Agenda item

The Cabinet Member for Housing and Property presented a report which provided Full Council with an opportunity to allocate an additional revenue budget to enable the delivery of the Earlesfield Estate improvement works project in Grantham.

The Cabinet Member reported this represented a significant project and impacted 152 properties on the Earlesfield Estate requiring extensive works, with 112 properties requiring full tenant or family decampment to enable the works within the estate to be undertaken. Ten properties were being held for use by those residents where decampment would be necessary.

Cabinet had awarded the contract for these works at its meeting on 31 May 2022 to a company who had submitted a comprehensive bid and provided significant assurances regarding their ability to deliver.

Subject to approval at this meeting, a draft programme of works would be developed. Tenants would then be provided with sufficient notice with the schedule of works as well as plans and timescales associated with any decampments.

The Cabinet Member hoped that tenants in these properties would feel reassured by this commitment from the Council to improve their homes, reminding Members that the Corporate Plan included a priority of ensuring that it had housing which met the needs of all its residents. As a housing stockholder, the Council wanted to offer decent quality accommodation with modern facilities and this project would deliver numerous benefits to residents in refurbished and safe homes.

The Cabinet Member proposed the recommendations contained within the report, which were seconded.

The following points were made during debate of the motion:

·         it was pleasing to see the Council was able to facilitate this project and make the necessary improvements to its housing stock in this area

·         a question was raised regarding the likely financial impact of bringing the Council’s stock up to the level required following the stock condition survey, particularly in respect of those areas which had been identified as being urgent

·         a vote of thanks was extended to the Cabinet Member and Housing Team for the work they had done so far in improving the Council’s housing service. As a consequence, it was becoming increasingly likely that the housing Regulatory Notice would soon be lifted from the Council

·         It would be necessary to wait for the results of the stock condition survey to be returned prior to planning and budgeting for the future

·         Paragraph 7.1 of the report stated that £2.442 million of the monies required were in this year’s budget and represented funding from a capital perspective. The proposal before Council was seeking a revenue budget allocation of £1.364 million to fund revenue costs associated with the works

·         The preliminary findings of the stock condition survey were in the process of being worked up and prioritised into those works considered as urgent, together with those scheduled to be undertaken in the short, medium and long term as part of a comprehensive programme

·         A question was raised regarding provision of white goods referenced within the report. It was noted these white goods were being provided in the ten decant properties allocated for use by those decamping from their homes whilst works took place

Having been proposed and seconded, upon being put to the vote the motion was AGREED.

DECISION:

That Full Council approves a revenue budget allocation of £1.364 million to be funded from the Housing Revenue Account Priorities Reserve in order to deliver the one-off revenue costs associated with the Earlesfield Estate Capital Project.