This week in South Holland:

Deli Mini Market Licence Under Review Amidst Police Concerns

The Panel of the Committee of the Licensing Authority convened on Thursday to discuss a premises licence variation application for Deli Mini Market. The meeting addressed proposed changes to the store's existing licence, which has raised concerns from Lincolnshire Police.

• Deli Mini Market Ltd sought to amend a condition of their licence, specifically regarding the involvement of two individuals, Haiman Fatah Mohamad and Hasan Pispar, in the business.
• The applicant requested that Mr. Mohamad be allowed to work at the premises under supervision, citing his unemployment and the owners' willingness to employ him.
• Lincolnshire Police submitted a representation on May 2nd, citing concerns related to all four licensing objectives: crime and disorder, public safety, public nuisance, and the protection of children from harm.
• The Panel also considered excluding the public from the meeting during discussion of the exempt appendices to agenda item 3, based on Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, due to the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraphs 1 and 2 of part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act.

The Panel were advised that they could modify the conditions of the licence or reject the whole or part of the application under the Licensing Act 2003. The outcome of the application is not yet known.

Upcoming Meetings

Here's a look at the upcoming meetings scheduled for the next week:

• The Cabinet will meet on Tuesday, June 10th, to discuss performance reports, risk management, housing-related strategies, and a proposal regarding home energy advice.
• The Spalding Town Forum will meet on Wednesday, June 18th.

This week in South Holland:

Licensing Panel Discusses Sensitive Licence Application

The Licensing Panel met this week to discuss a Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Vehicle Driver Licence. The Licensing Panel meeting was held on Thursday, May 29th.

• The agenda included a resolution to exclude the public from the meeting during the discussion of the licence application, citing the disclosure of criminal convictions.
• The panel considered a report from the Licensing Officer regarding a Dual Hackney Carriage Driver Licence and Private Hire Vehicle Driver Licence.

The full details of the discussion were not made public.

Upcoming Meetings

Here's a look at the upcoming meetings scheduled for the next week:

• The Panel of the Committee of the Licensing Authority will convene on Thursday, June 5th, to address a premises licence variation application for Deli Mini Market, including a discussion of representations received from Lincolnshire Police¹. The panel may also exclude the public from part of the meeting.
• The Cabinet will meet on Tuesday, June 10th.

This week in South Holland:

• The Performance Monitoring Panel met to discuss housing performance, including damp and mould issues, and the South Holland Centre's budget.
• The Committee of the Licensing Authority reviewed the draft statement on licensing policy, including updates on child protection and public safety.
• The Licensing Committee met, but no transcript or summary of the meeting is available.

Performance Monitoring Panel - Tuesday 20 May 2025

The Performance Monitoring Panel met on 20 May 2025 to discuss the council's performance, with a focus on housing and the South Holland Centre. The panel reviewed performance data, compliance with regulations, and tenant satisfaction. They also discussed the work programme for the coming year.

Housing Performance

A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to the Housing Landlord Service.

Damp, Condensation and Mould (DCM)

The panel reviewed the Housing Landlord Service’s performance in managing cases of damp, condensation and mould (DCM). The report included discussion of proactive and reactive reporting of DCM, performance in managing proactive cases identified via stock condition surveys, and performance of managing reactive cases.

The panel considered revising the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) reported to the Performance Monitoring Panel on damp, condensation and mould for 2025/26. The proposed revisions included the number of DCM cases reported in the last quarter, the number of live cases as a percentage of stock, the average number of days to fix issues, and the percentage of inspections carried out within 14 working days.

Responsive Repairs and Planned Maintenance

The Housing Landlord Service’s performance in delivering responsive repairs and programmed maintenance was also discussed. The report included information on the volume of repairs completed by the in-house team and external contractors, performance against target timeframes, performance against the targets for void days¹, and planned repairs and maintenance. The performance of the capital programme had been identified as an area of priority.

Compliance Assurance

The panel discussed how the Housing Landlord Service was performing against key statutory compliance measures. The report included details relating to key compliance measures, annual reporting on compliance performance, and the compliance position as of 31 January 2025 in areas such as asbestos management, gas safety, legionella safety, electrical safety and fire safety.

Tenant Satisfaction Measures

The panel received an update on the 2024/2025 Tenant Satisfaction Measure outcomes. The report included discussion of the methodology used to conduct the Tenant Perception Surveys, the results of the surveys, including tenant satisfaction with the overall service, repairs, safety, and complaint handling, and the results of the Tenant Satisfaction Measure Management Information, including performance on gas safety checks, fire risk assessments, and anti-social behaviour cases.

Annual Complaints Performance and Service Improvement Report

The panel considered the performance of housing complaints for 2024/2025 and provided feedback for consideration by the Cabinet. The report included an overview of the complaints received during 2024-2025, the Council’s performance against the Housing Ombudsman Complaint Handling Code, and an analysis of the types of complaints received and the service improvements made as a result.

Quarterly Performance Report

The panel received an update on how the council was performing for the period 1 January 2025 to 31 March 2025. The Q4 Performance Report 24-25 detailed areas of under-performance, including the percentage of household waste collected for recycling and composting, the percentage of corporate complaints responded to within corporately set timescales, the percentage of subject requests responded to within statutory timescales, and the average answer rate for Revenues & Benefits (PSPS).

South Holland Centre Financial Information

The panel discussed the South Holland Centre budget. The report provided Members with the 2024/25 South Holland Centre Budget following the Performance Monitoring Panel meeting of 11 December 2024 where Members asked for greater detail on the Centre’s budget to support a focussed scrutiny discussion. As previously reported, the Policy Development Panel also discussed the South Holland Centre in June 2024.

Performance Monitoring Panel Work Programme

The panel set out the Work Programme of the Performance Monitoring Panel, including the dates of future Panel meetings along with proposed items for consideration, and the task groups that have been identified by the Panel.

Committee of the Licensing Authority - Thursday 22 May 2025

The Committee of the Licensing Authority met to review and approve a draft statement on licensing policy before a period of consultation. The statement sets out how the council will exercise its functions under the Licensing Act 2003 with a view to promoting the licensing objectives.

Licensing Act 2003 Licensing Policy Statement

The Committee reviewed and amended the draft Licensing Act 2003 Licensing Policy Statement, and approved the content for consultation.

The Licensing Act 2003 requires the licensing authority to publish a statement of licensing policy every five years, setting out how it will ensure the four licensing objectives are promoted when carrying out its functions. These objectives are the prevention of crime and disorder, the prevention of public nuisance, public safety, and the protection of children from harm.

The draft statement of licensing policy includes several proposed material changes, including a section added to the Protection of Children from Harm section relating to awareness of the sexual exploitation of children, a Safeguarding section added in relation to children and vulnerable persons, a Modern-Day Slavery section added, a Counter Terrorism section added, the Public Safety section updated to include various new initiatives and current guidance, including information on drink spiking, and a new section and associated appendix added to advise licence holders and applicant’s of the Public Space Protection Order which is in force within the Borough.

The Licensing Authority must consult with several parties, including the Chief Officer of Police for the Licensing Authority’s area, the Fire Authority for the area, the Director of Public Health for the area, persons considered to be representative of holders of premises licences, club premises certificates and personal licences, and persons considered to be representative of businesses and residents in the area.

Following the consultation, a schedule of responses will be brought back to the Committee of the Licensing Authority for consideration. Amendments to address the responses will be integrated into the final draft Statement of Licensing Policy, along with any further amendments required by the committee. The final draft will then be referred to Full Council for adoption, following which it will be published.

Minutes of the Previous Meeting

The Committee signed as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 10 September 2024. At that meeting, the committee considered the draft Gambling Policy (Statement of Principles) prior to it being issued for consultation. The only change presented within the draft policy was the statistical information regarding the population and the number of licences in operation within the district. The policy was legally required to be in place before the end of January 2025.

Licensing Committee - Thursday 22 May 2025

The Licensing Committee met, but no transcript or summary of the meeting is available.

This week in South Holland:

• South Holland District Council met to elect a chairman and vice-chairman, and to discuss the South and East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership performance.

South Holland District Council - Wednesday 14 May 2025

South Holland District Council held an annual meeting on 14 May 2025, which included the election of a chairman and vice-chairman, reviewing committee memberships and regulations, and discussing the South and East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership¹ (SELCP) performance. The meeting also included a review of the 2024/25 Quarter Three Finance update.

South and East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership (SELCP) Performance

The council was scheduled to discuss the progress of the South & East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership (Boston Borough Council, East Lindsey District Council and South Holland District Council). The report pack included an update on the Alignment and Delivery Plan (ADP), external funding secured, and financial efficiencies achieved.

The report pack included a table detailing external funding secured by each council and the partnership since August 2020:

The Partnership Business Case identified £42 million in financial efficiencies that could be achieved through the three councils working together. The report pack indicated that the partnership was on track to achieve these savings up to 2028/29, with additional efficiencies to be added as they are identified.

2024/25 Quarter Three Finance Update

The council was scheduled to consider recommendations from the Cabinet regarding amendments to the Capital Programme, based on the 2024/25 Quarter Three Finance update. The report pack included a summary of the council's financial position at the end of the third quarter of 2024/25.

The revenue outturn was forecast to be an underspend of £176,000 at the year-end. This was due to staffing pressures being offset by higher than anticipated investment income. The General Fund 2024/25 net budget for investment income was £1.033 million, with the forecasted full year outturn for investment income as at Quarter 2 being £1.286 million, an overachievement of £253,000.

The 2024/25 budget included a savings efficiency target of £831,000, with 57% of the target having been identified as at 31 December.

The proposed revised capital budget as at Quarter 3 for the General Fund was £6.116 million.

The Housing Revenue Account (HRA) revenue budget was forecasting a surplus of £227,000, mainly due to an underspend in Supervision and Management (£66,000) and increased investment income (£125,000). The HRA Capital programme totalled £21.851 million for 2024/25.

The council’s cash continued to perform well with £422.7k forecast to be achieved in excess of budget.

Political Group Regulations, Committee/Outside Body Membership Review

The council was scheduled to review political group regulations, committee and outside body membership, the 2025/26 schedule of meetings, and the appointment of David Simpson as a second Independent Person, for an initial three year term until the Annual Council Meeting in May 2028.

The report pack included a proposal to revise the number of seats on specific committees, including the Performance Monitoring Panel, Policy Development Panel, Planning Committee, and Licensing Committee/Committee of the Licensing Authority.

Special Urgency - Non-Key Decisions - Application of Call-In

The council was scheduled to receive a report on the reasons for urgency relating to a Non-Key Decision, as required by the council’s constitution.

The report pack stated that one decision had been made since the last full council meeting that had fallen under the special urgency rules for non-key decisions:

• Local Government Re-organisation – interim plan

This follows the Cabinet's approval of the allocation of £175,000 to develop a final plan for Local Government Re-organisation (LGR) for submission to the government, as discussed in the previous email.

Health Scrutiny for Lincolnshire Report

Councillor Glynis Scalese was scheduled to provide an update following the latest meeting of the Health Scrutiny for Lincolnshire Committee. The report pack included information on ageing well in Lincolnshire, mental health, dementia and carers.