Agenda item

5.1

It was moved by Councillor Cate McDonald, and seconded by Councillor Paul Wood, that the following recommendations made by the Co-operative Executive at its meeting held on 19^th January 2022 in relation to the Housing Revenue Account Business Plan and Budget for 2022/23, be approved:-

“RESOLVED: That Co-operative Executive recommends to the meeting of the City Council on 2^nd February 2022 that:-

(a)    the HRA Business Plan report for 2022/23 be approved;

(b)    the HRA Revenue Budget 2022/23 as set out in the financial appendix to the report be approved;

(c)    rents for council dwellings are increased by 4.1% from April 2022 in line with the Regulator of Social Housing’s Rent Standard;

(d)    rents for temporary accommodation are increased by 4.1% for 2022/23;

(e)    garage rents for garage plots and garage sites are increased by 4.1% from April 2022;

(f)     the community heating kWh unit charge is increased from 3.04 pence to 5.69 pence from April 2022, and the standing charge is also increased from £4.80 to £4.90 per week from April 2022;

(g)    the sheltered housing charge is increased by 3.1% for 2022/23;

(h)    the burglar alarm charge is increased by 3.1% for 2022/23; and

(i)     the furnished accommodation charge is increased by 3.1% for 2022/23.”

5.2

Whereupon, it was moved by Councillor Mark Jones, seconded by Councillor Josie Paszek, as an amendment, that the recommendations made by the Co-operative Executive at its meeting held on 19th January, 2022, concerning the Housing Revenue Account Business Plan and Budget 2022/23, be approved with the addition of new paragraphs (j) to (m) as follows:-

(j)       welcomes the 5 year investment programme commitment to bringing all council homes up to EPC level C, but commits to develop, by Spring 2022, a ‘road map’ to show how we not only can get our homes to EPC C, as quickly as possible, but for a deliverable vision and timetable by which we can get to net zero for the Council’s housing stock;

(k)      believes that this road map needs to encompass a forward thinking approach, open to new ideas and technologies, in how to deliver this – looking at everything from retrofitting, heat pumps, insulated rooftops with solar panels – to name just a few examples;

(l)       believes that Energiesprong may have a part to play within this, but so too may other organisations, and that once a robust roadmap has been devised we can really engage with the market to ensure deliverability and to rise to the challenges successfully; and

(m)     believes that, ultimately, council tenants need to be consulted on any changes and that action can only be undertaken with their backing.

5.3

It was then moved by Councillor Douglas Johnson, seconded by Councillor Christine Gilligan, as an amendment, that the recommendations made by the Co-operative Executive at its meeting held on 19th January, 2022, concerning the Housing Revenue Account Business Plan and Budget 2022/23, be approved with the addition of a new paragraph (j) as follows:-

(j)       requests that the Director of Housing investigate the Energiesprong model as an approach to address the retrofit of our housing stock, ascertain if similar models exist and report back within the next 6 months to the Co-operative Executive (or an appropriate Committee under the committee system).

5.4

After contributions from five other Members, and following a right of reply from Councillor Cate McDonald, the amendment moved by Councillor Mark Jones was put to the vote and was carried.

5.5

The amendment moved by Councillor Douglas Johnson was then put to the vote and was also carried.

5.6

The original Motion, as amended, was then put as a Substantive Motion in the following form and carried:-

RESOLVED: That:-

(a)      the HRA Business Plan report for 2022/23 is approved;

(b)      the HRA Revenue Budget 2022/23, as set out in the financial appendix to the report, is approved;

(c)      rents for council dwellings are increased by 4.1% from April 2022 in line with the Regulator of Social Housing’s Rent Standard;

(d)      rents for temporary accommodation are increased by 4.1% for 2022/23;

(e)      garage rents for garage plots and garage sites are increased by 4.1% from April 2022;

(f)       the community heating kWh unit charge is increased from 3.04 pence to 5.69 pence from April 2022, and the standing charge is also increased from £4.80 to £4.90 per week from April 2022;

(g)      the sheltered housing charge is increased by 3.1% for 2022/23;

(h)      the burglar alarm charge is increased by 3.1% for 2022/23;

(i)       the furnished accommodation charge is increased by 3.1% for 2022/23;

(j)       this Council welcomes the 5 year investment programme commitment to bringing all council homes up to EPC level C, but commits to develop, by Spring 2022, a ‘road map’ to show how we not only can get our homes to EPC C, as quickly as possible, but for a deliverable vision and timetable by which we can get to net zerofor the Council’s housing stock;

(k)      this Council believes that this road map needs to encompass a forward thinking approach, open to new ideas and technologies, in how to deliver this – looking at everything from retrofitting, heat pumps, insulated rooftops with solar panels – to name just a few examples;

(l)       this Council believes that Energiesprong may have a part to play within this, but so too may other organisations, and that once a robust roadmap has been devised we can really engage with the market to ensure deliverability and to rise to the challenges successfully;

(m)     this Council believes that, ultimately, council tenants need to be consulted on any changes and that action can only be undertaken with their backing; and

(n)      this Council requests that the Director of Housing investigate the Energiesprong model as an approach to address the retrofit of our housing stock, ascertain if similar models exist and report back within the next 6 months to the Co-operative Executive (or an appropriate Committee under the committee system).