The Housing Overview and Scrutiny Committee of Northumberland Council is scheduled to meet on Thursday, 17 September 2026, to review a range of housing performance reports. Key discussions are expected to focus on housing safety, quality, asset management, progress with stock condition surveys, electrical inspection programmes, and updates on the Regulator of Social Housing's action plan. The committee will also receive reports from the Scrutiny Officer, including the Forward Plan of key decisions.

Housing Performance Updates

The committee is scheduled to receive detailed performance updates on several critical housing areas. This includes a report and dashboard on Housing Safety, Quality and Asset Management for Quarter 1 of 2026/27, which will highlight achievements, risks, and exceptions. A particular focus will be on the progress with stock condition surveys, with a report detailing the status as of 31 July 2026, and an update on the electrical inspection programme as of 31 August 2026. These reports aim to provide assurance on the council's compliance performance, with specific attention to areas requiring improvement, such as domestic electrical safety and stock condition intelligence.

The Regulator of Social Housing: action plan update will also be presented. This report will provide information on the Regulatory Compliance Improvement Plan (RCIP) being developed in response to the council's C4 Regulatory Judgement. A verbal update is expected at the meeting, with a revised draft of the RCIP to be agreed internally in October and presented to the committee in November.

Reports of the Scrutiny Officer

Under this agenda item, the committee is scheduled to note decisions taken by Cabinet since the latest Forward Plan of key decisions. Any further changes to the Forward Plan will be reported at the meeting. The report pack includes details of decisions made by Cabinet on 8 September 2026, concerning topics such as bus reform, the Council Tax Support Scheme, financial performance, and capital proposals including a Solar PV Estate programme and improvements at Haltwhistle Swimming and Leisure Centre. The Forward Plan itself outlines upcoming key decisions for Cabinet from October 2026 through to March 2027, covering a wide range of council services and projects.