Feedback from the BCHG Board January 2025
Key Board Decisions
Rent and Service Charge Increase 2025
The Board are required to agree the rent and service charge increase each year, taking into account the guidance set by the Regulator of Social Housing. The Regulator has confirmed that social housing providers can apply the full rent increase in line with the ‘Policy statement on rents for social housing’ of consumer price index (CPI)+1%. BCHG’s Social Housing Rent will increase by 2.7% from April 2025.
Service charge increases sit outside of the rent guidance, however BCHG has proposed to the Board that the increase remains in line with the rent increase and the Policy for 2025 is a 2.7% increase. You can read the new Policies here.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy
BCHG has achieved the Talent Inclusion and Diversity Evaluation (TIDE) Silver Award from the Employers Network for Equality and Inclusion. Priority areas of focus are to drive forward in year two of the strategy are belonging, procurement and data. The new Civica Cx system now in place allows colleagues access to extensive vulnerabilities data to enable them to better support our residents. Colleagues are currently working through this data to identify barriers and will tailor services to BCHG’s customers.
The Board also noted the positive report that the Chair of the Resident Scrutiny Voice Panel (RSVP) had written on Ethnic Minority Voices in Tenant Engagement, it is available to download on the Tpas website here.
New Developments
We have delivered against our Homes England funding agreement numbers and we have a pipeline in place of potential new developments. We are in talks with the West Midlands Combined Authority on existing schemes and also schemes that may go live after March 2026 although their final role remains unclear at present. An announcement by the government on delivery beyond 2026 is expected in the spring/early summer.
A new proposed scheme at Hatton Street, Bilston meets our development parameters for all 51 units. The scheme is split into two sites, and this was approved by the Board.
The Gas Showroom scheme received planning permission on 8 January 2025, and we aim to start on site by the end of March 2025. This scheme, alongside Hatton Street and Green Lanes, means that we will be delivering on 96 of our 151-home commitment under the new pipeline. In addition, we have another potential 40 properties. This creates a pipeline of 136 units, a current shortfall of 15 against our agreed programme. Work is on-going to identify additional sites to make up the shortfall.
Finally, in March 2024 Board approved the purchase of six existing homes (Hawkeswell Drive) from Rooftop Housing Association; these were completed in December 2024.
Asset Investment
BCHG remains compliant with the new Quality and Safety Standard as specified by the Regulator for Social Housing. This is determined by self-assessment, which is externally validated and is assessed using our Quality Housing Standard. The Standard looks to ensure that our homes are Decent, Safe, Healthy and Green. We are developing a new Healthy Homes Strategy and that will be brought to March 2025 BCHG Board for approval.
We are on track to complete the planned capital works for the year ensuring our homes remain decent and compliant with the Housing Health and Safety Rating System. There has been a rise in disrepair claims in the year, as there appears to have been a targeted campaign at Mountbatten Close. All of these are currently under management with no concerns.
We continue to work hard to complete actions arising out of Fire Risk Assessments and are on track to complete all outstanding actions by the end of March 2025. None of these actions were designated as high risk. Strong progress has been made in the insourcing of gas servicing and this is on target for April 2025.
In relation to Healthy, we have completed 69 adaptations to homes so far in the year. There has been a small increase in year-on-year reports of damp and mould with 199 reports so far with only one longstanding case where access is an issue. We have strengthened our approach to damp and mould with a new programme of remote monitors being installed in homes with repeated reports of damp and mould where a vulnerable resident may be present.
In respect of Green, BCHG now have 315 homes within the current stock list with an EPC rating of D and below, with 306 properties rated at Band D and 9 at Band E. Funding is being sourced to supplement BCHG’s investment into these home over the next three financial years.
Despite an increase in responsive repair requests received in quarter 3 (some linked to increased storm damage), resident satisfaction as measured through the Tenant Satisfaction Measures remains high.
The new tenant portal which includes the reporting of repairs, and their tracking is being launched in early March 2025.
