Presentation
Minutes:
A presentation was given by the Property Services Manager updating Members on the Heritage Lottery Fund Project. He explained that the project’s building programme had reached the milestone of practical completion in mid-February 2020 and the next step would be to ensure the standards in the properties were acceptable. The practical completion meant that there were now fewer staff on site, and the project had entered Phase 2A. The target was for Phase 2A to be completed by May 2020.
Members asked if every house was visited as part of the standards check. The Property Services Manager explained that each house was visited during its sign off.
Members asked if chimney issues and ingress were properly investigated. The Property Services Manager stated that officers had not visited every property because they wanted to find out what the issues were before going. Members were informed that officers would come out and do snagging, then they would check it. If a problem was reported to them afterwards, they would come out and investigate it.
Members enquired if letters were sent to residents if they were experiencing problems. The Property Services Manager confirmed that residents who had problems officers were aware of were sent letters. He added that Members should let him know after the meeting of problems with any individual properties.
The New Bolsover Project Manager explained that the spreadsheet to record problems was being updated and would be done very soon, at which point it would be sent out to find and record problems. The Property Services Manager added that he would request the relevant officers collate information in the spreadsheet so problems are organised into areas like chimney, gutter, etc.
Martin Green (Friends of New Bolsover) reported instances of residents knocking on his door about property problems because they felt they had exhausted their options of people to report them to, and he was concerned there was a gap in communication. The Property Services Manager advised that for Council tenants, there was a 24 hour hotline that would go through to him, and the same hotline could even be used by private tenants if it was a significant problem. He added that residents could also tell their local ward Councillor.
Martin Green (Friends of New Bolsover) raised another issue where Council tenants were receiving letters telling them the Council had “recently snagged” their property, but it had not been done recently. Members suggested that the letters could be sent once snagging was completed.
The Property Services Manager assured Members that with both of these issues in mind about communication and snagging letters, he would seek to send letters to Council tenants about their snagging being done as soon as it was completed, and letters to Council and private tenants about the aforementioned 24 hour hotline. The letters would also include assurance that the project team was still on site. The New Bolsover Project Manager agreed to assist in producing these letters.
The Property Services Manager elaborated on some of the detail within his presentation. He pointed out a number of positives, such as ASB and crime figures coming down, and how two properties had been put up for sale after the works and sold in nine days. The Home Improvement Co-ordinator added that in terms of energy efficiencies, 181 properties had effectively been taken off the grid with the energy and money saved.
Members felt the presentation was very positive and thanked the officers involved for their hard work.
Martin Green (Friends of New Bolsover) was pleased that efforts would be made to improve communication with the letters, but was still concerned that 154 households would all have different opinions, so he would write a formal letter to the Property Services Manager to address this.
RESOLVED –
(1) That the presentation and updates be noted.
(2) That the Property Services Manager and New Bolsover Project Manager send letters to Council tenants about their snagging being done as soon as it was completed, and letters to Council and private tenants about the 24 hour hotline. The letters would also include assurance that the project team was still on site.
(Property Services Manager/New Bolsover Project Manager)