Agenda and minutes

The Committee noted the evacuation and housekeeping procedure.

There were no declarations of interest.

To approve the minutes of the last meeting held on 4 November 2024.

AGREED the minutes of the meeting held on 4 November 2024 be confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

To consider and agree the draft final report.

Consideration was given to the draft final report for the Committee’s Scrutiny Review of Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG). Specific attention was drawn to the following:

• A further £86m of funding was announced in January 2025 and Members had agreed that recommendation 1 would ask officers to confirm SBC’s share of the funding and likely impact. This information had been circulated to the Committee prior to the meeting, therefore the recommendation contained within the draft report had been amended to “officers be requested to monitor the impact of this extra funding”. The Committee agreed this amendment. 

• The Committee had also been made aware in January 2025 of the Royal British Legion’s Credit their Service Campaign, and request to the Council to omit military compensation from means tested benefits, which included DFG’s. Recommendation 10 had been added within the draft report, “officers review whether it is possible for military compensation to be exempt from the means test for DFG’s”.  Members strongly supported the inclusion of the recommendation.

• The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) had been updated in December 2024, and Officers had checked with Planning Service whether this would impact on recommendation 3, “to explore whether requirements to reduce the need for adaptation be considered for new builds either through the planning process or by lobbying the government”. Planning Service had informed that while there had been no significant change, paragraph 136(f) of the NPPF promoted safe, inclusive, and accessible places and the encouragement of planning policies for housing to make use of the Governments optional technical standards. Currently SBC had a requirement for optional standards under policy H4 of the Local Plan – these were M4(2) and M4(3). Members discussed, and subsequently agreed, recommendation 3 be amended to reflect that requirement for adaptability be built upon when the Local Plan was next updated and prior to this, lobby government.

• Recommendation 4, regarding working with Registered Providers to carry out adaptation, was discussed. It was suggested, and subsequently agreed, that the recommendation be strengthened by changing the wording “whether joint working can be achieved” to “explore joint working to support Registered Providers to take up their responsibility”.

• Members raised recommendation 6, regarding improving communication. It was suggested that an addition point be added to include sharing information of the DFG scheme with relevant external stakeholders. The Committee agreed the addition.

The Committee approved the content of the draft final report (subject to the identified amendments to recommendations 3, 4 and 6) and was informed the agreed version would be presented to Cabinet in March 2025.

AGREED that the Scrutiny Review of Disabled Facilities Grant final report, including the amendment to recommendations 3, 4, and 6 be approved for submission to Cabinet.

Consideration was given to the Work Programme. It was noted that as the Committee had completed their current scrutiny review and there was no planned monitoring until May. The action plan for the scrutiny review would be presented after it had been to Cabinet in March.  It was therefore agreed that the March meeting be stood down.

AGREED that the Work Programme be updated to reflect the change agreed above. </AI5>

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