The Local Government (Best Value Performance Indicators) (Wales) Order 2000

Article 3

SCHEDULE 4 HOUSING INDICATORS

Indicator Number	Description of indicator	Details of indicator
BVPI 62	The proportion of unfit private sector dwellings made fit or demolished as a direct result of action by the local authority.	The average number of unfit private sector dwellings made fit or demolished per annum as a direct result of action by the authority expressed as a proportion of the total number of private sector dwellings judged by the authority to be unfit. An authority should include any dwelling removed from the number of unfit dwellings following direct action of the authority by: Giving grants. Giving loans and loan indemnities. Action to promote good maintenance: provision of repair services; providing advice. Demolition and clearance. Group repair schemes. Enforcement: repair notices, deferred action or closure. Sponsorship of a Home Improvement Agency providing advice and repair services. Authorities are advised to carry out local stock condition surveys every 5 years, covering all tenures. This should be used to estimate the number and proportion of private sector dwellings judged to be unfit. The indicator will then measure the average number of private sector dwellings made fit per year since that assessment was made.
BVPI 63	Energy Efficiency – the average SAP rating of local authority owned dwellings.	The average Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) rating of the local authority owned dwellings. The average annual change in average SAP rating of local authority owned dwellings, where the SAP is an index of the annual cost of heating a dwelling to achieve a standard heating regime and is normally described as running from 1 (highly inefficient) to 100 (highly efficient). As such, it is a measure of its overall energy efficiency and is dependent on both the heat loss from the dwelling and the performance of the heating system. The indicators require an energy survey to be conducted to set the baseline position. Surveys should be carried out on at least at 5 yearly interval basis. In years when no energy survey is conducted local authorities should update their survey information to take into account work done to the stock over the period.
BVPI 64	The proportion of private sector dwellings that have been vacant for more than 6 months at 1 April 2000 that are returned into occupation during 2000/01 as a direct result of action by the local authority.	The number of private sector dwellings that have been vacant for more than 6 months at the beginning of the financial year that are returned into occupation during the financial year as a direct result of action by the authority, divided by the number of all private sector properties that have been vacant for more than 6 months at the beginning of the financial year multiplied by 100. An authority should include any dwelling which becomes occupied following direct action of the authority by: grants, loans or other financial assistance either provided or facilitated by the authority. advice to owner to cover one or more of the following: literature provided on the authority’s empty home strategy advice on letting, including legal and housing benefit requirements advice on grants and other financial assistance, including tax concessions available details of landlord forum or accreditation scheme advice on repairs, including details on building contractors meeting minimum standards referral to partner registered social landlord or other intermediary with relevant expertise enforcement action, including repair notices or compulsory purchase orders. enquiries made to establish ownership of property.
BVPI 65a	The average weekly costs per local authority dwelling of management.	This covers the financial cost to the local authority for housing management – measured by the Housing Revenue Account actual expenditure on management in 2000/2001 divided by the average number of dwellings in the HRA at the start and end of the year, divided by 52. The information should match that in the HRAS 99-02 Annual Return form for general and special management costs (cells 3000 and 3010).
BVPI 65b	The average weekly costs per local authority dwelling of repairs.	This covers the cost to the local authority for repairs – measured by the Housing Revenue Account actual expenditure on repairs in 2000/2001 divided by the average number of dwellings in the HRA at the start and end of the year, divided by 52. The information should match that reported through the Housing Repairs Accounts in the HRAS 99-02 Annual Return (cell 3020).
BVPI 66a	Local authority rent collection and arrears: proportion of rent collected.	Proportion of rent collected – the proportion of rent collected is calculated from the data on the gross HRA rent collected during the year (i.e. including that met through Housing Benefit) as a proportion of the total HRA rent available for collection in the year but with rent arrears from former tenants accrued before the year end excluded (i.e. the latest potential rent income after allowing for vacant dwellings and including arrears of current tenants outstanding at the beginning of the year). The rent collected is the total amount of rent collected during the year, less any payments of arrears for earlier years from former tenants.
BVPI 66b	Local authority rent collection and arrears: rent arrears of current tenants as a proportion of the authority’s rent roll.	Rent arrears of current tenants as a proportion of the authority’s rental income – Arrears as a proportion of rent roll is calculated from the total amount of tenants HRA rent outstanding at the end of the financial year and the total HRA rent roll. Rent roll is the total amount of potential rent collectable for the financial year for all dwellings owned by the authority, whether occupied or not. The total amount of rent arrears is the amount of arrears of both former and current tenants at the end of the financial year.
BVPI 66c	Local authority rent collection and arrears: rent written off as not collectable as a proportion of the authority’s rent roll.	Rent written off as not collectable as a proportion of the authority’s rental income – Write offs as a proportion of rent roll is calculated from the total amount of HRA rent written off during the financial year and the total HRA rent roll. Rent roll is the total amount of potential rent collectable for the financial year for all dwellings owned by the authority, whether occupied or not. The total amount of write offs is the amount of current and former tenants rent arrears formally written off as unrecoverable during the financial year.
BVPI 67	Proportion of homelessness applications on which the authority makes a decision and issues written notification to the applicant within 33 working days.	The number of homeless applications (under section 184 of the Housing Act 1996, c. 52) on which a decision was made and written notification was issued to the applicant within 33 working days, as a proportion of all homeless applications where a s.184 notice was issued.
BVPI 68	Average relet times for local authority dwellings let in the previous financial year.	This indicator is calculated from data on the total number of lettings made during the year (excluding those let after major repairs). Major repair works are defined as those costing £5,000 (or more) and the total number of days these dwellings were vacant. The total number of lettings covers all lettings made during the financial year where there was no major repair work financed from the authority’s capital programme carried out in the period that the dwelling was vacant. Days a dwelling is vacant = calendar days between the date the dwelling is available for letting, or when it is established that the dwelling is vacant and when a new tenant moves in.
BVPI 69	Percentage of rent lost through local authority dwellings becoming vacant.	This indicator is calculated from data on the total HRA rent roll and the amount of HRA rent lost through voids (properties being vacant). Rent roll is the total amount of potential rent collectable for the financial year for all dwellings owned by the authority. Rent lost through voids is the total amount of rent which was not collectable during the financial year because dwellings were vacant (i.e. with no tenant liable for the rent).
BVPI 70	Energy Efficiency – the average annual change in the average SAP rating of local authority owned dwellings.	The average Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) rating of the local authority owned dwellings. The average annual change in average SAP rating of local authority owned dwellings, where the SAP is an index of the annual cost of heating a dwelling to achieve a standard heating regime and is normally described as running from 1 (highly inefficient) to 100 (highly efficient). As such, it is a measure of its overall energy efficiency and is dependent on both the heat loss from the dwelling and the performance of the heating system. The indicators require an energy survey to be conducted to set the baseline position. Surveys should be carried out on at least at 5 yearly interval basis. In years when no energy survey is conducted local authorities should update their survey information to take into account work done to the stock over the period.
BVPI 71	The number of local authority dwellings receiving renovation work during 2000-01 as a percentage of the number needing renovation work at 1 April 2000.	a) The number of local authority owned dwellings that receive renovation works (under £5,000) during the financial year divided by the local authority’s assessment of the number of dwellings requiring such work at the beginning of the financial year multiplied by 100. b) The number of local authority owned dwellings that receive renovation works (over £5,000) during the financial year divided by the local authority’s assessment of the number of dwellings requiring such work at the beginning of the financial year multiplied by 100. Authorities are advised to carry out local stock condition surveys every 5 years, covering all tenures. Authorities should use these to estimate the work required at 1 April 2000.
BVPI 72	The percentage of urgent repairs completed within Government time limits.	The total number of urgent repairs (as defined in the Secure Tenants of Local Housing Authorities (Right to Repair) Regulations 1994 (S.I1994/133), but whether or not the repairs were requested pursuant to the Regulations) completed within the prescribed time limit during the financial year divided by the number of urgent repairs requested during the financial year. Repairs classed as urgent and their Government time limits are set out in the table below taken from the Secure Tenants of Local Housing Authorities (Right to Repair) Regulations 1994.The statutory procedure for appointing a second contractor should be ignored for the purpose of recording the repair as incomplete within the timescales. Defect Prescribed period (in working days) Total loss of electric power 1 Partial loss of electric power 3 Unsafe power or lighting socket, electrical fitting 1 Total loss of water supply 1 Partial loss of water supply 3 Total or partial loss of gas supply 1 Blocked flue to open fire or boiler 1 Total or partial loss of space or water heating between 31st October and 1st May 1 Total or partial loss of space or water heating between 30th April and 1st November 3 Blocked or leaking foul drain, soil track or (while there is no other working toilet in the dwelling house) toilet pan 1 Toilet not flushing (where there is no other working toilet in the dwelling house) 1 Blocked sink, bath or basin 3 Tap which cannot be turned 3 Leaking from water or heating pipe, tank or cistern. 1 Leaking roof 1 Insecure external window, door or lock 1 Loose or detached banister or hand rail 3 Rotten timber flooring or stair tread 3 Door entryphone not working 7 Mechanical extractor fan in internal kitchen or bathroom not working 7
BVPI 73	The average time taken to complete non-urgent responsive repairs.	For non-urgent responsive repairs completed during the financial year, the average number of (calendar) days between the non-urgent responsive repair being requested and its satisfactory completion (where non-urgent repairs are those excluded from the Right to Repair regulations).
BVPI 74	Satisfaction of tenants of council housing with the overall service provided by their landlord.	Percentage of all council tenants, or a representative random sample of council tenants stating that they are satisfied with the overall service provided by their landlord. Leaseholders and tenants of other social or private landlords are excluded. The survey should be carried out at least once every three years, starting in 2000/2001. Further advice will be provided on the most appropriate survey methodology. In years when there is no survey, the most recent available year’s results will be reported with a note highlighting the date of the survey.
BVPI 75	Satisfaction of tenants of council housing with opportunities for participation in management and decision making in relation to housing services provided by their landlord.	The percentage of all council tenants, or a representative random sample of council tenants, stating how satisfied they are with the opportunities for participation in management and decision making in relation to the housing services provided by their landlord. Leaseholders and tenants of other social or private landlords ar excluded.The survey will be carried out at least once every three years, starting in 2000/2001.