Issue - meetings

RECOMMENDED:

Councillor Learney (Cabinet Member for Housing and Asset Management), moved that the recommended minute be approved and adopted (seconded by Councillor Porter, Cabinet Member for Built Environment and Wellbeing).

Council proceeded to ask questions and debate the matters in the recommended minute and the report.

RESOLVED:

That the recommended minute of Cabinet held 11 February 2021 (as follows) be approved and adopted:

That Council:

1.            Approve the 2021/22 Housing Revenue Account budget as detailed in Appendices 1 and 2 to report CAB3290.

2.            Approve a rent increase in 2021/22 in accordance with the Government’s national rent standard (September CPI + 1%) resulting in an average rent increase of 1.5%.

3.            Approve the HRA capital programme as set out in appendices 3 and 4 of report CAB3290.

4.            Approve capital expenditure in 2021/22 of £11.027m for the Maintenance, Improvement and Renewal programme as detailed in Appendix 3 of the report, in accordance with Financial Procedure Rule 7.4

5.            Approve funding for the HRA Capital Programme, as detailed in Appendix 5 of report CAB3290.

6.            Approve the HRA Financial Plan operating account extract, including annual working balances, as detailed in Appendix 6 of report CAB3290. 

7.            Approve the creation of an Energy Officer post to facilitate the council’s carbon reduction agenda and embed it within the current and future housing stock at a cost of £53k.

8.            Agree to support the proposed increase in capital funding of £2.5m in retro fitting capital funding which will increase the funding available for climate change initiatives over the next 10 years to £15.675m (including inflation) .

9.            Agree to support the proposal for a £10m investment in the purchase of a potential site for new housing development, as well as £0.5m for nitrate mitigation offset measures.

10.         Agree to support the allocation of an additional £0.2m of investment as described at paragraph 17.2 of the report for sewage treatment works.

That an additional one off sum of £0.5m, funded from the existing HRA balance, be set aside to fund additional support for Council tenants and that officers bring forward formal proposals in July 2021, following discussions with TACT and tenants. 

That it be recommended that Council*:

1.     Approve the 2021/22 Housing Revenue Account budget as detailed in Appendices 1 and 2 to report CAB3290.

2.     Approve a rent increase in 2021/22 in accordance with the Government’s national rent standard (September CPI + 1%) resulting in an average rent increase of 1.5%.

3.     Approve the HRA capital programme as set out in appendices 3 and 4 of report CAB3290.

4.     Approve capital expenditure in 2021/22 of £11.027m for the Maintenance, Improvement and Renewal programme as detailed in Appendix 3 of the report, in accordance with Financial Procedure Rule 7.4

5.     Approve funding for the HRA Capital Programme, as detailed in Appendix 5 of report CAB3290.

6.     Approve the HRA Financial Plan operating account extract, including annual working balances, as detailed in Appendix 6 of report CAB3290. 

7.     Approve the creation of an Energy Officer post to facilitate the council’s carbon reduction agenda and embed it within the current and future housing stock at a cost of £53k.

8.     Agree to support the proposed increase in capital funding of £2.5m in retro fitting capital funding which will increase the funding available for climate change initiatives over the next 10 years to £15.675m (including inflation) .

9.     Agree to support the proposal for a £10m investment in the purchase of a potential site for new housing development, as well as £0.5m for nitrate mitigation offset measures.

10.  Agree to support the allocation of an additional £0.2m of investment as described at paragraph 17.2 of the report for sewage treatment works

11.  Approve the increase in budgetary provision of £0.064m to support the increase in costs of the current 1 year Orchard contract and enable officers to procure a longer term 3 year contract.

12.  That an additional one off sum of £0.5m, funded from the existing HRA balance, be set aside to fund additional support for Council tenants and that officers bring forward formal proposals in July 2021, following discussions with TACT and tenants 

*NB Recommendations to Council are not subject to call-in

The following recommendations were agreed by Cabinet (subject to call-in):

13.  Approve that, subject to the agreement of the contractor, the housing term maintenance contracts (Lot 1 - day to day responsive repairs and Lot 2 - repair and re-instatement of empty properties), currently awarded to Osborne Property Services Ltd, be extended for a further and final period of five years (from 1/8/2021 to 31/7/2026) in accordance with Exception to Contract Procedure Rules 41.1(e).

14.  Agree that, the current contract (with British Gas T/A PH Jones) for heating appliance servicing and responsive repairs not be extended beyond 30/9/2021 and that, for the new contract, delegated authority be given to the Strategic Director - Services following consultation with the Cabinet Member for Housing and Asset Management to:

a.    select a suitable competitive procurement option

b.    Select and subscribe to (if deemed appropriate and necessary) an existing external Framework agreement to procure these works.

c.    select and invite contractors to be invited  ...  view the full decision text for item 9

Councillor Learney introduced the report emphasising that the proposals prioritised tenants’ requirements whilst also furthering the Council’s carbon neutrality aims.  The proposals regarding the procurement of term maintenance contracts responded to feedback from tenants.  In addition, in recognition of the significant impact on tenants of the Covid pandemic, an additional £0.5m was proposed to increase tenant support.  Councillor Learney proposed an additional recommendation to enable this which was agreed as set out in recommendation 11 below.

At the invitation of the Leader, Monica Gill (TACT) and Councillor Horrill addressed Cabinet as summarised briefly below.

Monica Gill (TACT)

The Finance and Resource Manager – Housing had previously attended a TACT meeting and outlined the budget proposals as set out.  The proposals were generally welcomed, particularly the additional funding to support tenants and the £10m to purchase land to build new council homes.  TACT had suggested that the Council investigate the possibility of Bar End depot being allocated for the development of new homes.

Councillor Horrill

Welcomed a number of proposals in the report, including the additional commitment of £0.5 for tenant support and the funding for providing additional new council homes.  Believed that Councillors should have had the chance to scrutinise the housing development strategy prior to its consideration by Cabinet and in general, considered that the decision making processes regarding housing matters required improvement.  Queried why it was proposed to delete the Outreach worker post when they carried out important work.

Councillor Learney and other Cabinet Members responded to the comments made, including confirming that the timing of future housing reports would be considered further and emphasising the commitment to the new homes programme.

Cabinet agreed the following for the reasons set out above and outlined in the report.

RECOMMENDED (TO COUNCIL):

1.            Approve the 2021/22 Housing Revenue Account budget as detailed in Appendices 1 and 2 to report CAB3290.

2.            Approve a rent increase in 2021/22 in accordance with the Government’s national rent standard (September CPI + 1%) resulting in an average rent increase of 1.5%.

3.            Approve the HRA capital programme as set out in appendices 3 and 4 of report CAB3290.

4.            Approve capital expenditure in 2021/22 of £11.027m for the Maintenance, Improvement and Renewal programme as detailed in Appendix 3 of the report, in accordance with Financial Procedure Rule 7.4

5.            Approve funding for the HRA Capital Programme, as detailed in Appendix 5 of report CAB3290.

6.            Approve the HRA Financial Plan operating account extract, including annual working balances, as detailed in Appendix 6 of report CAB3290. 

7.            Approve the creation of an Energy Officer post to facilitate the council’s carbon reduction agenda and embed it within the current and future housing stock at a cost of £53k.

8.            Agree to support the proposed increase in capital funding of £2.5m in retro fitting capital funding which will increase the funding available for climate change initiatives over the next 10 years to £15.675m (including inflation) .

9.            Agree to support the proposal for a £10m investment in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9

Scrutiny Report Reference SC039

Cabinet Report Reference CAB3290

Scrutiny report reference SC039

Cabinet report reference CAB3290

The Cabinet member for Housing and Asset Management introduced the report which was being presented to Cabinet on the 11 February 2021. The report (SC039) invited the committee to comment on the proposals within the cabinet report, ref CAB3290. CAB3290 requested approval for the proposed HRA revenue budget for 2021/22 and approval for the capital programme budget proposal for 2021/22 and 10-year plan to 2030/31. Finally, the report included details of the HRA term maintenance contracts and would be seeking Cabinet approval for the proposed procurement actions requested.

Representatives of Tenants and Council Together (TACT) had been invited to comment upon the report but due to technical difficulties, had been unable to join the meeting.

The committee asked questions and raised comments which were responded to by officers and the Cabinet member for Housing and Asset Management accordingly, these comments were noted by the cabinet members present at the meeting.

RESOLVED:

The committee agreed that there were no particular matters that it wished to raise for Cabinet to consider further.