Agenda item

Report of the Director of Finance

 

This report summarises the financial position of the Housing Revenue Account and the draft recommendations on rent and service charges to be made to the Cabinet in January 2025.

 

The report also seeks the views of the DMCs on the draft recommendations

 

The DMCs will retire to the following rooms to discuss the budget proposals separately:

 

Gospel Oak            - Council Chamber

Hampstead             - Committee Room 1

Camden Town        - Committee Room 2

Kentish Town          - Committee Room 5

Holborn                   - Committee Room 4

 

At 8.15pm the DMCs will be recalled to report the outcomes from their respective meetings if they wish.

Consideration was given to the report of the Director of Finance and officers took the meeting through the report, as part of a briefing for all DMC representatives.

 

Meeting separately, the DMC first discussed the presentation and raised the following points: 

 

• Was there an update installation of fire doors on the Whittington Estate?
• Fire Safety Audits for estates were available on the Camden Council website, a link would be provided to DMC Members.
• Was the installation of walk-in showers as part of the lifetime homes project being explored?
• What work was being undertaken to address the ongoing issues with damp and mould in homes?
• Some properties had mould remedial works only for the issue to return and meaning further remedial work was required. Mould was treated several times in some residents homes, and the problem always returned.  
• How will the increase in Vehicle Excise Duty for vans and other vehicles affect the repairs budget?
• How will the introduction of the Congestion Charge for electric cars and vans affect the HRA and will contractors be able to pass on these increases via their contracts with Camden?
• How were leaseholder charges worked out?

 

DMC Members requested that a report on the Asset Management Strategy be provided to a future meeting of the DMC.

 ACTION: Head of Property Asset Management

 

DMC Members sought further information on the Quality Homes Proposal and requested that an information report be provided to the DMC. The meeting expressed concern that releasing homes would make the waiting list for housing longer.

 

ACTION: Cabinet Member for Better Homes

 

Kentish Town DMC members then considered the budget proposals for the Housing Revenue Account (HRA).

 

Consideration was given to the proposed rent increase.

 

Some DMC Members considered that the increase was more acceptable compared to last year, however concern was expressed that Housing Benefit freeze had continued, leaving claimants unable to cover rising rent costs.

 

Furthermore, some DMC Members agreed that residents were not seeing an improved service with each rent increase, particularly noting problems with the standard of work carried out by the repairs service. Maintenance work was not carried out and repairs often patched up problems, rather than fixed underlying causes.

 

Therefore, following a vote, it was

 

RESOLVED –

 

THAT the Kentish Town District Management Committee recommend that rent is not increased.

 

 

 

DMC Members commented that they were satisfied with the work carried out by Caretakers on their estate.

 

Therefore, following a vote, it was

 

RESOLVED –

 

THAT the Kentish Town District Management Committee recommend that the caretaking service charge be increased by 5%.

 

 

 

Following a vote, it was

 

RESOLVED –

 

THAT the Kentish Town District Management Committee recommend that the CCTV service charge be increased by 7%.

 

 

 

The DMC had requested at the rent setting meeting in 2024, that communal lighting be put on sensors to make cost savings and improve sustainability. However, further information on this request had not been forthcoming, which was disappointing to DMC Members.

 

Some DMC Members commented having communal lighting switched on across estates was an important security feature.

 

Therefore, the DMC requested that an information report on sensor lighting be provided, having consideration of the needs of different estates.

 

Following a vote, it was

 

RESOLVED –

 

THAT the Kentish Town District Management Committee recommend that there is no change to the Communal Lighting service charge.

 

 

 

RESOLVED –

 

THAT the Kentish Town District Management Committee recommend that the Communal M&E Maintenance service charge be increased by 5%.

 

 

DMC Representatives were dissatisfied with the contractors who undertook this service and requested that Camden Council stop using contractors and resume providing this service directly.  

 

Officers reported that there had been a one year extension to the contract with the current provider so that preparations can be made to bring part of the service in house, with part being provided by a contractor. Looking forward, bringing the whole service in house would be explored.

 

Following a vote, it was

 

RESOLVED –

 

THAT the Kentish Town District Management Committee recommend that the grounds maintenance service charge is not increased.

 

 

DMC Reps noted that the security patrol were limited in the action they could provide when incidents were taking place on estates, and patrol officers were not able to leave their vehicles.

Therefore, on being put to the vote, it was

 

RESOLVED –

 

THAT the Kentish Town DMC recommend that the responsive housing patrol service charge not be increased. 

 

 

 

DMC Members reported that issues with heating systems on Holly Lodge and Whittington Estate had continued and a solution was yet to be confirmed.

 

DMC representatives from Maiden Lane TRA reported that they had experienced very high heating charges in the last year, much higher than those on individual meters.

 

Officers clarified that the service charge for the Heating Pool only applied to those residents who had a communal heating system and the charge covered fuel costs. Maintenance for heating systems would come from rent charges, as this was a landlord responsibility.

 

Responding to a question about the installation of individual boilers, officers advised that communal heating systems were the most effective way to decarbonise, therefore it was likely these systems would not be replaced with individual boilers.

 

RESOLVED –

 

THAT the Kentish Town DMC recommend that the heating pool scale charges be reduced by 35%.