Agenda and minutes

To note the guidance on remote meetings

RESOLVED

THAT the guidance on remote meetings be noted. 

Apologies for absence were received frim Councillor Meric Apak, Cabinet Member Better Homes and Co-Chair, Mark Davidson (Borough Commander) who had Station Commander Matt Williams attending in his absence, Jo Rose, Fire Safety Team Leader, and Mandisa Khabo.

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 at least six months after the meeting. After that time, webcasts are archived and can be made available on upon request.

If you have asked to address the meeting, you are deemed to be consenting to being filmed and to the use of those images and sound recordings for webcasting and/or training purposes. If you are addressing the Committee your contribution will be recorded and broadcast.”

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 11^th January 2022.

Consideration was given to the minutes of the meeting held on 11^th January 2022.

RESOLVED –

That the minutes of the meeting held on 11^th January 2022 be approved as a correct record.

To consider the updated information from the previous meeting.

The panel noted the information outlined in the action tracker update.

Report of the Director of Property Management

This report looks at how the Council can meet its separate equalities and fire safety duties when specifying closure mechanisms and building entrance doors to residential buildings and internal communal area doors. The Equality Act 2010 places a duty upon service providers to remove the physical barriers that prevent people with disabilities from accessing a service. The Fire Safety Act will require the Council to provide Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans for residents who would need assistance to evacuate their homes in an emergency.

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

Melissa Dillon, Resident Safety Engagement and Governance Lead, took the panel through the report and she and Gavin Haynes, Director of Property Management, gave the following key responses to questions:

·       When appropriate the Council would seek to use the CAM door closure mechanism for communal doors.

·       The Fire Safety Act/Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan regulations were due to come into force from April this year and officers in Property Management would develop a checklist for use when specifying Better Homes, fire safety and fire door replacement contracts. This would be done in consultation with the Disabled Adaptation and Occupational Therapy Teams. Officers in the Council’s Community Investment Programme (CIP) Team would also be advised of the checklist so a consistent approach to both new build and existing housing stock was developed.

·       Once a draft checklist had been produced officers would then also consult with the Council’s Camden Disability Forum with the objective of ensuring that as far possible it allowed for the range of buildings and variety of access needs of residents, and visitors to Council homes. The final version of the checklist would then be considered at a future meeting of the panel.

ACTION BY: Director of Property Management (MD)

·       The intention was that the final version of the checklist would be incorporated into Major Works, Repairs Technical standards, CIP design standards, and Camden’s contract management processes.

·       The Council had sent round a number of newsletters to tenants and residents over the last 12 months that had explained its communal housing and fire safety policies. Further to this, a communications plan would be developed for the next year that would seek to provide tenants and residents with updates as a result of the Fire Safety Act regulations, the Building Safety Act and the impact of behaviours in relation to improving fire safety (e.g. fire risk from discarded cigarette ends). A specific information leaflet was going to be circulated in relation to the fire risks from cigarettes based on the LFB’s advice.

·       The Communication Plan would include the opportunity to attend Fire Safety Awareness Training, where tenants and residents would be advised as to why automatic opening mechanisms and vents were to be used correctly and what their purpose was. This type of information would also be included in Housing News, specific leaflets (which could show photos of the impact of a fire on someone’s home) and the Council’s website. Also being considered was the use of webinars as a means of training a large number of tenants and residents on the new requirements. Officers would share the new communications and training materials with panel members when they were available.

ACTION BY: Director of Property Management (MD)

RESOLVED –

THAT the approach be taken forward by officers as outlined in the report be endorsed.

Report of the Director of Property Management

This report sets out the governance arrangements in place to manage fire risk including the progress of the forward capital investment programme.

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

Dominic Johnson, Head of Resident and Building Safety, took the panel through the report and he and Shamsul Alam, Programme Manager, following a question, advised the meeting that in relation to the summary of fire safety works listed where listed building consent was required, officers would undertake consultation with conservation officers to see what could and could not be done. The outcomes from this process would then indicate whether listed building consent was required. From this a package of works would then be developed to go out to tender.

Adrian Young thanked Dominic Johnson and Susanne Afra’s team for their response in relation to the issues he had raised outside of the meeting.

RESOLVED –

THAT the report be noted.

Report of the Director of Property Management

To consider a possible work programme for future meetings of the panel as set out below:

Work programme (new items in bold)

Dates of future meetings

29^th June 2022

·       LFB Annual Performance report

·       An annual report on the maintenance of safety equipment

·       FRAs Audit update

·       Building safety cases investment update

12^th October 2022

24^th January 2023

·       Annual Report

20^th April 2023

·       LFB Annual Performance report

Yet to be programmed

·       Tenants Guide

·       Emergency services communications network

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

The meeting agreed to move the Building Safety Case update from the June meeting to October to make room for a legislative update report. As Royal Assent would have been given to the Building Safety Act and the Fire Safety Act would be in force and the Regulations were also expected to have been published.

Also for October, the panel agreed to consider a report on the Building Safety Charter Annual Delivery Plan monitoring for 2021/22 and a report on the implementation of PEEPS regulations. Officers would provide panel members with an update on the PEEPS regulations when they were available.

ACTION BY: Director of Property Management (MD)

The panel also agreed to add the Tenants Guide report along with the Fire doors and closure mechanisms update report to the January 2023 meeting.

Officers also agreed to consider how best to take forward the report relating to Emergency Services Communications.

ACTION BY: Director of Property Management

Dates of future meetings

29^th June 2022

·       LFB Annual Performance report

·       Annual maintenance and safety equipment report

·       FRAs Audit update

·       Legislative update report

12^th October 2022

·       Building safety cases update

·       Building Safety Charter Annual Delivery Plan monitoring for 2021/22

·       PEEPS regulations

24^th January 2023

·       Annual Report

·       Tenants Guide

·       Fire doors and closure mechanisms update

20^th April 2023

·       LFB Annual Performance report

Yet to be programmed

·       Emergency services communications

Future meetings

The panel asked its members to consider whether they wished to continue holding meetings remotely or wished to hold them in person (which could include a hybrid option). Panel members should feedback their thoughts on this to the chair or officers.

                                                              ACTION BY: Panel Members

Thanks

The Chair reported that Councillor Meric Apak had asked her to pass on the following statement of thanks to the panel:

‘I think this is the Panel's last meeting of the municipal year and indeed the last meeting of the political four-year term. This is one aspect of what I do which I never take for granted. If re-elected in May, and then re- appointed as Cabinet member to lead this portfolio, I look forward to working with you. If not, it has been a pleasure working with you and the rest of the panel members. Please do pass on my thanks for their hard work and my thanks to all officers and especially to Melissa Dillon.’

The Chair then also thanked panel members and officers for supporting the work of the panel.

RESOLVED –

THAT the work programme outlined above be agreed.

There were none.