Decision details

To provide the reasons for a request from Sanctuary Housing to cease acting as agent for collection of water rates from their stock transfer tenants on behalf of Yorkshire Water from April 2020.

To agree not to exercise the Council’s power to enforce upon Sanctuary Housing the covenant relating to water charge collection, provided that the right to enforce the covenant in future may be exercised in the future should the Council receive complaints from qualifying tenants.

The principal reason to recommend a decision not to enforce the covenant to require Sanctuary Housing to continue to collect water rates on behalf of Yorkshire Water is that the comprehensive consultation exercise carried out by Sanctuary Housing has evidenced very little opposition to the proposal, only eight households out of 2,432 contacted stating that they would prefer arrangements to remain as they are.

The water rates collected from Sanctuary Housing tenants is based on the rateable value of tenants’ homes which would not change.

As customers of Yorkshire Water, tenants would be able to access a range of budgeting and support schemes that they cannot access currently.

Given the outcome of the consultation evidencing very little opposition and the neutral impact on Sanctuary Housing tenants, the Council would want to act as a positive partner and not seek to enforce the covenant, a position which is without prejudice to enforcing the covenant in future if significant objection is received.

The alternative to permitting Sanctuary Housing to stop collecting water charges on behalf of Yorkshire Water is to enforce the covenant and require Sanctuary Housing to continue to collect water charges, as they do currently.