Agenda and draft minutes

Members are reminded of their responsibility to declare any pecuniary interest in respect of matters contained in this agenda.

If you have a pecuniary interest you must withdraw from the meeting. Normally you should leave the room before the business starts to be discussed. You do, however, have the same right to speak as a member of the public and may remain in the room to enable you to exercise that right and then leave immediately. In either case you must not seek to improperly influence a decision on the matter.

No declarations were made.

It was raised that Cllr Ryan Towers submitted apologies for the previous meeting.

To receive, consider, amend, and approve the Task Group Scope document.

Resolved: That the review scope be approved.

Democratic and Member Services Officer, Matthew Pawlyszyn to provide a brief update from other Local Authorities and their empty properties.

Democratic and Member Services Officer, Matthew Pawlyszyn provided a brief update to the Task Group based on information received from other borough councils in Lancashire.

Members to discuss and highlight information learnt from the World Café Event and conversations with Officers in relation to empty properties.

Members of the Task Group discussed the two World Café Events that they attended that featured Officers from Enforcement, Legal, Public Protection, Revenue and Benefits and Housing.

Members came to the following agreements as possible recommendations for the Final Report

-       That consideration was required as to the placement of empty properties within the organisational structure of the Council.

-       That the Council should consider creating an Empty Properties Officer post and explore if it could be a shared post or a part time position.

-       That due to the number of officers and departments that were involved in empty properties, a clear workflow should be in place to provide clarity in reporting problem empty properties and an understanding of the action taken.

-       The Council to refresh and update its Empty Homes Policy and following its completion yearly member learning sessions to be held to keep members up to date.

Members expressed the desire to invite both the Executive Members for Homes and Housing and Planning and Development to the Task Group prior to the drafting of the final report.