Agenda item

The officer report (attached as item 3) on the Housing Revenue Account Final Budget Proposals 2021/2022 and Rent-Setting is to be considered by the Executive on 20 January 2021.  The Executive’s recommendations to Council will be circulated on a supplementary agenda.

The Council considered a report in respect of the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Final Budget proposals and rent setting for 2021/22.  The recommendations of the Executive, made at its meeting held on 20 January 2021, had been circulated to Members on a supplementary agenda.

The Executive’s recommendations contained in the supplementary agenda were moved and seconded.

During the debate, it was clarified that the recommendations referred solely to the HRA Budget, and not the General Fund Budget, which would be submitted for approval to the 24 February 2021 Council meeting.  It was agreed that the relevant recommendations would be amended to state this explicitly.  

It was therefore RESOLVED:

1.          That the HRA rent on dwellings be increased, week commencing 5 April 2021, by 1.5% which is an average increase of £1.46 for social rents, £2.38 for affordable rents and £1.80 for Low Start Shared Ownership homes per week (based on a 52 week year).  This has been calculated using the rent formula, CPI +1% in line with the Government’s rent policy as set out in Paragraph 4.1.1. of the report

2.          That the 2021/22 HRA budget, as set out in Appendix A to the report, be approved. 

3.          That the 2021/22 HRA Financial Security options, as set out in Appendix B to the report, be approved.

4.          That the 2021/22 HRA growth options, as set out in Appendix C to the report, be approved.

5.          That the 2021/22 HRA Fees and Charges, as set out in Appendix D to the report, be approved.

6.          That the 2021/22 HRA service charges be approved.

7.          That the minimum level of HRA reserves for 2021/22, as shown in Appendix E to the report, be approved.

8.          That the HRA contingency sum of £250,000 within which the Executive can approve supplementary estimates, be approved for 2021/22 (unchanged from 2020/21).

9.          That the comments from the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, as set out in the report, be noted.

At this juncture, and as announced by the Mayor at the beginning of the meeting, the Strategic Director (RP) provided a verbal update on the national and local positions in respect of the Covid-19 pandemic.  The Mayor asked Members to e-mail any questions they had on the update to the Strategic Director (RP), and noted that the next Coronavirus Emergency Committee meeting was due to take place at 10.00am on Tuesday, 2 February 2021.