Issue - meetings

(Housing Portfolio Holder) To consider the attached report (C-006-2017/18).

(1)        That, following the support and endorsement of the Communities Select Committee, the new Housing Strategy 2017-22 (attached at Appendix 1 to the report) be adopted; and

(2)        That the Communities Select Committee be requested to continue to review future Annual Key Action Plans for the Housing Strategy prior to approval each year, and to review progress with Key Action Plans every 6 months, in accordance with its previous practice.

In the absence of the Housing Portfolio Holder, who had tended her apologies for the meeting, the Leader of Council presented a report on an updated Housing Strategy for the period 2017 – 22.

The Leader stated that the Council’s current Housing Strategy was out of date; a new Housing Strategy covering the period 2017 - 22 had been produced and was attached as an Appendix to the report. Previously, production of the new Housing Strategy had been delayed pending the publication of the draft Local Plan but an annual Housing Strategy Key Action Plan had continued to be produced, with progress monitored by the Communities Select Committee. However, following the publication of the draft Local Plan, the completion of the first stage of the Housing Revenue Account Financial Options Review, and publication of the Government’s Housing White Paper, now was an expedient time to update the Housing Strategy,

The Leader reported that the purpose of the Strategy was to assess the District’s current and future housing needs and to set out the Council’s approach to meeting those needs. The Strategy also set out the an overall vision for housing in the District, the Council’s key housing objectives, and the aims and objectives relating to individual housing issues. The new Housing Strategy also included a Key Action Plan for the first year of the Strategy, which would be updated on an annual basis.  It was proposed that progress with the Key Action Plan should continue to be reviewed by the Communities Select Committee every six months. The Communities Select Committee had been consulted on the Draft Housing Strategy, which they felt was a good quality and useful document, and therefore agreed to endorse and support its adoption.

The Portfolio Holder for Planning & Governance welcomed the new Strategy, and stated that it was a compliment to, and not in conflict with, the draft Local Plan. The Cabinet agreed that the Housing Strategy did require revising and fully supported the updated Strategy for the period 2017 – 22.

Decision:

(1)        That, following the support and endorsement of the Communities Select Committee, the new Housing Strategy 2017-22 (attached at Appendix 1 to the report) be adopted; and

(2)        That the Communities Select Committee be requested to continue to review future Annual Key Action Plans for the Housing Strategy prior to approval each year, and to review progress with Key Action Plans every 6 months, in accordance with its previous practice.

Reasons for Decision:

The current Housing Strategy was in need of updating, since the current Housing Strategy was produced 8 years ago, and it was accepted good housing and Local Government practice to have an up-to-date Housing Strategy.

Other Options Considered and Rejected:

To not produce an updated Housing Strategy;

To further defer production of an updated Housing Strategy; or

To have a different Housing Strategy to the one proposed.

(Director of Communities) to consider the attached report.

The Director of Communities, Mr Hall introduced the report on the draft Housing Strategy 2017-2022. He noted that a Housing Strategy was last produced in 2009 and although it was no longer a legal or policy requirement it was accepted good housing and local government practice. A new draft housing strategy has now been produced to cover the period 2017-2022.  Its production had been delayed as officers were waiting for the draft Local Plan to be produced as much of the Housing strategy related to the provisions within the Local Plan. In the meantime an annual Housing Strategy Key action Plan was produced and monitored on a six monthly basis by this Committee until a new Housing Strategy was formulated.

At the end of this document was a Key Action Plan for the coming year only and it was proposed that the Select Committee continued to review future Annual Key Action Plans prior to approval each year.

This Committee was asked to consider and comment on the draft strategy before it went to the next Cabinet meeting for consideration and adoption.

The Committee went through the document chapter by chapter, noting that their vision was set out in Chapter 2. Chapter 3 looked at the Local plan and Chapter 4 brought out the main elements related to housing in the form of the Strategic Housing market Assessment. The remaining chapters had more specific themes such as affordable housing. He noted that in Table 5.2 it showed that last year there were no affordable homes completed, the first time this had happened in 20 years.

The following questions were raised:

Councillor Sunger noting that it has a section on rogue landlords wondered if this should also include letting agents. Mr Hall agreed that there should be mention of letting agents as well and they would amend this. Councillor Sunger noted that the Housing Act would set up a register of these rogue landlords and letting agents. Would this be available to officers and ward councillors? Mr Hall said that if members had any queries officers could access the database and officers would supply them with answers. Members would probably not have direct access. Councillor Sunger then asked if the fines collected would be kept by us. Mr Hall replied that fines would be kept by the council and it would be ring-fenced in our budget.

Councillor Surtees asked if this register would cover landlords with properties in other areas. Mr Hall answered that it was a national register and the information would be available nationally. That was the aim of this system.

Councillor H Whitbread asked about shared ownership and wondered if we could push ‘connective housing’; that was prioritising people that had a connection with the local area. Mr Hall said that they did this already, through Nominations Agreements with the Council's Preferred Housing Association Partners. Councillor Whitbread then asked if a secondary list for people who do not meet the requirements of the Housing Register could be established; Mr  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8