Introduction
Cheltenham Borough Council (CBC) has developed this five-year Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Business Plan for 2023 to 2028 together with Cheltenham Borough Homes Ltd (CBH), and in partnership with other key stakeholders through a collaborative consultation approach. It sets out the strategic Vision and Aims for our Arms-Length Management Organisation (ALMO) CBH to deliver on our behalf for the next five years of the 30 year financial plan for the HRA
This HRA Business Plan identifies how, together with CBH, we can continue to evolve in response to a rapidly changing national environment and social housing sector, understand and meet customers’ needs, and continue to provide more affordable, sustainable and high-quality homes, and create stronger and more resilient communities, building a better future for Cheltenham. CBH will continue to achieve high performance and satisfaction levels, ensuring 100% legislative compliance, and maintaining a HRA that is viable in the long term. The HRA Business Plan is well placed to support the five CBC key priorities from the Corporate Plan (2023-2027) and has been developed to ensure the outcomes contribute to and support the wider strategic aims for Cheltenham. This plan is key in supporting the ambitions to reduce Cheltenham’s carbon emissions to net zero, to build a better future by leaving a legacy of sustainability for future generations. This ambition runs throughout the three aims of the business plan and is a focus for the next five years, to work with CBH to make Cheltenham net zero.
It has been produced at a time of unprecedented and ongoing change for social housing, which includes substantial regulatory changes as a consequence of the Social Housing White Paper; and socio-economic impacts following the Covid-19 pandemic, and as a consequence of the emerging cost of living crisis. The ambitions of this plan must be balanced against this challenging backdrop, and we are committed to proactive and ongoing dialogue with CBH during the delivery of the plan to get the scale and pact of investment in the HRA right. CBH will maintain a clear forward look across the priorities and challenges to inform those discussions and be flexible and agile to respond to changes where necessary.
It is vital that customers’ voices are at the centre of service development and delivery and CBH will ensure customers have opportunities to make their voices heard, listen carefully to what they have to say about their needs, or what CBH has got right or wrong, and then act on that feedback. CBH has the privilege of working daily in peoples’ homes and communities and being an important part of their lives, helping them overcome challenges and provide contact and wider support. It is vital they remain people-focused, treat people well and foster openness and trust, and demonstrate a caring and proactive approach.