Issue - meetings
Payment Support Options to Leaseholders for Repayment of Decent Homes/Major Works Recharges
Meeting: 09/01/2013 - Cabinet - Expired (Item 6)
Additional documents:
- 1.1b App 1 Leaseholder payment options, item 6
PDF 45 KB
- 1.1c App 2 Leaseholder Payment Options, item 6
PDF 39 KB
Decision:
1. To adopt the Payment options detailed at Appendix 1
2. To authorise the Corporate Director Development and Renewal in consultation with Assistant Chief Executive (Legal), to enter into all necessary documents to implement the decisions made in respect of this report.
Action by:
CORPORATE DIRECTOR DEVELOPMENT AND RENEWAL (A. DALVI)
(Service Head Housing, Strategy and Regeneration (J. Odunoye)
(Housing Partnerships Manager (J. Kiwanuka)
(Leasehold Manager (B. Whiteside)
Minutes:
Councillor Rabina Khan, Cabinet Member for Housing introduced the report. She highlighted the duty of care the Council had to leaseholders and the options available to offer payment support and encourage early payments.
During discussion, a number of Cabinet Members welcomed the report. Members also highlighted issues to consider including:
· Ensuring works were completed to a satisfactory level.
· Whether some leaseholders were subletting properties.
· The responsibility on leaseholders to pay their bills but the need to ensure bills were appropriate.
In particular the Cabinet Member for Jobs and Skills, Councillor Shafiqul Haque, emphasised that:
· Section 20 consultations must be meaningful and effective and not just the minimum required.
· He had concerns that Service Charge levels at Tower Hamlets Homes were far in excess of reasonable levels elsewhere. The Corporate Director was asked to look into this issue.
It was stated that the Cabinet Member for Housing would be leading a subgroup to maintain oversight of many of these issues.
The Mayor welcomed the report and thanked Members for their contributions to the discussion. He stated that officers would convey the concerns expressed to Tower Hamlets Homes to ensure the actions are taken.
RESOLVED
1. To adopt the Payment options detailed at Appendix 1
2. To authorise the Corporate Director Development and Renewal in consultation with Assistant Chief Executive (Legal), to enter into all necessary documents to implement the decisions made in respect of this report.