Agenda item

To seek approval from Cabinet to amend the 2024/25 Housing Revenue Account, revenue budget to fund stock condition surveys (report of the Assistant Director – Housing enclosed).

Consideration was given to the report of the Assistant Director – Housing which sought approval from Cabinet to amend the 2024/25 Housing Revenue Account, revenue budget to fund stock condition surveys.

The Portfolio Holder – Strategic and Operational Housing presented the report.

The Regulator of Social Housing had set out clear expectations to Registered Providers regarding stock condition data.  Providers needed to evidence up to date knowledge of the condition and decency of their homes, in short, proving that their homes were good quality, well maintained and safe.  Furthermore, compliance with the current decent homes’ standard should be underpinned by robust evidence, such as up to date in depth physical property surveys.

The effectiveness, efficiency and timeliness of the Council’s Housing Repairs Service, maintenance and planned improvement programmes could only be truly effective when underpinned by up to date and reliable data.  Therefore, undertaking comprehensive physical assessments to all the Council’s housing stock would enable the Authority to improve the outcomes it delivered to its tenants.  Building on the current data already held, refreshing and updating older data and closing data gaps would form the foundations of the recently commissioned strategic planning work to refresh the HRA Business Plan and Asset Management Strategy.

The comprehensive scope of the stock conditions work would ensure the Council had an accurate, up to date and evidenced understanding at an individual property level.  Alongside stock condition assessments, assessments of health and safety and energy audit work would ensure the Authority held quality data, providing it with a rounded view of all its homes.  As the Council continued to prepare for a future enhanced Decent Homes Standard, this data set would form a vital part of the Council’s assessment of the cost of meeting any future requirements. 

The following points were raised:

·       What was the current status of the stock condition surveys, in relation to the data that the Authority held?

o   Data was held on an individual level for all of the Authority’s properties.  Some of this data was up to 8 years old and there was also information from surveys that had been carried out in recent years.  Under the new requirements, the oldest data that could be held should be five years old meaning that around half of the data held by the Authority was approaching this limit.  Traditionally, data had included elements such as kitchens, bathrooms, roofs etc where there was an age element attached - the new standard set out by the regulators now included elements such as health and safety and the energy audit works.  Where properties had reported issues e.g. damp and mould, the Authority would have full information on them, but not on those that had not – these data gaps therefore required filling.

·       Visits to tenants’ homes would have to be undertaken – how would this be managed?

o   The Portfolio Holder for Strategic and Operational Housing stated that the same process for visits would be followed and that this was detailed within the scoping document.  It would be challenging to undertake the surveys as some tenants may not see the benefits of it being undertaken – this challenge had already been raised between the Portfolio Holder and officers.

o   The Assistant Director – Housing clarified that the report under discussion dealt with ensuring that the budget elements were in place, and that a separate decision would be taken and published in due course, detailing the approach to be taken.  A communication strategy would be agreed.  Some preparatory work had already started as the potential for a significant number of enquiries was recognised.  It was important that the approach taken was clear, that tenants understood what was being done and that this work was being undertaken on behalf of the Council. 

DECISION:

To approve a transfer from HRA reserves of £276,500 (£251,300 + £25,200 as a 10% contingency) to fund stock condition survey work, subject to a formal contract being awarded.

(Other options considered:

·       Initially, consideration was given to commissioning a refreshed ‘elements survey’ to inform the continued investment the Council makes in maintaining the Decent Homes Standard. However, based on guidance from the Regulator of Social Housing which became available shortly before the Consumer Standards came into force this is considered ineffective to deliver against the outcomes of the consumer standards.

·       Do nothing. The Council could opt to continue using its current stock condition data. However, this is considered insufficient to meet the new regulatory requirements.

Reasons for decision:

·       The Regulator of Social Housing has mandated through the approved Consumer Standards that Registered Providers must have accurate, up to date and evidenced understanding of the condition of their homes that reliably informs their provision of good quality, well maintained and safe homes for tenants. To demonstrate outcomes to the Regulator of Social Housing, it is considered essential to commission a refreshed data set on all the Council’s residential housing assets within the HRA.)