Agenda and minutes

To approve as a correct record.

The minutes were confirmed and signed as a correct record.

A proposed 2025/26 revenue and capital budget programme for the Housing Committee was presented as part of the overall Council budget. The budget had been proposed in line with the principles approved at Full Council on 17 October. The overall budget would be presented to the Strategy and Resources Committee on 30 January and Full Council on 13 February.

The report set out a proposed revenue budget of £750k for 2025/26, an increase from £736k in 2024/25. The report also set out the proposed fees and charges for 2024/25. A 2025/26 capital programme of £0.420m, the Council’s Disabled Facilities Grant, was also proposed.

R E S O L V E D – that:

A.    the Committee’s proposed General Fund revenue budget for 2025/26 of £0.750m, as shown in Appendix A and Appendix B of the report, be agreed, taking account of pressures and savings allocated to the Committee.

B.    the Committee’s fees and charges for 2025/26, as shown in Appendix C of the report, be agreed.

C.   the plot fees for Meadowside be uplifted by February 2025 CPI, in

accordance with the legislative cap.

D.   the Committee’s Capital Programme for 2025/26 being the sum of £0.420m, as shown in Appendix D of the report, be agreed, subject to approval by Strategy & Resources Committee and Full Council.

E.    the Subjective Revenue Budgets in Appendix B of the report, setting out movements from 2024/25 to 2025/26, be noted.

The Committee considered a report outlining the proposed Housing Revenue Account (HRA) revenue budget and capital programme for 2025/26.

The report recommended:

·         That in accordance with Government social rent policy, social and affordable rents be increased by 2.7%, and that garage rents, service charges and Sheltered and Older Persons service charges also be increased by 2.7%; and

·         The approval of the draft Capital Programme for 2025/26 of £25.566m and the 2025/26 draft Revenue Budget with a net contribution to reserves and future capital finance costs of £4.745m.

In response to member questions, officers explained that:

·     When the HRA was handed back to the Council loans were taken out. These initial loans were set to allow a loan to mature annually to help prevent substantial spikes in the HRA borrowing costs as loan interest rates increase and decrease with the UK economy. This meant that a loan of £3.65m would need to be refinanced within the financial year 2025/26.When refinancing the loan, officers will consider both internal and PWLB borrowing choosing to borrow at the lowest interest rate at that time.

·     In addition to this, there was a potential additional £6.650m of borrowing needed to fund the capital programme. The capital programme was funded by using reserves, grants, Right to Buy Receipts and through additional borrowing.

·     The Agresso upgrade, referenced in Appendix B of the report, refers to the upgrading of the finance system used. The costs for this are apportioned between the General Fund and HRA as the system was used by both.

R E S O L V E D – that:

A.    the proposed revenue budget for 2025/26 with a net contribution to reserves and future capital financing costs of £4.745m, as shown at Appendix A of the report, be agreed, subject to approval by Strategy & Resources Committee and Full Council.

B.    the proposed Capital Programme for 2025/26 in the sum of £26,566,000 and the subsequent years, as shown at Appendix B of the report, be agreed, subject to approval by Strategy & Resources and Full Council.

C.   Social Rents (excluding service charges) and Affordable Rents (including service charges) for 2025/26 be increased by 2.7% in accordance with government social rent policy guidance.

D.   the rent for garages be increased by 2.7% for 2025/26 to produce a standard weekly rent of £16.03 to tenants, or £19.24 (including VAT) for let to private tenants.

E.    service charges be increased by 2.7% for 2025/26 to produce an average weekly charge of £8.43.

F.    Sheltered and Older Persons Service Charges be increased by 2.7% for 2025/26 to £16.96 and £3.70 respectively.

G.   that the PWLB HRA Loan of £3.650m due for repayment in 2025/26 be re-financed and programmed funding of £6.650m to finance the capital programme be financed by either internal and / or PWLB borrowing.

The Committee received a report outlining the responses of the Tenant Satisfaction Measures Survey 2024. The Committee was also presented with an update of the Tenant Satisfaction Action Plan 2023 and asked to approve the proposed 2024 Action Plan.

Since 2023, the Housing Regulator has required registered Housing providers with a stock of more than 1,000 properties to undertake an annual resident satisfaction survey. The first survey returned an overall satisfaction score of 72%, the survey conducted in October 2024 also returned a score of 72%.

It was noted that while the overall satisfaction score had remained stable, the percentages for a number of individual measures had increased, as set out in the report.

Officers explained that should the 2024 action plan be approved, a tenant friendly version would be published on the Council’s website.

In response to questions from members, officers explained that;

·         A resident engagement officer had been recruited and would be arranging Member-Officer Working Group meetings in due course.

·         With regards to BS01, as set out in the report, the 0.4% of homes which had not had gas safety checks carried out equated to around 12 properties. The 99.6% which had received checks was above the national average, with most organisations tracking around 95%. It was highlighted that there were issues with trying to gain access to certain properties.

·         The percentages for complaints handling and anti-social behaviour were above the national average.

·         An anti-social behaviour officer had been recruited, this had helped to increase the satisfaction level for anti-social behaviour handling by 4%.

·         Satisfaction of complaints handling had increased by 12%, this was through complaints handling training for officers and following best practice guidance set by the ombudsman.

R E S O L V E D – that:

A.    the responses provided by tenants in relation to the statutory Tenant Satisfaction Measures Survey 2024 in Appendix A of the report be noted.

B.    the updates provided in relation to the Tenant Satisfaction Action Plan 2023 in Appendix B of the report be noted.

C.   the Tenant Satisfaction Action Plan 2024 as attached in Appendix C of the report be approved.

The Committee considered a report which sought full budget approval for the redevelopment of 53-67 Stanstead Road to provide affordable family accommodation in line with the identified needs on the Council’s housing register.

An initial budget was approved in March 2023. Since then work had been undertaken with architects and consultants to prepare the scheme for the submission of a planning application. The tenants at the existing properties had either been moved to alternative suitable accommodation or were awaiting relocation to a new scheme.

It was noted that the requested budget of just over £2m equated to around £500k per property. The proposed budget included a healthy contingency. The increase in build costs over recent years had meant that costs for development were more aligned with the costs of purchasing properties on the open market. Properties purchased on the open market would though also have required further investments to meet net zero carbon targets. Redevelopment of the site was also recommended due to existing building being beyond economical repair.

The total scheme cost to sales value on the development was 85%, meaning building costs were expected to be lower than purchasing equivalent units on the open market.

An update on the appropriation process was also provided, with approval being sought to proceed with the appropriation of the land from housing to planning purposes ahead of the submission of a planning application.

The report also asked for approval for the appropriation of land for planning purposes for the Pelham House site. Consent had been received from the Secretary of State to proceed with the appropriation of the site, member approval was also required. A planning application for the site was approved at Planning Committee on 7 November 2024, work would begin shortly on tendering the works contract.

In addition to the recommendations set out in the report, officers presented, with approval from the Chair, the following recommendation to the committee:

F) Officers prepare detailed proposals for the development of the land at 53 – 67 Stanstead Road in Caterham and submit a planning application to redevelop the site.

R E S O L V E D – that:

A.    a budget of £2,010,000 from the Housing Revenue Account capital budget be approved.

B.    the appropriation of land for planning purposes at 53-67 Stanstead Road, set out in Appendix A of the report, be approved, subject to consent from the Secretary of State (SoS) for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

C.   the appropriation of land for planning purposes at Pelham House, as set out in Appendix C of the report, be approved.

D.   authority be delegated to the Director of Resources, to undertake the necessary legal and internal processes to deliver the appropriation.

E.    authority be delegated to the Director of Resources to appoint professional consultants and award the necessary contracts to take the scheme forward.

F.    officers prepare detailed proposals for the development of the land at 53-67 Stanstead Road in Caterham and submit a planning application to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 222.

The Committee resolved to move into private session for this item in accordance with paragraph 3 (information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information)) of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act, and because the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighed the public interest in disclosing the information.

A report seeking authority for Officers to, in consultation with group representatives, make an offer to purchase the site in question was presented. The report also requested an initial budget of £75k to progress the scheme, to only be spent should an offer on the site be accepted and title issues be resolved.

R E S O L V E D – that:

A.    authority be delegated to the Chief Executive in consultation with the Leader, or their nominated representatives, and political group Leaders comprising eight or more Councillors with the Chair of the Committee to:

i)              make an offer, at the maximum price set out in the report, in order to purchase the identified site and agree the necessary conditions of sale.

B.    an initial budget of £75,000 to progress the scheme from the Housing Revenue Account Capital Budget be approved. This budget to only be spent if an offer is accepted and the title issues are resolved.