Agenda item

Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Business Plan, HRA Budget and Rent Increase 2016/17

Report of the Interim Executive Director, Resources.

Minutes:

 

It was moved by Councillor Jayne Dunn, seconded by Councillor Julie Dore, that the following recommendations of the Cabinet made at its meeting on 13th January 2016 in relation to a joint report of the Executive Directors, Communities and Place and Interim Executive Director, Resources and concerning the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Business Plan, HRA Budget and Rent increase 2016/17 be approved:-

 

 

 

“RESOLVED: That Cabinet recommends to the meeting of the City Council on 3rd February, 2016 that :-

 

 

 

 

 

(a)

the HRA Business Plan report for 2016/17 as set out in Appendix A of the report is approved;

 

 

 

 

 

 

(b)

the HRA Revenue Budget for 2016/17 as set out in Appendix B of the report is approved;

 

 

 

 

 

 

(c)

rents for Council dwellings, including Temporary Accommodation, are reduced by 1% from April 2016 in line with the requirements of the anticipated Welfare Reform and Work Act 2016;

 

 

 

 

 

 

(d)

rents for garages and garage sites remain frozen at 2015/16 levels and not increased from April 2016;

 

 

 

 

 

 

(e)

community heating charges are not increased from April 2016;

 

 

 

 

 

 

(f)

authority be delegated to the Director of Housing and Neighbourhoods to amend the burglar alarm charge in 2016/17 in line with the costs incurred under the new contract, and that, until the contract is in place and the charges are known, the burglar alarm charge remains unchanged;

 

 

 

 

 

 

(g)

the Sheltered Housing service  charge which was amended in November 2015 is not increased from April 2016;

 

 

 

 

 

 

(h)

charges for furnished accommodation are not increased from April 2016;

 

 

 

 

 

 

(i)

authority be delegated to the Director of Housing and Neighbourhoods and Director of Finance, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Housing, to authorise prudential borrowing as allowed under current Government guidelines; and

 

 

 

 

 

 

(j)

authority be delegated to the Director of Housing and Neighbourhoods and Director of Finance, in consultation with the Director of Legal and Governance and the Cabinet Member for Housing, to amend rent levels for 2016/17 in the event that the statutory requirements at the relevant time are different to those anticipated.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Whereupon, it was moved by Councillor Steve Ayris, seconded by Councillor Penny Baker as an amendment that the recommendations made by the Cabinet at its meeting held on 13th January, 2016, concerning the Housing Revenue Account Business Plan, HRA Budget and Rent Increase 2016/17, be approved with the addition of a new paragraph (k) as follows:-

 

 

 

 

 

(k)        calls on the Director of Housing and Neighbourhoods and Director of Finance to report back to Council with details of any variations made to rent and any other charges contained within this report.

 

 

 

 

 

On being put to the vote, the amendment was negatived.

 

 

 

 

The original Motion was then put to the vote and carried, as follows:-

 

 

 

 

 

RESOLVED: That, as recommended by the Cabinet at its meeting held on 13th January, 2016:-

 

 

 

 

 

(a)

the HRA Business Plan report for 2016/17 as set out in Appendix A to the report now submitted be approved;

 

 

 

 

 

 

(b)

the HRA Revenue Budget for 2016/17 as set out in Appendix B of the report be approved;

 

 

 

 

 

 

(c)

rents for Council dwellings, including Temporary Accommodation, be reduced by 1% from April 2016 in line with the requirements of the anticipated Welfare Reform and Work Act 2016;

 

 

 

 

 

 

(d)

rents for garages and garage sites remain frozen at 2015/16 levels and be not increased from April 2016;

 

 

 

 

 

 

(e)

community heating charges be not increased from April 2016;

 

 

 

 

 

 

(f)

authority be delegated to the Director of Housing and Neighbourhoods to amend the burglar alarm charge in 2016/17 in line with the costs incurred under the new contract, and that, until the contract is in place and the charges are known, the burglar alarm charge remains unchanged;

 

 

 

 

 

 

(g)

the Sheltered Housing service charge which was amended in November 2015 be not increased from April 2016;

 

 

 

 

 

 

(h)

charges for furnished accommodation be not increased from April 2016;

 

 

 

 

 

 

(i)

authority be delegated to the Director of Housing and Neighbourhoods and Director of Finance, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Housing, to authorise prudential borrowing as allowed under current Government guidelines; and

 

 

 

 

 

 

(j)

authority be delegated to the Director of Housing and Neighbourhoods and Director of Finance, in consultation with the Director of Legal and Governance and the Cabinet Member for Housing, to amend rent levels for 2016/17 in the event that the statutory requirements at the relevant time are different to those anticipated.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Supporting documents: