Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Lisa Homan.

If a Councillor has a disclosable pecuniary interest in a particular item, whether or not it is entered in the Authority’s register of interests, or any other significant interest which they consider should be declared in the public interest, they should declare the existence and, unless it is a sensitive interest as defined in the Member Code of Conduct, the nature of the interest at the commencement of the consideration of that item or as soon as it becomes apparent.

Where Members of the public are not allowed to be in attendance and speak, then the Councillor with a disclosable pecuniary interest should withdraw from the meeting whilst the matter is under consideration. Councillors who have declared other significant interests should also withdraw from the meeting if they consider their continued participation in the matter would not be reasonable in the circumstances and may give rise to a perception of a conflict of interest.

Councillors are not obliged to withdraw from the meeting where a dispensation to that effect has been obtained from the Standards Committee.

There were no declarations of interest.

To approve the minutes of the previous meeting.

The minutes of the meeting held on 6 April 2021 were noted. As this was an informal meeting, minutes will be formally agreed at the next meeting.

This meeting is being held remotely on Zoom and will be live streamed

to YouTube:

youtu.be/PDZmpnN9GTg

If you would like to ask a question at the meeting about any of the items

on the agenda please send your question to governance@lbhf.gov.uk

by 5pm on Friday, 16 July.

No public questions were received.

This report provides an update on the range of activity that the council’s Business and Enterprise Team has undertaken to assist local businesses through further Covid-19 restrictions since the last update to the Committee in November 2020. It also outlines the scope of planned business support initiatives until the end of March 2022. 

Karen Galey – (Assistant Director for the Economy) introduced the report, which provided an update on the range of activity that the council’s Business and Enterprise Team had undertaken to assist local businesses through further Covid-19 restrictions since the last update to the Committee in November 2020. It also outlined the scope of planned business support initiatives until the end of March 2022.

The Chair thanked Karen Galey for the overview and invited Councillor Andrew Jones (Cabinet Member for the Economy) to address committee.

Councillor Andrew Jones began by thanking Karen, her team and Councillor Guy Vincent for all their hard work during what had been one of the most challenging periods for many people in their careers and working lives. Councillor Andrew Jones explained that the Council had been very effective in distributing money and acquiring further funding from the government. The current phase of work now focused on building back better out of the recovery through the Industrial Strategy which had evolved to reflect the post-pandemic landscape.

Commenting further, Councillor Andrew Jones highlighted that there had been a very uneven impact (from the pandemic) on different businesses and industries. As well as  a huge impact on the Arts, Cultural Industries and Hospitality Sector which the Council were acutely aware of. He explained that one of the Council’s aims was to rebuild and re-energise the Arts and Cultural offer which was to key to Hammersmith and Fulham’s place making. Further goals included developing the Industrial Strategy, the White City Innovation District and reimagining town centres. While it was acknowledged the pandemic was not over, the action to date demonstrated that the Council had effectively risen to the challenge, and had a coherent plan for supporting different businesses so they could emerge from the pandemic in a strong position. It was  noted that part of this centred on the money the Council had received so it could support businesses in the digital shift highlighted in the report.

Closing his initial remarks, Councillor Andrew Jones highlighted there were  opportunities for the borough. Given it had one of the highest proportions of residents who had shifted towards hybrid (home) working, and this local focus, which was good news for high streets and local businesses as it emerged from the pandemic.

The Chair invited Guy Vincent, (Local Business Champion) to address the committee. Beginning on downbeat note, Councillor Guy Vincent explained that the Council had received several push backs in relation to grants, as these were not always issued in a coherent way. The implications of this meant that funding could not always be allocated to all the businesses the Council wished to provide it to. And in some exceptional cases, there were still some  businesses which had not benefitted from any grant money. Councillor Guy Vincent highlighted that the Business Grants Team, under Jamie Mullins, had been working extremely hard to release all the grant funding despite these challenges.

Councillor Guy Vincent explained that the pandemic was far from over from an  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

This report sets out the steps taken to improve Private Sector Housing

through discretionary property licensing.

Ed Shaylor – (Private Sector Housing Manager) introduced the item which set out the steps taken to improve Private Sector Housing through discretionary property licensing.

Ed Shaylor provided a short presentation and the following points were noted:

• The private rented sector in H&F is the sixth highest in London and eighth highest in the country and accounts for 30% of all households (2011 census)
• In 2017, the council introduced two discretionary property licensing schemes which expire in June 2022. 
• These schemes require landlords of privately rented houses/flats to be licensed, as follows:
• Additional Licensing: Houses and Flats in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) for HMOs which are NOT Mandatory HMOs. To improve standards of property management and living conditions; and
• Selective Licensing: All rented dwellings in 128 specified streets to reduce antisocial behaviour (ASB) where the levels of ASB, rubbish and noise problems from private renters was above average

Key points:

•       Public consultation to gather opinions about re-designating both schemes from June 2022 for a further 5 years.

•       Can only include 20% of the borough’s private rented addresses in the licensing scheme, without secretary of state approval. 

•       HMO licensing Borough wide will ensure all areas of the Borough are properly supported by the private sector housing team. 

Reasons for Proposal of new licensing Scheme:

1. Survey of private renting tenants in the borough from December to February 2021: Showed significant minorities of tenants who were dissatisfied with their landlords and / or stated deficiencies in safety or amenity standards in their rented property.
2. Preliminary finding from the current consultation: Privately renting tenants have a high level of support for licensing schemes (around 80%). 
3. Interventions: Issues relating to antisocial behaviour, noise nuisance, poor waste management and public health nuisance, are easier to address if specific streets are designated. Dedicated resource can be focussed on targeted enforcement interventions in those areas.
4. Housing standards: Inspections have uncovered significant problems which can be improved through licensing conditions, e.g. Lack of fire doors or fire detection systems; undersized kitchen for the number of occupiers; Overcrowding; bedroom too small.

Leasehold ownership: Flats formerly owned by the Council altered internally are sometimes unsuitable for multiple occupancy in terms of space, amenities and pressure on services and utilities

Proposals for June 2022 to June 2027 scheme

a)    Continue discretionary licensing schemes but substantially reduce the number of streets in the Selective Licensing scheme from 128 to 23.

b)    Focus on busy roads, flats above shops, and roads with a significant private rented sector: 4 streets in W6; 4 streets in W14; 9 streets in W12; 5 streets in SW6; and 1 street in NW10.

c)    New scheme will have the same number of addresses as the old scheme, just fewer roads as the roads are larger. 

d)     Proposal to prohibit multiple occupation use of leasehold flats where the council is the freeholder - pressure on block infrastructure and nuisance to neighbours

Councillor Helen Rowbottom thanked Ed Shaylor for the presentation and commented that the discretionary property licensing  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

The next meeting will take place on Tuesday 9^th November 2021.

The next meeting will take place on Tuesday 9^th November 2021.