The meeting held on June 3rd at Bexhill Town Hall covered several important topics, including the council's performance report for the fourth quarter of 2023-2024, the State of the District report for 2024, and a special report on Southern Housing by the Housing Ombudsman. The meeting also discussed the council's work programme and future agenda items.

Performance Report for Fourth Quarter 2023-2024

The committee reviewed the council's performance report for the fourth quarter of 2023-2024. Anna presented the report, highlighting that most key performance indicators (KPIs) were on target, with many showing green status. However, some areas, such as the Freedom of Information (FOI) requests, were below target. The council received a high number of FOI requests, many from university students, which impacted their ability to meet the 95% target within 20 working days. The council is working on improving the process by making more information available on their website.

Other performance areas discussed included:

• Telephone Calls: An increase in calls answered and a reduction in abandoned calls were noted, although the desired shift towards digital channels was not fully achieved.
• Missed Bins: The performance was excellent, with fewer missed bins per 100,000 collections.
• Litter Levels: Slightly below target for the quarter but on target for the year.
• Homelessness Prevention: Significant improvement with a 54% increase in successful homelessness preventions and reliefs compared to the previous year.

State of the District Report for 2024

Nicola presented the State of the District report, which provided a comprehensive overview of various aspects of the district, including population demographics, employment rates, housing, and broadband availability. Key points included:

• Aging Population: The average age in Rother has increased by three years over the last decade.
• Employment and Wages: Employment rates are good, but average salaries are lower than the national average.
• Housing: A high percentage of owner-occupied homes compared to the national average, creating challenges for affordable housing and temporary accommodation.
• Broadband: Improvements noted, but still below national rates.

Councillors discussed the implications of these findings, particularly the challenges posed by an aging population, low wages, and housing issues. The report will be published on the council's website.

Southern Housing Ombudsman Report

The committee discussed the Housing Ombudsman's special report on Southern Housing, which highlighted significant issues with the housing provider. The report indicated a 92% maladministration rate, raising serious concerns about Southern Housing's performance. Councillors shared their experiences and frustrations with Southern Housing's handling of complaints and maintenance issues. It was proposed to invite Southern Housing representatives to a future meeting to address these concerns and discuss their action plan for improvement.

Work Programme and Future Agenda Items

The committee reviewed the work programme and discussed future agenda items. Key points included:

• Savings Strategy: Andrew proposed a monthly update on the council's savings strategy to ensure measures are in place to deliver budgeted savings.
• DLUC Productivity Plan: Anna mentioned a new requirement from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUC) to complete a productivity plan, which needs to be reviewed by the committee.
• Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Policy: Ben Hook requested to bring the CIL policy to the committee for review.

The committee agreed to adjust the work programme to accommodate these items and consider holding a special meeting or member briefing to address the issues with Southern Housing more promptly.