The Tenant & Leaseholder Panel met on Tuesday 6 February 2024 to discuss the Asset Management Strategy, waste and street cleansing services, and the housing regeneration strategy. The panel also received updates on the council's transformation programme and heard from resident representatives.

Asset Management Strategy

The panel received a presentation on Croydon Council's Asset Management Strategy for 2024-2029. This strategy outlines how the council will maintain, manage, and invest in its council homes, aiming to create well-managed estates that foster strong, healthy, safe, and thriving communities. The strategy acknowledges the uniqueness of Croydon's housing stock, which comprises over 19,600 assets, including nearly 14,000 council homes and over 2,500 leasehold properties, with a book value of approximately £907 million. Key priorities include ensuring safe and compliant homes, improving energy performance, and resident involvement. The strategy will be developed over the next five years, with ongoing data collection from stock surveys informing future decisions on prioritising planned investment work. The council is committed to addressing hazards such as damp and mould, disrepair, and fire risks promptly. Residents are encouraged to report any issues they experience.

Waste and Street Cleansing Update

An update was provided on the performance of waste collection and street cleansing services. The presentation highlighted service performance data for December 2023, including figures for communal refuse and recycling collections, and street cleansing activities. While overall scheduled tasks for street cleansing were completed at a high rate, there was a noted increase in reported fly-tipping incidents. The council is also addressing challenges with recycling contamination. Looking ahead, the council is preparing for a new service provider in 2025, with a procurement strategy already agreed upon. The mandatory weekly segregated food waste collection for all residents was also discussed, with officers working to identify suitable housing estates for additional bins and liaising with service providers.

Update on Transformation

The Housing Transformation Lead presented an update on the council's ongoing transformation programme, which is expected to span three to five years. This programme aims to embed a new vision and mission for the housing directorate, develop a new Housing Strategy, and establish a Residents' Charter. Key areas of focus include improving customer excellence, ensuring asset compliance, and managing housing needs effectively. The programme acknowledges lessons learned, such as the need to adapt to a new regulatory framework and the importance of customer engagement. The scale of change requires significant effort in behaviour, process, attitude, and skills, with a strong emphasis on communication and involving colleagues in the process.

Housing Regeneration Strategy

The Housing Regeneration Lead presented the council's strategy for housing regeneration and new build programmes. This strategy aims to provide a framework for delivering regeneration and development projects to meet the council's business plan and housing strategy objectives. It will link the assessment of building safety, housing condition, and investment needs. The strategy will also set out a process for assessing site opportunities to support the growth of social housing and explore options for supported housing, such as extra care for older adults and care-experienced young people. A particular focus will be placed on resident engagement and participation to understand neighbourhood priorities, with consultation planned for spring/summer 2024.

Report from Resident Representatives

The panel received verbal updates from resident representatives, which were noted.

Any Other Business

Under Any Other Business, the Resident Engagement Strategy was discussed. This strategy, developed with the support of Tpas, aims to ensure that residents' voices are heard and influence services across the business. The project involved co-creation with staff and residents, focusing on key themes of leadership, communication, trust and accountability, and structure and process. The strategy responds to requirements from the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023, tenant satisfaction measures, regulatory consumer standards, the Housing Ombudsman Code of Practice, and the Building Safety Act. The next steps involve designing and agreeing on a delivery plan, seeking approval, and implementing the new approach.

The minutes of the previous meetings held on 10 October 2023 and 9 January 2024 were agreed as accurate records.