Decision

To approve amendments to the Electrical Safety Policy relating to Arun District Council’s council owned housing stock. The policy was originally adopted by the Housing and Wellbeing Committee on 17 June 2025.

The amendments update and clarify the council’s approach to managing electrical safety across its housing stock, including electrical inspection and testing, remedial works, changes of occupancy, management of dangerous electrical defects, data and records and resident communication.

Reasons for the decision

The Electrical Safety Policy for council owned housing stock has been reviewed to ensure that it provides a clear framework for the management of electrical safety and reflects the council’s arrangements for inspection, testing, remedial works and ongoing compliance.

The revisions provide greater clarity around the council’s electrical inspection and testing programme, including the five yearly inspection cycle, arrangements for new build properties and full rewires and the requirement for a new Electrical Installation Condition Report when there is a change of occupancy, including void reletting, mutual exchanges and internal transfers.

The amendments also clarify the approach to managing defects identified through Electrical Installation Condition Reports, including the arrangements for C1 and C2 defects to be rectified or made safe and for subsequent remedial work to be monitored through to completion. The arrangements for managing dangerous electrical defects are also clarified through reference to the Electrical Safety Management Plan and associated procedures.

The revised policy further strengthens the arrangements for maintaining electrical safety records, resident communication, competent contractors, performance reporting and quality assurance.

The amendments therefore provide a clearer and more consistent framework for managing electrical safety within the council’s housing stock and for demonstrating compliance with relevant statutory and regulatory requirements.

Alternative options considered

Retain the existing policy without amendment: Rejected. This would not incorporate the additional clarification identified through the review, particularly in relation to the inspection and testing programme, changes of occupancy, management of electrical defects and associated compliance arrangements.

Undertake a complete replacement of the policy: Rejected. The existing policy framework remains appropriate and the required changes can be addressed through amendments to the current policy.