Decision details

(1)        That the latest out-turn forecasts for each of the projects funded by the Housing Improvement and Service Enhancement Fund in 2013/14, provided at Appendix 1 of the report, be noted;

(2)        That the associated expenditure for any slippages on individual projects in 2013/14 be carried forward to complete the projects in 2014/15;

(3)        That the following list of housing improvements and service enhancements for 2014/15, and the associated recommendations for each project (as set out at Appendix 2 of the report) be approved:

            Doors of Leasehold Flats

            (a)        That, in order to help ensure that all front doors in blocks of             Council flats were fire-protected, a scheme be introduced whereby the            Council offers to contribute 75% of the cost of replacing fire-protected             front doors to leasehold properties, where the door comes off of an            enclosed common part, if leaseholders meet the remaining 25% cost;

            (b)        That, in order to treat all leaseholders equitably, where leaseholders           have already agreed to pay, or have paid, the full amount for the installation of a fire-protected front door, they be given    a discount/refund of 75% of the   cost, with refunds for installations already paid being applied as a credit to the       leaseholder’s 2014/15 annual maintenance charge;

            (c)        That those leaseholders who, to date, have not agreed to have new            fire-protected doors installed, be advised of the proposed scheme and offered    to have a new door installed in 2014/15; and

            (d)        That the scheme be funded through an allocation of funding from the          Housing Improvements and Service Enhancements Fund of £125,000 in      2014/15 and £100,000 per annum for the following three years;

            Oakwood Hill Estate Enhancement Scheme

            (e)        That £100,000 per annum be allocated in 2014/15 and 2015/16       (£200,000 in total) to fund an Estate Enhancement Scheme at the Oakwood         Hill Estate, Loughton;

            (f)         That the County Council’s agreement in principle, at the request of the       Housing Portfolio Holder, to provide match funding of £200,000 for the             Enhancement Scheme be noted; and

            (g)        That a Member/Officer “Task Force” be established, chaired by the            Housing Portfolio Holder, and including senior housing officers, ward   members, the ECC divisional member, and representatives from the             Oakwood Hill Estate Residents Association (OHERA), the Oakwood Senior           Citizens Club and Essex CC Highways;

            Communal Kitchens – Sheltered Housing Schemes

            (h)        That £70,000 per annum be allocated in 2014/15 and 2015/16         (£140,000 in total) to refurbish all 12 remaining communal kitchens at the        sheltered housing schemes that now required renewal;

            Mobility Scooter Stores

            (i)         That £50,000 be allocated in 2014/15 to fund the provision and        installation of around 25 electric mobility scooter stores, with those schemes             with the greatest demand and sufficient space to provide the stores given the          greatest priority;

            Garden Maintenance Scheme

            (j)         That Housing Revenue Account (HRA) funding of £40,000 per annum         continued to be provided to VAEF for the Council’s Garden Maintenance         Scheme for Older and Disabled Council Tenants for a further two years from            2014/2015, with £20,000 funded from the existing budget within the HRA and         the remaining £20,000 funded from the Housing Improvements and Service     Enhancements Fund;

            Wi-Fi – Norway House

            (k)        That a Wi-Fi system be provided and supported by the Council at   Norway House, North Weald, funded by an allocation of one-off funding of £8,000 in 2014/15 and an ongoing support cost of £500 per annum;

            (l)         That an appropriate level of regulation of internet access be applied,           through the use of filters;

            (m)      That residents not be charged for the Wi-Fi usage, with the cost of             access considered to be included within their room charge;

            Chalet Replacement Project – Norway House

            (n)        That £6,000 be allocated in 2014/15 to fund an initial feasibility study           to assess the design, planning and other issues – together with the costs -            associated with the provision of replacement chalets at Norway House, North Weald;

            (o)        That the feasibility study includes an assessment of the potential and         costs to provide an increased number of chalets in the grounds of Norway         House;

            (p)        That, in principle, the costs of the Chalet Replacement Scheme be             met from the Major Capital Project Reserve held within the Fund, at an   appropriate time in the future, subject to the approval of the Cabinet; and

            (q)        That a site visit be arranged for the Scrutiny Panel (and any other   interested members) at the appropriate time, following completion of the             feasibility study and prior to further consideration being given to the Chalet        Replacement Project; and

(4)        The amount allocated from the Fund to the Major Capital Projects Reserve in 2014/15 be reduced from £850,000 to £200,000, due to:

            (a)        The required second year’s funding for Marden Close and Faversham        Hall (£508,000);

            (b)        The proposals being put forward at Appendix 2 for the allocation of resources from the Fund next year (see below); and

            (c)        The anticipated cessation of the Government’s Rent Convergence             Policy from April 2015;

(5)        That the proposed £200,000 within the Major Capital Projects Reserve for 2014/15 be used to either help fund a capital project next year (subject to the subsequent approval of the Cabinet or Housing Portfolio Holder), or be added to the funding made available for the Major Projects Capital Reserve in the following year (2015/16), for a larger capital project at that time; and

(6)        That, at its meeting in January 2015, the Housing Scrutiny Panel be asked to consider and recommend to the Cabinet the proposed use of the Housing Improvements and Service Enhancements Fund for 2015/16.