Issue - meetings

Matter for Decision: To consider the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Mid-Year Business Plan Update.

 

Decision of Executive Councillor for Housing

 

The Executive Councillor resolved to:

 

Revenue – HRA

 

i.        To agree the HRA budget strategy, process and timetable for the 2013/14 budget cycle as outlined in Section 9 [pages 84 to 97 refer] of the committee report.

 

ii.       To agree the revised HRA revenue, funding and reserves projections as shown in Appendix E, and the associated decisions in section 9 [pages 84 to 97 refer], of the HRA Mid-Year Business Plan Update document (Committee Report).

 

iii.      To approve the mid-year unavoidable expenditure items and savings, as detailed in Section 9, on pages 85 to 88 of the HRA Mid-Year Business Plan Update document .

 

iv.      To authorise the Director of Customer & Community Services, in consultation with the Director of Resources, to calculate and communicate final cash limits or savings targets based on the decisions taken in this report, as outlined in Section 9 of the HRA Mid-Year Business Plan Update document.

 

Treasury Management

 

v.       To approve the approach to determining the most appropriate borrowing route in respect of any additional HRA borrowing requirement, as outlined in Section 8 of the HRA Mid-Year Business Plan Update, delegating responsibility to the Director of Resources for the final decision, in consultation with the Executive Councillor, Chair, Vice Chair and Opposition Spokesperson for HMB.

 

 

The Executive Councillor resolved to recommend to Council;

 

Capital

 

vi.      To agree in-year re-allocation of funding for decent homes and other investment in the housing stock, to allow unavoidable expenditure items to be met and to make best use of the current procurement arrangements, as detailed in Section 9, on pages 96 and 97 of the HRA Mid-Year Business Plan Update document.

 

vii.     To approve additional investment in 2012/13 in respect of the warden call system at Rawlyn Court, as identified on pages 96 and 97 of the HRA Mid-Year Business Plan Update document.

 

viii.    To approve re-phasing of £3,800,000 of resource, ear-marked for investment in Ditchburn Place, from 2012/13 into 2013/14, recognising that the feasibility work undertaken in the current year will not result in a decision that will be implemented until 2013/14 at the earliest.

 

ix.      To agree the revised Housing Capital Investment Plan as shown in Appendix F of the HRA Mid-Year Business Plan Update.

 

Reason for the Decision:

 

As per the officer report

 

 

Any alternative options considered and rejected:

 

Not Applicable

 

Scrutiny Considerations:

 

The committee received a report from the Director of Customer and Community Services regarding the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Mid-year Business Plan Update.

 

Clarification was requested on how other authorities had been able to reduce the level of rent increases without affecting their business plans. The Director of Customer and Community Services advised that each authority’s business plan was unique, and that it was very difficult to compare plans. The committee was reminded that any reduction in level of rent increase would have a cumulative effect, and that those savings would need to be found in each year of the business plan going forward and not just the single year.

 

In response to a question from a member of the committee the Executive Councillor for Housing confirmed that it was not the intention to look at the option of reducing the level of rent increases

 

The Scrutiny Committee considered the recommendations and endorsed them by 4 votes to 0.

 

The Executive Councillor approved the recommendations

 

 

Conflicts of interest declared by the Executive Councillor (and any dispensations granted)

 

N/A