This meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee is set to include discussions about river and sea water quality in the Dover District, and will consider the adoption of two new council strategies; one for homelessness and rough sleeping, the other for anti-social behaviour.

River and Sea Water Quality

Attendees from Southern Water, the Environment Agency, the Inland Drainage Board and potentially the Dover Harbour Board will be questioned by Councillors on the topic of river and sea water quality in the Dover district.

Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2025-2030

The Committee will consider the adoption of a new Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2025-2030.

The strategy, which would come into effect from 1 January 2025, centres around 5 strategic priorities:

1. Early intervention and prevention
2. Improving advice, information and options
3. Increasing the availability of affordable housing and reducing the council's reliance on privately rented temporary accommodation
4. Using available resources more effectively
5. Reducing and working towards ending rough sleeping.

The strategy states that Dover District Council has seen a nationwide increase in homelessness, and that since 2019/20 the council has assessed 3,478 households, 79% of whom were owed a homelessness duty under the Homelessness Act 2002.¹ The average number of households in temporary accommodation in the district is said to be around 177 per financial quarter, with 53% of these containing dependent children. Between 2019/20 and 2023/24 the council is said to have spent almost £8 million on temporary accommodation, almost double the amount spent in 2019/20.

The report pack contains a review of homelessness in the district between 2019/20 and 2023/24, which is said to have informed the new strategy.

The report suggests that the rise in homelessness is due to a number of factors, including:

• The failure of Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates to keep pace with private rents
• The introduction of Universal Credit and the benefit cap
• The cost of living crisis, inflation, and interest rates increases
• A decline in social housing supply and an expanding private rented sector
• The reduced affordability of housing in the private rented sector
• Extensions to the council's homelessness duties, and
• Reduced Discretionary Housing Payments.

The report goes on to explain how Dover Council intends to meet each of its five strategic priorities. In particular it proposes the following actions:

• Improving collaboration with other support services and data sharing.
• Better engagement with private landlords to secure accommodation and prevent evictions.
• The provision of additional support for vulnerable tenants, including the development of a Domestic Abuse Policy.²
• The acquisition of more properties for use as temporary accommodation.
• The development of a strategy to increase the number of affordable homes in the district.
• Applying for grants to fund the purchase of properties, including from the government's Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme (RSAP) and Homelessness Prevention Grant (HPG), and Homes England.³
• Reviewing internal void management processes to enable properties to be re-let more quickly.
• Reviewing the council's temporary accommodation placement policy.
• Reviewing the council's housing allocation policy.
• Continuing to attend and contribute to the Rough Sleeper Case Review meetings.
• Seeking to transform the council's rough sleeping support service to provide a more compassionate and respectful service.

The report pack also includes a draft of the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2025-2030 and a summary, as well as an Equality Impact Assessment.

Anti-Social Behaviour Policy (2024)

The committee is also set to consider the adoption of a new Anti-Social Behaviour Policy (2024).

The policy sets out how the council will deter and tackle anti-social behaviour (ASB) in its neighbourhoods, both alone and in partnership with Registered Providers and other organisations.

The policy adopts the definition of ASB provided in the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, which is defined as:

• Conduct that has caused, or is likely to cause, harassment, alarm or distress to any person
• Conduct capable of causing nuisance or annoyance to a person in relation to that person’s occupation of residential premises, or
• Conduct capable of causing housing related nuisance or annoyance to any person.

It also includes a definition of hate crime adapted from the Crown Prosecution Service:

A 'hate crime' is defined as any criminal offence which is perceived by the victim or any other person, to be motivated by hostility or prejudice, based on a person’s disability or perceived disability; race or perceived race; or religion or perceived religion; or sexual orientation or perceived sexual orientation; or transgender identity or perceived transgender identity.

The report explains that Dover District Council has a duty under the Housing Act 1996 to publish an ASB policy. It is also required by the Regulator of Social Housing to do so under the Neighbourhood and Community Standard. Failure to do so can result in an unlimited fine.

The report pack contains a draft of the Anti-Social Behaviour Policy (2024) and an Equality Impact Assessment.

The report explains how Dover District Council will respond to complaints about ASB, including how cases will be categorised by their severity and impact. It goes on to describe how the council will use preventative and early intervention methods where possible, including warnings, joint visits with the Police or other agencies, referrals to mediation services, and the issuing of Community Protection Warnings and Acceptable Behaviour Agreements. Where these methods fail, the policy sets out how the council can use its enforcement powers, including injunctions, Community Protection Notices, Criminal Behaviour Orders, Public Space Protection Orders, closure powers, and applying for possession of a property. The report also explains when and why the council might close an ASB case.

The policy also explains how people can report ASB to the council and its responsibilities towards victims and witnesses. The document also sets out how the council will collaborate with other agencies and how it will protect its own staff and contractors from ASB. It also explains how the council will respond to complaints from residents about how ASB cases are handled, including how they can request an ASB Case Review. Finally, the policy explains how it takes into account the Safeguarding of children, young people, and vulnerable adults.