Consideration was given to the report that detailed how in January, 2017, the Council was awarded £6.81m of grant funding through the Homes and Communities Agency’s Shared Ownership and Affordable Homes Programme (SOAHP).
This programme would make a significant contribution to meeting Rotherham’s housing growth target, and meeting the needs of a range of people - but particularly first time buyers who were often priced out of the market, and older people seeking homes that met their physical needs.
108 of the homes to be delivered through the programme have been approved by Cabinet as part of the Site Clusters Programme with Wates Construction. Six further specialist bungalows have also been approved by Cabinet. This report, therefore, focused on the remaining 113 homes proposed to be delivered through Shared Ownership and Affordable Housing Programme on the following sites:-
· 14 specialist rented bungalows on Braithwell Road in Ravenfield (NB a different Braithwell Road from the Site Clusters programme main site in Maltby - 5 units), Arundel Avenue in Treeton (6 units), Springfield Avenue in Brampton Bierlow (one unit) and a further site to be confirmed (2 units).
· 59 homes on the Bellows Road site in Rawmarsh (30 shared ownership and 29 affordable rent).
· 40 homes on the Rothwell Grange site in Broom (20 shared ownership and 20 affordable rent).
The report sought approval to use Housing Revenue Account capital funding to complement the grant awarded by the Homes and Communities Agency.
Cabinet Members welcomed any opportunity for new Council housing to be built and brought forward.
Resolved:- (1) That the Shared Ownership and Affordable Homes Programme (SOAHP) be approved.
(2) That the use of Housing Revenue Account capital resources totalling the amount as set out in exempt Appendix 2, to complement the £6.81m grant funding obtained from the Homes and Communities Agency, be approved.
(3) That the appropriation of 2 sites - Bellows Road (Rawmarsh) and Rothwell Grange (Broom) - from the General Fund to the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) be approved.
(4) That the Assistant Director, Housing and Neighbourhoods be authorised to award Tenders for contracts to deliver construction works for the SOAHP, subject to agreement by the Council’s Section 151 Officer, and to the costs being within the approved funding envelope for the Programme.
(5) That the Assistant Director, Housing and Neighbourhoods be authorised to substitute other small HRA owned sites into the SOAHP if the two principal sites could not deliver the numbers of units required.
(6) That a further report be submitted to a future meeting with details of the financial modelling and management of shared ownership properties.
(7) That the Assistant Director of Legal Services be authorised to sign and execute the funding agreement with the Homes and Communities Agency.