Purpose

The
Cabinet will be asked to consider the Housing Revenue Account (HRA)
budget and rent levels for Council properties for 2025/26 and also to approve the rolling
30-year HRA Business Plan setting out how the Council intends to
fund its stock investment, estate regeneration and new build
plans.

Content

Cabinet resolved to:
 
(i)  Agree that rents for
all general needs secure, affordable and sheltered housing
accommodation be increased by 2.7%, in line with the
Government’s rent policy of CPI +1% (with CPI for September
2024 of 1.7% being used as the base), meaning an increase to the
average rent for general needs from £117.31 per week to
£120.48 per week;
 
(ii)  Agree the following
service charges for tenants, taking effect from 1 April 2025:
 

Services

Weekly Charges
2025/26

Increase /
(Reduction)

Basis of
Increase

Grounds Maintenance

£3.25

£0.09

CPI+1%

Caretaking

£8.40

£0.37

Cost Recovery

Cleaning

£4.04

£0.18

Cost Recovery

Estate Lighting

£4.34

nil

Cost Recovery

Concierge

£12.25

£0.32

CPI+1%

CCTV (SAMS)

£7.51

£0.20

CPI+1%

Safer Neighbourhood Charge

£0.64

£0.04

Cost Recovery

TV Aerials

£0.69

£0.02

CPI+1%

 
(iii)  Agree that charges for
heating and hot water be reduced by 15% in line with decreases in
the estimated charges for 2025/26 provided by suppliers as
follows:
 

Property size

Weekly Charge 2024/25

Weekly Charge 2025/26

Bedsit

£27.89

£23.71

1 bedroom

£29.82

£25.35

2 bedroom

£36.11

£30.69

3 bedroom

£36.78

£31.26

4 bedroom

£37.74

£32.08

 
(iv)  Agree the HRA Income and
Expenditure budget for 2025/26 and note the 2024/25 budget
forecast, as detailed in section 3 of this report;
 
(v)  Agree a £29.521m
capital programme for the HRA in 2025/26 and note the indicative
four-year HRA capital programme detailed in section 4 of the
report;
 
(vi)  Note the draft HRA 30-year
business plan, as detailed in section 2 of the report, and the
indicative 30-year financial forecasts as set out in Appendices A
and B to the report; and
 
(vii)  Approve an additional
£0.253m HRA capital funding in 2024/25 for the Mellish Close
scheme, as detailed in paragraph 4.18 of the report.