Agenda item

The Council had before it a report by the Chief Officer - Finance which provided information to enable the Council to approve a revenue and capital budget for 2022/23, including setting of rents and other charges on the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) for the financial year.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee -

(a)           approve the budget as attached in Appendix 1 (pages 2 to 3) of the report;

(b)           note the Council decision on 10 March 2021 to maintain in 2022/23 the weekly unrebated rents for municipal houses at the level set in 2020/21;

(c)           approve the level of revenue contribution to the Housing Capital budget for 2022/23 as well as note the provisional contribution for the subsequent four financial years as detailed in Appendix 1, pages 9 to 11;

(d)           agree to maintain the working balances at 10% to meet future contingencies;

(e)           note the Council decision on 10 March 2021 to maintain in 2022/23 the level of miscellaneous rents and service charges, including Heat with Rent at the levels set in 2020/21;

(f)             approve, based on a rent freeze, the Base Capital Programme for the financial year 2022/23 Appendix 1 (pages 9 to 11);

(g)           note the indicative level of the Base Capital Programme for the financial years 2023/24 to 2026/27 Appendix 1 (pages 9 to 11);

(h)           delegate authority to the Chief Officer - Capital, following consultation with the Head of Commercial and Procurement, to procure the necessary professional services and construction works referred to in Appendix 1 entitled ‘New Housing Capital Programme Budget’ without the need for further approval from any other committee of the Council subject to due diligence, consistency with the financial model and affordability; and

(i)             note that the delivery and programme management of the new build project was being delivered with the use of frameworks for professional services contracts which included programme and project management, technical support and quality assurance, all of which was being delivered with the normal fee scales for Housing Projects. These services would continue across the programme as new projects were identified.

The Council resolved:-

(i)             to approve the budget as attached in Appendix 1 (pages 2 to 3) of the report;

(ii)           to note the Council decision on 10 March 2021 to maintain in 2022/23 the weekly unrebated rents for municipal houses at the level set in 2020/21;

(iii)          to approve the level of revenue contribution to the Housing Capital budget for 2022/23 as well as note the provisional contribution for the subsequent four financial years as detailed in Appendix 1, pages 9 to 11, of the report;

(iv)          to agree to maintain the working balances at 10% to meet future contingencies;

(v)           to note the Council decision on 10 March 2021 to maintain in 2022/23 the level of miscellaneous rents and service charges, including Heat with Rent at the levels set in 2020/21;

(vi)          to approve, based on a rent freeze, the Base Capital Programme for the financial year 2022/23, Appendix 1 of the report (pages 9 to 11);

(vii)        to note the indicative level of the Base Capital Programme for the financial years 2023/24 to 2026/27, Appendix 1 of the report (pages 9 to 11);

(viii)       to delegate authority to the Chief Officer - Capital, following consultation with the Head of Commercial and Procurement, to procure the necessary professional services and construction works referred to in Appendix 1 entitled ‘New Housing Capital Programme Budget’ without the need for further approval from any other committee of the Council subject to due diligence, consistency with the financial model and affordability;

(ix)          to note that the delivery and programme management of the new build project was being delivered with the use of frameworks for professional services contracts which included programme and project management, technical support and quality assurance, all of which was being delivered with the normal fee scales for Housing Projects. These services would continue across the programme as new projects were identified;

(x)           to instruct the Chief Officer - Corporate Landlord, following consultation with the Chief Officer - Capital, to continue to progress the delivery of the developer led Grandhome housing project and enter into a conditional Developer Agreement subject to meeting due diligence criteria, in particular in terms of technical, legal and financial requirements;

(xi)          to agree that the Administration, between 2017-2022, has completed or has currently under construction over 2,000 Council homes as detailed below -

179 homes at Smithfield and Manor Walk

190 homes purchased through the buy-back scheme

283 homes at Wellheads, Dyce

369 homes at Summerhill

92 homes at Auchmill Road

536 homes at Bridge of Don

212 homes at Kincorth

99 homes at Craighill

70 homes in Tillydrone

35 homes in Kaimhill -

Total 2,605 as noted in Appendix 1;

(xii)        to agree that the Administration has delivered 1,548 affordable homes between 2017-20022 as noted in the table below:-

; and

(xiii)       to agree that a total of 3,613 homes for social rent have been delivered or are under construction by the Administration between 2017-2022, a record number for Aberdeen.