Decision

Report Title: Comments from Place Overview
& Scrutiny on MLH and Business Plans
 
Presented by: Councillor David Taylor
– Chair of Place Overview & Scrutiny
Sub-Committee
 
Mercury Land
Holdings Business Plan - Recommendations
 
1.         An
explicit commitment should be given in the MLH Business Plan that
MLH will not sell units direct to another Council. RESPONSE:
The Leader rejected the rumour that MLH was selling units to other
councils.
·                    
A press release had been signed off that week to publicly refute
it.
·                    
Emphasised that the Council has never engaged in this practice.
 

2.         Further
information should be provided to Members on the impact of MLH
developments on lowering the demand for temporary accommodation.
The Sub-Committee supports the intention of officers to develop a
dashboard to illustrate this. RESPONSE: The new dashboard
will include a greater emphasis on housing demand
figures  and will be a dynamic system
which can be adapted to the requirements/requests  from members.
 
3.         The
commitment of MLH to support the Council’s Social Values
Strategy
should be stated
more explicitly in the MLH Business Plan. RESPONSE: the
cabinet confirmed that there is  broad
agreement on all recommendations, including Social Values
statements.
 
 
All Business Plans -
Recommendations
 
4.         Given
their length and complexity, the Sub-Committee requests that
the
Business Plans are
in future brought for scrutiny at an earlier stage with drafts
presented in December if possible. The Subcommittee appreciates
however the pressures on officers and that elements of this
timescale may be outside of officers’ control.
RESPONSE: Senior Officers will endeavour to produce future
reports as early as possible. Noting earlier submissions of plans
is an aspiration that officers will work towards.