Issue - meetings

1.    That the business case proposal be noted and the principle be supported of establishing a wholly council owned local housing company for housing purposes to:

a.    Lease from the council and manage suitable residential council properties held in the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) and the General Fund as identified on a case-by-case basis, subject to a supportive business case.

b.    Provide high quality energy efficient council owned housing as rented homes as an alternative to the council’s current housing offer to households who struggle to rent privately and access council and other affordable housing options.

c.    Take advantage of an early opportunity to lease from the council and manage one block of 41 units of accommodation currently being developed at Winnall.

2.    That the Corporate Head of Housing be authorised to develop detailed proposals that will be brought back to Cabinet for consideration. To include the strategic and financial business case, governance arrangements, director appointments and specific company conditions.

3.    That it be agreed that the proposals in report CAB3366 supersede the housing company investment and development model set out in CAB3139 (HSG) and CAB3160.

4.    That the Corporate Head of Asset Management be authorised to make a non-material amendment submission to the Local Planning Authority to change the description of development to delete reference to sub-market rent in relation to the accommodation currently being developed at Winnall.

Councillor Ferguson introduced the report and emphasised the key aim to address the shortage of good quality affordable homes to privately rent in the Winchester district which also offered good security of tenure.

At the invitation of the Leader, Councillor Horrill addressed Cabinet as summarised briefly below.

She welcomed the report, highlighting the importance of ensuring there was a mixture of tenures across the district.  She queried whether in terms of future governance arrangements, it would be possible to have a wide representation of councillors on the governance body?  She also requested clarification of the relationship between Housing Revenue Account (HRA) and General Fund (GF) owned properties.

Councillor Ferguson noted the request for cross party membership of the governance body for future consideration.  The Corporate Head of Housing and the Housing Strategy and Development Manager responded to the query relating to HRA/GF properties.

Cabinet agreed to the following for the reasons set out above and outlined in the report.

RESOLVED:

1.           That the business case proposal be noted and the principle be supported of establishing a wholly council owned local housing company for housing purposes to:

a.           Lease from the council and manage suitable residential council properties held in the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) and the General Fund as identified on a case-by-case basis, subject to a supportive business case.

b.           Provide high quality energy efficient council owned housing as rented homes as an alternative to the council’s current housing offer to households who struggle to rent privately and access council and other affordable housing options.

c.           Take advantage of an early opportunity to lease from the council and manage one block of 41 units of accommodation currently being developed at Winnall.

2.           That the Corporate Head of Housing be authorised to develop detailed proposals that will be brought back to Cabinet for consideration. To include the strategic and financial business case, governance arrangements, director appointments and specific company conditions.

3.           That it be agreed that the proposals in report CAB3366 supersede the housing company investment and development model set out in CAB3139 (HSG) and CAB3160.

4.           That the Corporate Head of Asset Management be authorised to make a non-material amendment submission to the Local Planning Authority to change the description of development to delete reference to sub-market rent in relation to the accommodation currently being developed at Winnall.