Meeting

To receive any disclosure of interests from Members or Officers in matters to be discussed.

Note: Councillors are reminded of their obligations to declare disclosable pecuniary interests (DPIs), other registerable interests (ORIs) and nonregisterable interests (NRIs) in accordance with the Council’s Code of Conduct.

To receive and answer and questions from the public.

(Questions must be received in writing by Democratic Services – democracy@winchester.gov.uk – no later than 10am on Thursday 20 February 2025)

RECOMMENDED (TO COUNCIL):

1.                  Note the HRA Financial Plan operating account, including annual working balances, as detailed in Appendix 6 of report CAB3490.

2.                  Approve the 2025/26 Housing Revenue Account budget as detailed in Appendices 1 and 2 to the report.

3.                  Approve the proposed capital programme for maintenance, improvements and renewals totalling £167.868m.

4.                  Approve capital expenditure and delegate to the Strategic Director with responsibility for housing authority to enter into necessary contracts for the 2025/26 capital programme of £21.134m, as detailed in Appendix 3 of the report in accordance with Financial Procedure Rule 7.4.

5.                  To approve the award of a contract, by direct award, for technology-based retrofit works of £4.3m per year in 2025/26, 2026/27 and 2027/28 (totalling £12.8m), contingent on funding secured from the Department of Energy Security and NetZero Social Housing Fund Wave 3 Grant, equivalent to 190 properties over 3 years. (See Para 11.62 to 11.65 of the report).

6.                  Approve the proposed 10 year capital programme for new homes totalling £237.7m, and expenditure of £5.255m in 2025/26, as detailed in appendix 4 of the report in accordance with Financial Procedure Rule 7.4,

7.                  Approve the financing of the HRA Capital Programme as detailed in Appendix 5 of the report, (noting the planned repayment of borrowing following the 1000 homes programme).

8.                  Approve the revenue savings target of £2m outlined to Cabinet in the November options paper and subsequently consulted upon and summarised at appendix 7 of the report.

9.                  Authorise the Section 151 Officer, in consultation with the Strategic Director with responsibility for Housing to approve the buy-back, during 2025/26, of individual former HRA properties sold under the Right to Buy, following positive financial appraisal, utilising the unallocated New Homes budget (see para 11.26 of the report).

10.              Subject to the acceptance of the expression of interest to the Local Authority Housing Fund (LAHF) round 3:

a.                  Authorise the Strategic Director with responsibility for Housing to enter into a revised Memorandum of Understanding with Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government to secure additional LAHF funding estimated at £2.841m

b.                  Delegate authority to the Section 151 Officer to approve capital expenditure (subject to financial appraisal, in accordance with Financial Procedure Rule 7.4) of up to £6.0m to purchase up to 12 properties using the approved HRA unallocated new build budget, to be part-financed by LAHF grant with any balance via prudential borrowing.

c.                  Authorise the Corporate Head – Asset Management and the Strategic Director with responsibility for Housing to purchase up to 12 properties. (Para 11.70-11.72 of the report)

11.              Approve the average rent increase for 2025/26 for all affordable, Shared Ownership and social housing of 2.7% based on the September 2024 CPI figure of 1.7% +1% (see para 11.6-11.7 of the report).

12.              Approve amendments to HRA tenant service charges in 2025/26 to reflect cost recovery based on 2023/24 actual costs, subject to capping at 5% or £5, whichever is greater, and noting that capped charges will be subject to gradual increases in future years (see para 11.41 to 11.45 of the report).

13.              Note that the previously approved consultation on the move to full cost recovery for both private and tenant connections of the council’s sewage treatment works will now take place in 2025/26 (see para 11.46-11.51 of the report).

14.              Note that the draft HRA Business 30-year Plan is viable and sustainable and has the capacity to support the delivery of 1,000 new affordable homes.

a)        RECOMMENDED (TO COUNCIL):

1.                That the level of General Fund Budget for 2025/26 be agreed and recommend the summary as shown in Appendix A of report CAB3494.

2.                That the Greener Faster and carbon investment proposals be approved, used as the basis of this budget and as set out in the CAB3483 including:

a.                £135,000 additional budget per annum for the ongoing costs of providing the food waste collection service.

b.               £460,000 one-off budget to fund the phased roll out of the food waste service from October 2025, without government funding.

3.                That, in relation to the Healthy Communities priority of the new Council Plan:

a.                Approve the revised income bands for the Council Tax Reduction scheme for working age applicants (set out in appendix E) that ensure claimants continue to receive the appropriate level of support after the DWPs increase in Universal Credit rates with effect from 1 April 2025.

b.               Approve the amendment of the Council Tax Reduction scheme for working age applicants to include all additional support and new disregards with effect from 1 April 2025, as set out in this report.

c.                That £15,000 from the Cost of Living Reserve be used to extend the Council Tax Exceptional Hardship Fund into 2025/26.

4.                That in relation to the Good Homes for All priority, additional investment of £300,000 per annum be approved to fund increased demand for temporary accommodation to prevent homelessness.

5.                That an additional £50,000 per annum be included to fund additional pressures on council contracts.

6.                That service income annual budgets be amended as follows, in response to revised estimates:

a.              Garden Waste income increased by £30,000 (to reflect increases subscriptions, although partly off-set by increased contract costs of delivering the service to more households).

b.              Planning fee income reduction of £200,000 (to reflect the current reduced levels of applications received)

7.                That following a review of earmarked reserves that they be amended as follows:

a.    £200,000 of the Transitional Reserve be re-allocated to the Thriving Places Reserve to invest one-off resources into planning enforcement.

b.    £2m of the Transitional Reserve be re-allocated to the Property Reserve to fund maintenance requirements of corporate properties.

c.    £902,000 of the Exceptional Inflation Reserve be re-allocated to the Car Parks Property Reserve to fund maintenance of and investment in parking.

d.    £425,000 from the Major Investment Reserve be re-allocated to the Local Development Framework Reserve to fund Local Plan requirements.

e.    An additional £100,000 per annum be set aside into the Car Parks Reserve to fund maintenance of and investment in parking.

8.              That the sum of £1,364,045 be treated as Special Expenses under Section 35 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 in respect of the Winchester Town area as set out in section 16 and Appendix D.

9.              That the Council Tax for the Special Expenses in the Winchester Town area at Band D for 2025/26 be increased by the maximum allowed under the referendum limit of 2.99% combined between the town and district.

10.              That the deficit balance on the Council Tax Collection Fund for distribution to this Council, calculated in January 2025 of £142,787, be approved.

11.                  Recommend the level of Council Tax at Band D for City Council services for 2025/26 be increased to £163.66, an increase of £4.30 reflecting an average Council tax increase of 2.7%.

12.                  The approval of a Second Home premium for Council Tax which will take effect from 1 April 2026 (12 months’ notice is required to implement this premium), and the adoption of exceptions (listed at Appendix F) in respect of properties included in the Council Tax Premium schemes.

b)       TO PASS A FORMAL RESOLUTION SETTING THE COUNCIL TAX FOR THE CITY OF WINCHESTER FOR THE YEAR COMMENCING 1 APRIL 2025.

RECOMMENDED (TO COUNCIL):

1.           That the Capital Investment Strategy be approved including:

a)         the Capital Programme and Capital Programme Financing (Appendices A and B to the report);

b)        the Minimum Revenue Provision (MRP) Policy Statement (Appendix E of the report);

c)         the Flexible Use of Capital Receipts Strategy (Appendix Gof the report); and

d)        the prudential indicators detailed in the report and Appendix F.

RECOMMENDED (TO COUNCIL):

1.                That the Treasury Management Strategy Statement which includes the Annual Treasury Investment Strategy for 2025/26 (and the remainder of 2024/25) is approved;

2.                That authority is delegated to the Section 151 Officer to manage the council’s pooled property investment and long-term borrowing according to the Treasury Management Strategy Statement as appropriate; and

3.                That authority is delegated to the Section 151 Officer, who in turn discharges this function to Hampshire County Council’s Director of Corporate Operations, as agreed in the Service Level Agreement, to manage all council investments (other than the high yield portfolio) and short-term borrowing according to the Treasury Management Strategy Statement as appropriate.

To consider the following Motion to be proposed by Councillor Malcom Wallace (seconded by Councillor Suzanne White):

Motion to Investigate Installing Solar PV on Council Homes

This Councils notes that:

·       Winchester is responsible for providing a management and maintenance service to over 5,000 council properties throughout the Winchester district

The Council has set a target for Winchester district to become carbon neutral by 2030

The energy improvements and business case for solar PV is well-established; almost one in 10 households in Winchester district already has a registered solar system

Business models for installing solar PV on council homes have been proven by other councils and include, for example, establishing a Power Purchase Agreement whereby the Council installs the PV, then sells power to residents at below market rates.  Under this agreement payback is typically 5-8 years.  After that time, profits from the scheme would return to the main Housing Account and could be used for further improvements to Winchester housing stock.

Any programme to install solar PV on council homes could be outsourced with minimal pull on existing staff.  One business located within Winchester district installed PV on 11,000 homes last year, so outsource capability exists for doing this work.

This Council resolves to:

Undertake a feasibility study within existing resources for installing solar PV on Council Homes

Results from the study to be reported out to Cabinet Committee Housing by the end of Autumn 2025

To receive any resignations from committees and to make any necessary re-appointments.

The total time for questions and the answer and supplementaries thereto shall not exceed 40 minutes.