The Overview & Scrutiny Committee of Boston Borough Council is scheduled to meet on 9 December 2025 to discuss a range of topics, including housing standards, social media policy, and the council's performance. Members will also consider the Tree and Hedgerow Strategy Action Plan, and the Annual Scrutiny Report for 2024/2025.

Housing Policies

The committee will be asked to consider three draft housing policies: the Empty Homes Policy, the Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) Licensing Policy, and the Housing Standards Enforcement Policy. These policies have been reviewed and updated to ensure they are easily accessible and understood, and that they comply with current legislation, national and local guidance. According to the report pack, adopting these policies will ensure that the council complies with statutory requirements and guidance, primarily from the Housing Act 2004.

The report pack states that the Empty Homes Policy sets out the council's powers to encourage homeowners to bring empty homes back into use, and that while such a policy is not required by law, it is considered best practice. The HMO Licensing Policy relates to houses or flats occupied by more than one household who share facilities. The council is required to maintain a register of licensed HMOs for public view. The Housing Standards Enforcement Policy details how the council will deliver private sector housing enforcement, and what landlords and tenants can expect from the service.

The report pack notes that aligning these policies across the South and East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership will ensure consistency for officers and residents.

Revised Housing Allocations Policy

The Overview and Scrutiny Committee will also consider a revised Housing Allocations Policy shared by Boston Borough Council and East Lindsey District Council. The revisions are intended to reflect recent changes in national guidance and legislation around social housing allocations. According to the report pack, the Allocation of Housing (Qualification Criteria for Victims of Domestic Abuse and Care Leavers) (England) Regulations 2025, effective from 10 July 2025, require all local housing authorities in England to remove local connection and residency requirements when determining eligibility for social housing allocations for victims of domestic abuse and care leavers up to the age of 25.

The report pack states that the revised policy introduces additional preferences for armed forces members, care leavers and terminally ill applicants, and sets a £60,000 financial resource limit.

The report pack notes that Neil Moorland, Housing Consultant, was engaged to provide expert advice and confirm the legality and robustness of the proposed policy.

Social Media Policy

The committee will discuss a draft Social Media Policy, which is intended to provide a consistent approach to social media channels and tactics when communicating with residents. The policy document will be an addendum to the existing South & East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership Communications Strategy.

The report pack states that the policy will cover topics such as 'house rules' for followers, how replies and comments are handled, what content is best suited for each channel, strategic focus, and security and housekeeping protocols.

The report pack includes an audit of social media usage across the Partnership, including data on followers and views for platforms such as Facebook, X (formerly Twitter)), LinkedIn, Nextdoor, WhatsApp and Instagram.

The report pack notes that an Ofcom report published in late December 2024 revealed that seven out of 10 people in the UK use Meta-owned platforms Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, and that 84 per cent of people in the UK use WhatsApp monthly and 64 per cent use it daily.

The report pack states that the policy proposes to create 'house rules' for followers of the Partnership's social channels, which will be published on the council's website and regularly cited to remind followers of their obligations when posting and interacting on the channels.

Tree and Hedgerow Strategy Action Plan

The committee will be asked to agree an action plan to inform delivery against the South and East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership Tree and Hedgerow Strategy. The strategy sets out a vision for communities to be richer in greener spaces through the sustainable presence of trees and hedgerows.

The report pack notes that development of the action plan commenced in 2022, with consultation and support from partners including the Woodland Trust, Greater Lincolnshire Nature Partnership and the Forestry Commission.

The report pack states that a baseline mapping exercise using I-tree canopy software 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. This is against an England average tree cover of 12.8% and hedgerow cover of 2.5%.

The report pack includes woodland opportunity mapping for the sub-region 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

The report pack notes that the UK government has set a national target of creating or restoring 30,000 miles of hedgerows by 2037 and 45,000 miles by 2050, as part of its Environmental Improvement Plan 2023.

Annual Scrutiny Report 2024/2025

The committee will review the Annual Scrutiny Report for 2024/2025. The report provides an overview of the activities undertaken during the 2024/2025 municipal year by both the Environment & Performance Committee and the Corporate & Community Committee.

The report pack notes that the Environment and Performance Committee considered items such as the Crime and Disorder Partnership Update, CCTV Function operational updates, the Environment Policy, and the Boston Markets Policy. The Corporate and Community Committee considered items such as the Artificial Intelligence Policy, the Street Naming and Numbering Policy, and the South and East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership Private Sector Housing Strategy.

The report pack states that Councillor Claire Rylott was the Chairman of the Environment and Performance Committee, and Councillor Paul Gleeson was the Chairman of the Corporate and Community Committee.

Quarter 2 25/26 Performance Report

The committee will receive an update on performance as at the end of September 2025, to feed into the committee's work programme. The report pack states that there are 92 Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for Boston Borough Council in 2025/26, set out by priority following the adoption of the Sub-regional Strategy.

The report pack notes that there are 27 targeted indicators where performance is within the direct control of the council, and 65 trend indicators, which show context for policy decisions and resource allocation.

Work Programme and Forward Plan

The committee will consider its current Work Programme and the council's Forward Plan. The Forward Plan is a forecast of decisions which are expected to be taken by the Cabinet in the next twelve months. The report pack includes a schedule of meetings and agenda items for the Overview and Scrutiny Committee from 2 October 2025 to 30 April 2026.