Autumn Open Door

Stirling Council Autumn 2016

Open Door Welcome to the Rent Consultation 2017-2018 Edition of Open Door

Take Part in the

Tenants “over the moon” with new kitchens and bathrooms The 180 bathrooms and 200

for almost 30 years, had her kitchen

of life this year as our tradespeople

said, “The workmen did a brilliant job

kitchens will be getting a new lease get to work across the Stirling Council area.

Mrs Tough from Braehead had a wet

room installed a few months ago and

is appreciating the extra space in her

and bathroom replaced this year. She and they really couldn’t do enough for me.” She is thoroughly enjoying her new kitchen and will be making her

favourite dinner, mince and tatties, for her brother soon.

bathroom. She said, “I have some

Carol Ogilvie, Development Officer,

rails and safety flooring really help.”

invest in the kitchen and bathroom

problems with my back, so the grab All tenants choose how their new

rooms will look, with officers visiting tenants to chat about the design

before the work starts. Mrs Tough was

says, “The Council has continued to programme each year, helping to

improve the quality of our housing

stock. It’s very rewarding to see how satisfied tenants are with the result.”

really pleased with the results. She

It seems like the hard work of the team

the moon with the room when it was

Satisfaction Survey show more of you

said, “My family and I were really over finished.”

Mrs Skinner, who has lived in Cowie

is paying off as initial results of our

are satisfied with the standard of your

home. Thanks for giving us such great feedback!

Annual Rent Consultation

The Housing (Scotland) Act 2001 requires Registered Social Landlords to take the opinions of tenants into account when setting rent levels.

This year we have decided to include the rent consultation survey with Open Door to limit costs.

Please take 5 minutes to complete the survey online at Surveymonkey.co.uk/r/housing 2017_18 or complete the enclosed survey and return it by the 30th of November 2016.

Councillors will make the final decision on the proposed rent rise in February 2017. It is important that you return the consultation as your responses are an important part of their considerations.

Turn to page 3 for more details.

How your rent is spent per £1

“We continue to invest 2/3rds

of rent money in keeping properties in good condition”

Quick Guide to Paying your Rent Direct Debit

AllPay App

You can pay directly from your bank account either every Friday or on the 1st or 15th of the month.

Over the Phone Give us a call and pay over the phone using your debit card.

Most major cards are accepted, if you’re not sure just ask.

Call 01786 40 40 40.

At a Council Office You can pay in cash at any of the Council Offices or

Customer First. You can find the contact details on the back page of this issue.

Online

Go to www.stirling.gov.uk to pay by Debit Card online. Just

click on Pay It and then select Rent. You’ll need to know your 9 digit reference number, so get in touch if you don’t know it.

PayPoint

Android QR Code

iPhone QR Code

Download the AllPay App by scanning here with your QR Reader with your smartphone. You’ll need your 19 digit

AllPay card number to start with. Then you can pay your rent through the App. If you don’t have a QR reader then you can search for the app on Play Store or iTunes using “AllPay”.

Bank Standing Order You can set up a standing order with your bank. Payments can be made on any day of the week or month, including fortnightly or four weekly payments. So it’s completely

flexible for you. You just need Stirling Council’s bank details

Anywhere you see the PayPoint logo you can use your

which are: Sort Code – 83 27 09 and Account Number –

Post Office. It will take 3 working days for your payment to go

reference so we know which account the money should go

AllPay rent card. You will find it in lots of local shops and the

00135220. Remember to use your 9 digit rent number as the

toward your rent, so bear that in mind.

into.

Rent Consultation 2017/2018 Stirling Council sets its rents for each year based on actual cost increases.

A rent rise of 0.3% will produce an increase in revenue of £56 000 which will enable the service to meet these increased costs.

The Housing Revenue Account (HRA) faces a net increase in costs of £56,000 for 2017/18, due to increased staff costs in relation to an assumed pay rise of 1.5%, inflation costs of sub-contracting, materials and increased loan charges.

Proposed Investment Plan The service has added 45 properties to its stock in 2015/16 through new house building, purchasing from the open market and the mortgage to rent scheme.

Programme

The Council proposes to continue to invest in current stock and add new stock throughout the next financial year. The table below shows the number of properties that have had home improvement works completed, those currently ongoing and proposals for investment in 2017/18. Tenants are asked to comment on the proposed investment programme as part of the rent consultation.

Completed 2015/16

Current 2016/17

Proposed 2017/18

Kitchens

236

200

200

Heating Systems

238

300

300

Bathrooms

253

Thermal Insulation/ External Walls

200

178

Roofs

Windows

30

0

0

200

200

379

200

200

0

Renewable Technology

200

200

200

Rent Increase

A 0.3% rent rise will mean that the “average rent” will increase by 21 pence over the 48-week rental period from £63.95 in 2016/17 to £64.16 in 2017/18 (see table below).

The table shows the current rent charges and the proposed rental charge for 2017/18.

Figures in brackets ( ) correspond to current stock levels.

Flat in Close/Maisonette 2016/17 2017/18

Own Door Flat

Bedsit

1-bed

2-bed

3-bed

4-bed

5-bed

7-bed

8-bed

(17)

(528)

(653)

(133)

(2)

(0)

(0)

(0)

£58.70 £58.88

£64.72 £64.91

£66.26 £66.46

£67.80 £68.00

£69.34 £69.55

(0)

(322)

(399)

(187)

(66)

(0)

(0)

(0)

£65.95 £66.15

£67.52 £67.72

£69.09 £69.30

£70.66 £70.87

(318)

(762)

(944)

(161)

(4)

(0)

(1)

£69.34 £69.55

£70.99 £71.20

£72.64 £72.86

£74.29 £74.51

£75.94 £76.17

(11)

(454)

(458)

(21)

(1)

£67.80 £68.00

£69.41 £69.62

£71.03 £71.24

£72.64 £72.86

£74.25 £74.47

(0)

(0)

(2)

(2)

£74.22 £74.44

£75.93 £76.16

2016/17 2017/18

Bungalow/Semi/End

(0)

2016/17 2017/18

Mid Terrace

(0)

2016/17 2017/18

Detached 2016/17 2017/18

(0)

£80.90 £81.14 (0)

(0)

(2)

(1)

(0)

£77.63 £77.86

£81.00 £81.24

Note: 1. Properties with an integrated garage will be charged a garage rent in addition to the rental charge.

This charge will also increase annually based on the rent increase.

2. Properties subject to factoring will have an additional charge added to the weekly rent charge.

The service charge will rise annually in line with any increase in fees applied by the factoring agent.

Please complete the enclosed rent consultation survey, giving us your opinion on the proposed rent rise and investment programme by 30 November 2016.

How did we do this year?

Every social landlord in Scotland reports on its activities to the Scottish Housing Regulator about how well it has done

each year. Part of that is telling you what we have achieved and where we should try to improve. This is the third year of the report so you can see how we have changed since 2013/14.

Stirling Council Profile and Value for Money Number of Homes

Average Weekly Rent Increase

Stirling have 43 more homes than in 2013/14

Our rent increase continued to be one of the lowest in

taking the total to 5,626.

5,583 2013/14

5,602 2014/15

Scotland at just 1%.

5,626

1.8%

1.2%

1%

2015/16

2013/14

2014/15

2015/16

Local Authority Average: 2.87% Social Landlord Average: 1.88% Clackmannanshire Council: 3.5%

Rent due in the year

2013/14

2014/15

£17,604,163

-£41,668

£17,645,831

-£250,465

£17,171,124

-£34,883

£17,421,589

99.8%

£16,949,860

97%

£16,984,743

99.9%

2015/16

Rent lost due to empty homes

0.63% 0.79%

2013/14

2014/15

0.57% 2015/16

Rent Collected Rent Due % of Rent Collected 2015/16 Stirling Council: 99.8% Local Authority Average: 99.4% Clackmannanshire Council: 99.1%

Average time to re-let homes

34.8 days 2013/14

Local Authority Average: 1.03% Social Landlord Average: 0.99% Clackmannanshire Council: 0.61%

23.4 days 2014/15

Local Authority Average: 41.6 days Social Landlord Average: 35.4 days Clackmannanshire Council: 35.8 days

30 days 2015/16

Tenant Satisfaction and Getting Involved Overall Satisfaction with Service

82.9% 2013/14

79.6%

83.6% 2014/15

2015/16

Satisfied with Opportunities to Participate

2013/14

78%

2014/15

79% 2013/14

83.4%

82.7%

2014/15

2015/16

Local Authority Average: 81.2% Social Landlord Average: 90.6% Clackmannanshire Council: 80.9%

Local Authority Average: 83% Social Landlord Average: 89% Clackmannanshire Council: 90.9%

75%

Good at Keeping Informed

74.3% 2015/16

Local Authority Average: 71.2% Social Landlord Average: 81.3% Clackmannanshire Council: 79.2%

Satisfied with Repairs Service

86%

2013/14

90.9% 2014/15

84%

2015/16

Local Authority Average: 88.1% Social Landlord Average: 89.9% Clackmannanshire Council: 95%

Quality and Maintenance of Homes Quality and Maintenance of Homes

79.4%

2013/14

Average Time to Complete Emergency Repair

95.5% 97.2% 2014/15

Local Authority Average: 93.3% Social Landlord Average: Not Published Clackmannanshire Council: 97.2%

2015/16

9.8hrs

2013/14

7.8hrs 2014/15

Local Authority Average: 5.6 hours Social Landlord Average: 5.1 hours Clackmannanshire Council: 2 hours

7.7hrs 2015/16

Average Time to Complete Non-Emergency Repair

7.6 days 5.4 days 4.9 days 2013/14

2014/15

2013/14

2014/15

2013/14

99.5% 2014/15

84.7% 2015/16

Local Authority Average: 89.3% Social Landlord Average: 91.3% Clackmannanshire Council: 93.5%

Anti Social Behaviour Cases Resolved within Timescale

Repair Appointment Kept

68.9%

100%

2015/16

Local Authority Average: 9.5 days Social Landlord Average: 7.5 days Clackmannanshire Council: 5.9 days

59.7%

Repair Carried out Right First Time

98.5% 2015/16

Local Authority Average: 94.1% Social Landlord Average: 94.4% Clackmannanshire Council: 99.9%

92.8%

2013/14

90.6% 2014/15

93.8% 2015/16

Local Authority Average: 84.2% Social Landlord Average: 86.6% Clackmannanshire Council: 75.2%

Number of Anti-Social Behaviour Cases Reported

For futher information If you would like to see more information on our performance you can visit scottishhousingregulator.gov.uk

7.7% 2013/14

5.1% 2014/15

Local Authority Average: 9.4 Social Landlord Average: Not Published Clackmannanshire Council: 6.4

12.3% 2015/16

We will be working hard to help improve the service over the next year and will be developing an action plan based on these results and our overall tenant satisfaction survey.

We always welcome input from tenants, so if you have suggestions or want to join one of our tenant led groups, please get in touch. Contact Kirsty Hill or the Quality & Performance Team on 01786 237661.

“I think the houses are all really pretty”

Isabella (Age 10, Thornhill Primary School)

Thank You for Taking Part!

A big Thank You to the 900 tenants across

the whole Stirling area who spoke to Research Resource over the past few months. We really appreciate you taking the time to tell us what

you think about the Housing Service at Stirling Council.

Praise for Stirling Council’s “Lovely Development” On the 26th of August the doors were open for local people to have a look around the new homes in Thornhill, the first new

Council housing in the village for 40 years. People were really positive about the new builds saying, “They are finished to

a really high standard” and have “great views” across the surrounding countryside.

Planning permission was granted for development of The Glebe

in June last year and now families are set to start moving into the properties. There are two one-bedroom and two two-bedroom

cottage flats; two two-bedroom semi-detached houses; and one three-bedroom and one four-bedroom detached house.

The homes are built to high energy efficiency standards,

including a battery storage PV panel system. It is estimated

93% of you said you are satisfied with the

overall service we provide. That compares to

83% in 2013, a great result! We always want to make sure we’re getting better.

We need to spend some time looking at what you said in detail and we will let you know

the full results and our action plan in the next edition of Open Door. Our Tenants Panel will see a copy of the results in early November.

Call or email Kirsty Hill on 01786 237661 or hillk@stirling.gov.uk if you’d like to sign up.

In the meantime we can announce the winners of the prize draw are Louise Stephens from Dunblane, Jean Mullan from Stirling and

Margaret Bowman from Fallin. They each received a £50 supermarket voucher for taking part. Congratulations!

that the panels will provide over 50% of the hot water for the properties.

Stirling Council’s Housing Portfolio Holder, Councillor Violet Weir, said: “We are committed to providing new social housing for

those who need it and it’s absolutely fantastic to be able to make new Council homes available in Thornhill for the first time since the early 1970s.

“The community played an important part at the heart of the

design process for this development and I’m delighted that it

comprises a number of different housing types to accommodate a variety of family sizes, both large and small.

I’m sure this “development will give a real boost to the already thriving village

”

Right to Buy The ‘Right to Buy’ has come to an end in Scotland meaning that no one can buy their Council House anymore. Want to find out more? Go to: http://bit.ly/2agbkkN

Contact Information Rent: 01786 40 40 40 Repairs: 01786 40 40 40 Housing Options: 01786 237900

Congratulations Congratulations to Mr MacLean of Raploch who was the winner of our Prize Draw in the last edition of Open Door.

Dunblane Tenants Dunblane Tenants’ Voice Dolly Gemmell is holding a drop in on a Friday morning every fortnight through October from 10am – 12pm.

So if you want to chat to someone about your house, your community or just find out who is best to speak to about a question you have, then pop in for a chat with Dolly.

Drop In Information Dunblane Local Office:

14th and 28th October, from 10am – 12pm

Antisocial Behaviour: 01786 233533 or 07717544926

Independent Housing Advice Shelter: 0808 800 4444 Citizens Advice Bureau: 01786 470239 Independent Money Advice Team: 01786 233520

Opening times of local rural local offices Aberfoyle: 9am - 1pm Balfron / Callander / Dunblane: 9am - 1pm, 2pm - 5pm Killin: - by appointment only

If you need help or this information supplied in an alternative format please call 01786 404040.