Agenda item

The Council considered the joint report of the Deputy Chief Executive, Director –Resources and Section 151 Officer and Director – Housing, Health & Wellbeing which set out the proposed income and expenditure on the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) budget for both revenue and capital for the 2025/26 financial year, provided indicative amounts of income and expenditure for the 2026/27 to 2028/29 financial years; and sought approval for rent levels and service charges for 2025/26 (with effect from the first Monday in April 2025) as detailed in Appendices A, B, C and D to the report.

The Cabinet, at their meeting held on 21 January 2025, recommended approval of the HRA budget for 2025/26, with an increase of 2.7% on rents of all properties in the HRA, and service charges as detailed.

In accordance with Rule 3.4.3 (b), Councillor T Wendels proposed and Councillor J Kellas seconded an amendment that Council approve:

a)       the HRA budget for 2025/26, as set out in Appendix A to the report, subject to the addition of a £250,000 budget to create an Improving Places Fund. This would enable Members and tenant groups to bid for works to enhance our estates and complement the additional budget allocations to our repairs and maintenance service and the existing community chest fund. Members can feed in proposals identified through casework, estate walkabouts or other observations and this would feed into the existing estate improvement process for prioritisation and approval of bids. This will include tenant consultation on proposals which will ensure that money is being spent in areas that our tenants value.  Detailed criteria for the Fund will be produced and agreed following budget approval;

b)       an increase of 2.7% in the 2025/26 rents of all current HRA tenancies will be applied from 7 April 2025;

c)       the 2025/26 service charges, as set out in Appendix C to the report; and

d)       the Capital Budget set out in Appendix D to the report are committed expenditure in the Capital Programme for 2025/26 to 2028/29.

In accordance with Rule 4.7.3 the proposed amendment was accepted by Councillor L Brazier as the Portfolio Holder and proposer of the report recommendations.

AGREED     (unanimously) that:

a)       the HRA budget for 2025/26, as set out in Appendix A to the report, subject to the addition of a £250,000 budget to create an Improving Places Fund. This would enable Members and tenant groups to bid for works to enhance our estates and complement the additional budget allocations to our repairs and maintenance service and the existing community chest fund. Members can feed in proposals identified through casework, estate walkabouts or other observations and this would feed into the existing estate improvement process for prioritisation and approval of bids. This will include tenant consultation on proposals which will ensure that money is being spent in areas that our tenants value.  Detailed criteria for the Fund will be produced and agreed following budget approval;

b)      an increase of 2.7% in the 2025/26 rents of all current HRA tenancies will be applied from 7 April 2025;

c)       the 2025/26 service charges, as set out in Appendix C to the report; and

d)      the Capital Budget set out in Appendix D to the report are committed expenditure in the Capital Programme for 2025/26 to 2028/29.