Agenda item

Annual Housing Development Report

Cabinet Portfolio: - Housing   

 

Strategic Directorate: - Adult Care, Housing and Public Health

Minutes:

Consideration was given to a report that was submitted for pre-decision scrutiny ahead of the Cabinet meeting scheduled for 22 March 2021 regarding the Annual Housing Development Report – 2021/22. The Cabinet Member for Housing and the Head of Strategic Housing Development attended the meeting to present the report.

 

It was noted that the report was the second annual housing development report that had been produced under the new reporting arrangements that had been agreed by Cabinet on 21 September 2020. The report set out housing growth progress made in 2020/21 and proposed the housing projects for delivery in 2021/22 that were aligned with the Housing Revenue Account Business Plan.

 

In introducing the report, the Cabinet Member for Housing advised that the recommended option for the housing development programme for 2021/22 would be a blended approach that combined direct Council direct build, strategic acquisitions, and housing association delivery. The Cabinet Member noted that this proposal would enable there to a be a balanced approach of capital outlay and risk that would also deliver a significant number of new homes and enable an agile and responsive approach to be taken to deliver across a wide range of development sites.

 

The Head of Strategic Housing Development noted that the majority the homes that would be built would be on small, or former garage sites but that there were two larger scale sites included in the proposed plan. The Head of Strategic Housing Development advised that strategic acquisitions would continue to be an important part of the housing delivery programme as they offered a more efficient and better value for money option to replacing Council homes that had been lost through Right to Buy sales, compared to homes built directly by the Council. The report detailed the proposed delegations to the officer that would be in place for one year that would enable the Council to take an agile approach to the programme of strategic acquisitions.

 

Members welcomed the proposed plan and delivery method for housing development for 202/22 but asked that while the proposed option of a blended approach had many advantages, it was the most complex approach, and as such did the Council have the resources to manage its delivery. The Cabinet Member agreed that it would be a challenging programme to deliver but that he was confident that the programme was deliverable. The Head of Strategic Housing Development assured members that staffing restructures in the directorate had created the extra capacity needed to successfully deliver the proposed development programme, and that this would be supported by strong processes and good relationships with local developers.

 

Members noted the importance of engaging with ward members where developments or strategic acquisitions were planned for their ward. The Cabinet Member noted his commitment to engaging with ward members as fully and as widely as possible.

 

Members noted that many garage and garage site tenants may not be able to afford to empty their garage, or to safely clear their garage off the garage plot if the site had been identified for housing development and stated that in these circumstances the Council should offer financial assistance, as required to enable tenants to clear their garage plot.

 

Members asked how the Council was performing in ensuring that new developments had the required amount of affordable housing included. The Head of Strategic Housing Development advised that the Planning Service had an excellent record in negotiating with developers on affordable housing and that the Planning and Housing Development teams worked closely together on this issue.

 

The Chair thanked the Cabinet Member for Housing and the Head of Strategic Housing Development for attending the meeting and answering member questions.

 

Resolved: -

 

  1. That Cabinet be advised the recommendations be supported.
  2. That for the programme of strategic acquisition opportunities that relevant ward members be made formal consultees in the process.
  3. That consideration be given to the provision of financial support to enable vulnerable tenants to empty their garage/clear their garage plot when a garage site is being developed for housing.

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