Issue - meetings

Deputation from Paul Burnham - Consultation on Service charges

Mr Burnham put forward representations concerning the 2020/21 Budget report and 2020 – 2025 MTFS, objecting to the proposed increase to the rent charges for the Council’s 18 affordable rent tenancies within the Housing Revenue Account and further objecting to proposed increases in service charges as no consultation had taken place.

Mr Burnham commended the Council on its policy for supporting social rents rather than affordable rents and highlighted that there were still 18 properties with affordable rent tenancies, paying 80% of normal market rents and paying double the rate of Council rents. The deputation did not want these tenants to be forgotten and contended that they should be included in the Council rents scheme. The deputation expressed that the Mayor of London had created confusion on the definition of social rents and asked the Council to use the social rent formula as required by government guidance and not to set the rents at cap.

The deputation requested that the Council be open on how it sets every social rent in the borough, as this was the only way to provide certainty that they were charging tenants normal Council rent and no more.

Mr Burnham continued to object to the proposed services charge increases for tenants and leaseholders. He contended that the evidence was incontrovertible that something had gone wrong with converted properties cleaning service charges. The tenants were charged 12 months before the service began. He highlighted that there were tenant’s charges for the leaseholder contribution in this financial year and Council tenants were set to pay leaseholder contributions for next year as well. This was while leaseholders were also paying contributions. In the deputation’s view, this was a revenue driven service and they recommended that the Council deliver this particular service at nil charge to the tenants next year. The deputation felt that this proposal was justified, once Cabinet Members examined the figures.

The deputation highlighted that there was one service charge that had been consulted upon. This was the consultation was undertaken on estate parking. The deputation called on the Council to publish these findings. They contended that the results would demonstrate tenant’s rejection of new and additional charges and would also reject the subsidy argument which was the main focus for the increase in charges.

The deputation asserted that tenants and leaseholders would not be spilt and were unified in wanting a say in the charges being put to them. There was £18m of proposed income arising from charges made to residents without a consultation.

The deputation concluded by asking the Cabinet to work with residents instead of against them, especially with the current government in place. The deputation called on the Cabinet to make the proposed changes put forward by them and offered to work with the Council to make these changes.

The Cabinet Member responded to the deputation, thanking them for the issues that they had raised which were noted.

It was the Cabinet Member’s  ...  view the full minutes text for item 158