Cabinet Member for Housing
In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 18.3, 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 4 February 2019, Cabinet considered Paper MCa/18/61, together with amendments to the Housing Revenue Account. Paper MC/18/39 now includes all the relevant updated information.
Minutes:
96.1 Councillor Wilshaw introduced the report and informed Council that the HRA continued to face challenges in the short and medium term, the continuation of the 1% rent reduction required by the Welfare Reform and Work Act and the roll out of universal credit. However, the recent Government announcement that local authorities could increase rents by a maximum of CPI plus 1% for five years from 2021 would reduce the impact of these. A further announcement from the Government of the removal of the debt cap in 2018 and that the high asset level would not be introduced would also help further to reduce the impact. The Council had received lower than anticipated Right to Buy sales in 2017/18 but these have remained as predicted in the first two quarters of 2018/19. Councillor Wilshaw added that the Council was currently forecasting a deficit in 2019/20 to the Housing Revenue budget of £419k. A balanced budget has been achieved by using strategic reserves to fund the budget deficit. The good news for housing tenants was that they would see a further reduction in their rents of 1% from April 2019. Garage rents would remain at the same level as last year. A project would be implemented this year to reduce the number of vacant garages. Sheltered housing tenants would also receive a 1% reduction in their rental service charge which will keep them at their current level. However, the Council was recommending a small increase in utility charges following an increase of 8.4% in energy prices in 2017 and a 7.6% increase in 2018. Councillor Wilshaw also informed Council that the Investment and Development team had completed a project at Gt Blakenham which provided 11 shared ownership homes and 14 affordable homes. The Council was anticipating a supply of 164 homes over the next three years which would allow Mid Suffolk District Council to increase its rental income to the HRA.
96.2 Councillor Wilshaw MOVED the recommendations in the report which Councillor Flatman seconded.
It was Resolved:-
(i) That the HRA Budget proposals set out in the report be approved.
(ii) That the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Capital Programme 2019/20 to 2022/23 and HRA Budget for 2019/20 be agreed.
(iii) That the mandatory decrease of 1% in Council House rents, equivalent to an average rent reduction of £0.82 a week as required by the Welfare Reform and Work Act, be implemented.
(iv) That garage rents are kept at the same level as last year.
(v) That Sheltered Housing Service charges be kept at the same level as last year.
(vi) That Sheltered Housing utility charges be increased by 5% (average £0.61 increase per week).
(vii) That in principle, Right to Buy receipts should be retained to enable continued development and acquisition of new council dwellings.
(viii) That the revised HRA Business Plan in Appendix B be noted.
In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 18.3, the vote was recorded as follows:-
Against |
Abstention |
|
Cllr Barker |
Cllr Field |
|
Cllr Brewster |
Cllr Killett |
|
Cllr Burn |
Cllr Marchant |
|
Cllr Caston |
Cllr Matthissen |
|
Cllr Ekpenyong |
Cllr Norris |
|
Cllr Flatman |
Cllr Otton |
|
Cllr Fleming |
Cllr Stringer |
|
Cllr Gibson-Harries |
Cllr Welham |
|
Cllr Gowrley |
|
|
Cllr Guthrie |
|
|
Cllr Hadingham |
|
|
Cllr Haley |
|
|
Cllr Horn |
|
|
Cllr Humphreys |
|
|
Cllr Kearsley |
|
|
Cllr Mayes |
|
|
Cllr Morley |
|
|
Cllr Muller |
|
|
Cllr Osborne |
|
|
Cllr Passmore |
|
|
Cllr Storey |
|
|
Cllr Whitehead |
|
|
Cllr Wilshaw |
|
|
|
|
|
Total 23 |
Total 8 |
0 |
Supporting documents: