Purpose

The Assistant Director of Housing to approve
the carry forward of the underspend from the 2024/25 Ward Housing
Budget, to 2025/26.

Decision

 

ROTHERHAM METROPOLITAN BOROUGH COUNCIL

 

RECORD OF OFFICER EXECUTIVE DECISION

 

Date of Decision:

15 July 2025

 

Title:

Ward Housing Budget
– 2024/25 carry forward.

 

Decision Maker:

(Including Job Title)

John Holman, Interim Assistant Director of
Housing

 

 

Details
of Specific Delegation
 
or
 
Delegation contained in the relevant Sub-Scheme of
Delegation.

 

On the 23rd of December 2019, Cabinet
agreed the implementation of 25 Ward Housing Hubs with an allocated
base budget of £4000 per ward and the
remainder of the annual budget provision then being allocated based
upon the percentage of Council homes within each ward.
 
It was also agreed that the Assistant Director of
Housing in consultation with the Head of
Finance (Adults, Public Health and Housing), is authorised to
increase the Ward Housing budget (on a ward by ward basis) by the
value of the Ward Housing Budget underspend in the preceding year
within the 4 year cycle.
 

25 Ward Housing Hubs were implemented on 1st April
2020 with a base budget of £4000 per ward and a percentage
uplift based upon the number of properties within the
ward.

 

A carry forward facility to enable the budget to be
increased each financial year with the value of the underspend on a
ward-by-ward basis within a four-yearly cycle was also adopted in
line with the local elections cycle.

 

The current four-year Ward Housing Budget cycle
commenced in 2024/25 and will end in 2027/28.

 

Within this current cycle, there will be a presumed
carry forward of any underspend from 2024/25 to 2025/26, from
2025/26 to 2026/27 and from 2026/27 to 2027/28.

 

The current four-year cycle will end within
financial year 2027/28, during which all remaining ward housing
budgets allocations should be fully spent. A new four-year cycle is
presumed to commence in 2028/29.

 
The annual budget allocation for 2025/26 is
£216,000. The carry forward from 2024/25 of £138,435
would give a total budget for 2025/26 of £354,435.
 
Each Ward brings forward project proposals for
funding approval from the budget each year. Some Wards carry
forward funding from one year to the next in order to accumulate
sufficient budget to undertake larger projects. Ward Members and
relevant Council staff are aware of the carry forward arrangements
and that all funding must be fully spent by the end of Year
4.

 

Approval is required from the Assistant
Director of Housing to carry forward the Ward Housing Budget
underspend from 2024/25 to 2025/26.

 

Decision:

Approval is required from the Assistant
Director of Housing to carry forward the Ward Housing Budget
underspend from 2024/25 to 2025/26.
 

Reasons
for the Decision:

Approval is granted to carry forward the 2024/25
Ward Housing Budget underspend into the 2025/26 budget.

 

Details of alternative options considered and
rejected:

No other options were considered given the principle
established by Cabinet that a carry forward facility should be put
in place. The agreed approach is that the Assistant Director of
Housing approves the carry forward of the Ward Housing budget
underspend of £138,435 from 2024/25 to 2025/26.

 

Conflicts of interest declared by any Cabinet Member
consulted by the decision maker which relates to the
decision:

None.

Dispensations Granted:

(If any)

None

 

Conflicts of interest declared by the Decision Maker if they sit
as a Cabinet appointed representative to an outside body which
relates to the decision:

None

Dispensations Granted:

(If any)

None

Reports or parts of reports considered

Officer Decision
Report – “Ward Housing Budget 2024/25 carry
forward”

 

 

 

 
I certify that this
is a true record of the executive decision to:
 

Approve the carry forward of the 2024/25 Ward
Housing Budget underspend of £138,435 from 2024/25 to
2025/26.
 
 
I confirm that in
making this decision, due regard was given to the seven principles
of public life.
 
Signed by the
Decision Maker:
 

Dated:         
15th July 2025
 
Name:          John
Holman        
                    
Job Title:     Interim Assistant Director
of Housing