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.

This week in South Holland:

• The Cabinet met to discuss the budget for Local Government Re-organisation (LGR).
• The Planning Committee reviewed planning applications and conservation work for the Spalding War Memorial.

Cabinet - Tuesday 06 May 2025

The South Holland Council Cabinet met on Tuesday, 6 May 2025, and approved the allocation of £175,000 to develop a final plan for Local Government Re-organisation (LGR) for submission to the government. The meeting also covered the proposed governance arrangements for the project.

The interim proposal suggested creating two unitary councils in Greater Lincolnshire: one for the existing South and East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership sub-region, along with South Kesteven and North Kesteven, and another for the City of Lincoln, West Lindsey, North Lincolnshire, and North East Lincolnshire.

The government's feedback on this interim proposal was expected in early May, and the councils would then decide whether to proceed with developing a final proposal for submission by 28 November 2025. Greater Lincolnshire was earmarked by the government to implement its new arrangements in April 2028.

The budget of £175,000 will be used to engage external expertise to support the development of the final proposal. Working with East Lindsey District Council, and potentially other interested councils, could offer opportunities to share and reduce costs.

The government confirmed in a Ministerial Statement on 24 March 2025 that it would allocate £7.6 million to support the development of LGR proposals, to be shared by 21 areas.

The interim plan submitted to the government on 21 March 2025 by East Lindsey and South Holland proposed splitting Greater Lincolnshire into two Unitary Councils: a Northern Unitary comprising the City of Lincoln Council, North East Lincolnshire Council, North Lincolnshire Council, and West Lindsey District Council, and a Southern Unitary comprising Boston Borough Council, East Lindsey District Council, North Kesteven District Council, South Holland District Council, and South Kesteven District Council.

The model proposed by East Lindsey and South Holland in their interim plan aimed to build on the foundations already developed by the South & East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership, which had delivered savings of £40 million over the past three years through a joint service delivery approach.

The budget would be apportioned as follows: approximately £35,000 for project management, and approximately £140,000 for proposal development, including the evidence base, financial analysis, governance arrangements, and community/stakeholder engagement.

The interim plan anticipated that a Trust would be established to deliver Adults and Children’s Social Care services on behalf of the whole of the Greater Lincolnshire area.

The interim plan stated that the proposed local authorities should help councils work together to deliver the significant housing targets placed upon them.

The interim plan stated that Councils across Lincolnshire are already demonstrating a commitment to delivering the best possible value for money and efficiencies, such as through the South and East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership, which is on track to deliver £42m of efficiencies by working together at sub-regional level.

The interim plan stated that the proposed approach will involve the creation of a “Social Care Trust” which will see the delivery of Children’s and Adult social care transfer to a single organisation which will cover Greater Lincolnshire.

The interim plan stated that the proposal will support the existing Devolution Deal for a Mayoral County Combined Authority (MCCA) within Greater Lincolnshire and the transition to a Mayoral Strategic Authority as part of the devolution framework, with the intention of moving to an Established Mayoral Strategic Authority in due course.

Planning Committee - Wednesday 07 May 2025

The South Holland Council Planning Committee met on Wednesday, 7 May 2025, to review several planning applications.

The committee considered a Listed Building Consent application for proposed conservation and restoration of the Temple of Remembrance, part of the Spalding War Memorial located in the Ayscoughfee Hall Museum & Gardens. The application, submitted by South Holland District Council, sought permission for cleaning and repair work to all elements of the Temple of Remembrance. The architect, Edwin Lutyens, was responsible for some 58 war memorials in both the UK and abroad, including the Cenotaph in Whitehall.

The proposed works included roof repairs, render replacement with traditional lime render, repairs to arches and columns, floor repointing, and cleaning of memorial panels.

The committee also considered a full planning application seeking retrospective permission for the erection of a 100-seat spectator stand, standing terrace, and two dugout shelters at the Sir Halley Stewart Playing Field, Kings Road, Spalding. The applicant was Spalding United Football Club. The works were required because the club had recently been promoted and needed to upgrade its facilities to meet FA requirements, with funding received through an FA grant. Anglian Water had objected to the application, as they were proposing discharge of surface water to their public surface water sewer network.

The committee also considered a full application for a single-storey rear extension at 17 Gleed Avenue, Donington, Spalding. The application, submitted by Mr & Mrs Goddard, proposed an extension to create an additional bedroom and bathroom.

Finally, the committee considered a full planning application for the erection of a single-storey rear extension at 28 Tolls Lane, Holbeach, Spalding. The applicants were listed as Mr & Miss Sinfield & Cresswell. Holbeach Parish Council had expressed their full support for the proposals. The purpose of the extension was to provide additional living space for occupants within the dwelling who have medical and caring needs.

The committee also received an update on recent appeal decisions. Since the previous report, there had been 7 appeals dismissed and 3 allowed.

This week, the South Holland District Council held a Policy Development Panel meeting on Tuesday, 25 June 2024. The main topics of discussion included the South Holland Centre, ICT policies, and the panel's work programme.

South Holland Centre

A progress report on the South Holland Centre was presented. This follows the joint task group meeting of the Performance Monitoring Panel and the Policy Development Panel on 18 April 2024, where concerns were raised about the absence of a business plan for the venue. The chairmen of the panels had previously praised the venue's manager and the relevant portfolio holder for their work but emphasized the need for detailed financial planning.

The latest report indicates that a Business Development Plan has now been produced. It outlines various scenarios for the future operation of the venue, which will be explored further. This development is crucial as it aims to minimize the financial burden of the South Holland Centre on the district while ensuring its sustainability.

ICT Policies

The panel approved five key information and communications technology policies. These policies are essential for maintaining and improving the council's ICT infrastructure and ensuring compliance with relevant regulations.

• Environment Policy
• ICT Policies
• Appendix 1 for ICT Policies
• Appendix 2 for ICT Policies
• Appendix 3 for ICT Policies
• Appendix 4 for ICT Policies
• Appendix 5 for ICT Policies

Policy Development Panel Work Programme

The panel also discussed their work programme for the upcoming year. They received an update on the Business Frontages Task Group, which focuses on enhancing the appearance of shop fronts across the district. In addition, the panel considered adding the new Local Plan to their work programme. This Local Plan is a comprehensive document that will outline the council's planning policies for the next 15 years. The panel agreed to request officers to include the Local Plan in their agenda for the next meeting.

For more details on these discussions and decisions, you can access the meeting's transcript and documents.