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Summary
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This meeting was about the Council’s financial plans and a scheme to retrofit the Council’s housing to make it more energy efficient. It included updates on the financial strategy and the proposals for the Council Tax Support scheme for 2025/26.
Procurement strategy for a retrofit at scale pilot
This report recommended that the Council start a scheme to install solar panels and battery storage at 3,000 council homes, which is 9% of the Council’s housing stock.
This would be the first part of a wider scheme to make all of the Council's homes more energy efficient and achieve an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of band “C” or above.
It was noted that it may be necessary to make a direct award of the contract for the retrofit scheme to a single provider because the scheme is the first of its kind. The Council estimates the total value of the contract to be £68.2m over 30 years.
The proposed approach is the first of its kind at any significant scale. It is required as London Councils estimate that current grant-funded retrofit schemes will only reach between 2% and 3% of homes in the capital.
The scheme is partly funded by a grant from central government through its Social Housing Fund. The Council has applied for the grant, as part of a consortium of 14 London Councils led by the Greater London Authority, and will be told whether the grant is successful in March 2025.
The Council plans to create a special purpose vehicle to deliver the scheme. The vehicle would be partly funded by the Council and partly funded by an institutional investor. The report recommended that the Executive Director Supporting Communities be given the power to make decisions about the project in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Finance & Cost of Living, the Cabinet Member for Better Homes and the Executive Director Corporate Services.
Review of the Camden Medium Term Financial Strategy
This report was about the Council's financial plans for the next few years. It noted that the Council is facing a number of financial challenges, including:
- High inflation.
- Increased demand for services.
- Reduced government funding.
The report stated that the Council had set a balanced budget for 2024/25. However, a new deficit is expected over the medium term.
The report included a summary of the Autumn Budget. The report noted that the new government had made some promising early signals on local government, including a commitment to give Councils multi-year funding settlements from 2026/27.
The report set out how inflation is affecting the cost of a number of services. It also described the increase in demand for homelessness services, adult social care and children’s social care and the financial challenges these present.
The report recommended delegating to the Executive Director of Corporate Services the power to agree increases of up to 7% on the Council’s Fees & Charges and to reduce charges in exceptional circumstances. The report also recommended agreeing the Council’s planned use of reserves.
Council Tax Support 2025/26 and Housing Benefit disregarded income from assessments
This report provided details about the Council Tax Support (CTS) scheme for the 2025/26 financial year. The report recommended that the Council agree to uplift the current scheme in line with changes in the London Living Wage. It was noted that 16,136 households were receiving 100% reduction in their Council Tax charge through the scheme.
Camden’s current scheme is one of the most generous CTS schemes in the country
The report also provided details of a proposal to change the rules on Housing Benefit to disregard income from the Armed Forces compensation scheme when assessing entitlement.
Agree that the Housing Benefit Service can disregard all income from the ‘armed forces compensation scheme’ rather than just the first £10 of income when assessing entitlement to housing benefits.
The report recommended that the Council delegate authority to the Director of Finance to make further changes to the scheme.
Delegated decisions linked to this meeting
Decision summaries below are AI-generated from the council’s published record. Check the council source or the full decision page before relying on them.
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Any Other Business that the Chair Decides to Take as Urgent
Recommendations Approved...that there was no urgent business to address.
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Declarations by Members of Statutory Disclosable Pecuniary Interests, Compulsory Registerable Non-Pecuniary Interests and Voluntary Registerable Non-Pecuniary Interests in Matters on this Agenda
Recommendations Approved...that no members declared any statutory disclosable pecuniary interests, compulsory registerable non-pecuniary interests, or voluntary registerable non-pecuniary interests in matters on the agenda.
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Apologies
Recommendations Approved...to approve the recommendations, as there were no apologies recorded.
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Matters Referred from a Council Scrutiny Committee
Recommendations Approved...to approve the recommendations related to matters referred from a Council Scrutiny Committee, of which there were none.
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Procurement Strategy for a Retrofit at Scale Pilot (SC/2024/21)
Recommendations Approved...to establish a retrofit prototype test model targeting 3,000 homes and delegate authority to the Executive Director Supporting Communities to develop and implement the model, including approving the procurement strategy and contract award.
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Minutes
Recommendations Approved...to approve and sign the minutes of the meeting held on 13th November 2024 as a correct record.
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Representations Received about Why the Meeting Should be Open to the Public
Recommendations Approved...to approve the recommendations, as no representations were received regarding why the meeting should be open to the public.
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Notification of Any Items of Business that the Chair Decides to Take as Urgent
Recommendations Approved...to note that there were no items of urgent business to be considered.
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Deputations
Recommendations Approved...to approve the recommendations, as there were no deputations presented.
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Announcements
Recommendations Approved...to approve the recommendations presented at the meeting.
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Council Tax Support 2025/26 and Housing Benefit disregarded income from assessments (CS/2024/17)
Recommendations Approved...to update the Council Tax Reduction Scheme to reflect the new London Living Wage, delegate authority to the Director of Finance to make necessary changes to the scheme, and disregard all income from war widows/widowers pensions, war disablement pensions, and the armed forces compensation scheme when assessing housing benefit entitlement.
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Review of the Camden Medium Term Financial Strategy (CS/2024/18)
Recommendations Approved...to note the council's challenging financial outlook, the Housing Revenue Account's financial position, and the Autumn Budget, while delegating authority to increase existing fees and charges up to 7%, agree to new fees and charges and increases exceeding 7%, approve the planned use of reserves, and allow for fee reductions in exceptional cases.
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