The Housing, Planning and Development Scrutiny Panel met on Monday 17 November 2025 to discuss key performance indicators for housing, the implementation of recommendations from a scrutiny review on private sector housing, the draft budget and medium term financial strategy, and the Haringey draft local plan.

Scrutiny of the 2026/27 Draft Budget and Medium Term Financial Strategy 2026/2031

The panel was scheduled to discuss the council's draft budget for 2026/27 and its medium term financial strategy for 2026/2031. A report in the Public reports pack noted that the council was facing significant financial challenges, including a reduction in core government funding and increasing demand for services. The report stated that the council had only been able to set a balanced budget for 2025/26 with the assistance of £37 million of Exceptional Financial Support (EFS) from the government, which the council will need to repay with interest. The report also noted that the council was facing additional unique challenges, including a government grant that is 15% less than the national average, a high level of temporary accommodation, and relatively low numbers of residents who can fund their own adult social care. The report stated that estimated new budget pressures for 2026/27 were £30.1 million, primarily in social care and temporary accommodation. The report also noted that new savings and efficiencies for 2026/27 of £7.0 million had been identified, but that it was increasingly difficult to identify further reductions needed to set a balanced budget. The report recommended that the panels scrutinise the proposals presented in the report and appendices and provide recommendations on the budget proposals to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (OSC) Committee on 19 January 2026. The documents included in the report pack included:

• The 2026-27 Budget and 2026-2031 Medium Term Financial Strategy Report
• The Directorate Appendices, which summarises new proposed savings, budget pressures and changes to the capital programme for each directorate.
• The AHH Appendices, which provide more detail on specific savings proposals for Adults, Housing and Health.
• An explanatory note on the Scrutiny Role in the budget setting process.

Haringey Draft Local Plan

The panel was scheduled to receive an update and provide comments on the Haringey Draft Local Plan, which was out for public consultation. The Draft Local Plan report for HPD Scrutiny Panel noted that the New Local Plan is a key opportunity to:

help deliver the Council's vision of what it wants for Haringey by 2035: a place where we can all belong and thrive deliver on the Haringey Deal– allowing residents, businesses and organisations to shape development and change in Haringey's communities and neighbourhoods, and for us to hear the voices of those that are too often overlooked. provide an updated planning framework for the borough which is as effective as possible in achieving Haringey's priorities and addressing the issues we face such as the climate emergency and the homelessness crisis prepare for exciting opportunities for Haringey such as being London Borough of Culture 2027 and helping host the UEFA Euro 2028 Men's Football Tournament

The Draft Local Plan consultation document includes:

• A comprehensive vision and framework for delivering high-quality placemaking in the borough
• An overall strategy for managing growth while protecting valued assets like open spaces, heritage buildings, and community facilities.
• Draft planning policies
• Proposed site allocations for future development.

KPI Update

The panel was scheduled to receive an update on a range of key performance indicators relating to the Housing service. The Housing Performance Slide Deck September 2025 noted the following highlights:

• The percentage of Homes made Decent increased to 81.1% for Quarter 2 and remains above target.
• Fire Risk Assessments achieved 100% compliance for September 2025.
• Gas compliance increased slightly to 99.89% and remains within tolerance levels.
• Asbestos re -inspections were 100% complaint at the end of the period.
• LOLER lift inspections remains static at 100% from last month.
• Water Risk Assessments increased and is now at 100% compliance.
• Rent collection for General Needs and Sheltered Housing increased slightly and remains above YTD target for September.
• Communal fire points Health & Safety checks for Supported Housing has maintained 100% since the beginning of this year.
• Support Plans compliance remained static at 97.2% as reported last month and remains within tolerance levels.

The Housing Performance Slide Deck September 2025 also noted the following areas of concern:

• Satisfaction with last repair and first time fix remain below target.
• Voids performance is currently out of the profiled target as the voids increased to 287 from 271 in the last period.
• The % of rent collected for temporary accommodation has increased to 92.4% YTD September, but remains below target.
• Leaseholder Service charges collection decreased to 60.3%
• Estate gradings decreased to being below target from within tolerance last month.
• A delay in tenancy audits being loaded onto NEC has impacted performance in this area and is below the target profile but increased by 100 audits during September.

Update on the implementation of the recommendations from the scrutiny review on private sector housing

The panel was scheduled to receive an update on the recommendations arising from a previous Scrutiny Review on Landlord Licensing. The Scrutiny Review - Landlord Licensing in the Private Rented Sector Report included a response to the recommendations of the Housing, Planning & Development Scrutiny Panel. The Appendix 3 OSTableofReccomendationsprogress update 2025 noted the following progress to date:

• The Private Sector Housing Team are currently undertaking a review of the current Selective property Licensing scheme.
• A formal partnering arrangement is still being considered. With the introduction of Renters Reform Bill, it is envisaged that a more formalised arrangement for supporting tenants with RRO will materialise.
• The Private Sector Housing Team web pages are regularly maintained and updated to provide information specifically aimed at tenants and landlords.
• A decision was made to wait until the Renters Rights Bill and associated guidance passed into law before holding the next Landlord Forum or establishing a Renters Forum.
• In November 2024, the private sector housing team was successful in recruiting new compliance officers.
• All property that has an HMO licence must be inspected within the lifetime of the licence (5 Years).
• There is already an anonymous 'report it' functionality for people to report an unlicensed HMO.
• There are already several meetings that are held across services and a number of working groups that share data, information and or intelligence.
• Regular briefings are shared with and by Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning.

Work Programme Update

The panel was scheduled to discuss and update their work programme for 2024-2026. The Work Programme HPD SP 2024-26 v7- July 2025 document listed a number of potential items for future meetings, including:

• Older People's Housing Strategy & Rightsizing Strategy
• Housing Officers: Caseload, expectation, performance management, KPIs etc, relationships with residents.
• TA Placements Policy & TA Discharge of Duty Policy
• Housing Asset Management Plan
• Leaseholders
• Fire Safety Action Plan
• Housing Strategy & Policies Programme
• HRA Capital Governance
• Placemaking Programmes and Funding
• Response to Ombudsman Complaint in relation to Planning Application HGY/2022/4537
• Housing Associations
• Budget scrutiny
• Allocations Policy
• Housing Mock Inspection
• Housing Resident Engagement Impact Assessment April 2023 to December 2024
• Housing Adaptations
• Housing Service Performance Scrutiny 2024/25 Outturn
• Q1 Budget & Performance Monitoring report (Finance)
• Housing Improvement Programme
• Estate Renewal
• Update on the Council's Housebuilding Programme
• Voids
• Neighbourhood Moves Scheme (Update on its implementation, proposed changes & progress to date)
• Tenant Satisfaction Measures (Survey Results)