Decision details

To consider the Housing Revenue Account budget for 2019/20 along with the level of rents and various service charges across housing services.

RESOLVED –

THAT, having considered the views of the District Management Committees (Appendix G) and the Housing Scrutiny Committee, the following be agreed and that, subject to the agreement of the Chair of Housing Scrutiny Committee, the following decisions be exempted from call in to facilitate the notice of rent change being given to tenants:

(i)           The Housing Revenue Account budget for 2019/20 (Appendix A of the report) be approved;

(ii)          The implementation of the Government mandated reduction of council rents by 1% from April 2019 (paragraph 2.1 of the report) be confirmed;

(iii)         The updated Medium Term Financial Strategy (paragraph 2.3 of the report) be agreed and the revised MTFS savings target detailed in paragraph 2.4 and Appendix B of the report be noted;

(iv)         The revised tenant service charges for Caretaking, Communal Lighting, Mobile Security and Communal Mechanical and Electrical Maintenance (paragraph 3.1 of the report) be agreed;

(v)          A new service charge of £2.10/week for an enhanced CCTV service, to be levied from the April following the installation of a new CCTV service (paragraph 3.4 of the report), be agreed;

(vi)         That the Heating Pool scales remain unchanged and the surplus generated on bulk gas sites be refunded to tenants (paragraph 3.6 and Appendix E of the report);

(vii)       The revised service charges in the Housing Revenue Account hostels and supported housing (paragraph 3.7 and Appendix C of the report) be agreed;

(viii)      The revised Leaseholder Administration Charges (paragraph 3.8 and Appendix D of the report) be agreed.