Agenda item

The transfer date for the housing stock going to Northampton Partnership homes is 5^th January, and everything is on target for this transfer date.  The agreement between NBC and NPH will be signed this afternoon (13/11/14). NBC now needs to look at other avenues within its housing remit, such as homelessness services and private sector homes, etc.

Questions

Where is sheltered housing going?

Cllr Markham advised that sheltered housing is going to be part of Northampton Partnership Homes. NBC are looking at sheltered housing, and have employed a Project Officer who is working on this, undertaking a review of sheltered housing, the properties, the general need and how we make these more suitable. There will also be some work looking at how the two users of sheltered housing – both older people and vulnerable adults – are split in order to ensure needs are being met effectively.

How are tenants represented?

Cllr Markham advised that there is a tenant’s panel, six service improvement panels, and four tenants sitting on the board of NPH, which ensure that there is greater involvement and greater say for tenants. Also, the results of surveying tenants have formed the working documents for NPH.  

Will Councillors still be able to help with Housing issues?

Cllr Markham advised that the stock is owned by NBC but NPH are paid to manage the stock by NBC.  Councillors will still be able to support tenants, and the contact centre will still be able to provide help and advice.

Tupee transfers and redundancies

On the topic of tupee transfers, Cllr Markham advised that the staff transfer was never an exercise to reduce staff. The only area where Cllr Markham could not be certain whether the work force is undergoing change is the Wellbeing Team, due to changes in the funding for the team – a bid has been submitted to NCC for this. All NBC staff have just gone through negotiation and changes to their terms and conditions – this has effected all staff. Northampton Partnership Homes will be in charge of their employees.

Private sector housing

Cllr Markham advised that Private Sector Housing is staying within NBC and will stay as it is. This is a big area that has been left behind; NBC can now devote time to the service area, focusing on HMOs and private landlords etc.

Terms of the agreement

This is a partnership between NBC and NPH – both bodies want this to work, and NBC will enable and assist where ever possible.  Any changes in the future will have to go through another options appraisal.

Northampton Partnership Homes would not have the right to sell the properties, as they manage the properties while NBC still own the properties. If in the future new builds are built, NBC will have the choice of whether these homes remain owned by NBC or whether they are gifted to NPH. NPH will have the opportunity to borrow much more money than the local authority has been able to, and there will therefore be the opportunity for more improvements and developments to be made.

The decision for building new builds in the future will be made by NBC. A decision has been made that NPH will focus on getting all housing stock up to the Northampton Standard for the first 10 years, and therefore will not focus on building new properties in the first 10 years. However, NBC has been successful in receiving a grant for 100 new council homes in Dallington. There is already a retrospective plan for building homes in Dallington, and all money can then be used on building the homes themselves, rather than the road infrastructure etc. which is already covered by the existing building plans.

A forum member asked who would be responsible for the debt if NPH was to have a problem. Cllr Markham advised that, as above, there will be a close working relationship between the bodies, and if NPH ran into problems, there would be consultations between the organisations and NBC would be looking to work with them.

Other issues

Cllr Markham gave an overview of the ‘empty homes’ programme set up by the homes and communities agency. NBC submitted a bid for some funding from this programme to bring empty homes back into use. NBC have talked to a lot of home owners, advertised the scheme etc. Where people will negotiate with the Council, an agreement will be entered into – NBC will cover the cost of bringing the property up to standard, and which will become the property of NBC for an agreed amount of years. Once the cost of repairing and improving the property has been returned through use by Council tenants, the property will be returned to the original owner. It has been difficult to get people to engage with this scheme. NBC are currently looking at old business properties and converting these into flats, and as a result of being proactive with this, is confident that their targets will be met by March.

A forum member asked about the St. Edmunds hospital site, and whether there would be any possibility of converting the property into pensioners’ flats. Cllr Markham advised that this site has had difficulties as it is a listed building. NBC have been in consultation with the owners of the site, and now seems to be moving in the right direction. Details of this are not in the public domain currently, but there will be an update soon.