The Chair welcomed Julie Webster, Director for Health and Wellbeing and Rachael Musgrave, Consultant in Public Health.

The Chair highlighted that this particular subject area had been requested by the Adult Care and Health Overview and Scrutiny following receipt of the Annual Public Health Report at its meeting held on 19 November 2019 (Minute 32 refers).

Director for Health and Wellbeing’s report informed how a warm and safe home was essential for good health. Poor housing conditions, overcrowding, temporary accommodation, fuel poverty, homelessness and insecurity were a risk to health. Affordable, quality housing was not only, therefore, a basic need but a major contributor to an individual’s wellbeing. It enabled people to access basic services, build good relationships and maintain independence, resulting in a better quality of life[1]. However, some of the most vulnerable groups in our community were among those most likely to live in poor housing.

The report further informed that housing, and its impact on health, was a broad and complex area covering a wide range of issues. At the request of the Chair, the report focused on the quality of housing, the availability of housing at a cost that people can afford and the quality of the private rental market in Wirral.The affordability of local housing, rates of homelessness, and the quality and availability of supported housing locally all influenced health outcomes. 

Members were provided an overview of the key issues and the report highlighted the existing work being carried out across Wirral to improve housing standards for the most vulnerable residents.

Members question the Director on a variety of issues that included:

• Housing as a basic need and key determinate in contributing to an individual’s health.
• Physical property conditions / air quality a highly complex issue.
• Research into damp – a major contributor to respiratory illness (particularly children and older people)
• An issue that the new local plan will need to address - not just new housing, but older stock too

Members further debated actions being taken to reduce health inequalities, helping inform future policies and identified further areas to investigate in more detail in the future. The Chair expressed disappointment that housing officers had been unable to attend the meeting.

Other matters of debate and areas of concern to Members included:

• The issue of HMOs and how, under planning law, there was currently no way to turn these down, thereby ‘enabling’ (or allowing development of) ‘future slums’.
• Air quality (also discussed at the recent Health and Wellbeing Board meeting)
• Concerns over the conversion of office accommodation into housing.
• New developments closer to Motorways – and whether monitoring of air quality would have an impact on permissions.
• What systems were in place for GPs to refer and record patients whose issues stem from poor living conditions.

The Director of Public Health apprised Members of the Primary Care Network Social Prescribing, Healthy Homes initiatives, Grants for home energy and the development of links into social services.

The Chair further apprised Members of the proposed Committee Structure that had been developed as a result of the Council’s Governance Review, and how a new committee was being established to with specific terms of reference in relation to housing.

Resolved – That the report be noted.