Agenda item

This report will follow in supplementary papers after it has been published for the meeting of the Executive Committee (due for publication on Monday 1 June 2026).

The Assistant Director of Community and Housing Services presented the Quarter 4 Update and 2026/27 Housing Improvement Plan (HIP) report.

The Committee was reminded that, following an inspection in July 2025, the Regulator of Social Housing had identified that Redditch Borough Council required significant improvements in several areas, including repairs, maintenance, fire safety, tenant engagement and stock condition surveys.

The report demonstrated the progress made since that inspection judgement, with eighteen actions having now been completed. It was noted that work had also been undertaken in collaboration with the Regulator across the consumer standards, with relevant actions having now been completed.

The revised HIP aimed to improve gap analysis and ensure that the Council moved towards embedding compliance with the Consumer Standards.

The main issues highlighted for Members’ consideration within HIP included the delay experienced in receiving a formal proposal for the independent review the Council’s delivery programme for fire safety and the introduction of a tenant portal which was intended to support residents by providing access to self-service options.

It was also noted that the Housing Annual Report for 2025/26 would be shared with tenants and leaseholders by the end of July. As part of this, opportunity would be taken to seek interest from tenants for participation in an array of tenant scrutiny and engagement opportunities.

The Assistant Director of Community and Housing Services acknowledged that the formatting of the Housing Improvement Plan had been difficult to read due to the small font size and advised that this would be improved in future reports.

Members discussed the report. Comments were made about the Regulator of Social Housing judgment with the opinion expressed by some Members that the Council had responded well following the inspection results published in July 2025, with progress having been made across many of the areas highlighted by the Regulator as needing significant improvement. Members also commented that internal governance arrangements and regular meetings with the Regulator of Social Housing had also helped the Council to progress improvements required.

With respect to the delivery programme for fire safety, it was explained that the major area of the Fire Risk Assessments (FRA) programme and major area of backlog in fire remedial actions, related to the replacement of fire doors. It was clarified that properties in the affected blocks already had fire doors installed but many of these had become non-compliant in the last three years following the publication of the latest fire door regulations and therefore needed to be replaced to comply with the new regulations.

In relation to the ongoing fire safety checks it was noted that this would be reported in full detail under Housing Performance report but it was clarified that an external company undertook fire safety checks in Council tenanted properties and they had experienced staffing resource issue at Q4 resulting in the drop in performance from 100 per cent at Q3 2025/26 to 88 per cent at Q4 2025/26.

Report recommendations were endorsed by the Committee although it was requested by the Chair that any revisions to the Housing Improvement Plan for 2026/27, as recommended in the report for delegated authority to officers, be reported back to Overview and Scrutiny Committee, and that the quarterly Housing Performance reports continue to be scrutinised by Overview and Scrutiny.

RECOMMENDED that

1)    The Housing Improvement Plan Quarter 4 2025/26 Update, which includes actions to address areas for improvement, confirmed as part of the Regulator of Social Housing inspection process, be noted.

2)    The 2026/27 Housing Improvement Plan, which includes actions to address areas for improvement identified across the Consumer Standards be approved.

3)    Delegation be given to the Assistant Director Environment & Housing Property and Assistant Director Community and Housing, following consultation with the Housing Portfolio Holder, to revise the 2026/27 Housing Improvement Plan, in response to requirements raised by the Regulator for Social Housing, as part of their Provider Improvement Process, and in response to legislative changes.