Agenda item

The Council had before it a joint report by the Interim Director of Corporate Governance and the Interim Director of Communities, Housing and Infrastructure which provided information to allow the setting of the rent level for the financial year 2017/18 as well as provisional rent levels for the financial years 2018/19 to 2021/22. The report noted that this would allow a capital programme for 2017/18 as well as a provisional programme to be set for 2018/19 to 2021/22.

The report recommended:-

that the Council -

(a)          approve the budget as attached in Appendix 1 of the report;

(b)          approve the weekly unrebated rents for municipal houses, as detailed in Appendix 1 of the report, to take effect from 3 April 2017;

(c)          approve the level of revenue contribution to the Housing Capital budget for 2017/18 as well as a provisional contribution for the subsequent four financial years as detailed in Appendix 1 of the report;

(d)          continue to increase the level of working balances to ensure a minimum of 10% was maintained to meet future contingencies;

(e)          approve the level of miscellaneous rents and service charges, including Heat with Rent as detailed in Appendix 1 of the report;

(f)           set a capital programme for the financial year 2017/18 based on the rent strategy adopted as well as the indicative level of programme for the financial years 2018/19 to 2021/22;

(g)          in order for work to commence on the capital programme, approve as estimated expenditure in terms of Standing Order 1(3) (of the Council’s Standing Orders relating to Contracts and Procurement) the sums shown against each heading of the Housing Capital Expenditure budget set out in Appendix 1 of the report; and

(h)          authorise the Interim Director of Communities, Housing and Infrastructure to undertake or instruct appropriate procedures to procure the works referred to in Appendix 1 for the capital programme and award contacts relating thereto.

Councillor Cooney moved, seconded by Councillor Donnelly:-

            That the Council -

(1)       approve the budget as attached in Appendix 1 of the report subject to (2) and (3) below;

(2)       approve that the weekly unrebated rents for municipal houses be frozen for 2017/18 with the exception of those phasing towards the model rent, to take effect from 3 April 2017;

(3)       approve the level of revenue contribution to the Housing Capital budget for 2017/18 at £24.045million as well as a provisional contribution for the subsequent four financial years as detailed in Appendix 1 of the report;

(4)       maintain the level of working balances to ensure a minimum of 10% was maintained to meet future contingencies;

(5)       approve the level of miscellaneous rents and service charges, including Heat with Rent as detailed in Appendix 1 of the report;

(6)       set a capital programme for the financial year 2017/18 based on the rent strategy adopted as well as the indicative level of programme for the financial years 2018/19 to 2021/22 as contained within the report;

(7)       in order for work to commence on the capital programme, approve the estimated expenditure in relation to each of the proposed procurement exercises regarding the various requirements shown against each heading of the Housing Capital Expenditure budget set out in Appendix 1 to the report, without the need for separate Committee approval of each requirement;

(8)       authorise the Interim Director of Communities, Housing and Infrastructure to undertake or instruct appropriate procedures to procure the works referred to in Appendix 1 of the report for the capital programme and award contracts relating thereto; and

(9)       instruct the Interim Director of Communities, Housing and Infrastructure to undertake a full strategic review of service delivery in relation to the Housing Revenue Account and report back to the Communities, Housing and Infrastructure Committee on 8 November 2017.

Councillor Delaney moved as an amendment, seconded by Councillor Jennifer Stewart:-

            That the Council -

(1)      approve the budget as attached in Appendix 1 of the report subject to (3) and (4) below;

(2)      approve the weekly unrebated rents for municipal houses, as detailed in Appendix 1 of the report, to take effect from 3 April 2017;

(3)      approve the level of revenue contribution to the Housing Capital budget for 2017/18 at £23.535million as well as a provisional contribution for the subsequent four financial years as detailed in Appendix 1 of the report;

(4)      approve the following additional revenue budgets, £250,000 grass works, £200,000 upgrade of amenity areas in the sheltered blocks and £60,000 for tree works;

(5)      continue to increase the level of working balances to ensure a minimum of 10% was maintained to meet future contingencies;

(6)      approve the level of miscellaneous rents and service charges, including Heat with Rent as detailed in Appendix 1 of the report;

(7)      set a capital programme for the financial year 2017/18 based on the rent strategy adopted as well as the indicative level of programme for the financial years 2018/19 to 2021/22;

(8)      approve, in order for work to commence on the capital programme as estimated expenditure in terms of Standing Order 1(3) (of the Council’s Standing Orders relating to Contracts and Procurement) the sums shown against each heading of the Housing Capital Expenditure budget set out in Appendix 1 of the report; and

(9)      authorise the Interim Director of Communities, Housing and Infrastructure to undertake or instruct appropriate procedure to procure the works referred to in Appendix 1 of the report for the capital programme and award contracts relating thereto.

Councillor Jackie Dunbar moved as a further amendment, seconded by Councillor Dickson:-

            That the Council -

(1)       approve the budget as attached in Appendix 1 of the report subject to (4) and (6) below;

(2)       approve the weekly unrebated rents for municipal houses, as detailed in Appendix 1 of the report, to take effect from 3 April 2017;

(3)       approve the level of revenue contribution to the Housing Capital budget for 2017/18 as well as a provisional contribution for the subsequent four financial years as detailed in Appendix 1 of the report;

(4)       set the level of working balances at 10% to meet future contingencies and utilise the additional funds of £1.784million to increase the Solid Wall Insulation budget to £3.084million within the capital programme;

(5)       approve the level of miscellaneous rents and service charges, including Heat with Rent as detailed in Appendix 1 of the report;

(6)       set a capital programme subject to (4) above for the financial year 2017/18 based on the rent strategy adopted as well as the indicative level of programme for the financial years 2018/19 to 2021/22;

(7)       in  order for work to commence on the capital programme, approve the estimated expenditure in relation to each of the proposed procurement exercises regarding the various requirements, shown against each heading of the Housing Capital Expenditure budget set out in Appendix 1 to the report, without the need for separate Committee approval of each requirement; and

(8)       authorise the Interim Director of Communities, Housing and Infrastructure to undertake or instruct appropriate procedures to procure the works referred to in Appendix 1 of the report for the capital programme and award contracts relating thereto.

There being a motion and two amendments, the Council first divided between the amendment by Councillor Delaney and the amendment by Councillor Jackie Dunbar.

On a division, there voted:-

For the amendment by Councillor Delaney  (4)  -  Councillors Delaney, Greig, Jennifer Stewart and Yuill.

For the amendment by Councillor Jackie Dunbar  (14)  -  Councillors Cameron, Copland, Cormie, Dickson, Jackie Dunbar, Flynn, Hutchison, Jaffrey, MacGregor, Nicoll, Noble, Samarai, Sandy Stuart and Townson.

Declined to vote  (21)  -  Lord Provost; Depute Provost; and Councillors Allan, Boulton, Carle, Cooney, Crockett, Donnelly, Lesley Dunbar, Finlayson, Graham, Grant, Ironside, Laing, Lawrence, Malik, Milne, Jean Morrison, Nathan Morrison, Taylor and Young.

Absent from the division  (2)  -  Councillors Corall and Malone.

The Council then divided between the motion and the amendment by Councillor Jackie Dunbar.

On a division, there voted:-

For the motion  (21)  -  Lord Provost; Depute Provost; and Councillors Allan, Boulton, Carle, Cooney, Crockett, Donnelly, Lesley Dunbar, Finlayson, Graham, Grant, Ironside, Laing, Lawrence, Malik, Milne, Jean Morrison, Nathan Morrison, Taylor and Young.

For the amendment by Councillor Jackie Dunbar  (18)  -  Councillors Cameron, Copland, Cormie, Delaney, Dickson, Jackie Dunbar, Flynn, Greig, Hutchison, Jaffrey, MacGregor, Nicoll, Noble, Samarai, Jennifer Stewart, Sandy Stuart, Townson and Yuill.

Absent from the division  (2)  -  Councillors Corall and Malone.

The Council resolved:-

to adopt the motion.