Decision details

To consider the report of the Cabinet Member for Housing seeking approval in accordance with Financial Procedure Rules for expenditure on various housing projects. These projects will contribute to the Council's strategic housing objectives through improving the facilities of our estates, the wellbeing and satisfaction of our residents in areas where they live.

Schemes of work to be included:

In line with the current scooter/invalidity car policy
the proposal is to provide storage/charging facilities at a number of supported housing residential blocks.

Remodelling of a structurally damaged supported housing block.

Refurbishment to communal areas including improved lighting, flooring and ceilings to residential blocks across the city.

To continue the existing programme of works of the Supported Housing Asset Plan

Installation of energy saving measures to various blocks across the city where Energy Companies Obligation (ECO) works are planned (utilising grant funding) with additional measures such as PV panels, LED lighting, ground /air source transfer pump installations.

To continue the existing programme of estate improvements across all wards of the city.

(i)  To approve a virement of £200,000 in 2014/15 from the unapproved provision for ‘DN: Future Decent Neighbourhood Schemes’, within the HRA Capital Programme, to provide a new budget for the ‘DN: Estate Improvement Programme’.

(ii)  To approve a virement of £475,000 in 2014/15 from the unapproved provision for ‘Communal Area works – Future Projects’, within the HRA Capital Programme, to increase the budget for the ‘Weston Court - Communal Area Works’ scheme from £1.5M to £1.975M.

(iii)  To approve a series of virements, totalling £1,425,000, from the unapproved provision for Communal Area Works – Future Projects, within the HRA Capital Programme, to provide new budgets for specific schemes, as detailed in Table 1 below.

(iv)  To approve, in accordance with Financial Procedure Rules, spend on schemes in the HRA Capital Programme as detailed in the table below.

Financial Procedure Rules state that all schemes already in the capital programme up to the value of £500,000 require approval by the relevant Chief Officer, following consultation with the relevant Cabinet Member and Chief Financial Officer. Schemes between £200,000 and £500,000 also need to be published on the Officer Forward Plan. Schemes between £500,000 and £2 million will require Cabinet approval. The schemes in this report fall into all of these categories but are presented in one report to Cabinet for completeness.

1. There have been various consultation meetings with tenant groups and leaseholder during the last 8 months with regard to the proposed programme of capital expenditure associated with the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) and the Self-Financing regime.
2. These works form part of the approved 5 year Capital Programme (formally approved in February 2013).
3. The alternative option of not undertaking the works identified would leave the Council’s homes and surrounding areas in their present condition and would not accord with the view expressed during the consultation process or with the Council’s policies of providing homes that comply with the four agreed headings of:
   • Safe Wind and Weather tight
   • Warm and Energy Efficient
   • Modern Facilities
   • Well Maintained Communal Facilities

None