Agenda item

The Committee considered a report which included a transformational Building more Council Homes – Our Ambition and Plan of Action which aimed to deliver over 900 new Council homes over the next 10 years.

The report detailed information and included proposed recommendations in relation to the following:

·       where and when the homes would be built;

·       the resources available and the delivery models that would be used;

·       how wider regeneration priorities across the county would be supported; 

·       how new opportunities, as they arise, would be maximised.

The results of the plan of action would deliver the greatest increase in the number of Council homes in the County since the 1970’s and return the Council’s housing stock levels since the 1990’s.

The report outlined that providing more affordable homes was a key strategic priority for the Council and was a five year vision to increase the supply of affordable homes 2015 and, in 2016, when the Council set out its first ambitious 10 year investment programme to deliver over 1000 additional affordable homes across the County.  The Council, in its fourth year of delivering the affordable homes had a very successful first three years, as nearly 700 homes were delivered and was currently on course to reach the 1000 homes target.

Members noted that the Council development programme had been developed using a delivery phasing structure which reflected when the homes would be built. Based on a number of factors, including the likely timescales for delivery the programme comprised of three priority phases, which was described in Table 1 of the report.

The following questions/observations were raised on the report:-

·       With regard to the size of the new houses, it was commented that Council houses in the past were robust, well-built with a generous size garden, and in comparison concern was raised that the new houses would be built too close together with smaller gardens.  The Head of Homes and Safer Communities announced that the new build homes would be specifically designed to include sufficient space for a lifetime home.  Furthermore, in order that the homes were future proof the homes would be compliant with space standards thus ensuring that they would be fit for purpose.

·       It was raised that it would be beneficial for Members to receive a breakdown of specific areas of development in terms of variation by ward.  The Head of Homes and Safer Communities agreed that he would forward an affordable home activity per ward to Members by e-mail.

·         Concerns were raised in relation to the number of planning applications being submitted on a continuous basis in order to retain the permission to build on the land with no work being progressed.  The Executive Board member for Housing acknowledged the concerns and reported that discussions were currently ongoing with regard to the possibility of limiting the number of applications for one site.  The Head of Homes and Safer Communities offered to e-mail an update on the outcomes of the discussions to the Committee.

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED to recommend to the Executive Board that:

5.1      the key delivery principles for the Council new build programme,       aligning with our successful Affordable Homes Delivery Plan be re-      affirmed;

5.2      the range of delivery models that will be used to build over 900 new       Council homes, enabling us to offer a variety of housing options in       different areas of the County be agreed;

5.3      that the new Council homes will be delivered using the affordable       housing action areas developed as part of the Affordable Homes       Delivery Plan;

5.4      the priority phasing structure to be used to determine when the new       build sites will be developed;

5.5      the criteria to be used to move developments from Phase B and
      Phase C into Phase A; and

5.6.      the first three year delivery programme for building new Council       homes in the county, investing over £53m and creating over 300       new Council homes be agreed.