Business Plan for Ashford’s landlord services “in a balanced and funded position for the next 30 years”

Ashford’s Cabinet has agreed the priorities for the council’s landlord function – the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) – and approved a Business Plan described as being in “a balanced and funded position for the next 30 years”.

The Plan sets the parameters of the work and spend undertaken by the Housing team, and underpins every decision taken within the HRA. 

Cabinet heard that following the self-referral to the Regulator of Social Housing in 2024, work has been done to understand the condition of the council’s housing stock, which has informed the planned maintenance programme, investing in the quality of our residents’ homes.

Positive progress has been made to improve the management of property compliance, strengthen complaint handling processes and develop the tenant engagement function. 

Responsive engagement with the Regulator is ongoing and the Plan sets out the council’s ambition to expand its stock to address the rising number of homeless households locally.

It also recognises the importance of resident safety and regulatory compliance, including achieving the outcomes of the Consumer Standards. 

Officers also have plans to deliver estate improvements and strengthen tenant engagement and complaint handling functions, councillors were told. 

In addition to setting out the costs associated with managing ABC’s current housing, the Plan also accounts for the development of new council homes.

There are around 258 households in temporary accommodation, with around 1,650 applicants on the council’s housing register.

ABC has set a goal to deliver 1,000 new council homes. This iteration of the Plan is the first that fully addresses the investment required to make this aim a reality.

Officers have evaluated the costs associated with building and acquiring new homes. Through accessing grant from Homes England and projecting future incomes, it has been evidenced that this ambitious programme will be financially viable.

What is the Housing Revenue Account (HRA)?

The council is a landlord of social housing, and the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) is a ring-fenced account for the landlord function; this means it is self-funded, so all costs are covered by the rents generated and is not subsidised locally.

So effectively all the rent payers pay for all the repairs and management of their homes. 

Council tax does not cover any costs within the HRA.

Ashford’s HRA has around 5,509 homes, of which, 306 are part of the Stanhope Private Financing Initiative, 421 are sheltered homes and 4,763 are homes for general needs. There are also 19 shared ownership properties and 215 leasehold homes.

Ashford Borough Council Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing, Cllr Noel Ovenden, said: “We are making good progress in engaging with residents and managing our housing services with diligence and transparency. I’m pleased to see robust plans in place that prioritise investment and seek to enhance resident satisfaction. 

“The council has taken steps to address the concerns raised by the Regulator, strengthening resident involvement through service days, introducing a tenant scrutiny panel, and increasing the frequency of satisfaction surveys.

"These measures will ensure that our services continue to meet and exceed regulatory requirements, and I’m confident that we will maintain this positive momentum, delivering real benefits for our tenants.”

What happens next?

The HRA Business Plan is used as a basis to build the 2026/27 budget, the draft of which will be presented to Cabinet in December.

This will form part of the public consultation on the draft budget, and its examination by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee’s Budget Task Group.

The final budget report will be presented to Cabinet in February with final approval being sought from Full Council a week later.