Issue - meetings

The Housing and Environmental Enforcement Manager provided an update on the Healthy Homes Project as previously brought to the Committee in March 2024. He was pleased to report that since the last meeting, the Council had been accepted to take part in the pilot treatment group and would be in receipt of £130k grant funding. The Council had received the first half of the funding to deliver the project, and the financial outlay was detailed in sections three and four of the report.

The project was currently in the development stages, the team had developed a business case and were looking at initiatives to target damp and mould in housing across the district.

Members made comments on how the project would be resourced and the allocation of funding to communications and engagement. The Housing and Environmental Enforcement Manager explained that a part-time member of the team would be taking on this work and increasing their working hours to coordinate the project. In terms of funding allocation, the Council would need to use social media and communications to create publicity on damp and mould that could be reused seasonally once generated. The Council were looking at ways they could maximise the funding to benefit as many people as possible. There would also be the procurement of an app which would help conduct electronic inspections, which would allow officers to record notes on site, any hazards and would speed up the process.

Having been proposed and seconded, the Chairman took the vote and it was unanimously

RESOLVED that

a)    the proposed usage of the Healthy Homes Grant be approved; and

b)    it be approved that the Director for ICT, Change Management and Regulatory Services, in conjunction with the S151 Officer and in consultation with the Chairman of the Prosperous Communities Committee may determine any amendments to the proposed spending of the grant, subject to it being in line with the overall guidance, and within their financial delegation levels.