Thursday, 23rd February 2012

Present: – Wendy Farmer (Chair), Bruce Andrews, Ruth Andrews, Rose Boden, Kevin Davis, Paula Kinsella, Paula J. Kinsella, Sue Lane, Richard Letchford, Tony Morris, Bridget Orman, Sylvia Page, Tanya Page and Ron Pope.

ADC: – Tim Ivamy (Senior Building Surveyor), Alex Marsh (Tenancy Services Manager) and Barry Maxey (Tenant Participation Officer).

1. Welcome and introductions

Wendy welcomed everyone to the meeting.

2. Apologies

Apologies were received from Patricia Crowdy, Dave Donaldson, Gary Hackett, Bob McClelland, Len Nye and Marice Nye.

3. Communal Way Clearing

Alex outlined the reasons for producing this report. The policy to deal with items left in communal ways was introduced in 2007 and this report clarifies the procedure for removing them and for recovering the costs from residents.

Alex explained that the policy refers to all items left in communal areas, with the exception of doormats, including items fixed or hung on walls or ceilings. She said the policy continues to stir up controversy among residents when they are asked to remove items and officers are seeking the support of the ACF and the Joint Strategic Committee to tackle this problem.

The following questions were put to her: -

Q. Why do pictures and hanging baskets above head-height need to be removed?

A. The policy is intended to reduce the risk of fire and to ensure that people are not impeded in exiting the building and once exceptions are made, it can be difficult to know where to draw the line.

Q. Do the same rules apply where there is only one flat on a landing?

A. Yes, the risks are similar and the same rules apply.

Q. If noticeboards are allowed in hallways, why are pictures prohibited?

A. The considerations are similar to those regarding doormats. Fire safety inspections will address some of these issues but noticeboards may have to be made of fire-retardant material (which would be more expensive) and notices on boards not left flapping.

Q. It was reported at the Leaseholder’s meeting that many sheltered residents use the hallways for charging their electric vehicles and it thought that no immediate decision was going to be made about removing these appliances until there had been further consultation on this.

A. Policy doesn’t allow for electric vehicles to be charged in communal hallways but most sheltered schemes have separate facilities where they can be charged or external charging points that have been installed under the adaptations budget.

Q. Who is going to monitor the cost and will it be used by ‘fly-tippers’ or people moving in and out of properties to dump items?

A. This will be monitored by existing staff (e.g. Housing and Maintenance Officers etc) and residents will be encouraged to report acts of fly-tipping.

It was suggested that the term ‘employees, residents and visitors’ mentioned in section 2.1 of the report should be changed to ‘residents, visitors and employees.’

Sue mentioned a chair that they have by the doorway in Tollbridge House and said that she hopes this is not removed before a flip-up replacement seat is provided. Alex said she would chase this up, along with a similar seat for Marsh House.

Ron said that many residents at Courtfields rely on walking frames etc that they have to leave outside their front door because they are unable to store them in their flats. He asked Wendy to put this point to the Joint Strategic Committee (JSC).

Tony asked if this policy covered external walkways. Alex said that it only covers internal areas but that items on external walkways will be looked at later.

Ruth warned of trip hazards because the thickness of some doormats allows them to curl up. Alex said that no specific thickness requirement was minutes in the 2007 report but that perhaps the issue could be raised when new tenants sign-up for a property. Sue suggested that installing mats in wells inside the entrance to blocks would remove the need for individual mats.

Richard requested that the ACF asks for dispensation for mobility aids to be stored in hallways at sheltered schemes, in consultation with the people who live there. He also questioned the fire risk from plant pots etc at the Civic Centre. It was pointed out that commercial buildings come under different legislation, which often involves a requirement for alarms, sprinkler systems and on-site fire officers.

Richard thought the emphasis was being put on residents to identify people leaving items in hallways but Alex said that alternatives, such as CCTV in every block, would be prohibitively expensive. She also said the policy will be well-publicised in the press etc before it is implemented.

Under-occupation and succession

Alex said this item was on the agenda because it had been intended to provide a report on it for JSC but that as this would have been an information update, it had since been decided that this would not be appropriate. However, she did go on to briefly discuss changes to succession proposed under the Localism Act. This will only apply to new tenants but means that succession will be restricted to spouses and partners. Current tenants will keep their existing rights. Various questions were asked about this and Alex agreed to come back to a future ACF meeting to give a more detailed explanation of the Localism Act.

Wendy thanked Alex and she left the meeting at this point.

4. Decent Homes Programme

Wendy asked if the standards for the Decent Homes Programme have been cut. Tim said the legislation has not changed and nor has Adur’s policy on it but that there is now more emphasis on energy conservation and that aspirational standards change over time.

Tim went through a brief description of the 20 categories in the work programme. He also explained that the increase in the budget resulted from the carry over from the terminated Fishersgate contract and delays in implementing the kitchen and bathroom programme. Two contractors will be employed for the next part of the kitchen and bathroom programme and these will operate in either the east or west of the district.

Ron asked whether consultants will be employed. Regarding the Fire Safety Order work, Tim said that there had been agreement for a consultant to look at the work involved with the Deficiency Notices but that it is proposed to employ a surveyor to carry out the fire risk assessments and to follow through with the work required.

Tim was asked for a programme of when work would be carried out in particular areas. He said that he would provide a list similar to the one included in last year’s report but that the programme fluctuates with expenditure. This means that the further forward you project, the more difficult it becomes to predict when work will start in a particular area.

On a separate note, Ron asked Tim to chase up the replacement timeclock at Courtfields. Wendy thanked Tim for coming along and he left the meeting at this point.

5. Minutes of the last meeting – 2nd February 2012

Agreed.

6. Matters arising

Richard asked about the invitation to Councillor Julie Searle. Wendy said that she would be invited to an ACF meeting in the near future but that it had been too short notice to ask her to this one.

7. Bids for environmental improvements

Tony supplied three quotes for wild bird feeders for the grounds of Shadwells Court and it was agreed to award him up to £90 to purchase three of these.

Ron requested bedding plants at Courtfields as part of their Diamond Jubilee celebrations and was awarded up to £200 for their five raised beds.

In the absence of Dave Donaldson, Kevin asked for funding for an addition refuse bin at Rock Close at a cost of £220.00. According to the formula use by Waste Services, there is adequate capacity for the number of properties there so they will not fund this but residents are complaining of a regular overspill of litter and refuse on to the gardens. There is space for an additional bin in the bin area and it is felt that this would ease the problem. This was approved. A similar request for Sea House, where there is currently a problem with rats, was deferred while enquiries are made into whether there is sufficient space for an extra bin.

8. Treasurer’s report

Total in bank is £2557.10.

9. Reports of committees

i) Compact Monitoring Group

Nothing to report.

ii) The Forum

Contributions from resident associations were requested. The next meeting will be on 1st March at the Lancing Office.

iii) Adur Leaseholders’ Forum (ALF)

Nothing to report. The next meeting will be at 2.00pm on 14th March at Kingsfield Close communal room.

iv) SHARP

Sue said Ivan Western from WSCC Supporting People has told her that a reply to her letter about support services is in the post. Tony said the campaign against the changes continues and that there will be another meeting at Shadwells Court on 9th March, to which Councillor Angie Mills and Sue Hart have been invited. A copy of the minutes of the meeting will to be sent to Wendy.

10. Any other business

There is another meeting of the Communal Way Cleaning Procedures group on 28th February.

Richard suggested that the number of council staff who are invited to an ACF meeting should be limited to one and that they should be allowed a maximum time of half-hour. He felt their presence hampers other members in dealing with the group’s issues. Ron suggested that meetings could start earlier at 6.00pm. Wendy felt it was worthwhile to have council staff attend meetings when they are preparing reports to present to JSC.

The raffle raised £14.

11. Date of next meeting

7.00pm 22nd March 2012 at Kingsfield Close communal room.

Minutes of ACF Meeting, Kingsfield Close, Southwick

Thursday, 2nd February 2012

Present: – Wendy Farmer (Chair), Bruce Andrews, Ruth Andrews, Fred Bathurst, Rose Boden, Patricia Crowdy, David Donaldson, David Guy, William Guy, Gary Hackett, Paula Kinsella, Sue Lane, Richard Letchford, Bob McClelland, Carol Morris, Tony Morris, Len Nye, Marice Nye, Bridget Orman, Sylvia Page, Tanya Page and Ron Pope.

ADC: – Christine Ryder and Jo-Anne Chang-Rogers (Finance Managers for Adur and Worthing) and Charlie Strong (Maintenance Manager).

1. Welcome and introductions

Wendy welcomed everyone to the meeting.

2. Apologies

Apologies were received from Kevin Davis.

3. Housing Revenue Account Budget

Wendy introduced Christine Ryder and Jo-Anne Chang-Rogers (Finance Managers for Adur and Worthing). Jo-Anne will be taking over responsibility for Housing Finance from Christine in the near future. They had come to talk about the Housing Revenue Account and the proposed rent increases for 2012/13 and proceeded to go through the recommendations in their report.

The report recommends an average rent increase in the new financial year of 7.7%, in line with government guidelines. Christine was asked whether central government is responsible for raising rents. She explained that the government makes recommendations and under their plans to bring council rents in line with those of housing associations, annual increases are allowed up to inflation (based on the Retail Price Index) plus 0.5% plus £2 per week.

Although there will be some capping of benefit levels in the private sector, affordable rents will remain within the guidelines. This will leave Housing Revenue Account reserves at around £1.9 million, which is equivalent to approximately 10% of annual expenditure. Under new self-financing arrangements, councils will have more flexibility but for every 1% reduction in the level of rent increase, this will result in a deficit of £104,000. The question of accurately defining the term ‘affordable housing’ was raised and it was agreed that this is an exceptionally high rent increase which should be challenged at the Cabinet meeting.

Garage rents are largely set according to supply and demand and it is recommended that this year they should be increased by 2%. Charges for garages will be increased if there is evidence of more demand for them.

Under new self-financing rules coming into force in March, councils will be able to keep the money they collect in rents, rather than paying money over to central government but as part of this arrangement, Adur will have to pay a one-off settlement to them of £51.5 million. The council will have to borrow this money but they will be able to obtain it at fairly favourable rates of interest. Christine was asked if the council was intending to buy back former council properties and implied that under the new self-financing arrangements, this remained a possibility in the long-term, along with building new properties.

Wendy thanked Christine and Jo-Anne for attending and answering their questions.

4. Community Payback Scheme and Tenants Handbook

Community Payback Scheme

Charlie Strong introduced himself and began by saying that the council are keen to embrace the Community Payback Scheme and then explained ways in which they could get involved.

One option would be to take on groups of supervised teams. The cost of supervision is estimated at about £100 per week and to save on administration, an annual payment of £4,800 could be made from the Housing Revenue Account. Tenants voiced their concerns about the scheme and in particular, that it could be exploitative and may take paid jobs from working people. It was suggested that more people should raise their concerns if they are unhappy with the scheme.

Among the questions put to Charlie were:-

Q. If jobs allocated to this scheme are not done, would the council step in to do them anyway?

A. In some cases Waste Services would be called on to do the work.

Q. Are the people on these schemes taking work from those looking for jobs in the public sector?

A. No, this will generally be work that the council cannot afford to do.

Q. Are the jobs ones that are normally allocated to contractors?

A. No, people working on the scheme will be assisting the contracted workers.

Q. Why can’t people in their own communities do the work?

A. There are not enough community volunteers to help, which is one reason why the Community Payback Scheme is being suggested.

Q. What guarantees have residents got that the scheme workers won’t re-offend?

A. Those taking part will be supervised and should be given a chance.

Charlie stated that there is no timescale for making a decision on this and that the council would be adopting a commitment, not a legally binding contract, if they went along with it. He said he would be willing to contact Surrey and Sussex Probation Trust to see if one of their staff would be willing to attend an ACF meeting to explain the scheme in more detail. All agreed. Tony suggested that someone should also be invited along to put the trade union point of view to the meeting.

Tenants Handbook

Charlie has put together a revised draft version of the Repairs and Improvements Section of the Tenants’ Handbook. There is a need to reduce spending on repairs and these ideas were first put forward and discussed at the Tenants’ and Leaseholders’ Annual Conference last year. Charlie said that not a lot has changed overall but he identified some of the different responsibilities of the council and tenants. The handbook is currently at the proof reading stage.

A number of people had questions for Charlie about repairs and maintenance to their own properties, which Charlie noted. He then left the meeting at this point.

5. Minutes of the last meeting – 24th November 2011

Agreed.

6. Matters arising

None.

7. Bids for environmental improvements

No bids received this time.

8. Treasurer’s report

Total in bank is £2557.10.

9. Reports of committees

i) Compact Monitoring Group

The last time tenants and leaseholders on the Compact Monitoring Group met, it was suggested that a Scrutiny Group be formed to scrutinise the workings of Adur Homes Services. It was also suggested that the ACF investigates how other local authorities scrutinise their interests.

ii) The Forum

The first meeting for the Spring Edition will be held at 10.30am on 21st February at the Lancing Office.

iii) Adur Leaseholders’ Forum (ALF)

In Kevin’s absence, Ron Pope mentioned about the fire risk assessments and asked how the removal of ‘obstructions’ from communal areas are going to be enforced. He said some sheltered housing residents use the areas to store their wheelchairs and other mobility appliances.

iv) SHARP

Tony said that he is involved in an active campaign at the moment to oppose changes to Support Services at sheltered schemes. There have been successful meetings with councillors, letters have been sent to West Sussex County Council and they have been collecting signatures for a petition. Councillor Angie Mills attends regular meetings at WSCC and has attended several residents’ meetings at Shadwells Court recently to answer their questions and to let them know what is happening.

Tony also pointed out the dramatic changes that are planned for welfare allowances and said that although help may be available, tenants would need the backing of their G.P to get access to some of them.

10. Any other business

Tony expressed concern about the recent arson attack at Shadwells Court sheltered housing scheme.

As many questions were raised regarding communications between the ACF and the council, it was thought that it would be a good idea to invite Julie Searle to a future ACF meeting.

Due to shortage of time, there were no other matters raised.

The raffle raised £23.

11. Date of next meeting

To be arranged.

Minutes of ACF Meeting, Kingsfield Close, Southwick

Thursday, 24th November 2011

Present: – Wendy Farmer (Chair), Bruce Andrews, Ruth Andrews, Fred Bathurst, Rose Boden, Lisa Cook, Patricia Crowdy, David Guy, Gary Hackett, Paula Kinsella, Sue Lane, Rita Laraway, Richard Letchford, Bob McClelland, Alison Morganfield, Len Nye, Marice Nye, Bridget Orman, Sylvia Page and Tanya Page.

ADC: – Barry Maxey and Sue Tubb.

1. Welcome and introductions

Wendy welcomed everyone to the meeting.

2. Apologies

Apologies were received from Bill Bone, Kevin Davis, Dave Donaldson, Tony Morris, Ron Pope and Edna Wye.

3. Minutes of the last meeting

Agreed.

4. Matters arising

• Richard enquired if there were any developments regarding the installation of public toilets at the Lancing Office. Barry explained that a report is going to the Joint Strategic Committee in January but that he doesn’t know yet what recommendations it will contain. Ruth questioned whether the ACF would have an opportunity to comment on the report, given that their next meeting is not until February but Barry said a special meeting could be called if necessary.

• Bruce said that he had a computer that he was willing to donate to the ACF and he was thanked for his offer. (Barry has since suggested to Bruce that there is no immediate need for an additional computer in the office at present and that if he can find a good home for it, it may be better for him to do so.)

• Wendy confirmed that at the September meeting of the Joint Strategic Committee, she had been given a guarantee by the Leader of the Council that a Civic presence in Shoreham would be maintained but it is not yet known where this will be.

5. Bids for environmental improvements

There were no bids but it was agreed that an article would go in the next edition of the Forum asking for ideas from the wider community.

6. Treasurer’s report

Ruth reported that there is £2577.10 in the bank.

7. Joint Strategic Committee agenda

There are no housing-related reports on the agenda but Wendy said she wanted to comment on the Technical Reforms of Council Tax report. In particular, she expressed concern that Section 8.4 of the report states that extending council tax payments to twelve months could ‘have an adverse effect on the income generated from Court costs’ and questioned whether this means the council would like residents to default on their payments to get extra income.

8. Reports of committees

i) Compact Monitoring Group

The next meeting is scheduled for 6th December 2011 but members of the group were asked to confirm that they can attend on that day.

ii) The Forum

The Christmas edition is in the process of being finalised.

iii) Adur Leaseholders’ Forum (ALF)

Barry gave a report on the last ALF meeting, which largely concentrated on fire risk assessments. Council officers met with West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service (WSFRS) in September to discuss fire risk assessments. WSFRS said they use standard criteria for their assessments to ensure a consistent approach. The council will work on two basic principles – the need to protect escape routes and the higher the building, the greater the risk.

One area that is still being researched is the council’s responsibility in situations where a leaseholder has fitted a new door to their property that doesn’t comply with current fire regulations. The next step will be for officers to produce a report for the Cabinet Member for Customer Services setting out a programme of fire risk assessments.

iv) SHARP

A report on proposed changes to the way support services are provided was presented to the last Joint Strategic Committee meeting. Councillors agreed to write to elected members of West Sussex County Council and the government minister to express their concerns.

Sheltered housing residents also had a meeting recently with staff from Supporting People and asked them a variety of searching questions. Supporting People are proposing that future support will be time-limited and that residents will be re-assessed every three months. Residents said they wanted meaningful consultation with council officers and that Supporting People were failing to ask them what they want.

9. Annual Conference

Barry asked for suggestions for a date and topic for the next conference. After the last one, residents asked for more input into the planning and organising of future conferences. The topic is normally housing-related and should be interest to a wide variety of council tenants and leaseholders. It would also be useful if it is something that is likely to attract younger tenants. Among the topics suggested was ‘resident scrutiny’, which Barry said was an issue that is being promoted nationally and something that Adur residents have not yet embraced. It was agreed that March would be the ideal time for the conference, with either the Civic Centre or The Barn as a venue.

10. Meeting with contractors

It was agreed that the best time for this would be towards the end February or beginning of March.

11. Any other business

Residents of Mash Barn would like clarification of the situation regarding the proposed training ground for Brighton and Hove Albion at Lancing. There has been a lot of activity in the area recently and Wendy said she would try to find out if there has been a planning application at her next meeting with the council.

12. Date of next meeting

The next meeting will be 7.00pm on Thursday, 2nd February at Kingsfield Close, Southwick.

Minutes of ACF Meeting, Kingsfield Close, Southwick

Thursday, 22nd September 2011

Present: – Wendy Farmer (Chair), Bruce Andrews, Ruth Andrews, Brian Bailey, Vi Bailey, Fred Bathurst, Rose Boden, Bill Bone, Pauline Charles, Lisa Cook, Patricia Crowdy, Kevin Davis, Dave Donaldson, David Guy, William Guy, Gary Hackett, Arthur Kingsley, Paula Kinsella, Sue Lane, Richard Letchford, Bob McClelland, Bridget Orman, Sylvia Page, Tanya Page and Ron Pope.

ADC: – Barry Maxey (Tenant Participation Officer) and Paul Spedding (Executive Head of Housing, Health and Community Safety).

1. Welcome and introductions

Wendy welcomed everyone to the meeting and introduced Paul Spedding.

2. Apologies

Apologies were received from Brian Higgins, Tony Morris and Ann Seldon.

3. Choice Based Lettings – Paul Spedding

Paul explained that the council introduced their Choice Based Lettings scheme in July 2007. Prior to that, when a property became vacant, the Allocation Section offered it to the tenant at the top of the waiting list. If the tenant refused the property, it would then be offered to the next person on the list. This could be quite time-consuming and led to increased void times and a loss of income for the council. Under Choice Based Lettings, tenants apply for the specific properties they are interested in and so are more likely to accept them.

Vacant properties are advertised in a fortnightly magazine that is available from the Civic Centre and local libraries, by post or from the Homemove website. The magazine also lists some details of the successful applicants (e.g. their banding and how long they have spent on the housing register) and this transparency has shown how comparatively few properties the council has to offer. There were 128 council properties let last year (none of them 4 bedroom properties), plus 84 nominations to housing associations. This is against a backdrop of approximately 1,300 households on the housing register.

The criteria used for Choice Based Lettings are based on the Housing Act 1996 Part VI, which gives priority to those in highest need (e.g. those who are homeless or in medical need etc and with a local connection). Applicants are allocated to one of four bands (A – D) depending on their personal circumstances.

Richard asked about the housing of ethnic minorities. Paul stated that the council has a legal duty to record the ethnic origin of all applicants but said that ethnicity should not be confused with immigration. Those who are ‘subject to immigration control’ are not eligible to go on the Housing Register and therefore cannot get council housing.

Most properties are open to all applicants but occasionally a property is reserved for existing tenants who wish to transfer, if this is likely to create another vacancy in family-size accommodation.

Paula asked why tenants with families wishing to move to smaller accommodation are told they can only bid on flats and not houses. Paul said there is demand for all sizes of houses with gardens, so priority is given to young families. There was also a question about the classification for one-bedroom houses in Hurstfield. Paul said these are not classed as family accommodation or designated specifically for older people.

Ruth asked about Adur’s duty to house travellers. Paul said, in practice, very few travellers seek assistance from Adur but if no spaces are available on travellers’ sites, those who meet the necessary criteria would be offered temporary accommodation.

Wendy thanked Paul for his presentation and for answering questions and he left the meeting at this point.

4. Minutes of last meeting

The minutes from the AGM were agreed.

5. Matters arising

David Donaldson asked whether a letter had been sent to the council asking that Adur Homes retains a presence in the district. Bridget said this had not yet been done but that a letter would be sent. Wendy said she also intended to mention this at the next meeting of the Joint Strategic Committee.

Update: At a meeting of the Joint Strategic Committee on 27th September 2011, the Leader of Adur DC wished to place on record that there was a guarantee that a Civic presence would be maintained in Shoreham.

6. Bids for environmental improvements

There were no bids.

7. Treasurer’s report

Ruth reported that there was £2,327.10 in the bank account.

8. Joint Strategic Committee agenda

Item 10 – Review of Local Office Closures

During the discussion that took place, the following points were made: -

• With no further information since the consultation about the proposals to convert part of the office into a public toilet, concerns were raised about the council ‘slipping through’ these changes.

• Ruth didn’t think Section 3.3.3 was entirely accurate and suggested obstacles to opening the office had been put in the way of the ACF.

• Section 4.11 states ‘the Help Points have seen an increase in footfall’ since the closure of the local offices and this raised a query about what will happen when the Civic Centre is closed.

• It was suggested the office would not be suitable for use by the local PCSOs if the interview room is removed to make way for a public toilet.

• Kevin said there are plans to use the former Pilot public house in Southwick as a drop-in point for people with housing issues (possibly run by a community or religious organisation).

• Richard thought the ACF needs rebranding with a new name that makes it clear what they do.

• Lisa suggested it may be worth the ACF sacrificing part of their space if it results in improvements being carried out to the rest of the office.

Item 11 – WSCC’s Strategic Review of Housing Support Services for Older People

Sue explained that SHARP meet the following day to discuss this report and it was agreed to inform Wendy of any areas of concern so that she could raise them at the committee meeting.

9. Reports of committees

i) Compact Monitoring Group

The group last met in August to examine the local offers and are due to meet next on 6th December.

ii) The Forum

The editorial team meet on 6th October 2011 to start work on the Christmas edition of the Forum.

ii) Adur Leaseholders’ Forum (ALF)

The date of the next ALF meeting has been put back until 19th October. This will allow time to prepare an update on the council’s meeting with West Sussex Fire & Rescue Services on fire risk assessments. A list of 44 questions has also been sent to the council on this issue. John Mitchell, Strategic Director will be attending the leaseholders’ meeting.

iv) SHARP

The main issue concerning SHARP at the moment is the Review of Support Services and this had already been covered earlier in the evening.

10. Any other business

• None

The evening raffle raised £31.00 for ACF funds.

11. Date of next meeting

The date and details of the next meeting are to be arranged.

Minutes of ACF Meeting, Kingsfield Close, Southwick

2nd June 2011

Present: – Wendy Farmer (Chair), Ruth Andrews, Brian Bailey, Vi Bailey, Fred Bathurst, Rose Boden, Bill Bone, Lisa Cook, Patricia Crowdy, Kevin Davis, Dave Donaldson, Gary Hackett, Arthur Kingsley, Paula Kinsella, Sue Lane, Richard Letchford, Bob McClelland and Bridget Orman.

ADC: – Barry Maxey (Tenant Participation Officer).

1. Welcome and introductions

Wendy welcomed everyone to the meeting.

2. Apologies

Apologies were received from Bruce Andrews, Mary Garcia, Alison Morganfield, Tony Morris, June Moulton, Sylvia Page and Tania Page.

3. Developing the ACF Office

The purpose of the meeting was to look at how the ACF are going to operate and develop the Lancing Office. The following points were made during the discussion: -

Role of the ACF: -

• To consult with the council but more importantly, to represent the views of tenants and leaseholders. It is most effective at influencing council decisions and least effective at getting other people involved.

• People often come to the ACF for assistance when they have an issue with the council that they can’t resolve. Take-up numbers are small but what can the ACF offer them? Volunteers need to benefit from their efforts (e.g. training) to make it worthwhile.

• Opening up the ACF to temporary tenants may encourage more young people but most of Adur’s temporary tenants are housed in Worthing and Brighton, so numbers would still be small.

• With the closure of the Local Offices, there is a danger of the ACF office merely acting as a ‘referral shop’ when it is open to the public.

How can the ACF be publicised?

• Is the name of ‘ACF’ inappropriate in explaining what we do?

• Should the ACF create a post of publicity officer?

• The Lancing Office windows could be used to publicise the ACF?

• A questionnaire was suggested to ask people ‘what they would like to see improved?’ etc.

• Sue Lane offered to cover the ACF Office on Thursday mornings but the office is temporarily closed to the public because of the shortage of volunteers coming forward to staff it. This temporary closure was not supported by all of those present.

• Use the Forum to publicise the environmental fund?

• The constitution explains what the ACF does, so should be put on the website.

• Lisa suggested wording for a flyer to all tenants and leaseholders. This was approved and Lisa was tasked with drawing it up and showing it to the Management Committee.

Minutes of ACF Meeting, Kingsfield Close, Southwick

Thursday, 26th May 2011

Present: – Wendy Farmer (Chair), Ruth Andrews, Brian Bailey, Vi Bailey, Fred Bathurst, Rose Boden, Bill Bone, Patricia Crowdy, Kevin Davis, Dave Donaldson, Gary Hackett, Arthur Kingsley, Paula Kinsella, Tony Morris, Bridget Orman, Sylvia Page and Tanya Page.

ADC: – Barry Maxey (Tenant Participation Officer).

1. Welcome and introductions

Wendy welcomed everyone to the meeting.

2. Apologies

Apologies were received from Bruce Andrews, Mary Garcia, Brian Higgins, Sue Lane, Alison Morganfield and Ann Seldon.

3. Minutes of the last meeting 17th March 2011

The minutes were agreed.

4. Matters arising

• Dave said that a letter had been published in the local newspaper in which a representative from the County Council denied that there were any plans to close the Southwick Library.

• Kevin has agreed to join the Compact Monitoring Group as a replacement for Elsie Kitson.

5. Developing the ACF Office

There has been no further information forthcoming from the council about plans to convert part of the former Lancing Local Office to a public toilet. Dave has contacted Councillors Emma Evans and Jim Funnell to ask for their support in opposing this proposal.

In response to a question from Tony, it was confirmed that the ACF Office is primarily for the benefit of Adur Council tenants and leaseholders (not housing association tenants) but the office could be used by other agencies to provide advice to all members of the public (e.g. Credit Union, debt/legal advice).

There was general agreement that the ACF needs to publicise their role better to council tenants and leaseholders and that their constitution is not sufficient alone to explain what they do. Among the comments and suggestions made were: -

• The increased availability of home computers has lessened the need for ACF members to use the office to produce minutes and newsletters.

• On the other hand, it is recognised that there are still many people who do not have access to a computer and that the availability of these facilities needs to be promoted.

• Future publicity should also include a map showing the location of the office and should advertise the availability of housing staff at particular times to answer queries.

• An explanation is required of what the ACF can do for the public.

• Clients need to recognise that rules on confidentiality mean the ACF can often only offer advice and cannot always take up matters on their behalf.

• The ACF needs to come up with a plan for reaching more young families.

• At one housing authority with a similar tenants’ and leaseholders’ office, they hold monthly drop-in sessions for temporary tenants.

• The ACF should also consider holding surgeries in different areas as many clients, particularly the elderly and those with disabilities, have difficulty getting to the office.

After much discussion, it was decided to hold a separate meeting on 2nd June 2011 to agree an action plan for publicising the ACF Office.

6. Meeting with Adur Homes Services’ managers

This will be held at the Civic Centre at 2.00pm on Thursday, 30th June 2011 and will give ACF members an opportunity to put questions direct to the managers of the housing service.

The ACF Management Committee will meet on 23rd June to plan and co-ordinate the questions, so it would be helpful if members could advise them beforehand of any issues they would like to raise (or alternatively, please phone Barry on 01273 263388 or email barry.maxey@adur.gov.uk ).

7. Bids for environmental improvement grants

• Arthur circulated copies of a detailed bid for garden furniture for Seaview Court. He explained that the criteria for their choice were based on sturdiness, ability to withstand all weather conditions and comfort for elderly residents. They have considered security issues around garden furniture and have sought advice on this. They have also weighed up the comparative comfort of chairs versus benches in making their choice. No local firms could come up with the quality and price required but Sustainable Furniture UK Ltd of St Austell can supply furniture meeting their specifications at an inclusive cost of £879.59. A vote was taken and the grant was unanimously agreed.

• On behalf of Ann Seldon, Barry mentioned a request for a handrail in the gardens of Pashley Court. She had pointed out that this would benefit all residents living in the block. Gary quoted the price of similar work elsewhere, so Barry was asked to get an estimate and it was unanimously agreed to fund this work if it costs less than £200.

8. Treasurer’s report

There is £2,144.10 in the bank account.

9. Reports of committees

i) Compact Monitoring Group

Ruth gave a brief update on the last meeting of the group where it had been agreed to look at training residents in ‘Mystery Shopping’. This was met with mixed reactions, as some people were opposed to the underhand nature of what this entails. The next meeting of the group on 11th August 2011 will examine how local offers and national standards should be monitored.

ii) The Forum

The first meeting to produce the summer edition will be on 16th June 2011 and Arthur agreed to join the editorial team. All contributions from residents’ associations and individuals are welcome.

ii) Adur Leaseholders’ Forum (ALF)

The changes to the fire regulations for communal areas of buildings were discussed at the last ALF meeting. Kevin said they are looking to set up a meeting with fire officers and the council to pinpoint what work will be required. ACF representatives will also be invited, as he felt this matter is of importance to all residents and something that they need to push the council on. The next ALF meeting is on 6th July 2011.

iv) SHARP

Sue Hart is to be invited to the next SHARP meeting to discuss the results of their survey.

On behalf of Shadwells Court, Tony said residents feel that the council are fobbing them off with reasons why some of the chairs ordered for the communal lounge have not yet arrived. He also said he had been told on a recent walkabout that the kitchen and bathroom modernisations had been put on hold. Barry said he was unaware of this and that Cabinet had approved a programme of work for capital improvements earlier in the year.

10. Any other business

• Dave raised the issue of communal hallway cleaning and criticised the standard of work. He showed photos to highlight this and said that on a recent visit to Sea House, the cleaners were barely there for ½ hour, only used ½ bucket of water and did not put up any warning signs. He also said the stairs are often not done, the floors are not rinsed and the bin room has not been touched for a couple of years. On the last visit, Dave said a dustpan and brush was thrown out of an upper window on to the grass below. It was proposed to ask the council to investigate the matters raised about the standard of cleaning. This was agreed by 13 votes to nil with 4 abstentions.

• Dave also showed photos of the new brickwork installed at Sea House where some of the lintels have been replaced. He said this work was of poor quality and that the colour of bricks used was different to the original ones.

• Kevin thanked the ACF for funding the alterations to the bin area at Rock Close but said it would be necessary to carry out some remedial works as the area flooded during the recent rainfall.

• The evening raffle raised £19.00 for ACF funds.

11. Date of next meeting

The next meeting will be at 7.00pm on Thursday, 2nd June 2011 at Kingsfield Close, Southwick.

Minutes of ACF Meeting, Kingsfield Close, Southwick

Thursday, 17th March 2011

Present: – Wendy Farmer (Chair), Bruce Andrews, Ruth Andrews, Fred Bathurst, Rose Boden, Lisa Cook, Dave Donaldson, Gary Hackett, Arthur Kingsley, Paula Kinsella, Sue Lane, Bob McClelland, Bridget Orman.

ADC: – Barry Maxey (Tenant Participation Officer).

1. Welcome and introductions

Wendy welcomed everyone to the meeting.

2. Apologies

Apologies were received from Vi Bailey, Bill Bone, Patricia Crowdy, Richard Letchford, June Moulton, Sylvia Page, Tanya Page and Ann Seldon.

3. Minutes of the last meeting 27th January 2011

The minutes were agreed.

4. Matters arising

• Ruth said the council have no plans at present to extend the housing surgeries beyond the three venues already agreed at the ACF Office in Lancing, Watling Court in Southwick and the Meet-In Place at Fishersgate.

• The meeting with new contractors has been arranged for Thursday, 7th April at 10.30am in the Civic Centre. There were questions about whether Dave Millard (Contract Monitoring Officer) would be able to attend the meeting. If not, it was agreed that he should be invited to the next ACF meeting.

• Ruth asked whether there was any more news on the estimated £40 million that the council would be have to pay to central government as a result of repealing the current housing subsidy system. It was agreed to invite Christine Ryder (Finance Manager) to a future ACF meeting to discuss the implications of this when these details have been clarified.

• Bridget has received a card from Elsie Kitson thanking the ACF for their best wishes and for her present.

5. Update on the ACF Office

Plans to convert part of the former Lancing Local Office to a public toilet were shown and Wendy read out a letter that the ACF has sent to the council objecting to this proposal. The plans were described as insulting to the ACF but it was agreed to continue with work to open the office, rather than waiting for the outcome of these proposals.

6. Bids for environmental improvement grants

• Dave said that since the introduction of large wheelie bins at Rock Close, the bin area is unsuitable for present needs and some bins have to be stored on the grass. The council has looked at removing the brick wall surrounding the bin area, stripping back the turf and topsoil and laying 20 square metres of paving. The cheapest estimate received for this work is £1,850 but the council say there are no funds available for this now or in the foreseeable future. Dave said that he would ask the council for at least a contribution towards the cost of this work, as they had changed the system of refuse collection but asked for approval to get the work carried out if this was not forthcoming. This was agreed.

• Barry said he had been asked to speak on behalf of Marsh House sheltered housing scheme, who had previously been awarded a grant of £259.99 to purchase a patio set. They have managed to obtain a similar set for only £145 and were asking for approval to spend a further £140 on materials to create a small paved area in the gardens. There were some concerns about ensuring the work is carried out safely but the grant was approved provided the specification is agreed with the council.

7. Treasurer’s report

There is £2,144.10 in the bank account.

8. Cabinet reports

There are no housing related reports on the next Cabinet agenda.

9. Reports of committees

i) Compact Monitoring Group

The next meeting will be at the Civic Centre on Thursday, 14th April at 2.30pm and will look at possible changes to the service as a result of cuts to staff and finances. With the recent resignation of Elsie Kitson, who was the only leaseholder on the panel, it was agreed to seek another leaseholder to replace her.

ii) The Forum

Work has started on the spring edition. The next editorial meeting will be on Thursday, 24th March and contributions from residents’ associations about what is happening in their areas are requested as soon as possible. With the end of Adur Outlook, it was questioned whether the Forum should be published more frequently but it was decided that this would not be possible with the number of volunteers who currently participate.

ii) Adur Leaseholders’ Forum (ALF)

The next meeting will be at the Civic Centre on 13th April and will be attended by the Adur Homes Service’s management team, so leaseholders will have the opportunity to put questions direct to them. This meeting will be advertised in the next edition of Housing Voice.

iv) SHARP

Sue said the survey results have been sent to Sue Hart (Supported Housing Services Manager) for comments from her and other managers. The overall results will be sent to all sheltered housing residents but with individual comments removed.

She also mentioned that Brenda Jackson (Manager of the Chichester Community Alarm Centre) had attended the last SHARP meeting, where there had been a lively discussion about the time taken to answer some alarm calls. The next meeting will be at Tollbridge House on 10th May at 2.00pm.

10. Local offers

The list of proposed local offers was circulated and discussed. It was argued that some of the offers are quite vague and need to be more specific to be capable of being monitored. In particular: -

Offer 2 – at what age is a resident considered ‘older’ and does this only refer to people living in sheltered accommodation?

Offer 6 – what is meant by ‘a range of services’? Council policy is to persuade tenants to move from their accommodation rather than to carry out some adaptations. It was argued that this needs to be clarified. Ann Seldon had also asked for it to be mentioned at the meeting that her request to have a handrail fitted to the garden steps in Pashley Court had been refused. Comment was also made about how this offer fits in with the removal of Housing Support Officers from living on-site at sheltered schemes?

Offer 9 – how will the council protect tenants who provide witness evidence?

Offer 10 – how will this work, particularly in the light of cuts to police funding?

11. Any other business

• Wendy mentioned about problems with vehicles churning up the grassed areas in Daniel Close and asked who is responsible for dealing with this issue. She was advised to discuss this with the Housing Management Officer for that area.

• Paula asked where the Tenant Participation staff will go if the proposed public toilet is installed in the ACF Office and the Civic Centre is sold. Barry advised that some council staff will still be based at another location within Adur.

• Dave expressed concern about suggestions that the Lancing and Southwick libraries may close. Although not a housing matter, the libraries are seen as important facilities within the local communities and something that the ACF is keen to support.

• The evening raffle raised £23.00 for ACF funds.

12. Date of next meeting

Date to be arranged.

Minutes of ACF Meeting, Kingsfield Close, Southwick

Thursday, 27th January 2011

Present: – Wendy Farmer (Chair), Bruce Andrews, Ruth Andrews, Fred Bathurst, Rose Boden, Bill Bone, Patricia Crowdy, David Guy, Gary Hackett, Paula Kinsella, Elsie Kitson, Sue Lane, Bob McClelland, Alison Morganfield, Tony Morris, Bridget Orman, Sylvia Page and Tania Page.

ADC: – Christine Ryder (Finance Manager) and Barry Maxey.

1. Welcome and introductions

Wendy welcomed everyone to the meeting and handed over to Paula who was acting Chair for the evening.

2. Apologies

Apologies were received from Dave Donaldson, William Guy, Richard Letchford and June Moulton.

3. Housing Revenue Account – Christine Ryder (Finance Manager)

Christine presented her report that will be considered by Cabinet on 3rd February. The report recommends an average rent increase of 6.8% from April 2011. This is in line with government recommendations and will bring average rents up to £76.08 per week (an average increase of £4.84).

Rents are calculated according to a formula that aims to bring rents for council tenants in line with those of housing associations by 2015/16. This formula takes account of inflation each year and at the time of calculation the Retail Price Index was 4.6%.

Garage rents are also recommended to increase by 7.0% and service charges are set at a level to cover actual costs.

Christine also explained that the current housing subsidy system is being repealed and will end in April 2012. Under the current system, councils pay money over to the government who distribute it to local authorities around the country. The new system proposes that councils will be able to keep their income from rents but they will have to make a one-off payment to central government. In the case of Adur, this is currently estimated at more than £40 million.

Projections for the Housing Revenue Account for the next financial year indicate that spending will be approximately £200,000 more than income. This shortfall will be taken from reserves.

Christine was thanked for her presentation and left the meeting at this point.

4. Minutes of the last meeting 18th November 2010

The minutes were agreed.

5. Matters arising

• Ruth asked when the housing surgeries were going to start, as it is only then that level of demand will be known and decisions can be taken about whether they are in the right areas.

• It was suggested that a meeting with the new contractors should be arranged for March, as this will have given them three months to sort out any teething problems.

• Paula asked for a meeting of the Management Committee to discuss the Lancing Resource Centre. Tony supported this, saying they need to draw up a blueprint of what they want to use the venue for. He suggested that debt counselling and credit union advice could take place from there. The U3A have also expressed an interest in using the venue and Bruce offered to help people use the internet when looking for job vacancies.

6. Bids for environmental improvement grants

There were no bids.

The bid approved for Marsh House at the last meeting has been put on hold until March when B & Q and Argos will have their range of garden furniture and equipment in stock again.

7. Treasurer’s report

There is £2,164.10 in the bank account.

8. Cabinet reports

Item 6: Housing Revenue Account Budget 2011/12

Following Christine Ryder’s earlier explanation about rent restructuring, it is recognised that there are restrictions on the council and that there is a limit to the amount that can be taken from reserves. Nevertheless, there are concerns that these above inflation rent increases each year will put additional pressure on low-income working families and make it very difficult for them to manage their finances.

Item 7: Adur Homes Decent Homes & Future Works Programme

Agreement on this report was held over from the last Cabinet meeting to give ACF members more time to study it. The main concern that has come up at resident association meetings is how far funding for this programme is guaranteed and whether it would be reduced at short notice in the light of other cutbacks.

On a more specific level, some clarification was asked for about how flexible contractors are when designing tenants’ kitchens. Some of those who have already had the work done reported that they were very accommodating, whereas others had heard scare stories about not allowing room for all of their appliances, such as dishwashers etc.

Ruth asked about levels of loft insulation in blocks of flats and when these were last inspected. She also questioned whether a rolling programme of door entry system replacements is being considered if, as the report says, spare parts are no longer available.

Item 8: Tenant Services Authority

This was the topic of yesterday’s tenant and leaseholder conference and the ACF looks forward to seeing what local offers are developed from this event and the recent survey.

9. Reports of committees

i) Compact Monitoring Group

The last Compact meeting was superseded by a wider meeting with all managers of Adur Homes Services. It is recognised that there is a need to get some momentum going again for this group, so they will get together shortly to decide which area of service they would like to consider next and then set up a meeting with council officers.

ii) The Forum

Feedback from the Christmas edition of the Forum has been excellent and a timetable will be drawn up shortly to start work on the spring edition.

iii) Adur Leaseholders’ Forum (ALF)

Following the closure of the ACF Office in Southwick, ALF is looking for a new permanent venue for their meetings and will hold the next one on 23rd February at Kingsfield Close.

iv) SHARP

Sue said the full results of the SHARP survey have now been sent to their members and will be discussed at their next meeting on 15th February.

10. Invitations to ACF social events

As the mailing list of the ACF has grown considerable over recent years, it was suggested that some guidance is necessary on who should be invited to social events. After some discussion, it was agreed that invitations will only be sent to ACF and SHARP members who have attended at least one meeting or non-social event in the previous twelve months. A letter will be sent to all members to make sure that all are aware of this.

11. Any other business

• Bridget reported on-going problems with the new communal TV aerial with engineers being regularly called out to adjust it. She said she didn’t know if this was due to work being done on the transmitter prior to the digital changeover or whether it was a fault on the system. Other people reported similar experiences and asked for advice.

• Barry advised that SETUP (a group of local social landlords who provide training for residents) have invited one resident from each organisation to attend their next meeting on 10th February to help set up a training plan for the next year. Bridget and Paula will see if either of them is able to attend and David said he would go along if they couldn’t make it.

• Yesterday’s tenant and leaseholder conference came in for wide praise and Paula thanked all council staff who were involved in organising it.

• As Elsie will be moving shortly and this is the last council meeting she will be attending, she was presented with a card and gift on behalf the ACF. Elsie was thanked for her input over the years to both the ACF and the leaseholders’ group and will be missed by all of her colleagues.

• The evening raffle raised £25.00 for ACF funds.

12. Date of next meeting

The next meeting will be held at 7.00pm on Thursday, 17th March 2011 at Kingsfield Close community room.

Minutes of ACF AGM Thursday, 12th August 2010

Civic Center

Present: – Wendy Farmer (Chair), Bruce Andrews, Ruth Andrews, Fred Bathurst, Rose Boden, Bill Bone, David Donaldson, David Guy, William Guy, Gary Hackett, Paula Kinsella, Elsie Kitson, Sue Lane, Richard Letchford, Bob McClelland, June Moulton, Len Nye, Marice Nye, Bridget Orman, Sylvia Page, Tania Page, Ron Pope, Linda Price and Ann Seldon.

ADC: – Barry Maxey and Sue Tubb.

Adur D.C. staff and councillors were invited to a social gathering following the AGM.

1. Welcome

Wendy Farmer welcomed everyone to the meeting.

2. Apologies

Apologies were received from Tony Morris.

3. Minutes of 2009 AGM and matters arising

The minutes were agreed.

• The Millennium Garden is being maintained by Greenscape but the bed needs some additional low maintenance plants to fill the empty spaces. It was agreed to get an estimate for this from Dave Millard.

• Democratic Services have agreed that the ACF may nominate a reserve member to sit on the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, in case their first choice representative is unable to attend.

4. Chair’s report

Wendy thanked all ACF members for their support and for their continued attendance at meetings and on training courses. She also singled out Bridget for particular thanks for all of the time and hard work that she has put in on behalf of the ACF. Wendy said the past year has again been very quiet, although the council say the ACF are still being consulted on all housing matters. There are, however, important local and national issues coming up in the next year, including the future of the Local Offices and changes in the security of tenure for council tenants.

5. Secretary’s report

Bridget said it had been great working with everyone again over the past year and thanked them for their help.

6. Treasurer’s report

Ruth distributed copies of the balance sheet to 31st July 2010, which showed total funds of £2,330.17. She said the ACF do not do much in the way of fund-raising but with council cuts in the pipeline, this may be something that needs to be looked at.

7. Changes to the ACF constitution

There were no proposals to change the constitution.

8. Election of ACF Officers and Committees

Chair: Wendy Farmer proposed by Ann Seldon seconded by Sue Lane

There were no other nominations. Wendy was re-elected unanimously.

Vice-Chair: Paula Kinsella proposed by Wendy Farmer seconded by Bob McClelland

There were no other nominations. Paula was re-elected unanimously.

Secretary: Bridget Orman proposed by Elsie Kitson seconded by David Guy

There were no other nominations. Bridget was re-elected unanimously.

Treasurer: Ruth Andrews proposed by David Guy seconded by Paula Kinsella

There were no other nominations. Ruth was re-elected unanimously.

Overview and Scrutiny Committee rep:

Tony Morris proposed by David Guy

seconded by Fred Bathurst

Tony had previously agreed to be nominated in his absence and there were no other nominations. Tony was re-elected unanimously.

Overview and Scrutiny Committee reserve rep:

David Guy proposed by Sue Lane

Seconded by Fred Bathurst

There were no other nominations. David was elected unanimously.

ACF Management Committee: This committee consists of the Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, Treasurer and four other full members:

Tony Morris proposed by Wendy Famer

seconded by Paula Kinsella

Elsie Kitson proposed by Wendy Farmer

seconded by Paula Kinsella

Richard Letchford proposed by Paula Kinsella

seconded by Wendy Farmer

David Guy proposed by Fred Bathurst

seconded by Paula Kinsella

There were no other nominations. Tony, Elsie, Richard and David were elected unanimously.

Adur in Partnership (AiP) rep:

Ruth Andrews proposed by Wendy Farmer

seconded by Paula Kinsella

There were no other nominations. Ruth was re-elected unanimously.

Compact Monitoring Group: This group is made up of tenants, leaseholders, council officers and councillors. Five tenant and leaseholder volunteers were sought.

Six members – Richard Letchford, Paula Kinsella, Bridget Orman, Wendy Farmer, Ruth Andrews and Elsie Kitson – offered to serve on this group.

A secret ballot was held in which members were asked to choose five people from this list. Wendy and Paula each received 17 votes, Ruth 16, Bridget 15 and Richard and Elsie 9 each. A second ballot was then held between the two who came joint fifth and Elsie was elected by 11 votes to 7.

Elected: Ruth Andrews, Wendy Farmer, Paula Kinsella, Elsie Kitson and Bridget Orman.

Forum: Bruce Andrews, Ruth Andrews, Rose Boden, Wendy Farmer, Gary Hackett, Paula Kinsella, Sue Lane and Bridget Orman volunteered and were elected to sit on the editorial panel.

9. Any other business

• Bruce said any information for the ACF website www.adurconsultativeforum.org.uk would be more than welcome and can be sent either to him, Wendy or Barry. Ruth suggested that Bruce should give a report on all updates to the website at the following ACF meeting.

• Richard asked how much money the ACF receives from the council and whether this is ring-fenced or at risk of being cut. Barry explained that budgets to cover all tenant participation activities are allocated each year and are funded from the Housing Revenue Account. He said he didn’t have the amounts of these budgets to hand but could supply them to Richard.

• Richard also queried what the ACF was doing to try to make it more representative of all council tenants (e.g. by attracting younger people etc.) Members said they welcomed any new initiatives but those that have been tried in the past (e.g. articles in the Forum, direct marketing of younger tenants etc.) had not been very successful. Bruce suggested making more use of the website and other forms of new technology could encourage wider involvement.

• Linda gave details of a neighbour who was having difficulty with her accommodation. Barry said it was difficult to deal with individual queries at an AGM and suggested she encourage her neighbour to contact the ACF Office direct if she wants them to take up this issue.

• The evening raffle raised £39 for ACF funds.