Main roles and responsibilities of the portfolio
- To govern the delivery of the Progress with Unity missions and council plan
- To drive forward the Community Wealth Building approach including increasing the community use and control of council owned land and assets, particularly those which are under-utilised
- To support the delivery of our Climate Change Strategy, including building on community pride and working together with communities to create a cleaner, greener borough
- To support the implementation of the Wigan Borough Housing Strategy
- To oversee the delivery of high quality, responsive social housing, and the Council’s landlord responsibilities
- To chair the Housing Advisory Panel and ensuring the voices of tenants drive the Council’s strategies and delivery models
- To drive our Welfare Policy
- To support Councillor Development.
Priorities for 2024/2025
Implementation of the council’s delivery of our ‘Progress with Unity’ borough missions. As residents, businesses, public services and community organisations of this borough we have come together to deliver two key missions:
Mission 1: Create fair opportunities for all children, families, residents and businesses
“Together, we will break down the barriers that create financial, health, education and environmental inequalities in our borough.”
Mission 2: Make all our towns and neighbourhoods flourish for those who live and work in them
“Together, in genuine partnership with our residents and businesses, who know our community best, we will help each town and neighbourhood in the borough celebrate and maintain their identity whilst understanding and helping to achieve what is needed to thrive.”
Delivery of priorities within the Wigan Borough Housing Strategy, including:
- Access to the right home with greater choice across different housing sectors
- Build the right homes, delivering these ourselves and working with partners
- Make more existing homes safe and of a good quality (our own and those in the private sector)
- Expand our Ethical Lettings Agency, working in partnership with small local landlords
- Ensure people have the right support to live well, including those who face homelessness
- Achieve low carbon homes to protect the environment and reduce energy bills for our residents
- Ensuring good housing and the voices of tenants drives forward the Council’s neighbourhood model, enabling our communities to thrive
- Chair the Housing Advisory Panel to provide challenge around services delivered to council tenants, ensuring Wigan Council is a good landlord providing quality services and promoting sustainable tenancies
- Deliver the tenant engagement programme, to promote the tenant voice in shaping and improving housing services
- Deliver Wigan’s financial inclusion and fuel poverty strategy
- Lead work to understand the impact of Welfare Reform and support residents through the changes
- Support residents’ funeral service aligned to welfare role.
Functions covered by the portfolio
- Housing Advisory Panel (Chair)
- Housing Services, including private sector reform and specialist housing
- Housing Growth and Regeneration Schemes
- Homelessness
- Housing Asset Management
- Tenant Services and Engagement
- Welfare Reform.
Council Appointments
- Greater Manchester Homelessness Programme Board
- Planning and Housing Commission
- Housing Advisory Panel
- Leigh Sports Village Ltd.