(i) Propose to Council from 1 April 2024, an average rent increase will be applied to dwelling rents of 7.7% in line with the rent increase guidance set by Government, as detailed in paragraph 14, equivalent to an average increase of £7.15 per week in the current average weekly dwelling rent figure of £92.75 for Social rent, and £10.58 per week in the current average weekly rent for affordable rent of £151.16. Rents for Shared Ownership rents will also increase by 7.7%.
(ii) Propose to Council that there will be no increase in weekly service charges applied from 1 April 2024, as detailed in paragraph 21, pending further work on service charges in 2024/25.
(iii) Propose to Council the Housing Revenue Account revenue estimates as set out in Appendix 4.
(iv) Propose to Council the 40-year Business Plan for revenue and capital expenditure set out in Appendix 1 and confidential Appendix 5 respectively, that based on current assumptions are sustainable, maintaining a minimum HRA balance increasing from £2.0M in 2023/24 to £7.0M by 2027/28, following a review of policy undertaken in 2023/24 for future budgets to provide a sufficient and necessary buffer against financial risks.
(v) Propose to Council the increase in landlord-controlled heating charges set out in paragraph 25, which represent a 5% increase (reduced from the 10% increase previously anticipated in the MTFS update in July 2023)
(vi) Propose to Council the revised Housing Revenue Account (HRA) capital programme, which totals £280.01M (as detailed in paragraph 60 & 61 and the associated use of resources.
(vii) Propose to Council the capital projections in the HRA Capital Programme for 2023/24 to 2028/29 as detailed from paragraph 60, and that spend between 2023/24 and 2027/28 has been increased following the decision of Cabinet on 6 February 2024 on the future delivery of Plots 2,9 and 10 Townhill Park, to deliver plots 2 and 9 through the Affordable Homes Framework and adjusted for known slippages at Quarter 3.
(viii) Propose to Council an increase in the HRA working balance from the current £2m, to £7m by 2027/28