Agenda item

1.    That the Housing Strategy 2023-2028 be approved and adopted.

2.    That authority be delegated to the Strategic Director with responsibility for housing, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Housing to correct any typographical errors, update metrics and statistics and to add to the Housing Strategy Delivery Plan (as set out in Appendix 2 of report CAB2310(H)) reference to the Nature Emergency declaration and action being taken.

The Corporate Head of Housing introduced the report and confirmed that the Strategy would be updated prior to final publication to include the most up to date statistical information. 

Ian Tait spoke during public participation as summarised briefly below.

He generally welcomed the report but questioned whether it addressed the core issue of the shortage of affordable housing.  He believed that the best way to achieve this would be for the council to find sufficient land to enable a new council housing estate to be built.  He also emphasised that more housing could be supplied on existing sites if schemes were built to a higher density. He highlighted that a 2021 report (CAB3290) had allocated a £10m investment for new homes.

Councillor Westwood and the Head of New Homes Delivery responded to the comments made including highlighting the importance of the emerging Local Plan in prioritising affordable housing and the practical difficulties in terms of cost of land and rising building costs.

At the invitation of the Chairperson, Councillor Wallace addressed the meeting as summarised briefly below.

He welcomed the reference to the climate emergency and the commitment to greener homes but believed little progress had been made in recent years.  He requested that more specific and measurable targets be set regarding the environmental measures to enable effective monitoring against progress and the process for monitoring the specific metrics be clarified. This should include the promoting measures to improve energy efficiency in private housing.  He also requested that the recent declaration by the Council of a nature emergency be referenced

Councillors Westwood and Learney responded to the comments made, including confirming the intention to amend the Strategy to incorporate the declaration of a nature emergency.  The Service Lead – Strategic Housing agreed to provide an update to committee members regarding the numbers of private households that had taken up the offer for energy efficiency upgrades as part of the HUG2 programme.

The Strategic Director, Corporate Head of Housing and the Service Lead – Strategic Housing responded to questions and comments from members on the following:

a)    Whether the proposed objectives sufficiently addressed issues facing tenants in the commercial rented sector market.

b)    Clarification that stipulating the percentage of affordable homes within new developments was for discussion within the formulation of the council’s Local Plan and not within the remit of this committee.

c)     Proposals for the provision of retirement and older persons housing needs.  It was noted that an update on this matter would be submitted to the Business and Housing Policy Committee in January 2024.

d)    Confirmation that the Strategy would be submitted for annual review by this committee.

The Committee agreed that an additional recommendation be approved (as set out in resolution 2 below) to ensure the Strategy was updated to reflect updated metrics and toe reference to the Nature Emergency declaration.

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

RESOLVED:

1.       That the Housing Strategy 2023-2028 be approved and adopted.

2.       That authority be delegated to the Strategic Director with responsibility for housing, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Housing to correct any typographical errors, update metrics and statistics and to add to the Housing Strategy Delivery Plan (as set out in Appendix 2 of report CAB2310(H)) reference to the Nature Emergency declaration and action being taken.