Agenda item - Housing Improvements and Service Enhancements Fund 2015/16

(Housing Portfolio Holder) To consider the attached report (C070-2014/15).

(1) That the latest out-turn forecasts for each of the projects funded by the Housing Improvements and Service Enhancements Fund in 2014/15, provided at Appendix 1 of the report, be noted;

(2) That the associated expenditure for any slippage on individual projects in 2014/15 be carried forward to complete the projects in 2015/16;

(3) That the following be noted:

(a) That the Housing Scrutiny Panel had already recommended to the Cabinet for the cost of increasing the financial incentives for Council tenants downsizing their accommodation be met from the Housing Improvements and Service Enhancements Fund; and

(b) That the Cabinet had already agreed the Fund should meet the costs relating to the Housing Revenue Account of increasing the size of the new Corporate Fraud Team from April 2015, subject to the required General Fund Continuing Services Budget (CSB) bid being agreed;

(4) That the following proposed list of Housing Improvements and Service Enhancements for 2015/16, and the associated recommendations for each project, be approved:

(a) That the Allpay paperless daily direct debit facility be introduced from April 2015 for Council tenants, to replace the present four dates per month cycle;

(b) That the Allpay swipe card payment facility and daily direct debits be introduced from April 2015 for Council leaseholders;

(c) That a revenue grant of £37,800 be provided to the Epping Forest Citizens Advice Bureau to fund the continuation of the two temporary full-time Debt Advisors for a further 12 months from 1 April 2015;

(d) That the non-HRA contribution of grant - amounting to £4,200 - be funded from the grant received as part of the Local Government Grant Settlement 2015/16 specifically for homelessness prevention measures;

(e) That an additional temporary part-time (18 hours) Housing Officer post be created for a period of 18 months, to enable the planned expansion of services at the Limes Centre in Chigwell for a pilot period of 12 months; and

(f) That a review of the success of the pilot be undertaken by the Housing Scrutiny Panel (or successor body) following 12 months of operation to decide whether the temporary post in (e) above should be made permanent;

(5) That the amount allocated from the Fund to the Major Capital Projects Reserve be increased in 2015/16 from £200,000 to £384,000 to fund future Housing Capital projects (either in 2015/16 or future years); and

(6) That, at its meeting in January 2016, the Scrutiny Panel / Select Committee responsible for scrutinising the Housing Service be requested to consider and recommend to the Cabinet the proposed use of the Housing Improvements and Service Enhancements Fund for 2016/17.

The Chairman of the Housing Scrutiny Panel presented the Panel’s report on the use of the Housing Improvements & Service Enhancements Fund in 2015/16.

The Chairman reminded the Cabinet that when it agreed the strategic approach for the Council’s new 30-Year Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Financial Plan, it had requested the Housing Scrutiny Panel to consider and recommend to the Cabinet a proposed list of housing improvements and service enhancements each year, utilising the additional funding made available as a result of the HRA self-financing initiative. For the past three years, the Housing Scrutiny Panel had formulated lists of housing improvements and service enhancements, which had been subsequently approved by the Cabinet. An out-turn report on the forecast expenditure and the progress made on the projects agreed for 2014/15 had been attached at Appendix 1 of the Panel’s report.

The Chairman highlighted that the Scrutiny Panel had already recommended to the Cabinet that the cost of increasing the financial incentives to under-occupying tenants should be met from the Housing Improvements & Service Enhancements Fund for 2015/16. In addition, the Cabinet had already agreed that the cost to the HRA of increasing the size of the new Corporate Fraud team should be met from the Fund as well. Other projects proposed for funding from the remaining £123,000 in the Fund included: the provision of a daily direct debit facility for Tenants and Leaseholders and a swipe card payment facility for Leaseholders; the continuation of two temporary full-time debt advisors with the Epping Forest Citizens Advice Bureau for a further twelve months; the expansion of services and opening hours at the Limes Farm Centre in Chigwell; as well as the previously agreed annual provision of £50,000 to the In-Year Housing Improvements & Enhancements Fund.

The Chairman stated that the Panel had also proposed that the amount allocated to the Major Capital Projects Reserve should be increased in 2015/16 from £200,000 to £384,000. This would finance future Housing capital projects, either in 2015/16 or future years. Finally, the Panel had proposed that it (or its successor body following the review of the Council’s Scrutiny Panel structure) should examine and recommend proposals for the use of the Fund in 2016/17.

The Housing Portfolio Holder thanked the Housing Scrutiny Panel for their report, and highlighted the two recommendations concerning the expansion of the services available at the Limes Farm Centre in Chigwell, and the continued funding for the debt advisors with the Citizens Advice Bureau. The Portfolio Holder urged the Cabinet to support the recommendations of the Scrutiny Panel.

Some concerns were expressed regarding the timing of the review of the expanded services planned for the Limes Farm Centre in Chigwell, and maybe a review after nine months of operation would be better than after twelve months. The Chairman of the Housing Scrutiny Panel offered no strong views on the matter. The Director of Communities advised the Cabinet that twelve months had been considered a reasonable review period, as this would give six further months for the additional temporary Housing Officer to either be made a permanent member of staff or to wind down the expanded operations at the Limes Farm Centre. The review period would begin when the new Officer started with the Council, and Officers were content with the proposal. The Leader of the Council suggested that an informal review by Officers could be scheduled for six months after the start of the expanded operations.

Decision: