Agenda item

Up to 30 minutes is allowed for this item.

Any member of the public or councillor may participate in Public Forum. Public Forum items must relate to the remit of the committee and should be addressed to the Chair of the committee.

Members of the public who plan to attend a public meeting at City Hall are advised that you will be required to sign in when you arrive. Please note that you will be issued with a visitor pass which you will need to display at all times.

Please also note:

Questions

1.      Written public questions must be received by 5.00 pm, at least 3 clear working days prior to the meeting. For this meeting, this means that questions must be received at the latest by 5.00 pm on 16 September. Please email questions to policycommittees@bristol.gov.uk

2.      Any individual can submit up to 3 written questions.

3.      Written replies to questions will be available on the Council’s website at least one hour before the meeting.

4.      At the meeting, questioners will be permitted to ask up to 2 oral supplementary questions.

Statements

1.      Written statements must be received at latest by 12.00 noon, at least 2 working days prior to the meeting. For this meeting, this means that statements must be received at the latest by 12.00 noon on 18 September. Please email statements to policycommittees@bristol.gov.uk

2.      Statements, provided they are no more than 1,000 words in length, will be circulated to all committee members and will be published on the Council’s website at least one hour before the meeting.

Petitions

1.      Details of the wording of any petitions, and the number of signatories to petitions must be received at latest by 12.00 noon, at least 2 working days prior to the meeting. For this meeting, this means that petition details must be received at the latest by 12.00 noon on 18 September. Please email petition details to policycommittees@bristol.gov.uk

2.      At the meeting, individuals presenting petitions may be required to read out the objectives of the petition.

When submitting a question or statement please indicate whether you are planning to attend the meeting to present your statement ask your question

Public Questions

The Committee noted that the following Public Forum questions had been received:

Q1. Joanna Booth: Bristol housing festival

Q2.Nigel Varley: Cladding remediation costs compensation

Q3.Fadumo Farah: Barton House

Q4.Shaban Ali: Barton House (this question and supplementary questions were presented by Fadumo Farah on behalf of Shaban Ali’s)

It was noted that the questions, together with written responses, had been circulated to Committee members and were available on the Council’s website alongside the agenda papers for this meeting.

Supplementary oral questions were received as follows:

Q2: In response to a supplementary question from Dan Ackroyd, further detail was outlined about how the service calculated the £147 support fund provided to Gilton House residents. The service used data provided by properties that had been completed as part of the cladding scheme.

Q2: In response to a supplementary question from Dan Ackroyd, further detail was outlined about how the decision was made to provide residents at Gilton House with £147. The Chair outlined that the decision to include a discretionary budget (the £147 per household at Gilton House) was decided at Full Council on Monday 3 June 2024 as part of the council’s budget setting process. The total amount of the individual payments is deducted £150,000 budget already assigned to Gilton House refurbishment works.

Q3: In response to a supplementary question from Fadumo Farah, further detail was outlined about compensation and support that is available for younger Barton House residents who were advised to evacuate their homes in November 2023. The Chair advised that support is predominantly available for younger residents directly through their schools. Officers will review what additional support is available and this will be shared with residents. The Chair advised that, while it was a Bristol Green Party pledge prior to the 2024 Local Elections, there is not currently a specific compensation scheme for any Barton House residents. Conversations between the Chair and Officers are ongoing.

Q3: In response to a supplementary question from Fadumo Farah, further detail was outlined about a potential investigation into the Barton House evacuation in November 2023. The Chair highlighted the desire to understand the legacy of under investment in the council’s homes, including Barton House. It was discussed that currently the Committee and the council’s focus is on ensuring the safety of all residents and continuing to provide a decent service to all council house tenants. The Chair instructed the Housing service to provide the Chair with an updated analysis covering the costs required for an investigation to take place.

Q4: In response to a supplementary question from Fadumo Farah (on Shaban Ali’s behalf), further detail was outlined about re-housing Barton House residents. The Chair highlighted that while the Chair is on the record stating that the urgent re-housing of Barton House residents would be appropriate, this decision does not sit with the Chair. Decisions on individual priority housing and re-housing cases are made by HomeChoice Bristol and applications for re-housing must go through the HomeChoice Bristol process. The Chair commented that they have asked for a paper to be presented on Barton House residents at a Homes and Housing Delivery Policy Committee Chairs Briefing.

Public statements:

The Committee noted that the following public forum statements had been received:

S1. Nigel Varley – Safety issues

S2. Shaban Ali – Barton House (read by Fadumo Farah on behalf of Shaban Ali)

It was noted that the statements, questions and answers had been circulated to Committee members and were available on the council’s website alongside the agenda papers for this meeting.