This meeting was about the performance of a number of areas that the council is responsible for, and included a presentation from Councillor Donald Nannestad, the Portfolio Holder for Quality Housing. It also included discussions of the council's budget for the next financial year and its plans for fire safety.

Housing

Councillor Nannestad's report covered the council's own housing stock, its regulation of private sector housing and the health of Lincoln's residents. The report pack included information on several key areas relating to housing in the city.

Homelessness

The report pack highlighted the housing crisis in Lincoln. There were 328 approaches to the council from people who were homeless in Quarter 2 of 2024/25, more than double the number of approaches in the same period in 2021/22. The report pack noted that the amount of money people can claim in housing benefit is not enough to cover the cost of most private sector rents in Lincoln. This, combined with a shortage of accommodation in the city, has made it difficult to prevent homelessness.

Tenancy services

The report pack noted that there continues to be a higher proportion of flats than houses in the council's housing stock. This is because a higher number of family homes than flats have been sold through the Right to Buy scheme.

Eight out of 10 of our homes were constructed before 1974.

The report pack also noted that the council has recently started a pilot scheme with separate teams for rent collection, anti-social behaviour, and tenancy matters. The percentage of rent collected in Quarter 2 was 96.37%, which is below the council's target.

Voids

The report pack noted that the council is not meeting its targets for the time taken to re-let empty properties. The target time for re-letting properties, including those that require major works, is 45 days. The average time taken in Quarter 2 was 51.59 days.

Housing repairs

The report pack showed that the council is performing well on housing repairs. It met its targets for completing emergency repairs on time and for keeping appointments. The percentage of tenants who said they were satisfied with the repairs service was 71%, a slight decrease from the previous quarter.

Housing investment

The council is meeting its target for the number of its properties that meet the Decent Homes Standard. ¹ Less than 1% of council homes do not meet the standard. There was a slight increase in the number of tenants who refused to allow work to be done to their properties in Quarter 2. The report pack stated that the council would continue to work with tenants to address their reasons for refusing improvement works .

New build

The report pack noted that the council has recently completed 11 new homes in Hermit Mews. Work has also continued on the Western Growth Corridor, which is a major development that will see the construction of 3,200 new homes.

Decarbonisation

The council has set a target of making sure all of its homes have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) ² rating of C or above by 2030. It has submitted a bid for government funding to help it improve the energy efficiency of 200 of its homes that are rated D or below.

Control centre

The council's Control Centre provides a 24-hour service to tenants. 100% of tenants who responded to a survey said they were satisfied with the service.

Private sector housing

The council has a duty to regulate private sector housing in Lincoln. This includes dealing with complaints about housing conditions and licensing houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) ³. The report pack noted that the council has had some success in bringing long-term empty properties back into use.

Health

The report pack noted that Lincoln is below both the East Midlands and England averages for a number of health indicators. The city has the worst rate in the country for deaths from cancer in people under 75, and the second-worst rate for suicide.

Financial performance

The report pack included details of the council's financial performance for the second quarter of 2024/25.

for 2024/25 the Council’s net General Fund Revenue Budget was set at £15,427,670, including a planned contribution from balances of £146,820 resulting in an estimated level of general balances at the year-end of £2,391,979

The report pack also included a summary of the council's capital programme, which is a list of major projects that the council is planning to invest in. The total value of the capital programme for 2024/25 is £27.9 million.

Fire safety

The report pack included an update on the council's fire safety arrangements. It confirmed that all of the council's properties now have a Fire Risk Assessment in place. The council has also registered all three of its high-rise blocks with the Building Safety Regulator. The report pack stated that work is ongoing to produce Building Safety Case Reports for the blocks.

Budget review process

The report pack included a proposal for the council's budget review process for the next financial year. It was proposed that a group of 10 councillors would be set up to scrutinise the budget proposals. The group would then report back to the Performance Scrutiny Committee.

Work programme

The report pack included a draft work programme for the Performance Scrutiny Committee for the 2024/25 municipal year. The work programme includes a list of topics that the committee will scrutinise, as well as a list of portfolio holders who will be asked to present reports to the committee.