The Policy Development Panel met on Tuesday 2 June 2026 to discuss a range of policy matters, including the approach to strategy and policy review in the lead-up to Local Government Reorganisation, the final report of the Derelict and Untidy Sites Task Group, and proposed updates to HR policies. The panel also reviewed its work programme and considered various other governance and policy-related items.

Strategy / Policy Review and Development

The panel was scheduled to consider an approach to future strategy and policy review and development in anticipation of Local Government Reorganisation (LGR). The report proposed a refined and proportionate approach to managing the Council's strategies and policies during the transition period, which is expected to conclude by 2028. This approach would delegate the approval of minor or non-material amendments, and consequential amendments arising from legislative changes, to Service Directors in consultation with the relevant Portfolio Holder and Monitoring Officer. This delegation would apply to policies outside the Council's constitutional Policy Framework, which would continue to be reviewed and approved by Full Council. The aim was to maintain strong governance while freeing up capacity to focus on LGR preparations.

Final Report of the Derelict and Untidy Sites Task Group

A final report from the Derelict and Untidy Sites Task Group was presented for consideration. The task group had been established to assess the effectiveness of the Derelict and Untidy Sites Policy, introduced in 2022, which aimed to address unsightly and neglected properties. The report highlighted that the policy was largely duplicative of existing statutory powers available to departments such as Planning, Environmental Health, and Building Control, and had not demonstrably improved outcomes or operational efficiency. The task group's conclusion was that the existing policy should be retired and replaced with a concise, 2-3 page guidance signpost document for Members and Parish Councils. This document would outline how to identify relevant issues, gather information, contact the appropriate service, understand timescales, and access public reporting methods. The panel was asked to provide feedback and consider making recommendations to the Cabinet.

Review of HR Policies

The panel was scheduled to review proposed HR policies prior to their submission to the Council. These policies had been developed by Public Sector Partnership Services (PSPS), the Council's HR provider, with input from a Readers' Panel comprising officers and trade union representatives. The report indicated that the policies were considered practical to implement operationally. The review included three new policies: Fixed-term Contracts and Secondments Policy, Housing Competence and Conduct Policy, and Housing Code of Conduct. Additionally, four existing policies were amended: Learning & Development Policy, Managing and Supporting Change Policy, Probation Policy, and Recruitment Policy. Feedback was sought specifically on the amendments to these existing policies. The Housing Revenue Account (HRA) specific policies were noted as complementing corporate HR policies by setting out role-specific expectations for employees delivering landlord services, aligning with the Regulator of Social Housing's Competence and Conduct Standard. Tenant feedback on the Housing Competence and Conduct Policy and Code of Conduct was also presented, demonstrating how tenant views had shaped communication standards and behavioural expectations.

Policy Development Panel Work Programme

The panel was presented with its Work Programme for 2026/27, which included a calendar of future meetings with proposed items for consideration, and a list of ongoing and pending task groups. The proposed items for future meetings included reviews of ICT Policies, the Communications Strategy, the PSPS Transformation and Service Modernisation Programme, the Carbon Footprint Update for FY24/25, the Vulnerable Person and Reasonable Adjustment Policy, the Disabled Aids and Adaptations Policy, the AI Policy, and the Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) review. The task groups listed included the Derelict and Untidy Sites Policy Task Group, the Business Frontage Task Group, and the Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) Task Group. The panel was invited to identify any additional items for discussion to ensure the Work Programme remained relevant and up-to-date.

Key Decision Plan

The panel was scheduled to note the current Key Decision Plan. This plan outlines key decisions the Council anticipates making over the next twelve months, defined as those with a significant effect on communities in two or more Wards or likely to result in expenditure, income, or savings above specific financial thresholds. The plan detailed decisions related to the Crisis and Resilience Fund, the disposal of land and property assets, conservation area appraisals and design guides, visitor economy plans, housing fund allocations, electrical testing contracts, UK Shared Prosperity Fund and Rural England Prosperity Fund allocations, and the award of periodical electrical testing for landlord safety certificates.

SHDC Policy Register & SELCP Policy Register

The panel was scheduled to note the South Holland District Council (SHDC) Policy Register and the South and East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership (SELCP) Policy Register. These registers provide an overview of the Council's policies, their approval dates, review cycles, and current status. The report indicated that the Graffiti and Street Art Management Policy review was overdue, and several ICT-related policies were scheduled for review, with minor amendments expected. The Communications Strategy was also listed for review, and first-year review commentary had been provided for the Customer Feedback Policy. Members had previously suggested that policies marked as 'approved' but due for review should be updated to 'in review' status, a suggestion that was confirmed to be implementable.

Health and Safety Policy – General Statement of Intent and Arrangements

Consideration was scheduled for proposed amendments to the Council's Health and Safety Policy. The report highlighted that these changes were minor and part of a scheduled three-yearly review. The updates were primarily intended to enable the policy to be adopted separately by each sovereign council, offering greater flexibility, and some detailed content was to be moved to supporting documents such as terms of reference. The panel was asked to provide its views on these proposed amendments.

Actions

The panel was scheduled to consider updates to actions that arose from the previous Policy Development Panel meeting on 21 April 2026, and to track outstanding actions. This included updates on the Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) and Hate Crime Policy for the Housing Landlord Service, the Housing (HRA) Damp Condensation and Mould Policy, and the Street Art and Graffiti Management Policy. Further updates were also expected on the Debt Write Off policy and the SHDC Markets Policy Review.

Tracking of Recommendations

The panel was scheduled to consider responses from the Cabinet to reports previously submitted by the Panel.

Items Referred from the Performance Monitoring Panel

The agenda indicated that any items referred from the Performance Monitoring Panel would be considered.

Questions Asked Under Standing Order 6

The agenda allowed for questions to be asked under Standing Order 6, which typically relates to the ability of members to ask questions of the Council's officers or Cabinet members.

Minutes

The panel was scheduled to sign as a correct record the minutes of the previous Policy Development Panel meeting held on 21 April 2026.

Apologies for Absence

The agenda included a standard item for apologies for absence.

Declaration of Interests

The agenda included a standard item for the declaration of interests by councillors.

Restricted Minute

The panel was scheduled to consider an exempt minute from the previous meeting held on 21 April 2026, which would be discussed in private. This item was to be considered under Section 100A (4) of the Local Government Act 1972, on the grounds that it involved the likely disclosure of exempt information.