Decisions for issue Housing Revenue Account Budget and Investment Programme 2016/17 and Medium Term Financial Strategy

1)     That Policy & Resources Committee:

(a)       note that the HRA revenue budget 2016/17 savings proposals have increased by £0.133m since being reported to Housing & New Homes Committee as detailed in paragraph 3.4.

(b)       approves and recommends to Council the updated HRA revenue budget for 2016/17 as shown in Appendix 1

(c)       approves a rent reduction of 1% in line with draft government legislation as detailed in paragraph 3.7, including seniors sheltered housing rents.

(d)       approves service charges and fees as detailed in Appendix 2 and delegates authority to the Acting Executive Director of Environment, Development & Housing to make further amendments to communal service charges and laundry charges (to ensure cost recovery) once notification of new contract prices (from April 2016) has been received.

(e)       approves the capital programme expenditure and financing budget of £43.047 million for 2016/17 and notes the 4 year programme as set out in Appendix 3.

(f)        notes the Medium Term Financial Strategy and 30 year financial projections shown in Appendix 4.

(g)       notes the feedback from Area Panel representatives consultation as detailed in Appendix 5

2)     That the Committee recommends that Council:

(a)       approves the updated HRA revenue budget for 2016/17 as shown in Appendix 1

(b)       notes the Medium Term Financial Strategy and 30 year financial projections shown in Appendix 4.

(1)       That Housing & New Homes Committee recommend that Policy & Resources Committee:

(a)     Does not approve and recommend  to Council the HRA revenue budget for 2016/17 as shown in Appendix 1.

(b)     approves a rent reduction of 1% in line with draft government legislation as detailed in paragraph 3.7.

(c)     Does not approve service charges and fees as detailed in Appendix 2 or delegates authority to the Acting Executive Director of Environment, Development & Housing to make further amendments to communal service charges and laundry charges (to ensure cost recovery) once notification of new contract prices (from April 2016) has been received.

(d)     Does not approve the capital programme expenditure and financing budget of £43.047 million for 2016/17 or note the 4 year programme as set out in Appendix 3.

(e)     notes the Medium Term Financial Strategy and 30 year financial projections shown in Appendix 4.

(2)                   That an urgent meeting of all area panel representatives, housing   officers and interested elected members be held to obtain feedback     on capital programme priorities and revenue savings on the 2016/17      budget, and this feedback be passed onto Policy and Resources             Committee on 11 February 2016 for consideration.

(3)                   That a full consultation and engagement exercise be undertaken with       residents which is based on a programme agreed at an initial meeting             with tenant only chairs, panel chairs and officers to be held in    September 2016.

(4)                   That the results and recommendations from the consultation exercise        in (3) above be reported to the Committee with recommendations         for       the 2017/18 HRA revenue and capital budgets.