Purpose

To consider the Housing Revenue Account budget for 2024/25 including housing rents and service charges.

Decision

RESOLVED –

THAT, having considered the views of the District Management Committees (Appendix D), the Housing Scrutiny Committee and the results of the Equalities Impact Assessment (Appendix C), and having had due regard to the obligations set out in section 149 of the Equality Act 2010:

(i)           The Housing Revenue Account (HRA) budget for 2024/25 (Appendix A) be approved to ensure a balanced HRA budget for 2024/25;

(ii)          Social housing rents be increased by 7.7% (CPI + 1%) from April 2024 (paragraph 3.4).

(iii)         The revised tenant service charges for Caretaking, CCTV, Communal Lighting, Communal Mechanical and Electrical Maintenance, Grounds Maintenance and Responsive Housing Patrol (paragraph 3.15) be agreed.

(iv)         The revised service charges in the HRA hostels and supported housing of 7.7% increase (paragraph 3.17) be agreed.

(v)          The approach to the Heating Pool set out in paragraph 3.22 and Appendix B, including to keep scales at same level being paid in 23/24, be agreed.

(vi)         It be agreed to keep Temporary accommodation purchase programme 2 and 3 schemes (TAPP2 and TAPP3) rents at 23/24 levels so that they remain affordable to homeless households (paragraph 3.8).

(vii)       It be agreed to increase shared ownership rents by CPI + 1% (7.7%) (paragraph 3.9).

(viii)      It be agreed to set rents at Agar Grove at an affordable level for refugee housing and for temporary accommodation as set out in paragraph 3.12.

(ix)         It be agreed to increase resident garage rents from £14/week to £16/week from 2024/25 and to increase £2/week each year for the following 1 year in line with the Medium Term Financial Strategy savings strategy (paragraph 3.26).

(x)          In relation to the proposals (with associated budget reductions) set out in section 3.27 to 3.30:

·                     Authority be delegated to the relevant Director(s) to immediately implement proposals listed as Decision Category A.

·                     Proposals listed as Decision Category B be agreed in principle, and authority be delegated to the relevant Director(s), in consultation with the relevant Cabinet Member, to decide whether and how to implement the savings identified within each proposal, having had due regard to the Council’s general equality duties, any other applicable legal duties and the results of any consultation undertaken in respect of the proposal; undertake any necessary consultation; and make any necessary redundancies, including for any proposals involving more than 20 redundancies.

(xi)         The decisions (i) to (ix) above be exempted from call in, subject to the agreement of the Chair of Housing Scrutiny Committee, in order to facilitate the notice of rent change being given to tenants within the necessary timescales.