Issue - meetings

Cabinet delegated authority to the Housing Portfolio Holder, in consultation with the Executive Director, to make any minor grammatical amendments to the HRA Business Plan and its appendix, and RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL adoption of the HRA Business Plan and its appendix, the Five Year Housing Maintenance Plan.

The report and appendices considered by Cabinet are available to view using the following link to the Council's website (www.scambs.gov.uk) - Item 7 refers. Alternatively, hard copies of these documents are available in the Members’ Room and from Democratic Services, telephone 01954 713016, e-mail democratic.services@scambs.gov.uk.

Council RESOLVED that the HRA Business Plan and its appendix, the Five Year Housing Maintenance Plan, submitted to the Cabinet on 12 February 2009, be adopted subject to minor grammatical amendments approved by the Executive Director under authority delegated by the Cabinet.

Councillor SM Edwards moved, Councillor RMA Manning seconded, and Council RESOLVED, with no Members voting against, that the HRA Business Plan and its appendix, the Five Year Housing Maintenance Plan, submitted to the Cabinet on 12 February 2009, be adopted subject to minor grammatical amendments approved by the Executive Director under authority delegated by the Cabinet.

Cabinet DELEGATED AUTHORITY to the Housing Portfolio Holder, in consultation with the Executive Director, to make any minor grammatical amendments to the HRA Business Plan and its appendix, and RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL adoption of the HRA Business Plan and its appendix, the Five Year Housing Maintenance Plan.

The Business Plan and 5 year Maintenance Plan are enclosed as separate documents for members of Cabinet; they are also available on the Council’s website, www.scambs.gov.uk as part of the agenda pack. Members are requested to retain the Business and Maintenance Plans for reference at Council on 26 February.

Cabinet DELEGATED AUTHORITY to the Housing Portfolio Holder, in consultation with the Executive Director, to make any minor grammatical amendments to the HRA Business Plan and its appendix, and RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL adoption of the HRA Business Plan and its appendix, the Five Year Housing Maintenance Plan.

The Housing Portfolio Holder thanked the members, officers and tenants who had contributed to the five-year Housing Maintenance Plan, noting that £400,000 had been allocated from the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) to fund capital renovations for disabled adaptations.  The Corporate Manager, Affordable Housing undertook to provide for members after the meeting a detailed response to queries about the difference in the Sheltered Housing Support Service element of the HRA from the 2007/08 actual net expenditure and the 2008/09 revised estimate.

Cabinet DELEGATED AUTHORITY to the Housing Portfolio Holder, in consultation with the Executive Director, to make any minor grammatical amendments to the HRA Business Plan and its appendix, and RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL adoption of the HRA Business Plan and its appendix, the Five Year Housing Maintenance Plan.

The Executive Director presented the 5-Year Housing Maintenance Plan and advised the Portfolio Holder that the plan presumed that the housing stock would remain in the ownership of the Council.

Comments and Questions

The Portfolio Holder was advised that proposed spend changes for cyclical works such as internal paintwork and welfare gardens would be debated again in 2010/11.

The Portfolio Holder was further advised that the thermoseal survey was a one-off and that there was no legal requirement to do so.  The survey would target electrically heated properties, with surveys of gas and oil heated properties being undertaken at a later date.

The Portfolio Holder was advised that the costings in the plan for kitchen refurbishments were averages based on the actual costs of previous work, however the figures included an element of structural work, for instance removal of pantries, or replacement of flooring, which could inflate the figures.  The Portfolio Holder was further advised that the kitchen refurbishment contract had been put out to tender in 2007 and a five-year contract awarded which would be monitored by technical services.  An inflation rate of 2.5% had been factored in for future years.

The Portfolio Holder was advised that a subscription to the web based ‘Housemark’ service had been purchased by the council and this would allow for costs of services and contracts to be benchmarked against national averages.

The Executive Director presented the Housing Revenue Account Business Plan for 2009/10 to 2013/14. 

The Housing Portfolio Holder was advised that the plan was highly detailed and would be critical should the housing stock transfer not go ahead.

The Principal Accountant, Housing, tabled a revised HRA Expenditure Projection to replace that shown on page 36 of the plan.  Since the publication of the Portfolio Holder meeting agenda the inflation rates used for the Medium Term Financial Strategy had been reviewed and, as a consequence, the business plan projections had been adjusted to take account of the reduction in the rates of pay and general inflation from 2.5% to 1% in 2009/10 and from 2.5% to 1.5% in 2010/11.  The Portfolio Holder was advised that the revised projection deferred the requirement to make revenue savings until 2012/13 (a year later than the original projection of 2011/12), but overall there remained the need to save in excess of £500,000 from the Revenue Account and £4 million from the Capital Account.

Questions and Comments

Concerns were expressed that expenditure on tenant participation events could be reduced by more rigorous transport planning and cancelling catering arrangements.  The Portfolio Holder noted the comments, but observed that such benefits encouraged tenant attendance at participation events.  It was also observed that there were a multiplicity of tenant groups and that rationalisation of these groups could be considered as a cost saving opportunity.

The Portfolio Holder confirmed that the development of private sheltered housing was a corporate objective to be developed through planning policy.

The Portfolio Holder was advised that there had been no use of bed and breakfast facilities in the year 2007/08.

The Portfolio Holder was advised that there were a number of properties with timber framed double-glazing due for window replacement.

The Portfolio Holder was advised that there was no data available for rent collection and rent arrears recovery for the year 2008/09 at this stage.

Wording amendments

Agenda page 18:  Forth bullet point under key issues include, end the first sentence after Airey Properties.  Delete the wording ‘or the older, small sheltered units with shared facilities’.

Agenda page 25:  Under Improvements amend the final sentence to read ‘before the end of its useful life’.

Agenda page 26: Second line from bottom of page, replace the word ‘inputted’ with ‘input’.

Agenda page 29:  Note against BV183b amend to read ’26.8 days against target of 24 but improved from 34.9 in previous year.

Agenda page 33:  Second paragraph, final sentence, amend to read ‘The TMV is based on a revenue stream valuation rather than a capital valuation hence the difference in the figures produced.