AN EXTRAORDINARY MEETING OF THE HOUSING BOARD
WAS HELD ON 5 FEBRUARY 2003
Chairman of the Policy and Organisation Board (Councillor Cully) (P), Councillors Carter (P), Mrs Cully (P), Edwards (P), Farr (P), Friend (P), Mrs Gravell , Hayward (P), P Russell (P), Taylor (P),) and Mrs Wright (Chairman) (P)
It was reported that, in accordance with Standing Orders, Councillor Edwards had been nominated to replace Councillor Bone for the meeting.
|
PART I |
|
|
|
34. |
COUNCIL DWELLING RENTS 2003/2004 |
|
|
|
|
The Board gave consideration to a joint report of the Borough Treasurer and Housing Services Manager in respect of Council dwelling rents for 2003/2004. The report included the revised budget for 2002/2003 and the 2003/2004 budget for the Housing Revenue Account, Capital Programme, Housing Revenue Account Subsidy, 2003/2004 rent level proposals and the General Fund. |
|
|
|
The report outlined the Government's Rent Restructuring Policy that came into effect in 2002/2003 although local authorities had been given the option not to implement the restructuring on an individual property basis until 2003/2004. It was therefore recommended that the Council should agree to the implementation of rent restructuring for 2003/2004 on an individual property basis. |
|
|
|
The Government had specified that all authorities must comply with the rent restructuring targets by 2012 and had indicated that failure to do so would result in subsidy loss. Applying property specific rent restructuring for 2003/2004 using the Government's prescribed formula, it was calculated that an average rent increase of 2.3% was required this year until 2012 and was intended to achieve an evenly staged progress towards the required rental levels. |
|
|
|
It was further proposed that rent levels for garages, carports and parking lots should be increased by 3.00%. |
|
|
|
RECOMMENDED: That with effect from 1 April 2003 |
|
|
|
|
(a) |
in accordance with the Housing Revenue Account Business Plan, the Council begins to apply the national rent restructuring formula on an individual property basis as from 2003/2004; and |
|
|
|
|
(b) |
garage, carports and parking lot rents be increased by 3.00%. |
|
|
|
|
PART II |
|
|
|
|
35. |
BOARD BUDGET 2003-2004 |
|
|
|
|
The Board gave consideration to the draft Revenue Budget for 2003/2004 as prepared by the Deputy Chief Executive and Borough Treasurer. The total budget for 2003/2004 was £392,250, an increase of £68,730 from the original 2002/2003 budget of £323,520. The revised budget for 2002/2003 was £392,640, an increase of £69,120 from the original budget. Consideration was also given to the Capital Programme for 2002/2003 to 2008/2009. |
|
|
|
The Board were requested to consider and set the charge for 2003/2004 for the sites at the Mobile Home Park at Stokes Bay. The current charge for 2002/2003 was £23.72 per week and it was recommended that this amount be increased by 3.00%, resulting in a charge of £24.43 for 2003/2004. |
|
|
|
RECOMMENDED: That the Policy and Organisation Board be requested to approve the: |
|
(a) Revenue Budget 2003/2004 and the Capital Programme 2002/2003 to 2008/2009; and |
|
(b) Fees and Charges for 2003/2004, as set out on page 9 of the Fees and Charges Book, with an increase of 3.00% in the Stokes Bay Mobile Home Park site rents. |
|
|
|
|
|
CHAIRMAN |
|
|
