Issue - meetings

GENERAL NEEDS SERVICE CHARGE CONSULTATION

Meeting: 17/11/2021 - Housing Committee (Item 42)

42 GENERAL NEEDS -COMMUNAL AREAS pdf icon PDF 221 KB

To seek approval from Housing Committee to introduce new services for communal areas, including block cleaning and window cleaning.

 

Minutes:

Members considered the proposal to introduce new services for communal areas, including block cleaning and window cleaning.

 

Currently General Needs tenants were not charged for services provided, such as grounds maintenance and communal lighting. These are paid from the Housing Revenue Account (HRA). There are also services which were not currently provided, which many landlords would routinely provide. This includes block cleaning and window cleaning. Currently tenants were jointly responsible for cleaning communal areas on their schemes. This leads to variations on the standard of the blocks and an unfair expectation on tenants.

 

All services that are proposed as part of the service charge will be eligible for Housing Benefit and the rent element of Universal Credit.

 

RESOLVED that communal block and window cleaning is introduced in General Needs Accommodation.

 

Councillors D Grindell, E Kerry, H Khaled MBE J W McGrath, J M Owen, P J Owen, J P T Parker, D Pringle and C Tideswell wished to have their votes of abstention recorded.