Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Kemi Atolagbe, Anna Burrage and Tom Simon, and Francis Dias and Simon Murray Resident Panel Members.

It was noted that Councillor Mathew Kirk was attending on behalf of Councillor Tom Simon but in an observer capacity.

Broadcast of the meeting

The Chair to announce the following: ‘In addition to the rights by law that the public and press have to record this meeting, I would like to remind everyone that this meeting is being broadcast live by the Council to the Internet and can be viewed on our website for twelve months after the meeting. After that time, webcasts are archived and can be made available upon request.

If you have asked to address the meeting, you are deemed to be consenting to having your contributions recorded and broadcast, including video when switched on, and to the use of those sound recordings and images for webcasting and/or training purposes.’

Any other announcements

Webcasting

The Chair announced that the meeting was being broadcast live to the internet and would be capable of repeated viewing and copies of the recording could be made available to those that requested them. Those participating in the meeting were deemed to be consenting to being filmed.

There were none.

There were none.

To consider the minutes of the meeting held on 17^th October 2023.

Consideration was given to the minutes of the meeting held on 17^th October 2023.

RESOLVED –

THAT the minutes of the meeting held on 17^th October 2023 be approved as a correct record.

To appoint a Resident Panel Member to Co-Chair the proceedings.

The meeting then sought nominations for the position of Resident Co-Chair. Gul Begum was the only nomination and the meeting agreed that she be the Resident Panel Co-Chair for a further 12 months.

RESOLVED –

THAT Gul Begum be appointed Resident Co-Chair for a further 12 months.

Report of the Director of Property Management

The report reviews the range of issues the Housing & Fire Safety Advisory Panel) has considered over the last 12 months and proposes an amendment to the panel Terms of Reference.

Consideration was given to the report of the Director of Property Management.

Dominic Johnson, Head of Resident & Building Safety, took the meeting through the report.

RESOLVED –

1.    THAT the activity over the preceding 12 months against the objectives as set out in the Terms of Reference be noted.

2.    THAT the proposed amendments to the Terms of Reference as set out in paragraphs 1.4 and 4.2 of the appendix be approved.

Report of the Director of Property Management

This report provides an update on compliance across fire, legionella, asbestos, gas, electrics, and lifts (FLAGEL) for the housing portfolio for Quarter 2 of 2023/24 (end of September 2023). This update is coming to the panel in line with the revised terms of reference and provides additional detail behind the information that is summarised each year as part of the fire and building safety charter.

The report also provides the January 2024 update on Fire Risk Assessments (FRAs) and FRA actions.

Consideration was given to the report of the Director of Property Management.

Gavin Haynes, Director of Property Management, took the meeting through the report and he along with Dominic Johnson, Head of Resident & Building Safety, gave the following key responses to questions:

·       The number of high risk actions was now down to approximately 22, from the 400 that had been identified last summer.

·       Compliance in relation to the Legionella Risk assessment at the end of Q2 was 96.59% which was an increase in the performance (up from 67%). Category A water risks related to high rise buildings.

·       The Council had been using Savills and Open View to complete the electrical safety certificating for Council homes, but due to capacity and resourcing issues the delivery programme had slipped. Officers would now be seeking to involve other companies to undertake this work so that most of the programme would be delivered by year end.

·       The Council’s aim was to get into every home so it could deliver all its compliance requirements.

·       Future reports would now solely focus on the provision of 5 year electrical certification information as required.

·       The Council was not required to undertake gas and electrical checks for leaseholder homes as this was a requirement for the leaseholder themselves, and they would also need to do it if they were sub-letting as a private landlord. The Council did publicise this requirement to leaseholders but the requirement was for the leaseholder themselves to undertake this work, the Council did not have any enforcement powers in relation to this work. Going forward the Council was able to ensure that future leasehold’s allowed the service to require electric and gas checks compliance, this could not be applied retrospectively unless the leaseholder agreed to a variation in their lease.

·       Where the Council had a block that needed to have a simulation evacuation policy then a linked alarm would be installed in a leaseholder’s home to allow it to comply with the required regulations.

·       Officers would report to a future meeting of the panel regarding some options to ensure compliance by leaseholders in relation to gas and electrical safety checks. This could include whether a programme offering the Council’s services to undertake gas and electrical checks for leaseholders if they wished could be undertaken.

ACTION BY: Director of Property Management/Director of Housing

·       The Council had put a lot of resources into addressing the high risk actions arising from fire risk assessments along with putting in place processes and procedures for delivering the compliance checks. There was still an issue regarding accessing homes to ensure the checks could be undertaken and further work (which would include legal action, and planning to delivery all compliance certification works in one session) was being developed. Also the Council was preparing to deliver on the 188 building safety cases that it had to undertake, with the first 39 having to be delivered in April.

·       The Council had written to all tenants and residents informing them that they should not store  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

Report of the Director of Property Management

This report sets out the how the needs of deaf and hard of hearing residents are taken into consideration when alarm installations are being carried out to their homes.

Consideration was given to the report of the Director of Property Management.

Shamsul Alam, Fire Safety Works Programme Manager, took the meeting through the report and gave the following key responses to questions:

·       Linked alarms (with imbedded heat detectors) would be fitted into leaseholder flats as part of the street property installation programme. The Council was able to undertake this work as local authorities had been given the powers to do so (as the buildings were deemed high risk and required simultaneous evacuation). In communal flats each home and the communal area would have a linked alarm fitted. Leaseholders were not able to refuse the Council access to undertake this work. The Council would seek to engage with residents on this so they understood why the works needed to be done, so that the authority did not need to use legal processes. These legal processes would only be used as a last resort.

·       Core panels would be assessed by engineers to ascertain where a fault was and then use this information to rectify the fault in the flat that it related to.

·       The Council had to follow appropriate installation regulations when fitting the alarms (would use trunking) and when possible would try to ensure that the wiring wasn’t noticeable.

·       For the LDT programme kitchens would receive a heat and carbon monoxide alarm, and in other parts, smoke and heat alarms, for street properties the communal area would have a multi-sensor alarm, and the flat would have a heat detector.

·       Should an operative identify that a leaseholder’s home did not meet electrical standards that would allow for the installation of an alarm (this was very rare), then the Council could do the work themselves to ensure that its bit met appropriate standards.

·       The alarm systems installed by the Council could only be maintained by council designated operatives. A remote monitoring system would be put in place as part of the installation programme. A device would be connected to the core panel that would communicate with all the detectors within that property. If there was a fault or the alarm was turned off then the monitoring device would pick this up and send a message to a contact centre for an engineer to attend. The alarms had a battery back-up should mains electrical power cease, and would be regularly tested by an operative (as well as being part of the annual checking process), along with the tenant being recommended to test the system themselves.

·       The installation costs of these alarms being fitted had been capped by the Council at a figure of £250, with an annual maintenance charge of approximately £160.     

RESOLVED –

THAT the report be noted

Report of the Director of Property Management

The report suggests a possible work programme for future meetings of the panel.

Consideration was given to the report of the Director of Property Management.

The meeting was advised that Members should give consideration to items and issues they either wish to have as formal business items or for informal information gathering sessions. These issues should be forwarded to the panel co-chairs or to the clerk.

                                                              ACTION BY: All Panel Members

The meeting agreed that Silvia Kirk be appointed as the Panel’s representative onto the Tenant Conference Working Group.

ACTION BY: Head of Innovation and Improvement

The meeting agreed to receive a report regarding Gateway 2 & 3 high-rise Building Control regime at the July 2024 meeting of the panel. The meeting also agreed the report on fire doors testing programme be added to the agenda for the meeting in April, and that the following issues be added to the yet to be programmed list;

·       Meeting with the Regulator

·       Leaseholder safety checks compliance proposals

·       Annual reports regarding delivery on water, electrical and gas safety

ACTION BY: Director of Property Management 

The meeting also noted the dates of meetings and rolling programme of standing items.

New items in bold

April 2024

·       LFB Annual Report

·       Building Safety Act implementation

·       Consumer Standards update

·       Fire Doors testing programme

·       Compliance Performance Report (Standing Item)

3^rd July 2024

·       Gateway 2 & 3 Building Control Regime

·       Compliance performance report (Standing item)

·       Work Programme

22^nd October 2024

·       Fire and Building Safety Charter annual report

·       Compliance performance report (Standing item)

·       Work Programme

29^th January 2025

·       Annual report

·       Compliance performance report (Standing item)

·       Work Programme

23^rd April 2025

·       LFB Annual Report

·       Work Programme

Yet to be Programmed

·       Smoke/Carbon monoxide alarm installation programme

·       Accessing Homes

·       BS9997 Standard Fire Safety Management System Independent Audit reports

·       Meeting with the Regulator

·       Leaseholder safety checks compliance proposals

·       Annual reports regarding delivery on water, electrical and gas safety

RESOLVED –

THAT the work programme, action tracker update, Tenant’s Conference representative, and dates of meetings as outlined above be endorsed and noted.

There were none.