Agenda item

The report provides clarity to the Committee on the grounds maintenance specification to be delivered to Housing Revenue Account communal areas, and to provide an update on the number of tenants utilising the Assisted Garden Scheme.

The Cabinet Member for Housing and Property presented the information report that provided an insight into the Grounds Maintenance specification for the Housing Revenue Account communal land. It also provided an overview of the number of tenants currently utilising the scheme.

The report provided a detailed breakdown of the service to be delivered in the financial year of 2022-23. The cost to the Housing Revenue Account of £153,700 was provided.

Figures set out in the report were provided to the Committee:

·       That 501 tenants were currently using the scheme.

·       114 tenants were using the service for grass cutting only at a cost of £7.87 per week.

·       264 tenants required grass and hedge cutting at a cost of £9.42 per week.

·       123 tenants were using the service for hedge cutting only at a cost of £1.55 per week.

The service was currently being delivered at a flat rate, regardless of the size of garden or hedge. The Council were seeking to address this in the future. 

It was noted that there was a future option for this service becoming chargeable.

It was confirmed that the grounds maintenance inspectorate was being improved.

A query was raised on when the costings for the scheme would be available.

The Assistant Director for Housing confirmed that the costings per property around the assisted garden scheme were available at present.

A recharges policy would be coming to the Committee in June/July 2022 which would need to be agreed by Cabinet to enable the levying of charges to tenants on a pro-rata scheme where the charges would be built up over the next two years from a 50% charge up to a 100% charge.

Additional work had been undertaken to grade the size of the gardens (small, medium and large) so the charges could be more equitable.

The Cabinet Member for Housing and Property confirmed that 41% of tenants utilising the assisted garden scheme had assisted living expenses by benefits.

One Member reminded Members that the Rural and Communuties Overview and Scrutiny Committee unanimously rejected any charges to be made to tenants. It was suggested that the charges were inappropriate due to the increase of inflation.

Clarification was sought on the table (1.6) set out in the report and whether they were costs to the tenant or costs to the Council.

It was confirmed that the table outlined costs to the Council.

One Member highlighted a previous issue relating to the terminology of overall costs to the Council, due to the services being provided by Environment SK Ltd.

A query was raised on the average cost of the work that is undertaken per hour and how many hours per cut had been allocated to establish the charge price and what charges were being made for overheads and profit to Environment SK Ltd.

The Assistant Director for Housing confirmed that work was being undertaken later in 2022 around the grounds maintenance contract and would form part of a specification to tender for works.

A Member highlighted the inconceivability of the Council accepting charges from Environment SK Ltd without having the basis of charges defined.

The Director for Housing and Property notified the Committee that benchmarking had been completed with other districts in relation to the hourly cut rate from Environment SK Ltd. It was confirmed that the hourly rate from the Council was similar to other authorities.

The Cabinet Member for Housing and Property noted that he was the Director for Environment SK Ltd for two months to assist during a transition.

It was confirmed that the cost of profit on Housing Revenue Account services was 10%.

A query was raised on whether the service was to be requested verbally by the resident and whether the Council had any influence over gardens that were not kept tidy.

The Director for Housing and Property highlighted that within the scheme, an untidy garden would be a breach of tenancy. Some landlords had a criterion for a resident to be eligible for assisted garden scheme e.g., old age or disability.

It was clarified that residents that receive income related benefits may decide to spend their benefits on the chargeable assisted gardens scheme.

AGREED:

1.    Notes the specification to be delivered to HRA Communal Areas and total cost

2.    Notes the numbers utilising the Assisted Garden Scheme