Issue - meetings

·       Quarter 2 2025/26 Tenant Performance Poster to follow

The Assistant Director of Housing Management & Enforcement presented the report to the Board.

The Council’s Plan “The Future 2024 - 2028” had outlined the provision and delivery of essential key services.

The Council’s Housing Service had developed a number of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that showed its contribution to these ambitions.  Attached at Appendix 1 was a summary of current performance for 2025/26.

A significant amount of performance related information (Complaints information, the Tenant Satisfaction Measures, the Council’s own KPIs, etc.) were produced by the Council’s Housing Management Team – the Council wanted to ensure tenants were provided with useful and informative data to ensure accountability.

Copies of Quarter 2 2025/26’s performance poster were provided to the Board at the meeting – the complete figures were missing but would be added before circulation in the Council’s Contact Centres.

Following previous discussions, standard voids figures would be provided but managed voids figures would be taken out of the equations.  ‘Major repair void properties’ would also be renamed ‘Modernisation’ with explanations in small print provided (if space permitted).

Sections of Quarter 2 2025/26’s performance poster were reviewed and commented on.

The number of households on the waiting list for a Council property was discussed – it had remained far below previous years thanks to the removal of those who would never be eligible for a Council property, the establishment of a vigorous application process to ensure those truly in need were considered for a Council property, and all applications reviewed on an annual basis.

It was noted the lack of affordable / social housing was a national issue.

Mrs. Doreen Potts and the Tenant Engagement Officer left the meeting at 11:30 hours.

To a question on the availability of any data from other local authorities for comparison, the Assistant Director of Housing Management & Enforcement informed not necessarily, but 42% of the Council’s housing stock were single-storey dwellings (bungalows) while Chesterfield Borough Council had around 50% single-occupancy dwellings (apartments).

The Housing Services Manager added local authorities had at times drastically different priorities – it would be difficult to compare such like-for-like data with the District.

It was noted that such data might be necessary to collect in light of Local Government Reorganisation – lower-tier local authorities like the Council would be dissolved and responsibilities transferred to the future Unitary Council.

To a question on if any such work / reporting / data collection was being carried out, the Housing Services Manager confirmed not at the current time.

It was noted the difference in housing stocks between local authorities had the potential for residents to slip through and not be on the waiting list for the property they might need (areas along the District’s borders, e.g. Hodthorpe).

The Tenant Engagement Officer returned to the meeting at 11:37 hours.

It was noted that, after Local Government Reorganisation, if residents were willing to move a little further away from their current locations, they might be able to have a social property better suited to their needs  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8

·       Service KPIs

·       Q1 2025/26 Tenant Performance Poster

The Housing Strategy and Development Officer presented the report to the Board.

The Council’s Plan “The Future 2024 - 2028” had outlined the provision and delivery of essential key services.  The following 4 main aims were:

·       Customers – providing excellent and accessible services;

·       Economy – drive growth, promote the District and be business and visitor friendly;

·       Environment – protect the quality of life for residents and businesses, meet environmental challenges and enhance biodiversity; and,

·       Housing – deliver social and private sector housing growth.

The Council’s Housing Service had developed a number of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that showed its contribution to these ambitions.  Attached at Appendix 1 was a summary of current performance for 2025-26.

A significant amount of performance related information (Complaints information, the Tenant Satisfaction Measures, the Council’s own KPIs, etc.) were produced by the Council’s Housing Management Team – the Council wanted to ensure tenants were provided with useful and informative data to ensure accountability.

Attached at Appendix 2 was the Q1 2025/26 performance poster for circulation in the Council’s Contact Centres.

Following the recent refresh of the Council’s website, a specific page for performance information had now been developed.  Moving forward, the quarterly performance posters would be included in the Bolsover Homes Newsletter ‘Tenant Participation’.

To a question on KPI.07, “Homelessness successful relief cases”, the Housing Performance Manager informed it related to private tenants either remaining in their current properties following receivership of a Section 21 Eviction Notice or them moving into a Council property before officially being listed as homeless.

The Assistant Director of Housing Management & Enforcement informed more private landlords were leaving the sector, though the Council’s performance in response to this was satisfactory.

The Chair noted the income absent from rent arrears could stretch back 10+ years – the Council was performing admirably with regards the current circumstances of the private rental sector.

The Chair also noted that the ‘Average time taken to re-let properties’ had been omitted pending formal discussion with tenants today.  The Chair noted that this combined figure could potentially be misleading to tenants as there was no distinction between the different types of void (vacant) properties.

It was noted that there were 3 different types of voids that could be presented:

·       Major repair voids;

·       Standard voids; and,

·       Management voids.

Following discussion, it was agreed that the re-let times would be presented for the 3 void types listed above and that this information would be positioned at the bottom of the poster in a larger section.  The full definitions for the 3 void types would be agreed by officers at Housing Stock Management Group September 2025.  To accommodate the extra information, it was agreed to remove the rent arrears figures and just keep rent collected.

The Board was informed the number of voids included new-build units that had yet to be moved into (for the first time).  A Tenant stated the number of empty properties should not include the new-builds recently completed until the first tenant had successfully moved in.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7