Agenda item

Report to follow

Sally O’Sullivan, Head of Tenant and Leaseholder Services, introduced the report and made the following points:

·  The Tower Block and Retrofit Programme involved the transformative works of the five tower blocks owned by Thanet District Council;

·  Works that were being carried out were primarily for safety, including external insulation;

·  The scope of the project increased when the discovery of essential fire safety works contributed to additional costs;

·  Due to the increase of fire safety works, a more expensive system with an improved fire rating was chosen, this also helped with ongoing maintenance costs and durability;

·  The costs of the works was fully funded by the Homes England Grant;

·  The works themselves were non-negotiable and would have resulted in the non-approval of the Building Safety Regulator if left unanswered;

·  When works were fully completed, the Council was be able to step down the Waking Watch posted at each of the 5 tower blocks, this was to help move the HRA revenue accounts from deficit to surplus;

·  The works were also benefit Leaseholders as the energy efficiency measures would bring down energy costs;

·  Consultation with residents resulted in the choices of the colours for the designs of the works with events that were carried out at the tower blocks themselves to give residents the opportunity to address the architects and contractors. Resident Liaison Officers were also available for contact during this time as well as a high-rise living residents group that met once per quarter;

·  The external funding through the Homes England Grant contributed towards the cladding part of the project;

·  A contribution of £4.2 million was provided by the Social Housing Decarbonation Fund to reduce the energy needs of the blocks;

·  The concluded works resulted in no scaffold dependent works to be carried out on the blocks for the next 30-40 years.

The Panel discussed the report, made comments and asked questions as follows:

·  Councillors asked how the leaseholders themselves felt about the plans. Officers replied that the residents were positive about the plans, noting fire safety as one of the benefits, however some concerns remained from the leaseholders themselves regarding the costs associated which were paid through service charges;

·  Officers informed the panel that the cost for leaseholders was between £25,000 - £40,000, depending on the size of the property and how many properties were in the block. Leaseholders had the option to speak to Thanet District Council in an individual basis in order to arrange affordable repayment plans over a number of years;

·  Councillors asked what the total number of leaseholders were that have been affected. Officers responded that the total number was 32;

·  Councillors asked if the leaseholders were to possibly have the choice of an additional charge added against their property, rather than having to pay through repayments. Officers replied that there was no option for a charge against the property.

·  Councillors made note that the residents in the tower blocks that they engaged with appreciated the Waking Watch and expressed concerns that this could end up with more costs if fully removed. Officers acknowledged the success of the Waking Watch in the areas of waste management in the buildings and reducing anti-social behaviour, however it was sited that running the Waking Watch resulted in a deficit in the Housing Revenue Account, which Thanet District Council needed to change into a surplus as fast as possible to support future works;

·  Councillors asked if the plans were in place as a response to bad work or if they were due for renewal. Officers replied that following the news of Grenfell Tower, Thanet District Council, as well as other authorities, reviewed their tower blocks. For Thanet District Council, this meant looking at works carried out in the early 2000s which showed they had been carried out correctly and taking samples from the insulation system in the blocks. Over time, building regulations changed, which included the materials used for the insulation systems which were now considered dated;

·  Councillors asked about the insurance position of the tower blocks and how insurers would view them without the works fully carried out. Officers replied that the tower blocks remain insured and were revalued annually;

·  Councillors wanted to know more about a possible buyback scheme for leaseholders. Officers replied that the Council has engaged with buybacks in the past, however it is dependent on whether the Council had a buyback program, but there was no guarantee that the Council would choose to buy back a unit if the opportunity arose;

·  Councillors discussed the mobility issues that some residents had and went on to say how sometimes the lifts in the blocks only go to certain floors, causing some concern. Officers replied that in situations like this, the residents would have access to the Resident Liaison Officer, if they did need to put their thoughts across to the Council as well as a monthly newsletter;

·  Officers went on to say that residents were given an estimate of the costs of the works last year and will be able to keep track of the costs as they change.

Councillors had no further recommendations and agreed the report to go to Cabinet.