Agenda item

Report from the Strategic Director of Adult Care, Housing and Public Health.

Recommendations:

1.    That Cabinet approves the Council-owned sites listed in Appendix 3 being brought forward to deliver new Council homes.

2.    That Cabinet approves the appropriation of specified General Fund sites to the Housing Revenue Account. Further detail about the sites proposed for appropriation is provided in Appendix 4.

3.    That Cabinet approves the purchase of homes from any of the schemes identified in Exempt Appendix 5.

4.    That Cabinet delegates authority to the Council’s Property Officer (Assistant Director for Planning, Regeneration and Transport) to purchase additional homes from private developers or the open market to add to the Council’s housing stock, with the agreement of the Assistant Director for Housing, Cabinet Member for Housing and Section 151 Officer.

5.    That Cabinet agrees to receive an update on the housing development programme every six months.

Consideration was given to the report which set out proposals to support the delivery of more new Council homes by March 2026. This would be through a combination of development on Council owned land and the acquisition of homes from the private sector.

The need for more affordable housing remained in the Borough, so a similar approach would be maintained.  A large range of strategic acquisitions were being considered to address the need.

Subject to approval, the proposals would lead to 969 new homes being provided by March 2026 with over 800 of those being used for Council rent.

The Leader confirmed that the need for people to be in safe, warm, affordable housing was a priority for the Council.  Work was still ongoing regarding the ‘right to buy’s scheme to reduce the number of properties purchased through this scheme that became private rentals in the future.

Resolved:

1.    That Cabinet approved the Council-owned sites listed in Appendix 3 being brought forward to deliver new Council homes.

2.    That Cabinet approved the appropriation of specified General Fund sites to the Housing Revenue Account. Further detail about the sites proposed for appropriation is provided in Appendix 4.

3.    That Cabinet approved the purchase of homes from any of the schemes identified in Exempt Appendix 5

4.    That Cabinet delegate authority to the Council’s Property Officer (Assistant Director for Planning, Regeneration and Transport) to purchase additional homes from private developers or the open market to add to the Council’s housing stock, with the agreement of the Assistant Director for Housing, Cabinet Member for Housing and Section 151 Officer.

5.    That Cabinet agreed to receive an update on the housing development programme every 6 months.