Agenda item

(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 Hall explained that the Council already had this, in the form of a Supplementary Waiting list. Councillor Stavrou added that they had a help to buy agent that assists people access shared ownership. Mr Hall said that they signposted people to the help to buy agents and promoted this as best they could and so did the government.

Councillor Sunger asked about affordable housing and how much would they allow tenants to have above the Local Housing allowance (LHA). Mr Hall explained that there were three areas in the District that had 3 LHA levels set; it all depended on the area they were in. If they wanted a property with a rent higher than the LHA they could, but had to pay the difference themselves. But, since they would be on Housing Benefit, it would be unlikely that they could afford to do this.

Councillor Surtees commented that there was nothing about Syrian refugees or other specialist groups nor did it mention anything about learning difficulties in the strategy. Mr Hall said that they generally used accepted national definitions and terminology in the Strategy, but they could change the definitions to make them clearer (e.g. adding in Learning difficulties). As for refugees they have had only one family in the last few years that they had to accommodate for just a few weeks.

Mr Hall explained that the Council, in respect of assessing the housing need for Gypsies and Travellers, were co-ordinating with other local authorities across Essex on this.

Councillor Lea asked if Park Home type housing could be used for housing homeless people. Mr Hall said that there was potential to do this and were doing something similar by providing ‘pods’ at Norway House.

It was noted that the Draft Key Action Plan for the coming year was set out in an Appendix in Chapter 12.

Councillor Girling said that the document was very clear to read but was it accessible to the public? Mr Hall replied that this would be a publicly accessible document once it had been agreed by the Cabinet.

Councillor Baldwin noted that the private sector had less security of tenure. Was there a strategy to increase the security of tenure in the private sector? Mr Hall said that this was controlled by legislation and not by us.

Councillor Heap asked about putting Solar Panels on all our buildings and was told that was governed by Building regulations and the individual developers.

The Chairman of the Committee closed by saying that this was an excellent document and the committee supported it.

RESOLVED:

1)    That the Select Committee endorse the proposed Housing Strategy 2017-2022;

2)    That future Draft Annual Key Action Plans for the Housing Strategy be considered by the Select Committee an annual basis, prior to adoption by the Housing Portfolio Holder, with progress reviewed on a six monthly basis.