Agenda item

Housing Capital Programme 2026/27 to 2029/30

Report from the Executive Director of Adult Care, Housing and Public Health.

Recommendations:

That Cabinet:

1. Approve the four-year outline Housing Revenue Account Capital Programme 2026/27 to 2029/30 with total planned investment of £312.6m broken down into the following areas of investment:

· Improving homes and estates £198.6m

· Aids and adaptations to Council homes £13.4m

· Housing Delivery Programme £98.5m

· IT and digital transformation £2.1m

2. Approve the detailed 2026/27 Housing Revenue Account Capital Programme with total planned investment of £76.8m broken down into the following areas of investment:

· Improving homes and estates £43.2m

· Aids and adaptations to Council homes £3.4m

· Housing Delivery Programme £29.8m

· IT and digital transformation £0.4m

Minutes:

Consideration was given to the report which sought Cabinet approval for the 2026/27 – 2029/30 Housing Capital Programme. Key areas of focus included improving Council homes with continued investment in external and internal refurbishments, providing aids and adaptations, and acquiring and building new Council homes. The report summarised the investment that had taken place or was planned to take place during 2025/26, provided an outline 4 year Capital Programme (2026/27 to 2029/30) and a detailed programme for 2026/27.

The total planned Housing Revenue Account (HRA) capital investment in the years 2026/27 to 2029/30 was £312.6m. This sum had been modelled and included with the 2026/27 HRA Business Plan that was approved by Council on the 14th January 2026.

Paragraph 2.2 of the report provided details on the improvements to Council homes and estates aspect of the Programme. This included investment up to an average of £60k per unit, totalling £1.3bn over the 30 year plan period. The additional funding would be used to ensure that the Council, as a social landlord, continued to meet and/or exceed the regulatory requirements of ensuring tenants’ lived in safe, warm and decent homes. Over the next 4 years this would result in an investment of £198.6m in existing Council homes.

The detailed 2026/27 programme was attached at Appendix 2. The Programme budget for 2026/27 was £43.2m. The programme included £17.5m for continued delivery of phased refurbishment works. External refurbishment works included renewing roofs, guttering and fascias, balcony structural and resurfacing works, and windows and doors. External works would take place across the Borough including Kimberworth Park, The Lanes, East Herringthorpe and Brampton; Swinton and Fitzwilliam would benefit from replacement windows and doors to 224 properties. The Programme also included internal refurbishment works for c.200 kitchens or bathrooms. The Programme included £2m for larger planned repairs. This included repairs to paths, paving and boundary walls, plastering and pointing.

The Programme also included £7.7m for major refurbishments to properties that became empty and were due to be re-let to a new tenant. This budget had increased significantly in recent years, driven by factors such as the need to replace outdated kitchens and bathrooms, damp-proofing works, and rewiring. An additional £5.3m was earmarked for mechanical and electrical works (including boiler replacement.) £6.3million would be invested in the Warm Homes Scheme and with an additional £2.5million for ventilation and damp and mould works.

In relation to providing aids and adaptations, £13.4 million would be provided over 4 years with £3.4 million in 2026/27 to delivery approximately 600 major adaptions and 500 minor adaptions.

The proposed Capital Programme included £98.5m to support the Council’s Housing Delivery Programme. This included £63.7m to deliver the existing pipeline of projects to achieve 1,000 new Council homes by summer 2027, alongside a further £34.8m to ensure the continuation of the Housing Delivery Programme beyond 2027. This Programme of activity would continue to deliver much needed affordable housing within the Borough while increasing rental income to the HRA and helping to reduce the impact of Right to Buy on Council housing stock levels.

It was forecast that in 2026/27 an estimated 150 units would be added to the Council’s housing stock. 68 new build homes would be completed including 43 across 2 sites at Maltby, 15 at Warden Street Canklow and 10 at Wath across 2 sites. 82 homes would be acquired, 15 as part of the Small Sites Homebuilding Initiative, 28 directly from the market and 39 S106 homes including Laughton Gate, Waverley and Poppyfields. The budget of £29.8m reflected the current approved budget.

In relation to investing in IT to support digital transformation, the Council had an established rolling programme of capital investments into its IT and digital infrastructure and certain elements of this were supported with HRA investment. In line with this, the proposed Capital Programme included £2.1m over the 4 year Programme and £338k during 2026/27. Paragraph 2.23 detailed the Housing Digital Transformation Programme which was being developed.

Paragraphs 2.24, 2.25 and 6.6, along with Appendix 6, set out the funding sources and grants and contributions information.

Cabinet Members fully supported the proposals and stated that the level of investment in new and existing Council homes was exciting news for the Borough.

Resolved: