Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Murray-Smith. Scrutiny Committee were advised that Councillor G Carpenter was attending as a substitute for Councillor Murray-Smith.

Councillor G Carpenter made a declaration of interest in item 5 the Quarter 3 Performance Report as he was the Chair of the Audit, Risk and Standards Committee.

The minutes of the meeting held on 11 February 2025 were confirmed as a true and correct record.

The Chair reported that there were no matters arising from the above minutes which were not covered elsewhere on the agenda.

The Committee received and considered the Information Governance Lead's report which provided an update on performance for the third quarter of 2024/25 (Oct to December) where progress was assessed against Targets which are set at the start of the financial year.

The report also provided an update on the position of key projects that are linked to the corporate priorities from ‘The Plan 2020-2025’.

The project highlight report detailed in Appendix 1 provided a summary of the project, milestones and achievements, alongside open issues, mitigation and a financial summary.

It was advised that each report has a current status, which can be green, amber or red. Out of the 10 projects, 9 have a current green status defined as no problems or minor issues and 1 has an amber status, defined as having problems which have been identified but with a contingency plan in place.

The performance measures, detailed in Appendix 2, gave a comprehensive overview of how the authority as a whole is performing and cover most Council functions

In total there were 40 targeted and 37 monitored measures reported in the third quarter performance report. It was advised that information was not presently able to be extracted for HN04 as the NEC Housing System was being rolled out for the Repairs & Maintenance Service.

A breakdown of the 39 targeted measures was as follows :- 25 have a Green status whereby performance had been met or exceeded target, 5 Amber whereby performance is below target but within tolerance and 5 were red whereby performance is below target and tolerance. Each of the red measures provided a commentary explaining the reasons behind the performance and the actions being taken to bring performance back on target.

Councillor Wainwright raised some concern as to HN01 commenting that he did not recall having seen the arrears at this level in the past. The Head of Housing Assets advised that recovery from this position would take time and it was noted that whilst the switch over to the new NEC system had caused a number of delays, housing officers have been proactively supporting tenants to ensure arrears are addressed with affordable repayment plans.

The Head of Housing Assets advised that the rent collection and arrears amount were now produced from a dedicated rent performance report and that work undertaken during the 3^rd quarter had identified that figures provided for the 2^nd quarter had included some non-Housing Revenue Account (HRA) arrears. This has been corrected and now shows that at the end of Qtr. 2, rent arrears was £891,380 and this figure has reduced to £811,724.58 in Qtr. 3. It was further advised that the current arrears figure, as of the 16th of March, 2025 was £739,730.

It was advised that a Management Improvement Plan (MIP) had been created to bring the arrears back down to the level that they were at prior to the adoption of the new NEC system. This Improvement Plan was currently being updated and when completed would be circulated to Cabinet.

Councillor Jeal asked if the arrears had anything to do with the way the Council collected rent payments through the DWP. The Income Services Manager advised that the transition from Housing Benefit to Universal Credit had presented a number of challenges, including complex online applications, potential financial hardship for vulnerable individuals, and difficulties for some claimants to manage their rent payments, particularly during the initial waiting period.

The Committee were reminded that whilst housing officers have been assisting tenants to reduce the amount of rent owed the functionality of the NEC system remains challenging. It was further advised that an additional Income Officer was to be recruited to assist with the managing of arrears.

Councillor Williamson asked with regard to the percentages of the total arrears and he was advised that the current position as of the 16th of March, stood at 3.41% of the total budget. Accordingly, the Committee indicated that they wished to see an update report in six months on the progress made to address this situation.

The Executive Director, People advised that it was hoped that the rent arrears balance would be balanced within the next 12 month period, she advised that the team had been working incredibly hard to manage this issue and had been dealt with a number of challenges along the way when implanting the new system.

Councillor Williamson asked given that the handover to the new NEC system had caused a number of delays whether GYBC would be receiving a credit note. In response, the Executive Director, People advised that Officers were in negotiation with NEC housing systems regarding this matter.

The Chairman asked with regard to PR13, outstanding audit recommendations. The Monitoring Officer advised that South Norfolk District Council acted as the Council’s Internal auditors and that this matter was now a standing item on Management Team agendas with Officers being able to use a dashboard to undertake an assessment of outstanding recommendations in relation to service areas. The Monitoring Officer advised that Heads of Service were regularly reminded that in order to have a recommendation closed there was a need to be pro-active in contacting the relevant Audit Officer and supplying evidence of actions which support compliance.

Councillor G Carpenter advised that this would be the subject of a report at the next meeting of the Audit, Risk and Standards Committee. Councillor Wainwright advised that the figure of outstanding audit requirements had decreased and that he hoped by having relevant Officers attending Audit and Risk Committee would make those Officer’s accountable.

Councillor P Carpenter expressed concern  regarding EN06, contamination rate figure. It was advised that Officers were continuing to roll out the contamination reduction project to further recycling rounds and that it was aimed to impact on the recycling contamination rate and that this would continue to be monitored through the Corporate Plan and performance reports.

The Committee RESOLVED to note that all:

1. measures to be monitored during the next quarter; and
2. key projects will continue to be monitored over the next quarter with the aim of maintaining a green status and where possible attaining a green status for those key projects which are currently amber.

The Committee received and considered the Chief Executive Officer’s report which provided which presented Committee with a new Corporate Plan for the period 2025-2030.

The Committee were advised that a public consultation exercise had been undertaken during the period April to July 2024, together with two meetings of the cross-party working group in order to prepare the plan.

It was advised that the future funding landscape remained a key risk to the delivery of The Plan as well as the possible future Local Government Reorganisation which would see Councils in Norfolk reorganised during the lifetime of this document.

In conclusion the Committee RESOLVED to:

1. note the draft of The Plan 2025 – 2030; and
2.  note that feedback from the consultation exercise will inform the final copy of the Plan for endorsement at Council in April 2025.

The Committee received and considered the Financial Services Manager’s report which presented the period 9 budget monitoring forecast position for the General Fund and Housing Revenue Account.

The Committee were advised that the original base budgets for 2024/25 had been approved by Council in February 2024 and had assumed a transfer from the General Fund reserves of £688,885 and a transfer of £2,878,800 from the Housing Revenue Account. This was alongside setting the capital programmes for both the General Fund and the Housing Revenue Account.

The report compared the forecast expenditure and income position at the end of December 2024 to the General Fund and Housing Revenue Account budgets for 2024/25.

It was advised that appendices A and B within the report provided commentary on the more significant variances identified from the budget monitoring process that had been conducted between finance and services for the position at the end of period 3 and where there is anticipated yearend under/overspend.

It was advised that appendix C of the report provided a summary of the General Fund service income and expenditure by type. Arising from discussions on this element of the report the Committee asked that they receive a response on the more significant variances as identified by the budget monitoring process.

Councillor Grant asked with regard to the employee turnover and how this compared to other authorities it was advised that details of the employee turnover rates would be provided to the Committee in comparison to other councils together with what GYBC has undertaken to address these issues.

In conclusion the Committee RESOLVED to :

1. note the content of the report and the revised forecast for the General Fund and Housing Revenue Account for 2024/25.
2. note the current updated General Fund capital programme (Appendix E).

The Head of Property and Asset Management advised that GYBC has responsibility for 4227 foot way lights and the annual capital programme has indicated that there has been a positive impact on energy usage through footway lighting. energy consumption, lower carbon emissions, and diminishing maintenance costs, while also improving lighting quality and the lowering light pollution.

It was advised that GYBC were investing in the infrastructure and where possible transferring supply from dated old infrastructure to the UK Power Networks (UKPN) distribution network operator (DNO) for electricity in the East of England.

It was advised that the process of receiving fault reports had been reviewed and an expected 10-day repair time has been proposed or most cases, where the repair exceeded this direct communication would be provided.

The Head of Property and Asset Management advised that consideration must be given to technological changes that could streamline further the reporting and repair of footway lighting; and introduce best practice when replacing or reinstating lighting that best suits the needs of the Council and its residents.

It was advised that LED streetlights offered energy savings, long lifespan, and improved visibility but came with higher upfront costs, glare issues, and potential compatibility challenges. Although with smart controls and eco-friendly features, LEDs are a long-term, cost-effective solution for modern street lighting.

Councillor Grant commented that whilst the Council needed efficient lighting solutions, he asked how much it cost to install and maintain LED units. Details of cost per lamp column was given. However, it was noted, that although costs are increasing as energy prices have impacted upon the overall cost to GYBC.

Councillors Wainwright and Grant expressed concerned at the lengthy repair and maintenance times and agreed that it was important to keep residents informed of what was being done to overhaul lamp columns in their neighbourhood.

Councillor Grant indicated that investment in LED lamp columns was important as this should provide a long-term cost benefit. In that these newer columns would require less maintenance and repair.

At the conclusion of this item the Committee placed on record their thanks and appreciation for the very positive way that their queries regarding lamp columns had been resolved.

The Committee RESOLVED to:

Note the presentation on the current footway lighting provision provided by GYBC.

The Committee received a presentation from the Tenancy Services Manager that gave an outline of the Tenancy Support Visits that are aimed at supporting tenants, ensuring their well-being, and addressing any issues or concerns related to their tenancy.

 As part of the presentation the Committee noted:

• That the purpose of TSVs was to help ensure that GYBC has both accurate and up-to-date information regarding households and their needs, provide an opportunity for officers to discuss any issues affecting the tenant's well-being or tenancy, and offer support or signpost to relevant services, undertake a full property inspection to ensure that the home is safe, free from mould and moisture , and in good condition; identify and address any breaches of tenancy, such as rent arrears, and tackle issues like suspected tenancy fraud; help tenants access financial support, including advice on benefits, debt management, and employability support and support those tenants who are struggling to remain in their homes and may need help with issues like adaptations or accessing support services.

Councillor Galer felt that it would be beneficial to have a list of properties that GYBC owned and managed. It was advised that this could be provided.

Councillor Williamson asked if the Council held a database where information TSV was maintained and updated. In response, it was noted that the Council has a database where information is held, and that Housing Services were developing this to include all relevant information, including those properties that GYBC owns and manages.

Councillor Hammond raised some concern as to electric mobility scooters which appeared to be becoming more popular, and asked how this matter was progressing in terms of available and accessible charging infrastructure at those properties that the Council owns and manages. The Tenancy Services Manager advised that the this matter would be looked into as part of the Housing Investment Program which was to be reported on in the future.

Councillor Grant asked how Tenancy Support visits are arranged, this was confirmed as these being pre booked visits. Councillor Grant asked if he was contacted by a tenant who had claimed to never have had a visit whether this was information he would be able to obtain from Tenancy Services to advise on the matter, this was confirmed.

The Committee RESOLVED to:

1. note the presentation on the Tenancy Support Visits undertaken by GYBC Tenancy Services.

The Committee received and noted the Work Programme.

The Chair reported that there was no other business being of sufficient urgency to warrant consideration at the meeting.