Issue - meetings

Reporting Person – Leigh Clarke

The Executive received the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Budgets 2019-20 for recommendation to Council.  It was noted that 2019-20 would be a 53 week rent year and would cause an issue with Universal Credit which was paid monthly.  The Executive noted that a potential solution was set out in paragraph 4.6 of the report and that further government guidance was expected to clarify the legal position.

Regarding the HRA Borrowing Cap, it was reported that the Leader and Portfolio Holder had recently met with the Housing Minister, Kit Malthouse MP, and they had asked the Minister to consider reducing the Right to Buy on Council housing stock, in return for which the Council would build more Council houses and offer those tenants the Earn Your Deposit Scheme.  Members looked forward to hearing the outcome of the meeting in due course.

Following a question regarding Southern Housing Group, it was confirmed that the HRA would be buying Southern Housing Group properties on secured tenancies.

REcommended to Council

That  (i)    the Housing Revenue Account budget for 2019/20 as set out in Appendix 1 to the report be approved; and

          (ii)   with effect from 1 April 2019, rents be increased by 3.4% for Shared Ownership properties and be reduced by 1% for all other tenancies.

Reason:   To recommend that the Council approves the resources necessary to implement its objectives and to enable the Council to determine charges to tenants for 2019/20.

Reporting Person – Leigh Clarke

The Executive received a report which set out the Council’s draft Housing Revenue Account (HRA) budgets for 2019-20.  The Executive welcomed the positive news that the Government had announced the removal of the HRA Borrowing Cap and it was noted that draft legislation had been circulated.  Following a question regarding the Sheerwater Regeneration Scheme, Officers advised that the Sheerwater Regeneration Oversight Panel had been informed that the leisure development had not started as a legal agreement had not been reached with Bishop David Brown School.  Officers further advised that the Council would still be able to meet its objective to provide the leisure facilities before the housing development happened.  The Executive was advised that it was hoped to bring a planning application to the Planning Committee to allow the Regeneration Scheme to start in Spring 2019.

RESOLVEd

That the draft Housing Revenue Account budgets for 2019/20, as set out in Appendix 1 to the report, be agreed for consultation with the Corporate Management Group and Portfolio Holder.

Reason:   Consideration of these proposals will enable the preparation of the Council’s Housing Revenue Account budgets for 2019/20 to proceed.