Agenda item

RESOLVED: That Cabinet recommended Council to approve:

a) An average maximum rent increase of 4.1% per dwelling, in line with the legislation and the government’s national rent standard, to take effect from 4th April 2022.

b) The HRA budget for 2022-23 of £56m expenditure detailed in Appendix 1.

c) The HRA capital programme for 2022-23, including future year estimated commitments, and proposed sources of finance, as set out in Appendix 2.

d) The proposed service charges listed in Appendix 3.

e) The Total Fees proposed for NPH to deliver the services in scope for 2022-23 detailed in Appendix 4.

·         The reserves strategy of protecting balances wherever possible to allow the option of supporting future years’ budgets, aiming for a minimum level of unallocated HRA balances of at least £5m for 2022/23 having regard to the outcome of the financial risk assessment.

·         That authority be delegated to the Executive Director of Finance in consultation with the portfolio holder for Finance to amend the capital programme for 2022-23 going forward so that it accurately reflects issues such as slippage on current year projects that will need to be added to the programme, any amendments made to existing capital programmes, adjustments to accommodate any future use of capital receipts policy and for any other reason where the capital programme needs to be adjusted.

·         That authority be delegated to the Executive Director of Finance to make any technical changes necessary to the papers for the Council meeting of 24 February 2022.

·         That authority be delegated to the Executive Director of Finance in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Finance, and where appropriate the relevant Director and Portfolio Holder to:

a. Transfer monies to/from earmarked reserves should that become necessary during the financial year.

b. Transfer monies to / from HRA working balances between the Council and NPH for cash flow purposes should that become necessary during the financial year.

c.  Updated the budget tables and appendices, prior to Council should any further changes be necessary.

d. Updated prudential indicators in both the Prudential Indicators report and Treasury Strategy report, for Council for any budget changes that   on these.

REASONS RESOLVED:

Ensured that the Council complied with its Constitution and all other relevant requirements in setting the budget for West Northamptonshire Council.

ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS:

None

At the Chair’s invitation Councillor Malcolm Longley presented the report, copies of which had been previously circulated. It was advised that this was a continuing strategy that had come over from Northampton Borough Council (NBC) with a major review in the pipeline. It was noted that the green budget would need to be incorporated and that there would be some slippage.

Councillors made the following comments.

• It was queried whether the housing revenue had to be factored into the budget.
• It was questioned whether there would there be an impact to the Housing Strategy and how the different budgets would link in.
• It was noted that the number of Right to Buy properties had increased, this would have an adverse effect on the number of affordable houses available, which would increase the wait times for residents.

Councillor Adam Brown agreed that the lack of affordable housing was a real issue and WNC would look at every avenue to mitigate this.

Councillor Malcolm Longley made the following comments.

·         The housing situation had been an inherited one.

·         WNC needed to decide as a whole what can be done to mitigate and what can be achieved.

RESOLVED: That Cabinet recommended Council to approve:

a) An average maximum rent increase of 4.1% per dwelling, in line with the legislation and the government’s national rent standard, to take effect from 4th April 2022.

b) The HRA budget for 2022-23 of £56m expenditure detailed in Appendix 1.

c) The HRA capital programme for 2022-23, including future year estimated commitments, and proposed sources of finance, as set out in Appendix 2.

d) The proposed service charges listed in Appendix 3.

e) The Total Fees proposed for NPH to deliver the services in scope for 2022-23 detailed in Appendix 4.

• The reserves strategy of protecting balances wherever possible to allow the option of supporting future years’ budgets, aiming for a minimum level of unallocated HRA balances of at least £5m for 2022/23 having regard to the outcome of the financial risk assessment.
• That authority be delegated to the Executive Director of Finance in consultation with the portfolio holder for Finance to amend the capital programme for 2022-23 going forward so that it accurately reflects issues such as slippage on current year projects that will need to be added to the programme, any amendments made to existing capital programmes, adjustments to accommodate any future use of capital receipts policy and for any other reason where the capital programme needs to be adjusted.
• That authority be delegated to the Executive Director of Finance to make any technical changes necessary to the papers for the Council meeting of 24 February 2022.
• That authority be delegated to the Executive Director of Finance in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Finance, and where appropriate the relevant Director and Portfolio Holder to:

a. Transfer monies to/from earmarked reserves should that become necessary during the financial year.

b. Transfer monies to / from HRA working balances between the Council and NPH for cash flow purposes should that become necessary during the financial year.

c.  Updated the budget tables and appendices, prior to Council should any further changes be necessary.

d. Updated prudential indicators in both the Prudential Indicators report and Treasury Strategy report, for Council for any budget changes that on these.