The Communities Scrutiny Committee met to discuss homelessness, the local plan, and performance management against the council plan. The committee received updates on each of these topics, and also reviewed cabinet business and the committee's work programme.

Homelessness Update

Lee Pepper, Assistant Director of Communities, and Gary Smithurst, Housing Strategy & Homeless Manager, provided an overview of homelessness in the area, including rough sleeping and the right to remain¹. The committee sought to understand the processes involved and how the council addresses these issues.

Local Plan Update

David Thompson, Assistant Director of Planning, presented an update on the Local Plan². The committee discussed any changes or issues that had arisen.

Performance Management

Kath Drury, Information & Improvement Manager, and Amar Bashir, Improvement Officer, provided a performance update on the council plan targets. The report detailed progress on the strategies underpinning the council plan objective: A great place to live well for the period ending 30 June 2025.

Notable achievements included:

• The successful launch of Clay Cross Active, which generated over 1 million views on Facebook and 2,200+ new memberships.
• The rollout of the £233,776 UKSPF Inclusive Communities Fund³ supporting seven community projects.
• Planning for home improvements following the award of the £5.1 million Warm Homes Local Grant⁴.
• Environmental Health responding to ten infectious disease cases and issuing safety guidance for inflatables and animal attractions.
• Community safety addressing anti-social behaviour with formal actions and a Closure Order extension.
• The Dronfield Mural Project transforming a graffiti-prone underpass into a vibrant, community-led artwork.

Most metrics for the period were within target, but one measure had flagged as red due to staffing challenges. Leisure participation was on track, but final data capture had been delayed due to technical issues downloading attendance figures from the newly opened Clay Cross Active Centre.

The report noted a rise in anti-social behaviour (ASB) incidents impacting individuals' mental health, and detailed action plans, formal warnings and a Closure Order extension to address persistent ASB.

The report also noted that the Housing Strategy Team is collaborating with Housing Associations and developers to deliver affordable housing on new build sites, ensuring a mix of tenures, including affordable rent, social rent and affordable homeownership options. A total of 667 affordable housing units are planned for delivery over the coming years, with 392 units already underway. Progress is also being made with P3 on a new supported housing service. P3 has appointed a contractor to carry out works on two previously void Council homes in Clay Cross.

With funding from the UKSPF, planning has begun for further public realm improvements, including:

• Enhancements around Southgate shops in Eckington.
• Removal of outdated, decommissioned CCTV cameras in Clay Cross.
• Installation of town centre maps in Eckington, Killamarsh, and Clay Cross.

Cabinet Business

Joe Hayden, Senior Scrutiny Officer, presented a digest of cabinet decisions and the forward plan. The committee identified cabinet decisions made to date and topics due to be presented in the future, and determined if any required further follow-up by scrutiny. The Forward Plan of Executive Decisions - 15 August 2025 - 15 September 2025 Cabinet included the upcoming decision on Simpler Recycling, scheduled for 11 September 2025.

Work Programme

Joe Hayden, Senior Scrutiny Officer, presented the committee's work programme. The committee agreed to a work programme for the year,