Issue - meetings

Report HPR2023/003

The report presented the 2022/23 Quarter 3 update to the Housing, Planning and Regeneration Portfolio Plan.

In considering workstreams within the Portfolio Plan, a Member expressed concern regarding application criteria for food vouchers as those who had previously applied were not eligible for the current round.  The Director of Housing, Planning, Property and Regeneration explained that Government advice was that food vouchers must be targeted at those who had not benefitted from previous rounds but that a range of support was in place for all struggling households in Bromley, including welfare and crisis funds.  A Member queried whether an increase had been seen in the use of Section 21 notices to evict tenants from private rented accommodation and the Assistant Director: Housing advised that this had not been the experience in Bromley and that the Local Authority worked with landlords to maintain existing tenancies wherever possible.  Another Member reported that the phone waiting times for the Housing Options Service had been raised as a concern by Citizens’ Advice Bromley.  The Assistant Director: Housing confirmed that this was an identified issue within the service and that steps were being taken to improve call waiting times, including modal shift to online forms and e-mail. 

In response to a question from a Member, the Assistant Director: Culture and Regeneration confirmed that there were currently no uncommitted funds within the scheme to deliver improvements to shopping parades.  A review was being undertaken on the deliverability of the agreed work programme which could free up some funds and an update would be provided to Members in early Summer 2023.  Another Member asked about the backlog in processing Planning Applications and was advised that this had largely been resolved with only twenty cases remaining unallocated.  A Member noted an action to review the potential for commercial and community uses of disused park buildings and the Assistant Director: Culture and Regeneration advised that responsibility to deliver this work sat within the Sustainability, Green Services and Open Spaces Portfolio. 

The Committee requested that the Project Tracker be presented in a more readable format in future reporting.

RESOLVED: That the progress on the actions associated with the Housing, Planning and Regeneration Portfolio Plan for Quarter 3 of the 2022/23 financial year be noted.