The Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council Executive met on 24 September 2025, and approved a new Heritage Strategy, a revised Housing Rent Collection Policy (subject to tenant consultation), a Homelessness Prevention Policy, and a plan to identify 12 bed spaces for Afghan resettlement. The Executive also endorsed the Warm Welcome project and approved an urgent procurement exemption request.

Homelessness Prevention Policy

The Executive approved the implementation of a Homelessness Prevention Policy within the Housing Options Team. The policy aims to provide clear strategies to prevent homelessness and assist individuals in moving out of temporary accommodation.

The policy includes measures such as:

• Mediation
• Rent top-ups
• Financial assistance for deposits and rent in advance
• Discretionary housing payments
• Partnership working with external agencies

It also outlines the council's approach to supporting specific groups, including rough sleepers, prison leavers, hospital discharges and victims of domestic abuse. The draft prevention policy supports the council's wider aims of reducing homelessness, improving housing stability and promoting early intervention. A prevention policy infographic was also produced.

Council Housing Service Rent Policy

The Executive reviewed the revised draft Council Housing Service Rent Policy and agreed to a period of tenant consultation. The key policy areas include rent setting, service charges, rent collection and arrears management, former tenant arrears recovery, monitoring and reporting, and tenant engagement.

Following the consultation, authority was delegated to the Interim Director of Community Services and the Executive Member for Housing & Community Safety to make any amendments to the policy and agree on an implementation date.

The Council Housing Service rent policy 2025 outlines that rent increases are limited to the Consumer Price Index¹ (CPI) + 1%, as per government policy. The council primarily offers social rents, with affordable rents only considered for new housing on a site-by-site basis. Affordable rents will generally be capped at Local Housing Allowance² (LHA) rates to maintain affordability. Rent flexibility allows the council to increase rents by up to 5% above formula rent (10% for supported housing) in specific circumstances. Currently it is proposed that this will be limited to accommodation used as temporary accommodation only, including the hostels and dispersed housing stock, where a property is let at EPC³ band B or above, has significant adaptation or is less than 3 years old and not subject to affordable rent levels.

A report on the outcomes of a tenant rent workshop held on 18 June 2025 was also provided.

Heritage Strategy Update

The Executive endorsed the Heritage Strategy 2025-2029 and accompanying background and action plan to guide conservation and heritage activities in the borough over the next five years.

The Heritage Strategy 2025-2029 sets out a clear strategy for Hinckley and Bosworth to guide conservation and heritage activities in the borough from 2025 to 2029. The borough has a unique and distinctive heritage which should be preserved and enhanced for present and future generations. This strategy advocates a joined up approach between the council, its partners and key stakeholders to the management of the borough's heritage.

The historic environment is a valuable asset which contributes to broader strategic objectives including economic development, urban and rural regeneration, culture and tourism, leisure and recreation, good design and town planning, development of skills and education, addressing climate change and achieving sustainable development. This strategy aims to help define, reinforce and bring these diverse aspects together and to complement existing council strategies including the:

• Corporate Plan
• Climate Change and Biodiversity Strategy
• Culture Strategy
• Economic Regeneration Strategy
• Hinckley Town Centre Strategic Vision
• Tourism Strategy

Afghan Resettlement Scheme

The Executive supported working towards the identification of 12 bed spaces within the private rental sector for Afghan resettlement. In March 2025, the Home Office requested support from local authorities to assist the Ministry of Defence (MOD) in stepping up transitional hotel accommodation for newly arriving Afghan nationals. The East Midlands Strategic Migration Partnership (SNP) was tasked with developing a regional model to accommodate approximately 390 individuals per year, moving out of the transitional hotel, which is to be provided within an undisclosed East Midlands local authority area. This regional requirement equates to 12 bed spaces within Hinckley and Bosworth.

Given the ongoing pressures on the council's social housing stock it is proposed that the council meets its requirement of bed spaces in the private rented sector rather than drawing on its own limited social housing provision. It is proposed that support for any Afghan households accommodated would be provided by Charnwood Borough council under the existing arrangement for resettlement support. This would be funded from the funding received per household.

Warm Welcome Report 2024-25

The Executive acknowledged and endorsed the Warm Welcome Report 2024-25, which detailed work undertaken in response to the cost-of-living crisis through the Warm Welcome project. The Warm Welcome project is funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund⁴ (UKSPF) which funds a Warm Spaces Support Officer working within the Community Services and Safeguarding team, alongside an operational budget to provide Warm Welcome grants.

Councillor MT Mullaney, Executive member, thanked officers for their work on this initiative, that had culminated in work undertaken right across the Borough.

The Executive also noted the project's commendation in the Association of Safety and Compliance Professionals (ASCP) Safety & Compliance Awards.

Other Matters

• Apologies were received from Councillor MC Bools, Deputy Leader of the Council.
• The minutes of the meeting held on 18 June 2025 were approved as a correct record.
• No declarations of interest were declared.
• An urgent procurement exemption request for works to the new depot (Unit E) was approved.