All Decisions

To reduce the level of Professional Indemnity cover required to be held by the Consultant (Supplier) from the councils standard value of £2M to £1M for the appointment relating to the Toilet Condition Surveys.

A report was presented to Cabinet proposing to allocate £480k or remaining funding from the previous Regional Housing Board backed schemes to create a new Heating Assistance Scheme as part of the Housing Assistance and Disabled Facilities Grant policy adopted in 2019.

The scheme will sit within the Housing Assistance and Disabled Facilities Grant policy, and assist households with repairs and replacements of boilers, which are not eligible for the Urgent Repair Grants and Disabled Facilities Grants.

Cabinet agreed the following:

1.  To the allocation of the remaining Regional Housing Board funds to create a Heating Assistance Scheme to enable households who are experiencing fuel poverty to access funding.

A report was presented to Cabinet giving an update on our approved affordable housing development programme, which has been previously agreed by full council as part of the approved Housing Revenue Account Capital Programme.

The council has previously committed capital funding of £8.8m, from the Housing Revenue Account Capital Programme, for the delivery of Phase 4 of its affordable housing development programme, spanning the 2020-24 financial years. Phase 4 included 14 property acquisitions (already completed) and 22 new build homes, which are due to start on site in March 2023. The Capital Programme approved by Council in February 2022 agreed a further ongoing annual budget of £8.1m from 2024/25 for the ‘New Build Phase 5’ scheme, funded from borrowing.

This report seeks approval of the adjustment to the timescales of delivery to spend the already allocated budget and an increased number of new build units from 22 to 47, so that the total number of homes provided in phase 4 will increase to 61. A total of 60% of this funding is through borrowing, with the balance of 40% funding from retained right-to-buy receipts.

Cabinet agreed the following:

1.  An increase in the number of homes to be delivered as part of Phase 4 from 36 to 61;

2.  That £8.1m for 2024/25 vired from the ‘New Build Phase 5’ capital scheme be transferred to the ‘New Build Phase 4’ scheme, to accommodate the scheme of works set out in this report; and

3.  The ‘New Build Phase 4 scheme’ budget for 2024/25 is increased by £0.2m, to be funded from the borrowing allocated to and a corresponding decrease in the ‘New Build Phase 5’ scheme budget for 2025/26.

Cabinet considered a report recommending the letting of the heating servicing and repairs contract for space heating servicing, health and safety inspections, maintenance and installation works for  HRA housing stock. 

Cabinet agreed to:

1.  The letting of the contract for space heating servicing, health and safety inspections, maintenance and installation works for HRA housing stock.