The Local Government (Best Value) Performance Indicators Order 2000

Article 8

SCHEDULE 6 HOUSING INDICATORS

Indicator Number	Description of indicator	Details of indicator
1	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 divided by the total number of private sector dwellings judged by the authority to be unfit multiplied by 100.
2	Energy Efficiency—the average SAP rating of local authority owned dwellings.	In this indicator, references to the “Standard Assessment Procedure” (“SAP”) are references to the procedure in the document entitled “Government’s Standard Assessment Procedure for Energy Rating of Dwellings”(1).
3	The proportion of private sector dwellings which have been vacant for more than 6 months at the beginning of the financial year and which are returned into occupation during that financial year as a direct result of action by the local authority.	This indicator is to be calculated by dividing the number of private sector dwellings that have been vacant for more than 6 months at the beginning of the financial year which are returned into occupation during the financial year as a direct result of action by the authority, by the number of all private sector properties which have been vacant for more than 6 months at the beginning of the financial year multiplied by 100.
4	The average weekly management costs per local authority dwelling.	In this indicator “management costs” includes housing management costs incurred by the local authority within its Housing Revenue Account (HRA)(2). This covers costs incurred on general and special supervision, management and maintenance, less any contributions made to the authority in respect of HRA expenditure and transfers to the HRA in respect of amenities shared by the whole community as reported on DETR Housing Subsidy and Grant Claim forms 2000–2001 (“2000–2001 HS Form”)(3). This indicator is to be measured by the HRA actual expenditure on housing management for the financial year divided by the average number of dwellings in the HRA at the start and end of the year, divided by 52.
5	The average weekly costs of repairs per local authority dwelling.	In this indicator “repairs” means housing repair costs incurred by the local authority within its Housing Revenue Account (HRA). This covers costs incurred on repair work which is charged directly to the HRA (excluding capitalised repairs) or met through a housing repairs account (counting the net costs in the financial year of transfers to and from this account) as reported on the 2000–2001 HS Form. This indicator is to be measured by the HRA actual expenditure on housing repair for the financial year divided by the average number of dwellings in the HRA at the start and end of the year, divided by 52.
6	Local authority rent collection and arrears: proportion of rent collected.	The proportion of rent collected is to be calculated from the data on the gross rent collected during the year (including that met through Housing Benefit) as a proportion of the total available for collection in the year but with rent arrears from former tenants excluded (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.
7	Local authority rent collection and arrears: rent arrears of current tenants as a proportion of the authority’s rent roll.	Arrears as a proportion of rent income is to be calculated from the total amount of rent outstanding at the end of the financial year and the total available rental income (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.
8	Local authority rent collection and arrears: rent written off as not collectable as a proportion of the authority’s rent roll.	This indicator is to be calculated from the total amount of rent written off during the financial year and the total available rental income (rent roll). Rent roll has the same meaning as in indicator 7 above. 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.
9	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(4)) 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.
10	Average re-letting times for local authority dwellings let in the financial year.	This indicator is calculated from data on the total number of lettings made during the year (excluding those let after major repairs) 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 means the number of 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.
11	Percentage of rent lost through local authority dwellings becoming vacant.	This indicator is to be calculated from data on the total available rental income (rent roll) and the amount of rent lost through voids (properties being vacant). Rent roll has the same meaning as in indicator 7 above. Rent lost through voids is the total amount of rent which was not collectable during the financial year because dwellings were vacant that is with no tenant liable for the rent.
12	Energy Efficiency—the average annual change in the average SAP rating of local authority owned dwellings.	In this indicator “Standard Assessment Procedure” (“SAP”) shall have the same meaning as in indicator 2 of this Schedule.
13	The number of local authority dwellings receiving renovation work during a financial year as a proportion of the number needing renovation work at the beginning of that financial year.	This indicator is to be determined by calculating— (a) The number of the authority’s owned dwellings that receive renovation works (costing £5,000 or under) 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 the authority’s owned dwellings that receive renovation works (costing 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.
14	The percentage of urgent repairs completed within Government time limits.	The indicator is to be determined by dividing the total number of urgent repairs (as defined in the Secure Tenants of Local Housing Authorities (Right to Repair) Regulations 1994)(5) completed within the prescribed time limit during the financial year by the number of urgent repairs requested during the financial year.
15	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 Secure Tenants of Local Housing Authorities (Right to Repair) Regulations 1994).
16	Satisfaction of tenants of council housing with the overall service provided by their landlord.	For the purposes of this indicator, leaseholders and tenants of other social or private landlords shall be excluded. To obtain the data for this indicator, the authority shall use the survey requirements specified for the Best Value Performance Indicator Number 74 (BVPI74) in Chapter 14 of Volume One of the DETR’s document entitled “Best Value and Audit Commission Performance Indicators for 2000/2001”(6).
17	Satisfaction of tenants of council housing with opportunities for participation in management and decision making in relation to housing services provided by their landlord.	For the purposes of this indicator, leaseholders and tenants of other social or private landlords shall be excluded. The information used is that contained in the survey requirements specified for the Best Value Performance Indicator Number 75 (BVPI75) in Chapter 14 of Volume One of the DETR’s document entitled “Best Value and Audit Commission Performance Indicators for 2000/2001”.

(1)

1998 Edition—copies can be obtained, free of charge, from the Enquiries bureau, Building Research Establishment, Garston, Watford WD2 7JR.

(2)

Accounts kept by authorities pursuant to section 74 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 (c. 42).

(3)

These forms are prepared by local authorities as a response to the rules set out in the Housing Revenue and Accounts Subsidy Determination 2000/2001. The Determination has been made by the Secretary of State under sections 80 and 87 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 (c. 42).

(4)

1996 c. 52.

(5)

S.I. 1994/133.

(6)

Best Value and Audit Commission Performance Indicators for 2000/2001. Volume One: The Performance Indicators including the Audit Commission’s Publication of Information Direction (England). Published by the DETR, free of charge, in December 1999.