The Secure Sub-Committee of North Tyneside Council met on 23 September 2025 to discuss social housing and community safety issues. The meeting included updates on the affordable homes project, energy efficiency and carbon reduction works to housing stock, and a quality and safety report covering condensation, mould, and damp initiatives. Councillors also considered the sub-committee's work programme for 2025-26.

Affordable Homes Project

The sub-committee was scheduled to receive an update on the progress of delivering 5,000 affordable homes in the borough. According to the report, the Our North Tyneside Plan, approved in September 2021, included this target, along with a commitment to reduce the number of empty and derelict properties. A two-phased delivery approach to the Affordable Homes Programme (AHP) was approved in February 2022.

Phase one aimed to deliver 4,000 affordable homes by 2032 through several workstreams, including homes directly delivered by the authority, tackling empty and derelict properties, and working in partnership with Aurora Affordable Homes and Registered Providers.

The report indicated that the council had delivered over 2,400 affordable homes by the end of 2024-25, including 800 new affordable homes through the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) and the council's delivery vehicle. The Affordable Homes Programme was expected to deliver 206 affordable homes in 2025-26.

The report also provided details on specific projects:

• Former West Farm Public House, Killingworth - building 22 new council homes, expected to be completed in October 2025.
• Former Rosehill Club, Wallsend - works commenced on eight new council homes, due to be completed in January 2026.
• Parkside House, Wallsend - works commenced on eight new council homes, expected to be completed in spring 2026.
• Battle Hill (Bradford Avenue, Boston Close & Broomfield Avenue) - development of four HUSK bungalows¹ on former garage sites, due to be completed in December 2025.
• Benton Lane, Longbenton - demolition of the church was completed and a planning application has been approved, with work expected to begin in early 2025.
• HUSK Garage Block Conversions, Phase 3, Boroughwide - two further garage sites proposed for conversion into bungalows in Annitsford, creating six new homes.
• Annitsford Front Street - the council secured an option to acquire nine new homes, with work expected to begin in late October, subject to planning approval.
• Marden Community Centre site - the authority had an expression of interest approved for £131,000 of funding from the Brownfield Housing Fund² to support the remediation of the site for the development of new affordable homes.

The report also noted that Aurora Affordable Homes, the authority's wholly-owned subsidiary company, owned 126 properties, with a further 35 under offer, taking the company's stock to 161 by the end of the year. The company also provides 25 tenancies for vulnerable young people and adults with specialist needs.

The council was also working to tackle empty and derelict properties, with the refurbishment of two long-term empty properties completed and sales agreed with Aurora and the council. Work had also begun to refurbish a long-term empty on Station Road in Camperdown and leases had been agreed to refurbish and let four long-term empty properties in North Shields at Sibthorpe Street, Seymour Street and a flat above a shop on Saville Street.

A property on Simonburn Avenue, North Shields, which had been subject to enforcement action, had been purchased by the council and refurbishment was now complete. The property has been transferred into the council's general housing stock.

Following work with the Derelict Properties Task and Finish Group, the team had inspected and RAG rated all empty properties unoccupied for five years or more. Each RED rated property now has an action plan for its return to use.

In response to the emerging Renters Rights Bill, the team was developing plans for a Private Housing Support Hub to help residents navigate available housing support, and launching tools to tackle long-term issues including probate cases.

Two affordable homes had been delivered by private developers so far this year, with a forecast of a further 32 new affordable homes to be delivered through planning obligations in 2025/26.

Karbon Homes was continuing to deliver affordable homes in the area, with work continuing to deliver 28 new affordable homes in North Shields town centre, following the completion of the sale of the former Unicorn House site. Karbon will also be acquiring 71 homes at Collingwood Grange, North Shields. Karbon Homes has commenced development on 20 Rent to Buy homes at the site of the former Fusilier Pub in Forest Hall.

The spending review on 11 June announced a 10-year, £39 billion increase in affordable homes spending from 2026, in addition to the £17 million increase in Brownfield Funding already in place via the North East Combined Authority.

Energy Efficiency and Carbon Reduction Works to Housing Stock

The sub-committee was scheduled to receive a report outlining the current housing stock position, specifically in relation to carbon reduction works and energy efficiency.

The presentation attached to the report stated that North Tyneside has over 100,000 homes, with the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) having approximately 14,000 homes, equating to 14%.

The presentation stated that the council had invested well over the last 20 years in its stock, taking a fabric first approach ³. 91% of homes were Band C or above, with 9% Band D or below (tenant refusals and school houses). The SAP Rating⁴ was 72.58 for North Tyneside Council (Band C is 69 to 80), compared to a national average of 60.0 (Band D).

Historic investments included a 1,500 Solar PV scheme in partnership with E-ON, 922 additional Solar PV installations, 1,216 Non-Trad properties External Wall Insulation, Internal Wall Insulation linked to solid wall properties, high-efficiency heating replacements and controls (circa 900 per year), cavity wall insulation replacements (approximately 250 properties per year), loft insulation replacement (approximately 250 properties per year), communal lighting upgrades to all 313 blocks, and other successful grants through the Local Authority Delivery (LAD) scheme⁵ and Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF)⁶.

The HRA Investment Plan includes a 30-year business plan worth over £1.6 billion. The Asset Management Strategy (2023/2028) identifies carbon reduction as a key consideration, with £14 million allocated to carbon reduction measures over the next 5 years. This is balanced against other significant needs, such as Decent Home Standard compliance⁷ and the Social Housing Act (2023), which includes legislative compliance and safety standards, such as those relating to Condensation, Mould and Damp (CMD), and Awaab's Law⁸.

Inflationary factors across construction materials continue to increase, impacting the cost of kitchen and bathroom replacements. Additional National Insurance contributions are also driving costs up further.

The council has created five carbon reduction workstreams:

1. General Needs Housing
2. Communal Areas
3. Sheltered Housing
4. New Build Housing (Affordable Homes)
5. Private Sector Housing

For general needs housing, the council delivers a range of works, including high-efficiency condensing boilers and controls, loft insulation top-ups and replacements, cavity wall insulation replacements, and LED lighting as part of projects.

For communal areas, a full energy consumption review was carried out in 2023. The average usage per block was 3,229 kWh per year, with an average cost of £408.24 per year. A full replacement to LED across all 313 blocks would cost approximately £560 per block (£175,000 in total) and save approximately 10% per year (£40 per year), with a payback on investment of 14 years.

For sheltered units, all new builds are constructed to BREEAM Excellent and Very Good standards⁹, with EPC ratings of Band A, B & C. They feature a combination of ASHP's¹⁰, underfloor heating, and Solar PV. A range of energy audits have been completed, with a focus on high usage areas such as laundry rooms.

For affordable homes, design standards were re-drafted to reduce carbon/thermal performance, in line with PART L 1A 2022 Building Regulations. All new homes built off Gas since 2022 are highly insulated and feature Solar PV and ASHPs. Electric car charging points are installed in new builds.

The council plans to replace its current commercial fleet over the next 3 years at a cost of £5.5 million. The council currently operates 176 vehicles, 130 owned (10 electric) and 46 hired in. The proposal is to replace the hired-in fleet first, with the majority of EV vehicles purchased in later phases.

Quality and Safety Report for Housing

The sub-committee was scheduled to receive a Quality and Safety Report for Housing, covering condensation, mould, and damp initiatives.

The report outlined the council's performance against quality and safety standards for its council homes. The compliance areas covered within the report were:

• Asbestos Safety
• Gas Safety
• Fire Safety
• Water Hygiene
• Lifts
• Electrical Safety including Electrical Installation Condition Reports (EICR)
• Stock Condition Surveying (Condition of homes)
• Condensation Mould and Damp (CMD)

The report stated that the council was confident that its policies and procedures were robust and effective in maintaining safety across its housing stock.

Quarter one highlights included 100% compliance against Asbestos, Gas Safety, Fire Safety, Water Hygiene, and Lift Safety inspections. Significant progress had been made against EICR monitoring, from 53.60% to 66.30%, and on stock condition surveys, from 43.50% to 49.90%. Complaints about CMD reduced by 50% in 2024/25.

The council had engaged a consultant (Pennington Choices) to carry out an external health check and review its governance, policies, procedures, and reporting structure across all compliance activity.

Areas of further focus included:

• Continuing to deliver safety inspections in line with the programme.
• Continuing to work with tenants to help address access issues.
• Continuing to prepare for the implementation of Awaab's Law.
• Improving the recording of the number of video diagnostic calls offered and used by tenants.
• Progressing and completing any recommendations from internal audits and the external health check by Pennington Choices.

The report also provided details on the council's work around Condensation, Mould and Damp (CMD). The council introduced a Repairs and Maintenance Policy and Condensation, Mould and Damp policy in November 2025. Changes implemented included video diagnosis, reviewed literature, dedicated resources (surveyors and trades), specialist training for surveyors, and training across teams. The council also introduced a 'Report it' form for all staff to use and raise any concerns around CMD, improved communication on what to do, and introduced a reporting dashboard to track activity and performance.

Work Programme 2025-26

The sub-committee was scheduled to discuss its work programme for 2025/26. The report set out the approach to work planning for the Secure Sub-Committee for 2025/26 and advised the committee of potential topics.

The committee was asked to note the work programme and identify outcomes and objectives for the topics. All scrutiny members had been invited to contribute ideas for the work programme via a 'scrutiny suggestion sheet'.

The Secure Sub-Committee's current work programme included:

• Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Presentation
• Anti-social Behaviour Task & Finish Group
• Affordable Homes Project update
• Green Agenda in relation to Housing Stock update
• Repairs and Maintenance (Condensation, Damp and Mould) update
• Local Plan
• Annual Scrutiny Report 2025/26
• Anti-Social Behaviour Update
• Homelessness Strategy

Other potential topics for consideration included the Renter's Rights Bill and homelessness.