Decision details

Lease of Vacant Residential Properties to a Registered Provider (CAB08(19/20))

Decision status: Recommendations Approved

Is Key decision?: Yes

Is subject to call in?: Yes

Decisions:

20.1   Cabinet considered the report by Director Property and Assets.

 

20.2   Mr Jeremy Hunt, Cabinet Member for Finance, introduced the report that detailed the future use of some County Council owned properties to be leased to a registered provider for the purpose of housing homeless families. 

 

20.3   Mrs Joy Dennis, Chairman of Performance and Finance Select Committee stated that the report was due to come before her Committee later in the week but asked what consideration had been given to security arrangements especially to any properties where close to school grounds.  She also asked what consideration had been given to what happens if the registered providers do not receive the grant funding and would the County Council be liable for the costs.

 

20.4   Mr Michael Jones, Leader of the Labour Group, welcomed the proposal and asked if more vacant properties could be identified for this use.  He also asked for reassurance about the accessibility of the properties for families such as bus routes or nearness to amenities.

 

20.5   Cabinet Members welcomed the proposal but asked that the questions raised by Mrs Dennis be responded to prior to the decision being published.  In reference to Mr Jones’s question that would be something for the registered provider to assess.

 

20.6   RESOLVED that Cabinet approve, subject to scrutiny and responses to the questions above, that:

 

1) The County Council enters into Lease agreements with the Registered Provider, YMCA Downslink Group on selected residential properties identified as suitable to house families to whom the County Council has a Children Act duty for their temporary accommodation, and such other suitable properties as become available at nil rent to the registered provider, for either 6 or 11 years (length of lease to be determined by extent of works required to bring the properties up to standard) on the terms set out in section 2 of the report; and that

 

2) Authority is delegated to the Director Property and Assets in consultation with the Director of Law and Assurance to conclude the terms of the leases, and the nomination arrangements with the Registered Provider and to agree the list of suitable properties to be part of proposal for the scheme currently and in the future, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Finance, should further properties become available.

Publication date: 09/12/2019

Date of decision: 03/12/2019

Decided at meeting: 03/12/2019 - Cabinet

Effective from: 19/12/2019

Accompanying Documents: