This meeting of the Housing and Environment Scrutiny Committee included discussions about the adoption of a new policy for community asset transfers, an update on the performance of the council's civil parking enforcement team, and a proposal about the level of increase to council house rents.

Housing Revenue Account Charges – 2025/2026

Councillors were asked to consider a report by the Interim Chief Executive on the proposed increase to council house rents and garage rents in the 2025/2026 financial year. The report proposed increasing rents in line with the Welsh Government rent policy, which allows for an increase of CPI plus 1%, where CPI is the Consumer Price Index for the previous September.

The report notes that the CPI for September 2024 was 1.7%, meaning that the maximum permitted increase is 2.7%. The report notes that this increase would raise the average weekly rent for a council house by £2.87.

The report considers the affordability of the proposed increase for tenants, noting that 77% of the council's tenants receive financial assistance in the form of Housing Benefit or Universal Credit. It argues that Housing Benefit/Universal Credit will cover the increased costs for these tenants.

The report also considers the impact of a rent freeze on the council's Housing Revenue Account (HRA). It notes that a rent freeze would result in the HRA losing £1.6m in income. It argues that it is important for the HRA to be adequately funded in order to be able to meet the Welsh Government's housing targets and to maintain and improve the quality of its housing stock.

The report makes reference to feedback received from tenants on the affordability of council housing rents in the borough. This includes the results of the STAR survey, the Your rent, your view survey, and tenant focus groups.

The report notes that the council's rent is currently the 3rd lowest of all of the local authorities in Wales, and that even after the proposed increase it would be likely to remain in the lowest quartile.

Finally, the report proposes that garage rents also increase by 2.7%, bringing the cost of renting a garage up to £9.69 a week.

Community Asset Transfer Policy Refreshed Approach

A report by the Corporate Director of Economy and Environment asked the committee to comment on proposals to refresh the council's approach to community asset transfers.

The report argues that the council cannot afford to deliver everything which it currently does . It notes that the council adopted its existing policy for community asset transfers in 2019. This policy was designed to be reactive to proposals by community groups.

The report proposes replacing this reactive approach with a more proactive approach. This would include:

• Identifying assets which could be transferred to community groups.
• Working with community groups to develop proposals for these assets.
• Providing financial support to groups to make these transfers happen.

The report includes a flowchart showing the proposed process for community asset transfers and a proposed timeline for progressing applications. It proposes that groups who are already tenants or users of an asset, who are well established, or who have a strong track record be fast-tracked through the process.

The report proposes that the council recruit a dedicated Community Asset Transfer Officer to support this new approach.

The report also describes several pilot schemes that are currently underway to test the proposed new approach. These include:

• Hafod Deg, Rhymney: The report states that the building is currently being managed by Caerphilly Cares. It proposes transferring it to the council's Property Services, after which it could be transferred to a community group. An application has already been received for the site, and the report proposes treating it as a priority.
• Tredegar Park Toilets, Risca: The report notes that these toilets are surplus to requirements. A community group has applied to take them over and the report recommends supporting this application.
• Land at Dan Y Graig, Risca: Five applications have been received for this surplus piece of land. The report proposes holding a workshop for the groups to see whether their proposals could be combined.
• Former Meals on Wheels (MOW) building, Rhymney: A local gym, which has recently been established as a Community Interest Company, has applied to take over this building.

Civil Parking Enforcement Update And Impact Of Reduced Tariffs In Pay And Display Car Parks

A report by the Corporate Director of Economy and Environment provided an update on the performance of the council's civil parking enforcement (CPE) team. The report notes that the CPE service was launched in April 2019.

The report notes that the service has been broadly successful. During the 2023/2024 financial year the service received 764 requests for enforcement, issued 10,858 penalty charge notices (PCNs) and generated £332,558 in income, enabling it to cover its operating costs.

The report also provides a breakdown of the numbers of PCNs issued for different contraventions in different locations throughout the borough. It notes that the popularity of fast-food delivery apps has fuelled non-compliance at a number of locations .

The report also discusses the impact of the council's decision to reduce the cost of parking for up to an hour in its pay and display car parks. This decision was made in January 2023.

The report notes that since the decision was made the number of tickets sold for parking for up to an hour has decreased by 30%. The total number of tickets sold has decreased by 20%. This has resulted in a reduction in the council's income from parking charges.

The report speculates that this reduction in income may be due to changes in parking patterns as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.