Have your say on how your rent is spent
Take part in our survey
The rent you pay as a Central Bedfordshire Council tenant is used to fund repairs and improvements to your home, as well as to provide new homes. We are committed to delivering value for money and providing high-quality homes for our tenants, and creating spaces where people are proud to live.
Housing rent can only be used to pay for housing; we cannot use it to pay for other council services. Every penny you pay is reinvested in housing. This budget is called the Housing Revenue Account (HRA).
We are facing significant financial challenges. In the Housing Service, these include increasing costs associated with construction and repair and rent caps and cuts which resulted in a loss of income of £28.3 million between 2016 and 2024.
By law, we have a responsibility to ensure that the HRA does not fall into a deficit, and so for our upcoming budget we have several proposals to reduce spending to stay within our budget.
We will continue to invest in building new homes, but this will be less than previous years thereby to maintain the level of investment in the quality and safety of your home. We forecast 151 new homes in 2024/25, which includes 88 independent living apartments for people over 55 years of age. From next year, we will reduce the number of homes we build to around 35 homes a year to reduce borrowing and avoid high interest rates, as well as to maintain the level investment in improvements.
We also plan to reduce our operating costs over the next 4 years, including a reduction in staffing of around 9% (the equivalent of around 20 full time members of staff), which will result in an all-round reduction in service. We may be slower to respond to non-urgent enquiries.
Given the loss of rental income over several years due to rent caps and cuts, we are also proposing that we increase rent by 2.7%, which is in line with the Regulator of Social Housing’s Rent Standard. This will mean an increase of £3.35 per week for social rent and a £5.91 increase per week for affordable rent.
We know putting rent up and reducing our offer to tenants is not ideal, but these measures are necessary to ensure we protect the HRA budget and continue to maintain safe, quality homes in the long term. In the coming year, we plan to spend money on making improvements to our estates and their green spaces, roof replacements, new windows, kitchens and bathrooms, and asbestos management to ensure that your homes are safe, comfortable and in good condition.
It’s important you complete the HRA survey and tell us which parts of the service we provide are most important, and where we could reduce costs. We want to hear your views on these proposals and your ideas about what our housing team should focus on and how we can improve the service.
Please complete the survey to submit your feedback by Tuesday 4 February 2025.
Come and talk to the team about the HRA
Our housing team is running some online events that outline past, current and future spend and give you a chance to ask questions and share your views. Join the team and find out more at one of the following events:
- Thursday 23 January from 6pm to 7pm
- Saturday 25 January from 10am to 11am
- Wednesday 29 January from 6pm to 7pm
To find out how to join one of the online events, email: tenant.involvement@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk.
Your opportunity to have a say on how your Council Tax is spent
The council is under huge financial pressure and is having to make some difficult decisions about increasing Council Tax and changing some services.
Have a look at the options on our website and tell us what you think.
Paper copies are available in council libraries. If you need a paper copy sent to you or information in an alternative format, please contact consultations@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk or call 0300 300 8301.
All responses must be received by 4 February 2025.
Read more about the budget and our proposals.
Be a part of your housing decisions
Landlord Assurance Board
The Landlord Assurance Board is designed to make our housing service more open. As a member of the Board, you will share the views of tenants and help us shape our services as a landlord. Every voice and view within the board matters!
To promote transparency and openness, the board will have a mixture of councillors and tenants. Tenants elected to the board will be able to contribute to discussions, ask questions about how we deliver our services, suggest changes or improvements and hold us responsible. The board will enable tenants to influence decisions that improve living conditions, safety, and the quality of services you receive.
We are running a consultation to develop a policy for who can join. To help us create this policy, we encourage you to have your say on the Landlord Assurance Board.
The consultation started on 20 December 2024, and as part of this we are hosting an online forum on Saturday 1 February 2025, between midday and 2pm.
The forum will be via Microsoft Teams, which means you can easily join using your smartphone, tablet or laptop. If you are not sure how to join an online forum, we will send you an email with instructions on how to take part.
We really want to shape this board around you, so if you are a tenant or leaseholder, save the date and email tenant.involvement@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk to register and receive your link.
Learning from your complaints
Each year we produce a complaints report
The report provides an overview of how we managed the complaints you have made during the year, the lessons we have learnt and the improvements we have made to our services, with the aim of preventing the same mistakes happening again.
The report includes details of complaints made, including which were agreed wit, and the steps taken to resolve them. It also includes results from the customer satisfaction surveys, sharing how our tenants felt we dealt with their complaint.
Read our annual reports and find out more about complaints across Central Bedfordshire Council.
If you or someone you know would like a paper copy of any of the complaints annual reports, you can email housing.feedback@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk with your name and address, or call 0300 300 8000 and ask for the Customer Feedback team.
Want to make a difference to how your housing is managed?
The best way to have your say is by taking part in some of our tenant involvement events
With the new consumer standards regulating social housing, we have looked at our landlord service and put together a draft Housing Regulatory Development Plan (PDF) to improve the services we provide to you.
To make sure we are providing you with the right services, we are holding focus groups for you to have your say on the eight themes:
- governance oversight
- quality assurance
- data integrity
- tenant involvement
- professional development
- housing customer experience
- improving the effectiveness of the housing repairs service
- housing policies
By joining a group, you will be taking part in the decision-making processes on the services we provide to you. You can influence the choices made that affect the homes and communities you live in. They are also a way of finding out more about what goes on and why decisions are made. You will become an important part of your housing service!
Why is your voice so important to us?
- You know more about how our services work than anyone else
- You know more about your homes than we do
- Customers truly are at the heart of what we do
- Our first consideration is ‘what impact will this have on customers?
- We want to listen and respond to the customer voice, delivering the services that meet your individual needs, in a way that is personal and professional
- Customer Involvement brings a deeper understanding of the real needs of customers
Our first group is about tenant involvement
Let us know what you think will help your fellow tenants to take part in sharing their views. What excites you? What can we do to support people taking part? Join us online on Tuesday 4 February from 4:30pm to 6:30pm.
You will receive a £10 Love2Shop voucher, as a thank you for taking part. Simply email us at tenant.involvement@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk to receive your personal invite.
Can’t make this one but would still like to influence how the service is run?
There are many ways you can get involved, including surveys, online focus groups and in person groups. To find out more about how you can get involved in the coming year, please email: tenant.involvement@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk.
We look forward to meeting you!
Protect your home
Don’t leave it empty in the cold and avoid burst pipes
Leaving your home unoccupied during cold weather may seem harmless, but it can lead to a big problem – burst pipes. When the temperature drops, the water inside pipes can freeze, causing them to expand and burst. This can result in damage to your home and belongings. Let’s explore why leaving houses empty in the cold can be risky and how you can prevent burst pipes.
Cold weather can be a real threat to your home’s plumbing system. Water expands when to freezes and it I happened inside you pipes, the pressure can lead to cracks and bursts. Burst pipes can cause flooding, structural damage, and even mould growth, making it important to try to stop pipes bursting in the first place.
Some prevention tips
1. Keep the heat on
Maintain a consistent indoor temperature, especially if you're planning to leave your home empty during the winter.
Set your thermostat to at least 13 degrees centigrade to prevent freezing.
2. Empty and turn off your water supply
Disconnect your water at the stop cock. If you don’t know where this is, it’s usually underneath your kitchen sink or by your washing machine fixing.
3. Ask a neighbour for help
If possible, ask a trustworthy neighbour to check on your home regularly. They can let you know if there are any issues and make sure that your heating system is working properly.
Have your say on community safety
Take part in the Safer Central survey
Please join us to improve safety for everyone in Central Bedfordshire. You can help shape the work of our Community Safety Partnership by sharing your views and completing the Safer Central Survey. You can also invite one of our friendly Safer Communities Officers to join your community group for a visit to talk about keeping safe.
We ask for your opinions every year to keep us up to date on safety issues in your community. We know that no one knows better what is happening in your immediate area than you, and with the information you can provide we can work together to make a difference, creating a safer environment for everyone.
Your opinions really do make a difference to help us focus our work where our residents want to see improvements.
If you would like to contact our Community Safety Team, please email community.safety@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk.
News from our Independent Living schemes
What happened over Christmas?
Christmas at Crescent Court, Toddington
Christmas at Crescent Court, Toddington, was improved by children from St George's School, who put on a wonderful song and dance performance for the residents. Most of the tenants attended and were having a lovely time joining in and singing along with the children Christmas carols.
The residents also enjoyed listening to Toddington Brass Band, who joined the residents to entertain them with their songs. Those who attended said the band was fantastic and everyone really enjoyed the music. Both the children and the brass band have been asked to come back for Easter.
Reading and companionship at All Saints View
The Online Day Activities team at All Saints View had a truly special moment when the children from a lower school in Dunstable, Ardley Hill Academy, were invited to visit.
The children, who were reading ambassadors, read to the people of All Saints View. This was an opportunity for the children to practice their reading skills as well as a chance for the residents to chat with the younger generation.
Adding to the magic of the day, the school’s therapy dog, Hope, paid a visit as well, offering some light-hearted moments during the day’s activities.
This event was more than just a reading session; it was a celebration of community, collaboration, and the power of reading to bring people together.
Reminder: you may be contacted by Accuity
Tenant Satisfaction Measures survey
This year’s Tenant Satisfaction Measures survey is being conducted by Accuity, a company specialising in social housing research. The survey started in September 2024, to gather feedback on your homes and services provided by Housing Services. As part of the survey, Accuity will randomly select 250 tenants each quarter to participate.
The next section of the survey is taking part this month, so you may be contacted and asked to complete the survey either:
- online: via an email link to the survey
- by phone: Accuity interviewers may call tenants for a 10 minute phone survey
Calls will be made between 9am and 8pm on weekdays, and 10am to 6pm on Saturdays. The number displayed will be 01582 323045. If you miss the call, you will hear a recorded message explaining that it was related to the survey.
If you have any queries about any of the survey, please email: housinginfo@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk.