Issue - meetings

This report has been circulated separately as Supplementary Agenda 1.

Received a report from the Corporate Director of Customer Services on the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) estimates and review of rents and other charges for 2009/10 along with planned reductions in expenditure to achieve a prudent working balance.

Agreed, in order to meet the Council’s statutory duty to annually review rents and other charges and assist in achieving the Community Priority of ‘Improving Health, Housing and Social Care’, to:

  (i)  The HRA estimates for 2009/2010, as set out in the report;

  (ii)  Rent increases, calculated in accordance with the Governments rent restructuring policy, which represents an average weekly rent increase of 6.78% or £5.19;

  (iii)  The completion of the phased de-pooling of tenant service charges in respect of caretaking, grounds maintenance, cleansing, television aerials and security, in order to minimise the Council’s liability for Rent Rebate Subsidy limitation;

  (iv)  Increasing the communal heating charges by 10.00%;

  (v)  Increasing rents for garages by 6.78%;

  (vi)  Prudential borrowing of £500,000 per annum to fund capital programme works; and

  (vii)  the above changes taking effect from 6 April 2009.