Issue - meetings

Key Decision

Portfolio Holder

Councillor Tom Hollis – Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Council and Social Housing

RESOLVED that

a)    the content of this report and the consultation undertaken with tenants, be received and noted;

b)    variation of the Tenancy Agreement, be approved;

c)    approval be given for the introduction of a service of £3.00 per week to be collected over 48 weeks in line with the rent collection, for communal housing court schemes as specified at Appendix 1;

d)    it be noted that the charge will be reviewed annually in line with operating costs and inflation;

e)    delegated authority be granted to the Director of Housing and Assets, in consultation with the Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Council and Social Housing, to consider if any further schemes/flats can be included within this designation, to ensure all communal areas in Council owned properties are maintained to the same, high quality standard.

Approval was sought from Cabinet to introduce service charges at 9 sheltered schemes and 21 blocks of general needs flats from 4th April 2022.

(At this point in the proceedings, Councillor Kier Barsby declared a Disclosable Pecuniary interest in this and the following item due to the fact that he was currently a Council tenant.  His interest was such that he stayed in the room and took part in the discussion and voting thereon as the decisions did not relate to his tenancy.)

As part of the discussion, a request was made that officers consider if any further schemes/flats could be included within the designation, to ensure all communal areas in Council owned properties are maintained to the same, high quality standard.

Members considered the alternative option of declining to introduce the service charges to the designated properties, but this was not recommended as it would mean that the communal costs of these properties would be

subsidised by other tenants not in receipt of those services.

RESOLVED that

a)    the content of this report and the consultation undertaken with tenants, be received and noted;

b)    variation of the Tenancy Agreement, be approved;

c)    approval be given for the introduction of a service of £3.00 per week to be collected over 48 weeks in line with the rent collection, for communal housing court schemes as specified at Appendix 1;

d)    it be noted that the charge will be reviewed annually in line with operating costs and inflation;

e)    delegated authority be granted to the Director of Housing and Assets, in consultation with the Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Council and Social Housing, to consider if any further schemes/flats can be included within this designation, to ensure all communal areas in Council owned properties are maintained to the same, high quality standard.

Reasons:

1.    To introduce a service charge to recover some of the costs of managing, maintaining and providing specific services in addition to the basic rent at the addresses specified in Appendix 1.

2.    To meet the requirements of the Regulator of Social Housing as set out in the “Neighbourhood Standard” and the Rent Regulations.