Purpose

To set out the proposal for charges to council
tenants and leaseholders and expenditure on council homes and
services.

Content

RECOMMENDED that Cabinet
recommends that Council agrees: -

(a)           
The revenue budget for 2025/26 is set using the following
principles:

(i)        
That dwelling rents are increased by 2.7 per cent (CPI for
September 2024 + 1 per cent) from 7 April 2025 in line with the
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government Policy
statement on rents for social housing published in February 2019
(Rent Policy Statement).

(ii)      
That garage, garage bases and parking plot rental charges are
increased by 5 percent from 7 April 2025 and an additional
£1.00 per week increase is made to garages in parts of Poole
so that charges begin to align.

(iii)     
That leasehold services are charged to leaseholders in line with
actual costs incurred.

(iv)     
That shared ownership dwelling rents are increased in line with
lease terms.

(v)      
That the changes to services charges are agreed as set out in
appendix 2.

(vi)     
That HRA reserves are set at £8.6 million.

(b)          
That the Income and Expenditure budget as set out in Appendix 3
is agreed;

(c)           
That capital budgets for 2025/26 are set using the following
principles;

(i)        
That the major project capital programme as set out in Appendix
4 is noted.

(ii)      
That the planned maintenance programme as set out in Appendix 5
is agreed.

(iii)     
That £0.5 million for the acquisition of individual
properties (Acquire and Repair) is agreed.
It is RESOLVED that
Cabinet agrees:

(d)          
That further details of the medium- and long-term budget
implications are presented to Cabinet during 2025/26 following the
re-modelling of the 30-year HRA Business Plan.
Voting: Unanimous
Portfolio Holder: Housing and Regulatory
Services
Reason
HRA rents and other
changes along with the HRA Capital Programme are subject to review
and require Cabinet and Council approval for rents and charges to
be levied.