Council to consider robust long-term plan to improve housing services

Date: 

Wednesday, 4 December, 2024

A strategy designed to effectively plan and prioritise the council’s financial resources for the benefit of council housing tenants will be considered by the Executive during its meeting on Thursday 5 December.

The 30-year Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Business Plan proposes a framework to deliver safe and well-maintained homes that meet modern standards, whilst ensuring the council’s long-term financial stability.

It outlines how the council will improve its service to council tenants and leaseholders and where it will prioritise investment in its housing stock.

Taking a long-term approach will allow the council to make more informed and sustainable decisions about investment in the service and homes so that it can meet all regulatory standards in an affordable way.

Cllr Ian Johnson, Woking Borough Council’s Portfolio Holder for Housing Services, said: “For far too long, our social housing stock has suffered from massive under-investment. The standard of our homes has declined to the detriment of our housing tenants. 

“The draft HRA business plan sets out our proposals to address these long-term issues, whilst responding to the financial challenges we face. It prioritises the safety and standard of homes and will help us be clearer with tenants about the level of service they will receive. This is an important step in getting our house in order.”

The draft plan forms a key part of the council’s Housing Improvement Programme, which was adopted in December 2023, to improve the delivery of housing services. It will also support the council’s broader Improvement and Recovery Plan.

If approved by the Executive, the plan will be presented to Council for adoption during its meeting on Thursday 12 December.

Watch the Executive meeting online.