This meeting was scheduled to consider a range of housing and community topics including the award of contracts, policies regarding homelessness, a new Housing Strategy and community asset transfers. An update was also scheduled to be provided on the Energy from Waste Plant.

Adoption of a City Housing Strategy

The Cabinet was scheduled to be asked to approve the new City Housing Strategy, which would replace the existing Housing Strategy from 2019. The new strategy was developed after public consultation which included presentations to the council's Strategic Executive Board and Climate Change, Housing and Communities Scrutiny Panel. The new strategy is directly aligned with the priorities in the council's overarching 'Our City: Our Plan' initiative. It focuses on four key priorities for housing:

• Right homes, in the right places
• Make the best use of our assets and ensure high standards across all areas of council housing
• Work in partnership to drive up the standard and quality of the private rented sector
• Safe, secure and sustainable housing that supports good health and independence The new strategy is also scheduled to be supported by a detailed delivery plan and enhanced stakeholder partnerships to monitor its implementation.

Homelessness Prevention Strategy 2024-2029

The Cabinet was scheduled to be asked to approve the Homelessness Prevention Strategy 2024-2029. The strategy had been developed after analysis of homelessness data from Wolverhampton covering the period of the previous Homelessness Prevention Strategy, and after a public consultation which ran from 8 July 2024 to 1 September 2024. Workshops with people who had experience of homelessness in Wolverhampton were also held in September 2024. The strategy focuses on four key priorities:

• Advice and Guidance
• Support
• Emergency or Short-term Accommodation
• Move On Accommodation

The report pack said that the strategy is scheduled to be supported by a delivery plan, and overseen by a Homelessness Prevention and Rough Sleeping Partnership.

Transfer of the Home Improvement Agency and Telecare from Wolverhampton Homes to the City Council and Review of Discretionary Assistance Grants and Mandatory Grants Guidance

The Cabinet was scheduled to be asked to approve in principle the transfer of the Home Improvement Agency (HIA), and Telecare from Wolverhampton Homes to the City Council. This transfer is scheduled to take place at the same time as the proposed transfer of the Homeless Service to the Council. The HIA provides advice and support for people wanting to make adaptations to their home to enable people with disabilities to live independently. These adaptations range from small changes like handrails and stairlifts to larger projects like extensions and wetrooms. The HIA also works alongside the council's Adult Social Care team and the NHS to provide a coordinated approach to enabling independent living. Telecare provides sensor-based alarms that help vulnerable people stay independent in their homes. When an alarm is triggered, a call is placed to a 24/7 response centre to enable help to be provided quickly.

The report pack said that the transfer of these services would allow:

the opportunity to streamline services and allow the Council greater oversight on the delivery of adaptations as the adaptations service impacts on services within the Council including Adults and Children’s Social Care

The Cabinet was also scheduled to be asked to approve the withdrawal of the discretionary Small Adaptation Grant, the discretionary Living Well Grant, the discretionary Home not Hospital Grant, the discretionary Disabled Facility Top-Up Grant and the discretionary Contribution Assistance Grant. The report pack said that this would ensure the effective management of approved Disabled Facilities Grant budgets and the effective delivery of the Mandatory Disabled Facilities Grant, and is an interim measure pending the approval of a new policy, which will include a review of the available funding. The report pack stated that this is allowable under the provisions of the Council's Private Sector Housing Assistance Policy. The mandatory Disabled Facilities Grant provides funding for adaptations for disabled people to remain independent in their homes.

Transfer of Homeless Services to the City Council and Development of Housing Advice and Homeless Prevention Service

The Cabinet was scheduled to be asked to approve in principle the transfer of the Homeless Service from Wolverhampton Homes to the City Council. This transfer is scheduled to take place at the same time as the proposed transfer of the Home Improvement Agency to the Council. The report pack said that the transfer of the service would allow:

the Homelessness service to form part of the wider Housing Advice Service.

The Cabinet was also scheduled to be asked to note proposals to develop a new Housing Advice and Homeless Prevention Service that is designed to manage demand for temporary accommodation, and to improve the ability of residents to make informed housing decisions.

Procurement - Award of Contracts for Works, Goods and Services

The Cabinet was scheduled to be asked to delegate authority to approve the award of two contracts:

• Councillor Jacqui Coogan was scheduled to be asked to approve the award of the contract for the Black Country Advocacy Service for Children and Young People, in consultation with the Director of Children's Services. The service provides independent and confidential advocacy for young people who are in care, care leavers, and those who are in need.
• Councillor Bhupinder Gakhal was scheduled to be asked to approve the award of the contract for contingency waste disposal, in consultation with the Director for Resident Services. The new contract would mean that residual waste collections from residents' homes would not be interrupted if the Energy from Waste Plant has to close, for example for planned maintenance.

Social Housing (Regulation) Act - Landlord Services Update

An update was scheduled to be provided on the council's Landlord Services and the City Housing Improvement Programme (CHIP), which is designed to implement the recommendations of the cabinet on 18 October 2023.

The cabinet was scheduled to be asked to request that a further update be submitted to Scrutiny Board and Cabinet in six months time, to further review the effectiveness of the ALMO¹ model and regulatory compliance.

Lease to Aspiring Futures of The Saplings, adjacent to Windsor Nursery School, Parkfield Road, Wolverhampton

The Cabinet was scheduled to be asked to approve the granting of a lease of The Saplings building on Parkfield Road to Aspiring Futures CIC. Aspiring Futures is a community interest company that provides education, training, and support to women and girls across a range of ethnic groups. The organisation had been occupying the building under licence since 2019.

The cabinet was scheduled to be asked to grant a 25-year lease on full repairing and insuring terms at an initial rent of £X, the level of which is redacted in the public document.

Community Asset Transfer - Part of former Dudley Road School, Dudley Road, Wolverhampton

The Cabinet was scheduled to be asked to approve a Community Asset Transfer to Blakenhall Action Community Forum (BACF) of part of the former Dudley Road School on Dudley Road for a term of 35 years on full-repairing and insuring terms.

The Cabinet was also scheduled to be asked to declare the remaining buildings and land at the school surplus to requirements, and to delegate authority to the Cabinet Member for Governance and Equalities, Councillor Paula Brookfield, to agree the terms of and approve its sale on the open market in consultation with the Deputy Director of Assets, Julia Nock.

Community Asset Transfer to Wolverhampton Sea Cadets, of land and buildings at Springfield Road, Wolverhampton

The Cabinet was scheduled to be asked to declare surplus to requirements the Sea Cadets property on Springfield Road in Heath Town.

The Cabinet was also scheduled to be asked to approve a Community Asset Transfer to Wolverhampton Sea Cadets of the premises for a term of 35 years on full repairing and insuring terms. The Sea Cadets have occupied the property for many years, and their current lease expired in 2017.

Community Asset Transfer of Whitesfield Sports Ground to the Wolverhampton Wrestling Club/Guru Nanak Satsang Sikh Gurdwara, Cannock Road, Wolverhampton

The Cabinet was scheduled to be asked to declare surplus to requirements Whitesfield Sports Ground on Cannock Road in Heath Town.

The Cabinet was also scheduled to be asked to approve a Community Asset Transfer to the Wolverhampton Wrestling Club and the Guru Nanak Satsang Sikh Gurdwara (the Temple) of the playing fields, which are located behind the Gurdwara. The Temple had previously occupied the playing fields under a lease that expired in 2017.

Third Party Occupancy of Wolverhampton Civic Centre

The Cabinet was scheduled to be asked to approve the letting of part of the second floor of the Civic Centre to a third party. The identity of the organisation and the proposed rent are redacted in the publicly available documents.

The report pack said the letting would contribute to wider public sector partnership working and would generate revenue income in line with the Our Assets Programme.

Energy from Waste Plant Fire Suppression and Update

The Cabinet was scheduled to be asked to approve the allocation of £2,000,000 from the Corporate Provision and Contingency for Future Programmes budget for the installation of a new fire suppression system at the Energy from Waste Plant. This would bring the total amount of capital expenditure on the plant approved since it returned to council operation in February 2023 to £4,500,000, leaving a balance of £2,500,000 for other capital works.

The Cabinet was also scheduled to be asked to delegate authority to approve the award of the contract for the installation of the new system to Councillor Bhupinder Gakhal, in consultation with the Director of Resident Services, John Roseblade. The report pack said that the procurement of the new system would be conducted as an open tender.

The cabinet was also scheduled to be asked to approve the continuation of the use of the council's appointed insurance brokers to place the annual insurance of the plant until 2027. The report stated that this is necessary because:

there is a very limited market who will insure the EFW plant

The report said that the EFW Plant's insurance will be included in the council's next overarching insurance procurement exercise, which is scheduled to take place in 2027.