Issue - meetings

Report of the Service Director, Housing.

The Cabinet Member, Economic Development, Planning and Housing, introduced the report and outlined the key reasons for the proposal as follows:

·         Audit Commission report identified area as a key weakness, despite generally positive evaluation;

·         Current system has certain limitations that point to a strong cost-benefit case for the proposed system replacement;

·         Several options considered, and proposal is the result of an extensive assessment of these; and

·         Recommended timescale is to implement the new system as soon as possible in the interests of the business.

The Cabinet Member endorsed the proposals to the Members of the Cabinet Capital Assets Committee.

The Leader raised a question in respect of the proposed system’s potential interactivity with SAP. The Corporate Director, Resources, confirmed that while initially the system would serve as a stand-alone and had no need to interact with SAP, this capacity could be built in for any future requirement.

The Cabinet Member, Finance, Performance and Risk, raised a point in respect of the management of the Housing Revenue Account budget, and recommended careful monitoring to ensure that this was not severely depleted by fragmented projects such as this. The Cabinet Member recommended that the proposals be considered as part of a whole package of schemes. In light of this, the Leader requested a report from the Service Director, Housing, to outline the headline budget implications for the Housing Service.

After a discussion regarding:

·         The implications of interest rates and the treasury function in respect of housing funding;

·         The wide-ranging impacts of Homes and Communities Agency allocations nationwide, creating winning and losing local authorities; and

·         The relatively positive condition of the Service in terms of reserves available if necessary, depending on success with grant funding.

It was,

Resolved:

a)    That the Cabinet Committee note and endorse this project to improve services within the Housing Management Service, as set out in the report and accompanying business case; and

b)   That the Cabinet Committee note and approve the funding required for this development.

And to,

Request that the Service Director, Housing, provides a report to the Cabinet Capital Assets Committee in July 2011 outlining the Service budget, implications of grant funding and the condition of reserves available.