Cabinet Member for Housing
In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 19.3, immediately after any vote is taken at a budget decision meeting of the Council the names of Councillors who cast a vote for the decision or against the decision or who abstained from voting shall be recorded in the Minutes of that meeting.
At its meeting on 10 February 2020, Cabinet considered Paper MCa/19/44, together with amendments to the Housing Revenue Account. Paper MC/19/39 now includes all the relevant updated information, together with the necessary recommendations.
Minutes:
93.1 The Chair invited Councillor Whitehead to introduce the report and to move the recommendations.
93.2 Councillor Whitehead, the Cabinet Member for Finance, began by informing Council that the HRA had been through a challenging time and had a budgeted deficit of £564k, which was funded by the Reserves. A review of Housing Services had been undertaken in 2019/20 and had identified savings efficiencies and income-generating opportunities.
93.3 Councillor Whitehead then summarised the main details in the report and advised Members that some of the key points were also included in the recommendations.
93.4 Councillor Whitehead MOVED recommendations 3.1 to 3.9 in the report, which was SECONDED by Councillor Flatman.
93.5 Councillor Mansel queried the Sheltered Housing service charges increase and asked for clarification of what that service provided.
93.6 The Assistant Director for Housing responded that it was a culmination of several utility charges for the sheltered housing service, such as the Scheme Manager and grounds maintenance. It was the intention to conduct a review of the service charges this year.
93.7 Councillor Eburne referred to the previous question and asked what measures the Council was taking to keep utility bills low for sheltered housing services.
93.8 She continued regarding investment in the Council’s social housing paragraph 6.4 and said that since the debt cap for housing had been removed, the Council was now allowed to borrow more money, but had no plans to do so. She would like to know if there were any long-term plans for borrowing to increase the Council’s social housing.
93.9 In response, Councillor Whitehead explained that the HRA Business Plan would be brought back to Council again next year and he was confident that further housing development would be included in future 30-year HRA business plans.
93.10 The Assistant Director for Housing explained, how the total utility cost was managed by Vertas and was based on actual bills received and then the cost was apportioned across the District to achieve the charges. However, PV heating panels and installation of ground source heat pumps were part of the schemes to reduce the overall costs and improve the life of residents.
93.11 In response to Councillor Carter’s question regarding mobility scooters, the Assistant Director clarified that investment was being put into storage facilities where suitable for mobility scooters, to reduce the fire risk associated with mobility scooters being stored inside flats and sheds.
93.12 Councillor Field referred to the last time the Council put up rents by CPI+1% and had been reassured by Government that clients would receive the increase from Housing Benefits and then asked Council to reduce rent for four years. He wondered if this was likely to happen again. Councillor Whitehead responded that tenants were paying less rent now, than four years ago.
93.13 Councillor Welham asked if the Council was paying more for service charges for Sheltered Housing, as more of these became de-sheltered and fewer sheltered houses were available.
93.14 Councillor Flatman responded that in some areas, Sheltered Housing units were not being occupied by those requiring sheltered accommodation, therefore these unoccupied units were rented out to other tenants, who paid a higher rent.
93.15 Councillor Welham asked for clarification of the higher rent, and the Assistant Director detailed the re-designation of sheltered units across Babergh and Mid Suffolk District and that that not all tenants required the services of the sheltered housing officer and would not pay for that service. However, as the demand for this service fell so did the cost and the service charges were proportional. He then listed the services included in the charge.
93.16 Members then moved to debate and Councillor Otton was concerned about the de-sheltering and the service charges. Some tenants had to buy or join a private alarm system at their own expense. Often these people were receiving housing benefits and thus it was paid for by public money. She could not support this.
93.17 Councillor Eburne similarly had issues with sheltered housing services and that this charge should be reduced by spreading the cost over a longer period. She was also concerned for the Right to Buy Scheme, though she was pleased that the figures for this scheme were lower than projected. She thought social housing should remain social housing in perpetuity. She also wanted to see a longer programme for building the Council’s own housing stock and felt that the Capital Programme did not go far enough.
93.18 Councillor Mansel shared Councillor Eburne’s concerns.
93.19 Councillor Scarff detailed the unintended consequence of removing decorating vouchers, which had a real cost for the most vulnerable people in the community, whom could not afford such costs.
93.20 Councillor Matthissen requested that recommendations 3.5 and 3.6 were voted for separately.
93.21 The Chair advised Members that the recommendations 3.5 and 3.6 would be voted for first and put the recommendations to Members for voting and the vote was CARRIED.
93.22 In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 19.3, the vote was recorded as follows:
FOR |
AGAINST |
ABSTAIN |
Oliver Amorowson |
|
|
Gerard Brewster |
|
|
David Burn |
|
|
Terence Carter |
|
|
James Caston |
|
|
Rachel Eburne |
|
|
|
Paul Ekpenyong |
|
John Field |
|
|
Julie Flatman |
|
|
Jessica Fleming |
|
|
Helen Geake |
|
|
Peter Gould |
|
|
Kathie Guthrie |
|
|
Lavinia Hadingham |
|
|
Matthew Hicks |
|
|
Barry Humphreys MBE |
|
|
Sarah Mansel |
|
|
|
John Matthissen |
|
|
Andy Mellen |
|
Richard Meyer |
|
|
Suzie Morley |
|
|
Dave Muller |
|
|
|
Mike Norris |
|
|
Penny Otton |
|
Timothy Passmore |
|
|
Daniel Pratt |
|
|
Harry Richardson |
|
|
|
Keith Scarff |
|
|
Andrew Stringer |
|
|
Wendy Turner |
|
|
Rowland Warboys |
|
|
Keith Welham |
|
John Whitehead |
|
|
Total 16 |
Total 17 |
|
93.23 The Chair used The Chair’s casting vote.
It was RESOLVED: -
1.1 That Sheltered Housing Service charges be increased by £2 per week to reduce the subsidy by £30k.
1.2 That Sheltered Housing utility charges be increased by 5% (average £0.62 increase per week).
N.B Subsequently, it was brought to the attention of the Monitoring Officer and the Corporate Manager for Democratic Services, that the announcement that the vote was carried had been incorrect. After seeking legal advice on the matter, it was advised that the vote would still stand
93.24 Recommendations 3.1 to 3.4 and 3.7 to 3.9 were put to Members for voting and the vote was CARRIED.
93.25 In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 19.3, the vote was recorded as follows:
FOR |
AGAINST |
ABSTAIN |
Oliver Amorowson |
|
|
Gerard Brewster |
|
|
David Burn |
|
|
Terence Carter |
|
|
James Caston |
|
|
Rachel Eburne |
|
|
Paul Ekpenyong |
|
|
John Field |
|
|
Julie Flatman |
|
|
Jessica Fleming |
|
|
Helen Geake |
|
|
Peter Gould |
|
|
Kathie Guthrie |
|
|
Lavinia Hadingham |
|
|
Matthew Hicks |
|
|
Barry Humphreys MBE |
|
|
Sarah Mansel |
|
|
John Matthissen |
|
|
|
|
Andy Mellen |
Richard Meyer |
|
|
Suzie Morley |
|
|
Dave Muller |
|
|
|
Mike Norris |
|
|
Penny Otton |
|
Timothy Passmore |
|
|
Daniel Pratt |
|
|
Harry Richardson |
|
|
Keith Scarff |
|
|
Andrew Stringer |
|
|
|
Wendy Turner |
|
Rowland Warboys |
|
|
|
Keith Welham |
|
John Whitehead |
|
|
Total 23 |
Total 9 |
Total 1 |
It was RESOLVED: -
1.1 That the HRA revenue budget proposals for 2020/21 and the longer-term outlookset out in the report be approved.
1.2 That the HRA capital budget proposals for 2020/21 set out in Appendix A in the report be approved.
1.3 That the CPI + 1% increase of 2.7% in Council House rents, equivalent to an average rent increase of £2.19 a week be implemented.
1.4 That garage rents are kept at the same level as 2019/20.
1.5 That the budgeted deficit of £564k be transferred from the HRA Reserves in 2020/21.
1.6 That in principle, Right to Buy (RTB) receipts should be retained to enable continued development and acquisition of new council dwellings
1.7 That the revised 30-year HRA Business Plan in Appendix B be noted.
93.26 The Monitoring Officer advised Members that the Council’s Procedural Rule 9, the Guillotine Rule, would be activated at 8:30pm and business would have to be concluded at that time unless a vote was taken to extend the meeting further.
93.27 Councillor Hicks PROPOSED to extend the meeting beyond 8:30pm for as long as necessary which was SECONDED by Councillor Caston. The Motion was put to Members for voting and the vote was CARRIED.
It was RESOLVED: -
That the meeting be extended as long as necessary to complete the business on the Agenda.
Supporting documents: