Meeting documents

Executive
Thursday, 1st December, 2016 7.30 pm

Date:
Thursday, 1st December, 2016
Time:
7.30 pm
Place:
New Council Chamber, Town Hall, Reigate
 

Attendance Details

Present:
Councillor V.W. Broad (Leader of the Council); Councillors Mrs N.J. Bramhall, M.A. Brunt, J. Durrant, Dr L.R. Hack, Mrs R. Mill, Mrs R. Renton, T. Schofield and Mrs R. Turner.
Also Present:
Councillors M. Blacker, J.M. Ellacott, J.C.S. Essex, D. Jackson, A.C.J. Horwood, S.A. Kulka, R.C. Newstead and M.J. Selby.
Min NoDescriptionResolution
Part I
57 MINUTES

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 10th November 2016 be approved as a correct record and signed.

58 APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

Executive Member: Councillor E. Humphreys.
 

Non-Executive Members: Councillors Mrs R.H. Absalom, N.D. Harrison, D.J. Pay and B.A. Stead.
 

59 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

None.

60 STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP WITH RAVEN HOUSING TRUST

Councillor Mrs R. Renton, Executive Member for Community Support reported on proposed arrangements for a Strategic Partnership with Raven Housing Trust.

 

Councillor Mrs Renton reminded the Executive that the Council sold its housing stock to Raven Housing Trust (originally Reigate & Banstead Housing Trust) via a Large Scale Voluntary Transfer arrangement in 2002. The transfer had been agreed in an effort to ensure investment in the housing stock so that it would continue to be fit for letting.

 

The proposed Strategic Partnership Agreement, presented to the Executive, covered the period 1st January 2017 to 2022 and included a framework for how the Council and Raven would meet respective corporate priorities.

As part of the Partnership proposals the Council would relinquish its right to be a member of the Trust and to nominate Councillors to the Board of the Trust. The Executive noted that this was consistent with the emerging proposals from the Housing & Planning Act 2016. The Executive also noted that mechanisms would be retained to involve residents in Board related matters.

 

The Executive noted that the Partnership Agreement included for:
• the Council to retain right to buy receipts until 2032, and clawback of receipts until 2022
• the Council to retain nomination rights
• Raven aiming to build 100 new affordable homes in the borough over the 5 year period
• Raven continuing to invest in a money and welfare advice service, a digital inclusion service and an eviction prevention service supporting their residents


Councillor Mrs Renton confirmed that, as the Portfolio Holder with responsibility for Housing, she would act as the key link between the Council and Raven in order to ensure that the relationship continued to work well and delivered on its commitments.

 

Following clarification at the meeting it was requested that the reference to ‘defined legal timescales’ in the Reigate and Banstead commitments section be adjusted to reflect that this referred to the S106 process as part of the Service Level Agreement.


RECOMMENDED that the Head of Legal Services be delegated authority to enter into a deed of variation of the 2002 Transfer Agreement (and the subsequent variations and covenants arising from the Agreement) in order to give effect to the changes described in the report (namely that the Council would cease its formal membership on the Raven Board).


RESOLVED that:


(i) the Partnership Agreement between Reigate & Banstead Borough Council and Raven Housing Trust, attached at Annex 1 to the report presented, be adopted with effect from 1 January 2017; and

 

(ii) the Executive Member with responsibility for Housing be given responsibility for ensuring the success of the Council’s ongoing relationship with Raven Housing Trust.


Reasons for decision:
The Council relied on Registered Providers, and in particular Raven Housing Trust, to meet the accommodation needs of people requiring affordable housing within the Borough. Raven also provided a range of additional support services which, amongst other outcomes, helped to prevent individuals and families from becoming homeless. This provided a significant benefit to the Council by reducing the costs associated with providing emergency accommodation to homeless residents.
The proposed Agreement provided a strong framework for the Council and Raven to work together for the five year period 2017-2022.


Alternative options:
Undertake further work on the Partnership Agreement with Raven Housing Trust or to take no action on the proposed Agreement.
 

61 STATEMENTS

None.

62 ANY OTHER URGENT BUSINESS

None.

The meeting closed at 7.45 pm.