Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Corporate Director for Place Management and Regeneration.

The report provide the background to the current five year agreement with the Council (through Stockport Homes) to collect water charges on behalf of United Utilities which is due to expire on 31 March 2014.  The collection of water charges has been a huge success for the Council, Stockport Homes and the Housing Revenue Account (HRA). This report further outlines the terms of a proposed new agreement from April 2014, together with the associated risk and rewards.

The Scrutiny Committee is recommended to comment on and note the report.

Officer contact: Andy Kippax on 0161 474 4319 or email: andy.kippax@stockport.gov.uk

A representative of the Corporate Director for Place Management and Regeneration submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) providing the background to the current five year agreement with the Council (through Stockport Homes) to collect water charges on behalf of United Utilities which was due to expire on 31 March 2014. 

It was reported that the collection of water charges had been a successful for the Council, Stockport Homes and the Housing Revenue Account (HRA). The report further outlined the terms of a proposed new agreement from April 2014, together with the associated risk and rewards.

The Executive Councillor for Communities and Sustainability (Councillor Stuart Bodsworth) attended the meeting to answer members’ questions.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

·         It was suggested that consideration should be given to extending the discount of £5 for payment by direct debit by apportioning the discount across the whole customer base as those who were unable to pay by direct debit were usually those in most financial need.  However, it was stated that the direct debit discount scheme was administered by United Utilities which would preclude any local intervention. 

·         Further work was taking place with United Utilities in relation to the development of a ‘social tariff’ for water charges to ensure that people could be moved to the lowest available tariff as a means of providing further assistance to tenants.

·         Concern was expressed in relation to the potential for tenants to be evicted as a result of the accrual of arrears of water charges.  In response, it was stated that there was a policy in place around this which stipulated that eviction would be the last possible resort.

RESOLVED – That the Executive Councillor for Communities and Sustainability be recommended to give approval to a five year extension to the current agreement between the Council and United Utilities for Stockport Homes to collect water charges on behalf of United Utilities.