The North Area Housing Management Panel met to discuss housing performance, health and safety compliance, and resident concerns. Councillor Mohammed Asaduzzaman, Chair of the panel, oversaw discussions on topics ranging from repairs and maintenance to anti-social behaviour and estate improvements. The panel also reviewed actions from the previous meeting and set the agenda for future discussions.

Housing Performance Report

The panel reviewed the Housing Performance Report for Area Panels Q1 2025-26, which covers a range of housing services provided by Brighton & Hove City Council. The report uses a traffic light system (red, amber, green) to indicate performance against targets, as well as trend arrows to show whether performance has improved, declined, or stayed the same since the previous quarter.

Key highlights from the report included:

• Rent Collection: 92.4% of rent was collected from council tenants.
• Customer Service: 89% of customer service calls were answered.
• Repairs Helpdesk: 90% of repairs helpdesk calls were answered.
• Re-let Times: The average time to re-let a property, excluding major works, was 36 days.
• Emergency Repairs: 98% of emergency repairs were completed within 24 hours.
• Routine Repairs: The average time to complete routine repairs was 50 days, significantly above the target of 15 days.

The report also identified areas where performance fell short of targets, including stage one complaints responded to within 10 working days (70% against a target of 80%) and dwellings meeting the Decent Homes Standard¹ (96.9% against a target of 100%).

Resident Questions and Concerns

The panel addressed a number of questions and concerns raised by residents, covering a range of local and city-wide issues. These included:

Parking and Road Access Issues

Residents raised concerns about ongoing problems with parking and road access in the North Area, including cars parked across dropped kerbs², poor parking obstructing pedestrians, potholes, and dangerous road conditions.

The panel agreed to invite a representative from Highways and Councillor Trevor Muten, Head of Transport and Sustainability, to the next North Area Panel meeting to discuss these issues.

High-Rise Block Safety and Rehousing

Residents expressed concerns about the safety of high-rise blocks in the city and the council's plans to rehouse residents from blocks deemed unsafe.

The panel explained that resident safety is the council's priority and that they have been in regular contact with residents of the eight council-owned large panel system (LPS) high-rise blocks since July 2024. The council has implemented additional safety measures, including a temporary ban on e-bikes and e-scooters, monitored CCTV, and waking watch patrols at St James's House, Nettleton Court and Dudeney Lodge.

The council has decided to regenerate the sites of the LPS blocks, which will require rehousing residents. A Local Lettings Plan and Rehousing Policy are being developed with input from Resident Advisory Groups, with consultation planned for the autumn. Rehousing will begin in the new year, starting with St James House, followed by Nettleton Court and Dudeney Lodge, and then North Whitehawk.

Allocations Policy and Anti-Social Behaviour

Residents raised concerns about the allocation of tenancies to individuals with a history of anti-social behaviour or criminal activity, and the impact on existing residents.

The panel explained that the Housing Allocations Policy includes checks to prevent allocating housing to individuals with a known history of anti-social behaviour. However, they recognised the need to balance protecting communities with the responsibility to help people find safe and stable homes. The council is reviewing procedures for checks on individuals with a history of anti-social behaviour and tenancy breaches, with Area Panels involved in the review.

Protection of Vulnerable Residents

Concerns were raised that vulnerable residents are not being adequately protected, citing an example of a convicted drug dealer being housed in the same block as vulnerable people in Ardingly Court.

The panel responded that the case is being managed by the Complex Case Team, working with the police and other agencies. They acknowledged the difficulty for residents to speak out and assured them that their identity would be protected.

Council Contractors and Identification

Residents reported instances of council contractors turning up at homes without identification or prior notification.

The panel stated that all contractors should carry clear identification and that the council conducts regular review meetings with contractors to ensure compliance. The contractor in question uses a text messaging system to notify residents in advance, but this depends on having up-to-date mobile contact details.

Getting Action from the Council

Residents expressed frustration about the difficulty of getting things done and the lack of communication from the council.

The panel acknowledged these concerns and highlighted the Better Homes approach, which focuses on improving customer service, complaints handling, repairs, resident involvement, online services, and area maintenance.

Environmental Improvement Budget (EIB)

The panel reviewed the Environmental Improvement Budget Area Panel Report September 25, which provides an update on approved and completed projects.

Several projects were carried forward from previous years, including a dog-free growing area at Nettleton Court and Dudeney Lodge, and a washing area/fencing project at Mimosa Court.

The report also listed environmental improvement proposals awaiting consultation and those that had been rejected.