The Overview and Scrutiny Committee met to discuss a range of topics, including housing standards, a social media policy, and environmental strategies. The committee was also scheduled to review past performance and plan for future work.

Election of Vice-Chairman

Following the resignation of Councillor Neil Drayton from the position, the committee was scheduled to elect a new Vice-Chairman.

Housing Standards Policies

The committee was scheduled to consider three draft housing standards policies: the Empty Homes Policy, the Houses in Multiple Occupation Licensing Policy, and the Housing Standards Enforcement Policy. These policies were reviewed and updated to ensure they are easily accessible, understood by officers and members of the public, and compliant with current legislation and guidance. The report pack states that adopting these policies would allow the council to discharge its statutory duties in relation to housing enforcement, licensing of HMOs, and dealing with empty homes. The draft Empty Homes Policy sets out the options available to the council to encourage homeowners to bring empty properties back into use. It also refers to the possibility of enforcement action. The draft HMO Licensing Policy relates to the licensing of houses in multiple occupation, and states that the council must maintain a register of licensed HMOs for public viewing. The draft Housing Standards Enforcement Policy details how the council will deliver private sector housing enforcement and what landlords and tenants can expect from the service.

Revised Housing Allocations Policy

The committee was scheduled to discuss a revised housing allocations policy for Boston Borough Council and East Lindsey District Council. The report pack notes that recent changes in national guidance and legislation on social housing allocations prompted a review of the shared policy. The aim of the revised policy is to ensure compliance with statutory requirements, improve outcomes for residents, and support the council's strategic housing objectives. The report pack mentions that the Allocation of Housing (Qualification Criteria for Victims of Domestic Abuse and Care Leavers) (England) Regulations 2025, effective from 10 July 2025, requires all local housing authorities in England to remove local connection and residency requirements for victims of domestic abuse and care leavers up to the age of 25. Other proposed changes to the policy include:

• More explicit exemptions for domestic abuse victims and care leavers regarding local connection requirements.
• Clarification that reasonable preference alone does not guarantee high priority.
• Introduction of additional preference for armed forces members, care leavers, terminally ill applicants, and exceptional risk cases.
• Introduction of a £60,000 financial resource limit and more detailed exceptions.
• Setting a £500 debt threshold and requiring 8 consecutive weeks of repayment for housing-related debt.

Social Media Policy

The committee was scheduled to consider a draft Social Media Policy for the South & East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership. The policy sets out how each of the council's social media channels will operate and provides clear and defined roles for how residents interact with the council and how the council will manage comments and replies. The policy includes house rules for followers, outlining acceptable behaviour on the council's social media channels. These rules prohibit abusive, obscene, bullying, harassing, unlawful, libelous, discriminatory, spam, deceptive, or promotional content. The policy also sets out a strategic framework for social media messaging, based on the CORE principles: changing behaviour, operational effectiveness, reputation management, and explanation of policies, actions, and campaigns.

Tree & Hedgerows Strategy Action Plan

The committee was scheduled to discuss the Tree and Hedgerow Strategy Action Plan. The Tree and Hedgerow Strategy Action Plan sets out a medium-term plan for managing, protecting, and enhancing tree and hedgerow cover in South and East Lincolnshire. It is a step towards reaching net zero targets and supporting nature recovery and community participation. The Action Plan is based around three core objectives: Protect, Plant, and Participate. The report pack notes that a baseline mapping exercise showed that approximately 6.5% of land in South and East Lincolnshire is classified as tree cover, and just 1.5% is classified as hedgerows, against an England average tree cover of 12.8% and hedgerow cover of 2.5%. It also states that over 80 kilotonnes of carbon is sequestered annually in trees in South and East Lincolnshire, with an estimated economic value of over £18,000,000. The report pack also references woodland opportunity mapping undertaken by Friends of the Earth, which outlined the potential for future woodland creation opportunities in each district:

• East Lindsey: 908 hectares
• Boston: 11 hectares
• South Holland: Less than 1 hectare

Annual Scrutiny Report 2024/2025

The committee was scheduled to review the Annual Scrutiny Report 2024/2025, which provides an overview of the activities undertaken during the 2024/2025 municipal year by the Environment & Performance Committee and the Corporate & Community Committee. The report summarises the work of both committees, including items considered, key discussions, and recommendations made.

Quarter 2 25/26 Performance Report

The committee was scheduled to receive a report on Quarter 2 25/26 performance, covering the period to the end of September 2025. The report includes key performance indicators (KPIs) for Boston Borough Council, set out by priority, and trend indicators providing context for policy decisions and resource allocation. The report pack identifies the following key areas:

• Amber Indicator: Industrial Unit Occupancy
• Red Indicator: Homelessness Decisions
• Red Indicator: Household Waste Recycling

Work Programme and Forward Plan

The committee was scheduled to consider its current Work Programme and the Council's Forward Plan. The Work Programme outlines the committee's planned activities and scrutiny topics for the coming months, while the Forward Plan provides visibility of key policy decisions scheduled for Cabinet consideration. The report pack notes that areas identified for potential scrutiny included homelessness performance, recycling targets, and industrial unit occupancy. The Forward Plan December 2025 to November 2026 includes items such as the Plan for Neighbourhoods submission, the Destination Management Plan, and updates on housing standards and environmental strategies.