Agenda item

Dan Kennedy, Corporate Director – Residents’ Services, was in attendance to respond to any questions and queries from Members in respect of the performance report as set out in the agenda pack.

Councillors commented that the report contained several positive indicators, including the Council having the fourth?lowest net expenditure per 100,000 residents in London and strong performance in housing landlord services.

Members observed that the report referenced the delivery of 245 new council homes, but they believed this figure represented a gross total and did not account for homes lost through Right to Buy. An accurate net position was therefore requested, and it was agreed that officers would provide this outside of the meeting. The Corporate Director noted that in previous years around 50 homes per year had been lost through Right to Buy, though that number might have increased slightly following a surge in applications when the government reduced the available discount.

Councillors sought clarification regarding recycling contamination levels, noting that these levels had not been quantified in the report. They expressed a desire to understand how much of the Borough’s waste and recycling was being contaminated so that potential problem areas could be identified. It was confirmed that the relevant data could be provided and it was suggested that the matter could be fully explored at the next waste?focused Committee session. The Chair agreed and asked that the Democratic Services Officer record this as an item for discussion in the forthcoming in?depth waste session.

The Committee then sought clarification on the statement that one?third of council homes in Hillingdon had failed the decent homes standard. Members observed that this appeared inconsistent with the Council’s claims of strong performance in repairs and asked how the two positions could be reconciled. It was explained that the decent homes standard related to physical components such as kitchens, bathrooms, windows and energy efficiency, whereas repair performance related to tenant experience, including response times and achieving a first?time fix. It was stated that tenant satisfaction remained high. Officers reported that the 30% non?decent figure reflected the position as of 31 March 2024, but significant progress had since been made. It was reported that Cabinet had previously approved £108 million for improvements, that non?decency was expected to fall to approximately 14%–15% by the end of March, and that the Council was on track to reach 5% non?decent homes within two to three years. It was confirmed that regulators had expressed no concerns regarding progress or trajectory.

Members raised a question regarding homelessness pressures linked to Heathrow. Reference was made to a previous report indicating that around 40 families had presented at Heathrow. They asked how many rough sleepers and how many families within the current reporting period had originated from Heathrow?related presentations. Officers confirmed that this information was held and could be provided through the Chair. The Chair stated that it would be appropriate to include the information within the February agenda item on the homeless and rough sleeping strategy and confirmed that this would be arranged.

Councillors referred to a chart showing data on vacant dwellings and asked for clarification. It was noted that the report stated that vacant dwellings were re?let within an average of 30.64 days, which had been reported as 14 days faster, yet the narrative later indicated performance remained 14% below the England average. Members sought clarification on how these statements aligned, as a 30?day void period appeared lengthy. It was acknowledged that the turnaround time could appear long but it was explained that a large number of mandatory checks were required before a property could be re?let, including health and safety inspections, gas safety, asbestos assessments and occasionally significant repairs or replacements, such as boiler installations. It was stated that as the proportion of non?decent homes decreased, the extent of major works required before re?letting would also diminish, resulting in improved turnaround times.

It was agreed that comments from the Committee would be submitted to full Council. The Chair confirmed that comments would be delegated to the Democratic Services Officer in conjunction with the Chair and in consultation with the Opposition Lead, in line with Committee practice.

RESOLVED: That the Select Committee:

1.    Noted the six-month performance report for 2025/26, as attached in Appendix 1; and

2.    Agreed that Select Committee comments to be presented to full Council be delegated to Democratic Services in conjunction with the Chair and in consultation with the Opposition Lead.