Decision details

To consider the report of the Cabinet Member for Housing and Sustainability seeking approval of expenditure for Housing Revenue Account funded projects.

To approve in accordance with Financial Procedure Rules expenditure of £4,751,000 phased as follows:

• £1,548,000 in 2015/16
• £3,203,000 in 2016/17

Provision for which exists within the Safe, Wind and Weather tight; Modern Facilities; Well Maintained Communal Facilities and Warm and Energy Efficient sections of the HRA Capital Programme as detailed in the table below.

Financial Procedure Rules state that all schemes already in the Capital Programme under £500,000 can be approved by the Chief Officer in consultation with the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Cabinet Member, those between £500,000 and £2M will require Cabinet Approval and those with a total value above £2M will require the approval of full Council. The schemes in this report fall into all of these categories but are presented in one report for completeness.

1.  There have been various consultation meetings with Tenant Groups and Leaseholders during the last 12-18 months with regard to the proposed programme of Capital expenditure associated with the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) and the Council’s Self-Financing regime. These works form part of the approved 5 year Capital Programme (formally approved on 11th February 2015).  Parts of the works identified will contribute to the proposed Energy Company Obligation (ECO) works and are critical in enabling the Council to obtain the maximum grant funded contribution for this project.

2.  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 policy 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.