Issue - meetings

To consider and approve the final proposals for the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) budget and rent setting for 2024/25.

The Council considered a report seeking approval to the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Budget and Rent Setting for 2024/25.

In moving the motion, the Executive Member for Housing & Housing Development (Councillor Jeannette Thomas) advised that the HRA budget had been set in line with the assumptions used in the revised 30-year Business Plan that was approved by the Executive in November 2023.  The aim of the budget was to balance the needs of the existing housing stock, while allowing investment in new replacement homes for those lost under the Right to Buy system.  The budget included funding for £37Million on revenue and capital works to existing homes and £29Million of investment in new housing stock for residents.  These investments were part of the Council’s ten-year plan to improve the maintenance of its homes and ensure that tenants had good quality, safe and sustainable homes to live-in, particularly in response to the climate crisis.

The Executive Member for Housing & Housing Development stated a key priority would be to maintain full compliance with all statutory and regulatory requirements to ensure that tenants’ homes remained safe.  The Council would further progress its low to medium rise flat block refurbishment programmes and would undertake further building safety and refurbishment works to the Council’s five high rise flat blocks.  Over the next three years of the Council’s decent homes programme, 995 new kitchens or bathrooms would be installed, there would be 1,875 heating upgrades, 1,500 window or door upgrades and 1,400 properties would receive works to improve their energy efficiency with the aim for all properties to be at an energy performance rating of C by 2030.

The Executive Member for Housing & Housing Development commented that in the next 5 years the budget would contribute towards the delivery of 447 new homes in line with the Council’s 5 Star promise. This was on top of the over 500 homes that the Council had delivered to date.

The Executive Member for Housing & Housing Development explained that the revenue growth included within the 2024/25 budget totalling £2.4Million would enable the Council to meet additional costs relating to void properties and support the work in clearing the current backlog of fencing repairs and replacements.  Work would continue to implement improvements to the Council’s Repairs and Voids service, to ensure it offered choices to tenants and delivered cost-effective repairs and improvements. Further proposals in this regard would be presented to the Executive in due course.

The Portfolio Holder for Housing & Housing Development advised that additional resources had also been allocated in response to new and ongoing operational challenges, including higher levels of arrears, and the introduction of new and revised social housing standards and regulations.  This would be alongside growth of £419,000 that would enable transformation projects, which would deliver service improvements and help offset pay awards and IT related pressures.  As part of the Council’s climate change commitment, the vehicle fleet would be switching (where possible) to Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil fuel from October 2024.

The Portfolio Holder for  ...  view the full decision text for item 12

The Council considered a report seeking approval to the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Budget and Rent Setting for 2024/25.

In moving the motion, the Executive Member for Housing & Housing Development (Councillor Jeannette Thomas) advised that the HRA budget had been set in line with the assumptions used in the revised 30-year Business Plan that was approved by the Executive in November 2023.  The aim of the budget was to balance the needs of the existing housing stock, while allowing investment in new replacement homes for those lost under the Right to Buy system.  The budget included funding for £37Million on revenue and capital works to existing homes and £29Million of investment in new housing stock for residents.  These investments were part of the Council’s ten-year plan to improve the maintenance of its homes and ensure that tenants had good quality, safe and sustainable homes to live-in, particularly in response to the climate crisis.

The Executive Member for Housing & Housing Development stated a key priority would be to maintain full compliance with all statutory and regulatory requirements to ensure that tenants’ homes remained safe.  The Council would further progress its low to medium rise flat block refurbishment programmes and would undertake further building safety and refurbishment works to the Council’s five high rise flat blocks.  Over the next three years of the Council’s decent homes programme, 995 new kitchens or bathrooms would be installed, there would be 1,875 heating upgrades, 1,500 window or door upgrades and 1,400 properties would receive works to improve their energy efficiency with the aim for all properties to be at an energy performance rating of C by 2030.

The Executive Member for Housing & Housing Development commented that in the next 5 years the budget would contribute towards the delivery of 447 new homes in line with the Council’s 5 Star promise. This was on top of the over 500 homes that the Council had delivered to date.

The Executive Member for Housing & Housing Development explained that the revenue growth included within the 2024/25 budget totalling £2.4Million would enable the Council to meet additional costs relating to void properties and support the work in clearing the current backlog of fencing repairs and replacements.  Work would continue to implement improvements to the Council’s Repairs and Voids service, to ensure it offered choices to tenants and delivered cost-effective repairs and improvements. Further proposals in this regard would be presented to the Executive in due course.

The Portfolio Holder for Housing & Housing Development advised that additional resources had also been allocated in response to new and ongoing operational challenges, including higher levels of arrears, and the introduction of new and revised social housing standards and regulations.  This would be alongside growth of £419,000 that would enable transformation projects, which would deliver service improvements and help offset pay awards and IT related pressures.  As part of the Council’s climate change commitment, the vehicle fleet would be switching (where possible) to Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil fuel from October 2024.

The Portfolio Holder for  ...  view the full minutes text for item 12