Agenda item

Members will receive an update regarding Housing Standards, in particular to address issues pertaining to Damp and Mould across Buckinghamshire.

This update was requested following the report that was presented at the Growth, Infrastructure and Housing Select Committee meeting held 16 February 2023.

Contributors:

Cllr Mark Winn, Cabinet Member for Homelessness and Regulatory Services

Lisa Michelson, Service Director, Housing & Regulatory Services

Jacqui Bromilow, Head of Environmental Health & Trading Standards

The Chairman welcomed Councillor Mark Winn, Cabinet Member for Homelessness and Regulatory Services, Lisa Michelson, Service Director, Economic Growth and Regeneration and Jacqui Bromilow, Head of Environmental Health & Trading Standards to the committee meeting.

The following points were highlighted from the report:

·        The tragic death of 2 year old Awaab Ishak and the Coroner’s report published in November 2022 highlighted to the risk of damp and mould. The Cabinet Member pledged that the Council would do everything possible to minimise the risk of such a tragedy occurring in Buckinghamshire.

·        A report came to the 2023 February meeting of the Growth, Infrastructure and Housing Select Committee detailing the measures taken by Buckinghamshire Council to combat damp and mould.

·        In 2022/23 there were 211 service requests relating to excess cold, or damp & mould. This compared to the 99 requests received in 2021/22, demand increased twofold compared to the previous year.

·        It was noted that many tenants fear eviction if they raise concerns about damp and mould, however there were legal protections in place to protect residents.

·        In collaboration with Opportunity Bucks, which looked at the 10 most deprived areas in Bucks, a project was ongoing to raise awareness of damp & mould, as well as create a referral pathway for partners to pass on information to the Council quickly.

·        A 2 phase communications plan was set to launch in early October focusing on prevention, and what actions people can take to manage damp and mould. The team would work closely with other teams to ensure messaging is consistent with energy efficiency messages. Later on in November/December, alongside winter messaging focused on cost of living and heating advice, further information would be disseminated on damp & mould and how to report it.

During discussion, comments and questions raised by the Committee included.

·        Households were facing a lot of pressure with cost of living crisis, where necessary affected residents are signposted to the helping hand scheme, as well as suggesting contacting (where appropriate) their social housing provider for particular schemes they have in place.

·        Of the 82 improvement notices issued in the previous year referenced in 2.7 of the report, 7 were served to social landlords, and the remainder were to private sector landlords. It is important to note that social and private landlords are not treated differently with respect to enforcement action.  At times where a hazard has been identified that may require formal action the social landlord has matters in hand and therefore does not require a notice to be served to remedy the defect.

·        Improvement Notices may have varied time lengths attached them. This would be dependent on the works required to be undertaken. Tenants are kept in properties where possible. If compliance isn’t forthcoming, works may be commenced by the Council to fix the problem (recovering costs from the landlord afterwards), and a formal civil penalty pursued where appropriate.

·        Members were reassured that the Council had a good working relationships with Social Housing Providers, and attended quarterly meetings with providers. Making every visit count was a scheme whereby visitors (e.g. trades people) would be bale to recognise signs of damp & mould and inform the resident/provider.

·        As part of Opportunity Bucks programme, work was done with housing associations to ensure that improving standards for residents was addressed for all tenants within the County. It was noted that when tenants left social housing, if carpets were in good condition, they could be ‘gifted’ to the next tenant, rather than ripped out. Historically, there had been reluctance to do so as this could indicate carpets were the landlords responsibility.

·        The Energy Doctor scheme was highlighted. This scheme allowed eligible households to request a visit from a domestic resource efficiency officer (Energy Doctor) to advise on ways the household can reduce energy consumption. More information was available on the Buckinghamshire Council website.