The Cabinet approved the new Private Rented Sector Strategy and its Delivery Plan, the recommissioning of the In-borough Home to School Transport contract for children and young people with Special Educational Needs & Disabilities, and the Corporate Peer Challenge Action Plan. They noted reports on the Council's Medium Term Financial Strategy, and on the Housing Scrutiny Committee's Themed Review of Housing Options and Support, adopting recommendations made in the latter.

The Private Rented Sector

The new Private Rented Sector Strategy, which has been informed by the recommendations of the Affordable Housing Commission, was discussed.

The strategy aims to deliver good quality, safe and secure private sector housing for Waltham Forest residents. It contains a number of initiatives including the use of landlord forums and newsletters to disseminate information to landlords, the renewal of the property licensing scheme and the use of Lettings Waltham Forest to support responsible landlords. The Renters’ Rights Bill, if enacted in its current form, will give councils greater powers to hold landlords to account and end no fault evictions, though the council is continuing with its own efforts to improve the sector. The Strategy has been developed using a mission-based approach informed by Mission Waltham Forest, with a commitment to a new deal for private renters. It also responds to recommendations on housing made in the ‘Building a Fairer and Healthier Waltham Forest’ report.¹

The Cabinet noted that the strategy would have a positive impact on the health and well-being of residents, particularly those in vulnerable groups. The average private rent in Waltham Forest increased by 42% between 2011 and 2019, putting private renters on the front line of the housing crisis. It would be particularly beneficial to groups who are over-represented in the private rented sector, such as people of White: Other ethnicity.

The recommendation to establish a Tenants' Rights Officer team made in the Housing Commission report was not adopted. Councillor Khan confirmed that a thorough and comprehensive mapping exercise revealed that it would duplicate existing provision by the Housing Sustainment Team and Cambridge House.²

Councillor Khan and Councillor Limbajee have written to the government to request that the Decent Homes Standard³ be applied to private rented properties.

Housing Options and Support

The Cabinet noted a Themed Review of the Housing Options and Support service conducted by the Housing Scrutiny Committee.

Councillor Ahsan Khan thanked the former Housing Scrutiny Committee for their work and said that the Council was facing unprecedented demand for housing support. They were taking a preventative approach and investing more in housing sustainment and homelessness prevention, but that escalating rents for and increasing scarcity of suitable private rental properties means that the challenge involved in fulfilling these duties is greater than it has ever been.

The report made 22 recommendations. They cover a wide range of issues such as communication with those experiencing homelessness, provision for families with children in Temporary Accommodation (TA), support for those at risk of rough sleeping, and private rented accommodation supply.

Councillor Khan said that the service was making good progress towards best practice, but that they had identified a number of areas for improvement. The recommendations included a number of issues that officers should lobby central government on. Councillor Khan said that all the recommendations with the exception of numbers 3, 4, 14, and 20, had been accepted.

Councillor Khan confirmed that the reintroduction of face-to-face assessments was a key part of the ongoing transformation programme.

Medium Term Financial Strategy

The Cabinet noted a report on the Council's Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS).

Councillor Grace Williams said that there was an estimated funding gap of £18.058 million over the period 2025/26 to 2027/28. There were a number of unknowns around the future of government funding. The funding gap assumed that all in-year service pressures had been resolved, that council tax would be increased by 4.99% for each of the three years, that the New Homes Bonus would continue to be received, and that the North London Waste Authority (NLWA) levy would be reduced by £1 million due to the introduction of the separate food waste collection.

Councillor Williams said that difficult decisions will be required but that there would be full consultation with residents where this was possible. Councillor Clyde Loakes referred to the challenge of responding to key pressures and said that good communication to residents in relation to public services was paramount.

In-borough Home to School Transport

The Cabinet approved the recommissioning of the in-borough Home to School Transport contract for children and young people with SEND.

The new contract would begin on 1st September 2025 and will run for an initial 3 years with the option to extend for a further 2 years. The contract will be let through an Open Procedure. Councillor Kizzy Gardiner said that officers were working hard to reduce expenditure but acknowledged that costs were likely to increase as there was substantial need in that space. She confirmed that expenditure on the existing contract was £3,328,197 in 2023/24, against a budget of £2,278,300.

Councillor Gardiner said that the service had identified a number of ways to improve the service, including expansion of Specialist Resource Provisions (SRPs)⁴, improvements to the provision of post-16 education, and improved contract management.

Corporate Peer Challenge

The Cabinet agreed the Corporate Peer Challenge Action Plan.

The Action Plan sets out the Council's response to recommendations made by the Local Government Association (LGA) Peer Review Team, who visited the council in June 2024.

Councillor Grace Williams said that the report showed that the Council was committed to transparency and self-awareness. She confirmed that the action plan would be published as a live document and that there would be further engagement with staff, councillors and strategic partners. She said that there would be a return visit by the LGA in Spring 2025 to review progress.

The Action Plan focuses on a number of themes including investing in staff, strengthening partnerships, building a strong culture of assurance and measuring impact, and setting up Mission Waltham Forest for success.