Purpose

The
Cabinet will be asked to consider the HRA estimates and rent levels
for Council properties for 2024/25, together with service and other related charges,
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

The
Cabinet will be asked to consider the HRA estimates and rent levels
for Council properties for 2024/25, together with service and other related charges,
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.

Cabinet resolved
to:
 
(i)  Agree
that rents for all general needs secure, affordable and sheltered
housing accommodation be increased by 7.7%, in line with the
Government’s current rent policy of CPI +1% (with CPI for
September 2023 of 6.7% being used as the base), meaning an increase
to the average rent for general needs from £108.72 per week
to £117.07 per week;
 
(ii)  Agree the
following service charges for tenants:
 

Services

Weekly Charges 2024/25

Increase / (Reduction)

Basis of Increase

Grounds Maintenance

£3.16

£0.23

CPI+1%

Caretaking

£8.03

£0.38

Cost
Recovery

Cleaning

£3.86

£0.18

Cost
Recovery

Estate Lighting

£4.34

nil

Cost
Recovery

Concierge

£11.93

£0.85

CPI+1%

CCTV (SAMS)

£7.31

£0.52

CPI+1%

Safer Neighbourhood
Charge

£0.60

£0.03

Cost
Recovery

TV Aerials

£0.67

£0.05

CPI+1%

 
(iii)  Agree that charges
for heating and hot water be reduced by 5.5% in line with decreases
in the estimated charges for 2024/25 provided by suppliers as
follows:
 

Property size

Weekly Charges 2023/24

Weekly Charge 2024/25

Bedsit

£29.52

£27.89

1 bedroom

£31.56

£29.82

2 bedroom

£38.21

£36.11

3 bedroom

£38.92

£36.78

4 bedroom

£39.94

£37.74

 
(iv)  Note that following
the annual review of current charges and insight from the provider,
water charges shall increase by 10% while sewerage charges shall
remain at the current year’s rates;
 
(v)  Agree the HRA
Income and Expenditure budget for 2024/25 and note the changes from
the 2023/24 budget, as detailed in section 3 of this
report.
 
(vi)  Agree a £24.7m
capital programme for the HRA in 2024/25 and note the indicative
4-year HRA capital programme detailed in section 4 of the
report;
 
(vii)  Agree that the above
charges take effect from 1 April 2024;
 
(viii)  Note the draft HRA 30-year
business plan, as detailed in section 2 of the report, and the
indicative 30-year financial forecasts set out in Appendices A and
B to the report; and
 
(ix)  Note that the final
version of the HRA Business Plan shall be presented to Cabinet in
March 2024 after a comprehensive review by the Strategic Director,
Resources.