Purpose

The Housing Revenue Account Business Plan
needs to be reviewed each year and updated to set budgets and
charges for the year ahead and to provide an updated 5-year plan
and 30-year affordability profile.

Content

10.1

The Committee
considered a report of the Director of Housing which set out the
2026/27 Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Business
Plan.

 

 

10.2

RESOLVED
UNANIMOUSLY: That the Housing Policy
Committee:-

(a) 
Notes that the HRA Business Plan and Revenue Budget 2026/27 and 5
year capital investment programme as set out in the Financial
Appendices in Appendix A of the report, will be considered by the
Strategy and Resources Committee in January 2026, and then
recommended to Full Council for approval in February
2026;

(b) 
Notes that once the HRA Business Plan is approved by Full Council,
the Housing Policy Committee will be responsible for monitoring how
well the plan is being
delivered;

(c) 
Notes the recommendation to increase council housing rents,
including temporary accommodation by 4.8% from April 2026 in line
with the Regulator of Social Housing’s Rent Standard of
September 2025’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) +
1%;

(d) 
Notes the recommendation to increase any of our council homes set
at a social rent and are yet to achieve formula rent from April
2026, in line with any Rent Convergence policy that Government has
indicated it will announce in January 2026 (up to £2 per
week);

(e) 
Notes the recommendation to increase rents for garage plots and
sites by 4.8% from April
2026;

(f)   
Notes the recommendation to increase the weekly District Heating
standing charge from £4.90 to £5.50 from April
2026;

(g) 
Notes the recommendation to increase the sheltered housing service
charge by 3.8% from April
2026;

(h) 
Notes the recommendation to increase the burglar alarm charge by
3.8% from April 2026;

(i)   
Notes the recommendation to increase the furnished accommodation
charge by 3.8% from April 2026;
and

(j)   
Agrees to consult on how to implement an increase in the Citywide
Care Alarm charge for tenants in Council Older Person’s
Independent Living (OPIL) schemes so that it aligns with the rate
currently applied to other
residents.

 

 

 

 

10.3

Reasons for
Decision

 

 

10.3.1

This report and its recommendations, set out the
scale of the challenge ahead, the limited resources available and
the difficult decisions that now need to be taken to deliver a
balanced HRA budget for 2026/27 and for the overall 30-year
viability.

 

 

 

 

10.4

Alternatives Considered and
Rejected

 

 

10.4.1

The Council is required to both set a balanced in
year HRA budget and to ensure that in-year income and expenditure
are balanced over 30 years. No other alternatives were
considered