Agenda and minutes

There were no apologies for absence.

There were no declarations of interest.

The minutes of the meeting of the Shareholders Committee held on 31^st July 2025 were submitted.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting of the Shareholders Committee held on 31^st July 2025 be approved as a true and correct record.

The Director of Spadesbourne Homes Limited presented the performance monitoring report for the company for quarters 2 and 3 of the 2025/26 financial year for Members’ consideration.

In presenting the report, Members were asked to note the following:

·             Data revealed that 100 per cent of repairs had been completed according to deadline.

·             There had been 6 complaints received during the period which had all been addressed within agreed timescales.

·             There had been a total of 16 void properties.

·             There was 1 tenant who was in arrears, 3 former tenants in arrears and another on a payment plan.

Following the presentation of the report, Members discussed a number of points in detail:

·             The extent to which Spadesbourne Homes Limited would be impacted by new duties under the Renters’ Rights Act 2025.  Confirmation was provided that the duties would apply to Spadesbourne Homes Limited as the company was renting out properties to tenants on the open market.

·             The reasons why rent arrears had accrued, including for former tenants, and the extent to which the company’s Directors were confident about the checks that were conducted prior to a tenancy agreement being signed.  The Committee was informed that reference checks were obtained, however, people’s personal circumstances could change.

·             The number of void properties managed by Spadesbourne Homes Limited and whether this corresponded with the numbers built into the business plan for the company.  It was proposed that this should be addressed in the following performance monitoring report presented to the Committee.

·             The potential for a breakdown of void property numbers to be provided over time.  It was proposed that this should be addressed in the following performance monitoring report presented to the Committee.

·             The potential for the breakdown of void properties to clarify the types of property that were voids (e.g. houses or flats.)

·             The cumulative total for voids that had been recorded in the report.  Clarification was provided that the figures in the report referred to average void times.

·             The extent to which the term “cumulative” had been appropriate for use in the report.  The Directors confirmed that the term “average” would be more appropriate.

·             The void levels at the company and how these compared to the market average.

·             The trends over time, in terms of void properties.  Members expressed concerns that average void times appeared to be increasing and that this could negatively impact on access to housing in the private rented sector for those in need of suitable accommodation.

·             The timescales by which the data for quarter 4 of the 2025/26 financial year would be available for Members’ consideration.

·             The extent to which the void properties could be offered to people on the housing waiting list in Bromsgrove.  The Committee was informed that the void properties managed by Spadesbourne Homes Limited were unlikely to be affordable for people on the housing register.

The resolution was proposed by Councillor S. Baxter and seconded by Councillor P. Whittaker.

RESOLVED that the Performance Monitoring Report for Quarters 2 and 3 of the 2025/26 financial  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10/25

The Director of Spadesbourne Homes Limited presented the tenants’ survey questionnaires for Members’ consideration.

Members were reminded that at a previous meeting of the Committee the Directors had been asked to produce a survey for the consideration of tenants.  The decision had subsequently been taken to produce 2 surveys: a survey for tenants living in Burcot Close and another for tenants living in Allen Court.

Consideration was given to the content of the survey.  Members raised concerns that American spelling, rather than UK spelling, appeared to have been used when developing the surveys.  In addition, the American dating system, whereby the day was listed after the month, rather than the UK convention of listing the day before the month, had been applied in the document.  Members requested that these errors be amended prior to circulation of the surveys.

The resolutions were proposed by Councillor S. Baxter and seconded by Councillor S. Webb.

RESOLVED that, subject to the amendments detailed in the preamble above

1)          The Tenant Survey Questionnaire for Burcot Close and Allen Court be approved; and

2)          Officers provide the results of the annual tenants’ survey to the next Shareholders Committee meeting.

The Shareholders Committee is asked to approve replacing a Board member and Director from Spadesbourne Homes Limited from Ms Debra Goodall to Mr Doug Henderson.

The Committee was advised that Ms D. Goodall had resigned from Spadesbourne Homes Limited Board as a Director.  There was therefore a vacancy that had arisen on the Board and a new Director needed to be appointed.

The Spadesbourne Homes Limited Board were nominating Mr D Henderson, Environmental Services Manager at Bromsgrove District and Redditch Borough Councils, to be appointed to fill this vacancy.  Appointment of Directors to the Board at Spadesbourne Homes Limited was a reserved matter for the Shareholders Committee to determine under the Articles of the company and therefore Members were invited to consider approving this appointment.

RESOLVED that

1)          Ms D. Goodall’s resignation as a Director on the Board of Spadesbourne Homes Limited be noted; and

2)          Mr D. Henderson’s appointment as a Director on the Board of Spadesbourne Homes Limited be approved.

(Prior to consideration of this item, Mr D. Henderson left the room.  He was not therefore present during the debate in respect of this item nor the vote thereon.  He returned to the meeting once this item had been resolved.)

There was no urgent business for consideration on this occasion.

"RESOLVED: that under Section 100 I of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended, the public be excluded from the meeting during the consideration of the following item(s) of business on the grounds that it/they involve(s) the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part I of Schedule 12A to the Act, as amended, the relevant paragraph of that part, in each case, being as set out below, and that it is in the public interest to do so:-

RESOLVED that

Under S100 A (4) of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) (Variation) Order 2006, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following matters on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the said act, as amended. Minute Item No. 15/25 – Spadesbourne Homes Limited – Finance and Governance Report.

The covering report is attached.  The two appendices to the report will follow in a supplementary pack for the meeting.

The outgoing Interim Section 151 Officer presented a report on the subject of Spadesbourne Homes Limited – Finance and Governance

The following points were highlighted for Members’ consideration:

·             A financial monitoring report had been published in March for a meeting of the Committee that had subsequently been cancelled.  The report provided to Members provided an updated position in respect of the financial figures, which were accurate as of the date of the meeting.

·             An independent expert had undertaken a review of the company and interviews had been held with Board members as well as the client-side officer.

·             Information had been submitted to Companies House for the company in accordance with legislative requirements. 

·             Generally, financial information for companies was considered in exempt session at shareholder meetings and the suggestion was made that the same approach should be adopted for financial reporting to the Shareholders Committee.

Once the report had been presented, Members discussed the following points in detail:

·             The length of time that would be required for the independent expert to complete his review.

·             The purpose of Spadesbourne Homes Limited, which had been to provide additional housing of good quality in the private rented sector within Bromsgrove.  The suggestion was made that Spadesbourne Homes Limited was fulfilling this brief.

·             The company’s achievement, in terms of providing additional accommodation in the private rented sector to Bromsgrove residents.

·             The differences between accounts for public sector organisations compared to those for organisations operating in the private sector.

·             The need for future financial monitoring reports to the Committee to include exempt information that the Committee would need to discuss in private session.

·             The need for a further report to the Committee to address many of the points that had been raised during the debate.

·             The Council’s new Section 151 Officer, who was commencing employment that day with the authority and would need to be engaged in discussions about the company.

·             The role of the Board, which was distinct from that of the Shareholders Committee and the fact that the Board members would be exposed to more detailed information than the Committee at their meetings.

The resolutions were proposed by Councillor P. Whittaker and seconded by Councillor S. Baxter.

RESOLVED that

1)          The updated position on the Spadesbourne Homes accounts as of 31st December 2025 be noted.

2)          Following consideration of the suggested next steps, as set out in the Interim Section 151 Officer’s review, Directors, supported by the client-side officer and the section 151 officer, should provide to the next Shareholders Committee meeting a timetabled action plan for delivery.

(During consideration of this item, Members discussed matters that necessitated the disclosure of exempt information. It was therefore agreed to move to exclude the press and public prior to any debate on the grounds that information would be revealed which related to the financial and business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information)).