This meeting of the Gospel Oak District Management Committee will include an update on the Housing Revenue Account budget, including proposals to increase rent and service charges. There will also be a report on the Housing Transformation programme and the Regis Road Regeneration Strategy.

Housing Revenue Account Budget 2025/26

The Committee will receive a report on the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) budget for 2025/26. The report, prepared by Emma Cardoso, Team Leader (HRA & Capital Projects), explains that in the context of a forecast overspend of £3.5 million in 2024/25 the Housing Revenue Account is not currently financially stable.

The report explains that the greatest pressures on the budget include increases to the cost of repairs, insurance, and depreciation of assets.

The HRA must transfer the full cost equivalent of its depreciation to the Major Repairs Reserve every year. This is then used to fund capital investment of HRA stock.

- DMC ReportHRA FinanceNov 2024_1 p.3

The report proposes a number of potential solutions to address the overspend, including a range of savings measures and increases to both rent and service charges. The report states that:

Under the current rent standard, the Council can increase rents up to a maximum of inflation (Sept CPI 1.7%) plus 1%.

- DMC ReportHRA FinanceNov 2024_1 p.3

For service charges, it is proposed to increase the charges for caretaking, CCTV, communal area maintenance, grounds maintenance, and the Responsive Housing Patrol. The report explains that these increases are necessary to ensure that the costs of providing those services continues to be met by service charges.

The report also includes a discussion of the heating pool, which is in deficit. This deficit will be addressed by a combination of increasing the heat scales by 175% and applying a credit of £3.5 million to accounts to limit the increase to residents to 125%.

The report will be discussed in more detail at a meeting of all of Camden's DMCs on 8 January 2025.

Housing Transformation Programme

The Committee will receive a report on the Housing Transformation programme. The report, written by Glendine Shepherd, Camden's Director of Housing, will provide an update on the programme's progress, raise awareness of key pieces of work, and outline the programme's immediate priorities.

The report details the ways in which a number of national policy changes over recent years have created significant challenges for Camden's Housing Revenue Account. In particular, the report focuses on the four years of enforced rent reductions between 2016 and 2020, the unanticipated costs associated with new fire safety legislation, and the impact of the cost of living crisis on the demand for temporary accommodation.

Homeless presentations at the Council have risen sharply and are on track to have increased by almost 61% at the start of this year compared to 2022.

- DMC ReportHousing TransformationNov 2024 p.2

The report goes on to outline the six workstreams that make up the Housing Transformation Programme, which are:

• Quality Homes
• Housing Services
• Resident-centred
• Living Within Our Means
• Data and Digital
• The Way We Work In Housing

The report pays particular attention to the restructure of Housing Services, which has seen the eight existing service areas consolidated into four:

• Allocations, Lettings & Private Sector Housing
• Housing Solutions
• Neighbourhoods
• Leaseholder Services and Housing Income

The report concludes with a brief update on the progress of recruitment to the new Housing Services structure.

Regis Road Regeneration Strategy

The Committee will receive an update on the Regis Road Regeneration Strategy. The report will provide a progress update on the re-provision of the Holmes Road Depot as part of the wider regeneration of the area.

The report explains that the Regis Road Industrial Area was designated a Growth Area in the 2017 Camden Local Plan. In 2020 the Kentish Town Planning Framework was adopted, setting out a vision for an exemplar mixed-use development for the area.

After previous attempts to regenerate the area failed, Camden Council decided in November 2022 to use its own land assets in the area, including the Holmes Road Depot, to catalyse regeneration. Following that decision the council signed a conditional land sale agreement with Yoo Capital, a real estate investment and development firm.

Yoo Capital will purchase the land from the council on the condition that they secure planning permission for their scheme and that they provide new facilities for the services currently provided by the council at the Holmes Road Depot, including the direct labour repairs team.

The report describes Yoo Capital's plans for a new Camden Film Quarter, anchored by new film studios and workspace for the creative industries. Yoo Capital report that their plans, which include the provision of new homes, 50% of which will be affordable, have been well received by the local community.

The report concludes with an update on the progress of Yoo Capital's plans. Yoo Capital submitted their masterplan vision to Camden's planning department in September, and are currently working with council officers to develop detailed proposals. It is not anticipated that construction will begin before 2028/29.

Gospel Oak DMC budget

The Committee will receive a report on the Gospel Oak DMC budget, prepared by Stanton La Foucade, the Tenant Participation Coordinator. The report explains that of the £148,080 allocated to the DMC for 2024/25, £38,587 has been spent, leaving a balance of £109,493.

The report details the two bids for funding that were due to be considered at the June 2024 meeting, for external estate lighting at:

• Forge, Mutton & Castle Road
• Ingestre Road

The report explains that because the works at both locations, though separated into phases, are for a single type of work (lighting) they must be aggregated when determining whether the statutory consultation with leaseholders is required. In both cases, the aggregated cost of the works exceeds the statutory threshold, so Section 20 consultation will be required.

The report notes that two bids, for £12,469 and £900 respectively, that were submitted by the Kiln Place TRA have been retracted. The report does not explain why these bids were retracted.

Update from the Cabinet Member for Better Homes

Councillor Sagal Abdi-Wali, Cabinet Member for Better Homes, will provide an update on her portfolio.

Repairs and Maintenance

The report details the ways in which the national context of rising costs and increasing demand for repairs has impacted Camden. In particular the report notes the 287 family increase in the number of families living in temporary accommodation since September 2023. To address this, the council has secured £20 million of funding through the government's Temporary Accommodation Property Procurement scheme (TAPP3).

The report provides an update on the work that has been done to improve the repairs service, including increased resource allocation, process refinement, and additional staff training.

The council's target is for 98% of its properties to have a valid gas safety certificate. The report states that this target is currently being met, with 99.3% of properties having a valid certificate.

Satisfaction with the repairs service remains high. 85% of residents were satisfied with the service, which is above the average for London. The report also notes that most interactions with residents now take place through WhatsApp, Webchat, SMS and the council's online portal.

Private Rented Sector

The report describes the ways in which Camden Council is working to improve the quality of housing in the borough's private rented sector.

The council operates both selective and additional licensing schemes in Camden, and the report notes that in 2023 over 800 complaints were made by private renters. In response to these complaints, the council issued improvement notices, applied fines to landlords and carried out 300 enforcement actions.

CCTV Programme

The Committee will receive a report on the progress of the CCTV programme, which is funded by service charges. The report explains that when the programme is complete 700 new cameras will have been installed across 55 estates.

The report explains that any requests for the installation of CCTV on estates not currently included in the programme must first be considered by the Community Safety team, who will ask the following questions:

• Are there other effective, less intrusive methods available or could appropriate safeguards be put in place if no other option is available
• Would its use be proportionate and justifiable
• Is it technically and logistically possible to install cameras in the locations requested
• Would the installation of the cameras deliver the specific priorities (pressing need) of the Camden Community Safety Partnership (CSP)
• Is there community support for the installation – have the relevant consents been taken in relation to the processing of sensitive/personal data which might be captured by the proposed CCTV

- DMC ReportCCTVNov 2024 p.2

Following consideration by the Community Safety team, the council's finance team would then determine whether funding the installation is feasible. If funding is available, residents would then be consulted on the service charge levels associated with the installation and maintenance of the CCTV.

Property Services and Housing Management - repairing and letting our properties

The Committee will be provided with a report on the council's void properties. The report explains that there are 429 empty properties in Camden that are currently in the process of being repaired and let to new tenants. There are a further 167 empty properties that are not currently being let, including 42 flats in Chalcots Estate and 72 that are 'undergoing options appraisal'.

The report provides a breakdown of the void properties in each District Management Committee area:

Bedroom Sizes	Camden Town	Gospel Oak	Hampstead	Holborn	Kentish Town
0	42	9	9	13	2
1	186	34	34	57	29
2	110	27	27	33	17
3	59	20	20	13	14
4	16	6	6	4	7
5+	2	1	1	0	0
TOTAL	429	97	120	69	69

The report sets out a number of mitigations that the council has put in place to reduce the number of void properties, including increasing resources, advertising properties sooner, recruiting more lettings officers, and reviewing the cost of works.

Update on Performance Management

The Committee will receive a report providing an update on the ongoing work to implement the Housing Service's Key Performance Indicators. The report explains that the Housing Regulation Act 2023 requires councils to be more transparent and accountable. The report explains that Camden's current KPIs need to be more outcome-focused.

An outcome-focused approach involves setting and achieving meaningful results while giving teams the flexibility to determine their own paths to success.

- DMC ReportPerformance KPIsNov2024 p.2

The report states that the council is in the process of developing a new digital infrastructure that will make its data more accessible and easier to report on.