Lift £220,853.00 19/07/2022 BSP011973.001 Strutherhill Zone B BCA Insulation Ltd Sub-Contract: Cavity Wall Insulation £117,604.80 27/09/2022 118
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Project Ref Title Winning Contractor Brief Description of Work Contract Sum Letter of Acceptance Issued BSP011976.001 Castlefield PS Classroom Extension Fleming Building Ltd Sub-Contract: Structural Timber Kit £136,557.00 27/09/2022 BSP011976.006 Castlefield PS Classroom Extension Scottech Limited Sub-Contract: Curtain Walling £84,400.10 30/09/2022 BSP011976.005 Castlefield PS Classroom Extension Blantyre Park Services Ltd Sub-Contract: Mechanical £124,982.00 30/09/2022 BSP011973.002 Strutherhill Zone B Ailsa Building Contractors Ltd Sub-Contract: Roughcast & Rendering £342,401.22 30/09/2022 BSP011976.007 Castlefield PS Classroom Extension Joseph Leckie & Sons Ltd Sub-Contract: Ground & Brickworks £164,197.65 06/10/2022 119
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