Agenda and minutes

Appendix A lists those Tenant and Resident Associations (TRAs), which have satisfactorily completed the registration process at the date of despatch of this agenda. It gives details of the representatives of those TRAs to be co-opted onto the DMC, in accordance with the constitution, together with the names of the substitutes.

Appendix B lists those TRAs whose registrations have lapsed. If a TRA wishes to register it must hold an Annual General Meeting (AGM), open to all members, once a year (with an independent observer in attendance). The minutes must be sent to the Tenant Participation Service together with a membership list and a completed registered form.

The DMC considered the list of registered tenant and resident associations (TRAs) which was updated at the meeting, provided by the Tenant Participation Service listed at Appendix A to the agenda and those TRAs whose registration had lapsed, which were listed at Appendix B.

RESOLVED –

THAT the ‘A’ and ‘B’ lists be noted.

Apologies were received from Richard Caylor (Bayham Place Estate TRA), Monir Hussain (Churchway TRA), Dimitrios Papageorgiou (Curnock Street TRA), Zain Alam (Ampthill Square), Amy Lame (Coopers Lane Estate TRA), and Joned Khan (Walker House TRA).

Apologies were also received from Paul Tomlinson.

To agree the election of Chair for 2023/24 meeting year.

RESOLVED –

THAT Fran Heron (Ampthill Square TRA) be elected Chair of the DMC for the 2023/24 municipal year.

DMC Chair

Fran Heron advised the meeting that though she was happy to continue in the role of chair at this time, she would be considering her position on whether she wished to continue in this capacity in the future.

Sharon Calvey and Graeme Beedham leaving event

The meeting was advised that a social event would take place in the autumn to thank Sharon Calvey and Graeme Beedham for their work here in Camden.

ACTION BY: DMC Chair

DMC special meeting

The meeting was advised that there would be a special meeting of the DMC on 19^th June to consider repairs, local issues, action-tracker responses from the March cycle (if necessary), and to consider ways of improving communications between the Council and tenants and residents.

ACTION BY: Tenant Participation (SM)

Re-ordering of the agenda

The meeting agreed that the Constitution, Code of Conduct, Appointments to other bodies, Minutes and action tracker be taken after the Housing Services and DMC Funding reports.

Mrs Helia Evans

The meeting was advised that Mrs Helia Evans (previous Ossulston TRA representative), was very unwell. The DMC thanked her for all her work in seeking to make her local community a better place to live, and their thoughts were with her family at this difficult time for them. The DMC agreed to send the family a card on their behalf.

                                                              ACTION BY: DMC Chair

There were none.

To elect up to two Vice-Chairs of the DMC for the 2023/24 meeting

year, including a senior Vice-Chair to become acting Chair should the

need arise.

RESOLVED –

(i)  THAT David Perris (CASP) and John Wood (Walker House TRA) be elected Vice-Chairs of the DMC for the 2023/24 municipal year; and

(ii)THAT John Wood be elected as senior Vice-Chair.

There were none.

To approve the minutes of the meeting of Camden Town DMC held on 1^st March 2023.

RESOLVED –

THAT the minutes of the meeting held on 1^st March 2023 be approved and signed as a correct record.

To consider the updates arising from the action points from the March meeting.

Consideration was given to the action point update, a revised version of which was circulated at the meeting.

The meeting asked that officers provide a response to the questions that DMC representatives provided in advance of the meeting.

ACTION BY: Tenant Participation (SLF)

Leaseholder Services

Officers agreed to provide further information regarding the position of leaseholders in funding bids (e.g. could they veto bids, whether they should be charged for DMC bids, whether leaseholder charges for such bids went into the HRA). Officers would also advise on the position of whether DMC funding should be used for community safety and general estate improvements. 

ACTION BY: Head of Neighbourhoods (MJ)

DMC Budgets

Officers agreed to ensure that a response was provided regarding the process for rolling over DMC budget bids.

ACTION BY: Director of Finance (EC)

Officers advised that the bid agreed for 30 – 53 Mornington Street was now being progressed, with works started.

The DMC noted that if necessary, the action tracker would be considered at the special meeting on 18^th June 2023.

To agree the DMC’s Constitution and Code of Conduct as set out in the attached documents.

Consideration was given to the Constitution and Code of Conduct.

The meeting endorsed the existing Constitution and Code of conduct subject to both documents being re-considered at the September Meeting. The meeting were advised that the Chair had suggested some revisions to paragraphs 1 (a) and 1 (b) of the Constitution as set out below;

Current Wording

a)    District Management Committees (DMCs) are advisory forums to address Council housing issues and related issues relevant to the area covered by the DMC.

b)    The DMC will discuss and make recommendations to the Council’s Cabinet, Cabinet Member for Better Homes, and the Housing Scrutiny Committee.

Proposed wording

(a)  District Management Committees (DMCs) are advisory forums to address Council housing issues and related issues relevant to the area covered by the DMC.

(b)  The DMC will discuss and make recommendations to the Council’s Cabinet, Cabinet Member for Better Homes and the Housing Scrutiny Committee

These revisions would need to be circulated as part of the agenda for the September meeting, where they would be discussed before any change could be made.

The meeting felt that the Code of Conduct should also be discussed at the meeting, and the Chair would seek to draft a poster that could be displayed at meetings that picked out certain aspects of the code in relation to the conduct of representatives in the meeting.

RESOLVED –

THAT the Constitution and Code of Conduct be approved for the 2023/24 Municipal Year, subject to further consideration of the documents at the September meeting as set out above.

                                                              ACTION BY: DMC Chair

i)           To elect the DMC’s representative to the Camden Safer Neighbourhood Board.

Camden Safer Neighbourhood Board

“Camden Safer Neighbourhood Board is a community-led charity that brings together the community, police and council with the aim of reducing crime and antisocial behaviour in Camden.

“We oversee three main strands of activities:

• Public meetings and community conversations – these provide residents from across Camden the chance to challenge the Police Borough Commander and senior officers from the Community Safety Partnership about crime 

• Stop and Search – the Camden Stop and Search Monitoring Group meets four times a year. We also have a panel of 18 Camden Independent Youth Advisors with a keen interest in Stop and Search. 

• Camden Safer Neighbourhood Board Trustees – we hold six meetings a year where a small group of Trustees having been appointed by the CSNB hold the police and Partnership to account for performance in crime and antisocial behaviour. The Trustees oversee the work and set the policies for the CSNB.”

For more information, visit https://camdenconnected.com/

ii)          To elect representatives to any other bodies as needed.

Camden Safer Neighbourhoods Board

The DMC asked DMC representatives to consider whether they wished to put themselves forward as the Camden Town DMC representative on the Safer Neighbourhoods Board for the 2023/24 Municipal year, so an appointment could be made at the September meeting.

RESOLVED –

THAT the appointment to the Safer Neighbourhood Board be differed to the September meeting of the DMC.

                                                              ACTION BY: DMC representatives

To consider the report of the Director of Housing and the Director of Property Managment

Consideration was given to the report of the Director of Housing and the Director of Property Management

HRA Budget Monitoring report

Officers advised the meeting that a more in-depth financial position report would be available for the September round of the DMCs. This would provide comparative service budget data, along with the position regarding the heating pool proposals for this financial year which would include information on how the heating pool charges compared to what was available on the open market. This report would also cover the issue of the current level of borrowing and interest payments required to service that debt. The current debt servicing costs would be sent to DMC representatives.

ACTION BY: Director of Finance (EC)

The DMC asked that officers ensure that the report going to the September meeting provided appropriate service budget comparative year data, so the meeting could compare previous years against this current financial year’s performance. The report should also look at the impact the capital programme budget shortfall was having on planned and repairs maintenance. The meeting identified that the Council’s own overall financial accounts, which would include the HRA, had not been formally certified for a number of years. This showed that the Council was able to roll over budgets when it wished. Information regarding quarter 3 for the 22/23 financial year should have been available to be considered in this report, even if this was in draft form.

Officers advised that the formal certification of the authority accounts was being held up due to changes to the accounting processes, especially in relation to property values. This was affecting the accounting processes of most local authorities, and the Council was making good progress in progressing its financial accounts.

Housing Regulation Update

Officers advised that the Social Housing (Regulation) Bill had yet to receive Royal Assent, but this was still expected to happen soon. Also leaseholders and tenants would be covered by the proposals in the same way. The DMCs could in future seek to have an information dashboard that could provide them with data regarding housing services performance against the tenant satisfaction and consumer standards measures. The Council would need to seek to ensure that measures were put in place to improve service delivery, and as part of this seek to minimise costly disputes with leaseholders that could end up impacting on the HRA.

DMC Inclusivity Charter

The DMC was advised that the proposal to hold a housing conference was a proposal that came from all the DMC Chairs, rather than one chair as suggested in the report. The meeting was advised that the housing conference was being suggested to be held in the spring of next year to allow for full tenant and resident engagement on the construction of the conference, also this would allow officers to devote resources to the planned summer engagement events that would be taking place over the next few months.

Officers agreed to look into the sharing of information in the Drummond Street TRA area  ...  view the full minutes text for item 12.

Report of the Head of Neighbourhood Services.

In line with the DMC funding guidelines, TRAs will be asked to provide an update to the meeting regarding the progress of agreed bids, including an update on the associated spend. TRAs are invited to circulate any relevant information in advance through the clerk.

TRAs are encouraged to submit bids as soon as possible, so they can be properly assessed and prepared by officers, ready for submission to the DMC. TRAs are reminded that verbal bids cannot be accepted at DMC meetings as, in line with the guidelines, officers need to be able to assess bids before passing them to the DMC.

For more information on DMC bids, please see our webpages: www.camden.gov.uk/district-management-committees.

Consideration was given to the report of the Head of Neighbourhood Services.

Bids

The DMC gave consideration to the bid from Regents Park Safer Neighbourhoods Panel /Mornington court, for a security device to prevent unauthorised access to the communal door entrance to Mornington Court, at a cost of £857.00. The bid was discussed and approved by the DMC.

The DMC gave consideration to the bid from Threefields Estate Tenants and Residents Association, for a security device to prevent unauthorised access to Fairfield, Brierfield, and Foxfield Blocks at a cost of £3,428.00. The bid was discussed and approved by the DMC.

The DMC gave consideration to the bid from Drummond Street Tenants and Residents Association, for a security device to prevent unauthorised access to Starcross Street, 40 Hampstead Road and North Gower Street, at a cost of £2,571.00. The bid was discussed and approved by the DMC.

The DMC gave consideration to the bid from Walker House TRA, to purchase and install 4 bike/stands in the existing bike storage area at a cost of £9,250.00. The bid was discussed and approved by the DMC.

After 12 month’s officers would review and report their findings as to whether the use of Gerda boxes had been successful in helping to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour on these housing estates. Also they would consider whether in future such initiatives should be funded by the Council rather than from DMC budgets.

ACTION BY: Neighbourhood Managers

RESOLVED –

THAT the bids outlined above be approved

ACTION BY: Neighbourhood Managers

The meeting had decided that any local issues would be considered at the special DMC meeting on 19^th June 2023.

There were none.