Agenda item

Cabinet response to Recommendations of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee on the Brandon Estate

To note the cabinet response to the recommendations of overview and scrutiny committee on the Brandon Estate.

Minutes:

Following the publication of the agenda item, a number of communications had been circulated by ward councillors in respect of some recent events at Brandon Estate and also from Mr Tom Lloyd of the Brandon Estate in connection with the Jack Hobbs Club, situated on the Estate.  The cabinet member for community safety and public health had also circulated updated information in respect of the cabinet response to the recommendations of the overview and scrutiny committee.

 

The committee received an update from Councillor Evelyn Akoto, cabinet member for community safety and public health in connection with the overview and scrutiny committee recommendations.

 

The committee also heard from local ward councillors Alice Macdonald, Eleanor Kerslake and James Coldwell in respect of the Jack Hobbs Club, engaging the community, activities for young people, heating and hot water, and the system put in place for the managing of particular issues on the Brandon Three and the noticeable improvements.  The local ward councillors highlighted the issues contained in their letter circulated to members of overview and scrutiny committee.

 

The committee also heard from Mr Tom Lloyd, Chair of the Brandon One TRA, in respect of the Jack Hobbs Club, lack of space and resources for the TRA to operate, and youth provision.  The committee also heard from local residents Patrick Goodwin on the importance of having the Jack Hobbs hall fixed  to enable activities for the whole community post lockdown, Babs Challo, former treasurer of Brandon TRA in respect of representation on the TRA and relationship with the Council and June Lewis, Chair of Brandon Two TRA in respect of heating and hot water outages and leaseholder service charges, Ola Olungan regarding communication with parents around youth activities, and Siobhan Convery who spoke in support of the work of the Brandon One chair  and the need for the hall to be up and running to enable events to be put on for the community.

 

Members of overview and scrutiny committee asked questions of the residents and  cabinet member for community safety and public health.

 

Noting that overview and scrutiny committee was not the decision maker in respect of the issues raised, the chair summarised the discussion and highlighted the following:

 

·  The need for a physical or virtual meeting between residents, officers and local ward councillors.

·  The heating and hot water issue to be picked up by the housing scrutiny commission.

·  The general issues raised could be picked up by local ward councillors.

·  In respect of Jack Hobbs, imperative that core group is formed and that communications are up and running as quickly as possible.

·  The need for the best use of the Jack Hobbs centre, residents feel that they are being listened to and engaged.

·  The overall lead officer and member had been identified as Stephen Gaskell and the lead member Councillor Evelyn Akoto.

 

RESOLVED:

 

1.  That the cabinet response to recommendations of the overview and scrutiny committee, including the update provided by the cabinet member for community safety and public health be noted.

 

2.  That residents be invited to the Housing Scrutiny Commission to discuss the issues related to heating and hot water outages.

Supporting documents: