Purpose

To seek approval for the proposed 2025/26
Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Budget, 30-year plan and 5-year
capital plan. This report will subsequently be submitted to Full
Council as part of the budget process.

Content

The Committee RESOLVED (6 members voting in
favour and 3 against):
 
To recommend the following proposal to Full
Council:
 
1. Agrees and recommends a rent and service
charge increase of 2.7% effective from April 2024 to Full Council,
applicable to HRA dwellings (general needs accommodation, supported
housing and temporary accommodation).
 
2. Agrees and recommends the introduction of a
new service charge for Grounds Maintenance, and to approve the
implementation of a service charges Management Fee of 15% levied
against applicable service charges.
 
3. Agrees and recommends the one-year revenue
budget of £154m for 2025/26 set out in Appendix A1 to Full
Council.
 
4. Authorises the Executive Director of Growth
and Regeneration (to be replaced by the Executive Director of
Housing in due course), in consultation with the Chair of the Homes
and Housing Delivery Committee, to increase service charges by 2.7%
with the exception of Heating and Water service charges which are
to be increased by 10%, and garage rents by 10% and to approve the
recalculated service charges and service charge statement based on
actual costs for issue in September 2025.
 
5. Notes the key assumptions in the 30-year
business plan and that the finance model is established within the
agreed affordability principles summarised in Appendix A1,
Paragraph 54.
 
6. Agrees and recommends the five-year capital
programme 2025/26–2029/30 as detailed in Appendix A1 to Full
Council.
 
7. Agrees and recommends the termination of
the current contracts for the HRA to acquire homes from Goram at
Dover Court and New Fosseway.
 
8. Approves the HIP and Development Programme
set out in A2 and A3, subject to the following recommendations Nos
9 to 13:
 
9. Authorises the Executive Director of Growth
and Regeneration (to be replaced by the Executive Director of
Housing in due course) in consultation with Chair of the Homes and
Housing Delivery Committee and s151 Officer to submit appropriate
funding applications (including Homes England grants for
development and any over the key decision threshold) to support the
HRA budget and in particular the delivery of the HIP and
Development Programme and if successful to:
a. accept funding
and agree associated grant terms/conditions; and
b. utilise the
funding for delivery of the projects set out in appendices HIP and
Development Programme; and
c. where appropriate use HRA investment plan
funds and or reserves to match fund projects to maximise funding
opportunities.
 
10. Authorises the Executive Director of
Growth and Regeneration (to be replaced by the Executive Director
of Housing in due course) in consultation with Chair of the Homes
and Housing Delivery Committee:
a. To approve the priority of the procurement
projects set out in the HIP and take all steps required to select
the appropriate procurement route and to procure and award the
contracts in line with the Council’s procurement rules and
regulations. Such authority to include decisions on matters which
exceed the key decision threshold.
b. To adjust, remove and/or defer from within
the current year’s programme (including those set out in
Appendix A2 and Appendix I), any project(s) in
order to fund the increased cost of any other project and/or
to accommodate other changes in the programme subject to keeping
within the approved overall budget.
 
11. Authorises the Executive Director of
Growth and Regeneration (to be replaced by the Executive Director
of Housing in due course) in consultation with Chair of the Homes
and Housing Delivery Committee to:
a. approve the
priority of the Development Programme projects set out in Appendix
A3 and take all steps required to procure and award contracts
(including goods, works and professional services).
b. during 2025/26 to deliver the Development
Programme capital investment plans detailed in Appendix A3
(notwithstanding any individual project or contract may exceed the
key decision threshold)
c. agree the
allocation of financial expenditure on schemes within the
Development Programme and to authorise changes to adjust, remove
and/or defer schemes as required to deliver the general development
proposals. (Such authority to include decisions on matters which
exceed the key decision threshold).
d. to determine the appropriate nature/mix of
tenure appropriate for each scheme.
e. to identify and allocate suitable sites and
properties for the Development Programme, including both Council
property and acquiring additional land or properties.
 
12. Authorises the reallocation and
rearrangement of the above delegations from the Executive Director
for Growth and Regeneration to the Executive Director of Housing on
appointment, as required.
 
13. Authorises the Executive Director of
Growth and Regeneration (to be replaced by the Executive Director
of Housing in due course) in consultation with Chair of the Homes
and Housing Delivery Committee (subject to approval by Full
Council) to take all steps required to terminate the current
contract for the HRA to acquire homes from Goram at Dover Court and
New Fosseway.