Issue - meetings

Members were advised that since the Cabinet decision on 17 October 2019 to bring the management of council housing stock management in-house, significant amount of “discovery” work had been undertaken across a number of areas by all four partner councils. This was to determine the detailed programme which would need to be put in place to ensure a robust and stable transfer of the housing service back into the Council. One of the more complex areas which had been investigated was the current IT “single system” which was used by East Kent Housing (EKH) and was an integrated Northgate system.

In bringing housing stock in-house, the council had a chance to create a service for our tenants that exemplified best practice across all areas. However to accomplish that there was a need to provide a secure base to operate from in terms of systems management and therefore transitional funding was required to complete this task.

Councillor Ashbee spoke under council Procedure 20.1.

Councillor Whitehead proposed, Councillor Everitt seconded and Cabinet agreed the following:

1.  To approve a 2020-21 only supplementary HRA revenue budget of £187,000 for the transition of the single housing management system to TDC in-house management, to be funded from HRA balances;

2.  To approve a recurring 2020-21 supplementary HRA revenue budget of £82,000 for the on-going maintenance and support of the housing management system, to be funded from HRA balances in 2020-21 and incorporated into the budget setting process for 2021-22 and beyond.