Agenda and minutes

To provide an opportunity for Members and Officers to declare any personal and/or prejudicial interests in any item on the agenda

No interests were declared.

In accordance with Procedure Rules Nos.11 and 35 a period of 10 minutes is allocated for members of the public to address the meeting on any matter relevant to the work of the meeting. Individual members of the public may speak for up to 5 minutes but the Chairman will decide how the period of time allocated for public speaking will be apportioned where there are a number of speakers. Members of the public are not required to give notice to use this facility. However, as a matter of courtesy, a period of 24 hours’ notice is encouraged.

Members of the public wishing to ask a question at the meeting should provide three clear working days’ notice, in writing, in order for an informed answer to be given.

There were no members of the public present.

To consider a report outlining the purpose of voluntary landlord accreditation schemes in improving the private rented sector, and to recommend the adoption of such a scheme for use across Cheshire East.

The Cabinet Member for Prosperity considered a report outlining the purpose of voluntary landlord accreditation schemes in improving the private rented sector.

An accreditation scheme had been adopted by Crewe & Nantwich Borough Council in 2005. The scheme had focused on the standards of the property, and had not taken account of the management practices of the landlord. There were no accreditation schemes operating in other parts of Cheshire East. As part of the improvement programme to unify services across Cheshire East, the scheme had been revised to include management practices and to extend the scheme’s geographical coverage to all parts of the Borough. The scheme had been developed in partnership with Cheshire West & Chester and Warrington Borough Councils, to ensure consistency in housing standards across the sub-region.

Landlord accreditation schemes had a number of benefits to the local authority, landlords, tenants and the wider community, including improved access to the private rented sector for people in housing need; improved property standards and a reduction in the need for enforcement of housing standards legislation; and a reduction in poor management practices.

RESOLVED

That the Voluntary Landlord Accreditation Scheme developed in partnership with Cheshire West & Chester and Warrington Borough Councils be approved and adopted for use across Cheshire East.