That Cabinet:
1) Carefully considers all responses to the section 105 consultation on the Defend Council Homes Policy and notes the significant level of support for the Policy from residents living in Council homes.
2) Agrees that the Defend Council Homes Policy, attached as Appendix 1, be formally adopted as a policy of the Council and that all necessary steps, including but not limited to entering into any necessary documents , be taken to implement the policy.
3) Authorises the Head of Law to register a restriction on title with HM Land Registry of all freehold titles within the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) as follows: “No disposition of the registered estate by the proprietor of the registered estate is to be registered without a certificate signed by Hammersmith and Fulham Council [or their conveyancer] that the provisions of the Defend Council Homes Policy (in the terms in effect as at the date of certificate) have been complied with or that they do not apply to the disposition”.
4) Approves that the one-off costs of implementation of up to £140,000 are funded from:
a. the current balance of £46,700 held in the earmarked reserve for “Protecting the future of Council homes”;
b. existing revenue budgets of £93,300 within the Place division of the Housing Revenue Account.
5) Agrees the timetable for implementation set out in the next steps and timeline section.