Issue - meetings

To consider the Housing Strategy report.

RESOLVED to approve for adoption the Housing Strategy 2021-2026.

Councillor Lees presented the report regarding the proposed Housing Strategy 2021-2026, which outlined how the Council would move forward in respect of housing until a new Local Plan was established in Uttlesford. There had been a period of public consultation, as well as consultation with all Members, interested stakeholders, as well as relevant officers across the council. It had also been considered and unanimously endorsed by the Housing Board at its previous meeting. Councillor Lees proposed approval of the Strategy and thanked the Assistant Director – Housing, Health and Communities and her team for their excellent work.

In response to a question from Councillor Freeman, Councillor Lees said the associated Action Plan would contain metrics and figures.

Councillor Freeman said this was an opportunity to improve building standards. 

In response to a question from Councillor Caton regarding the First Homes scheme and whether this would lead to a reduction of 3-bedroom houses available for shared ownership, the Housing Enabling and Development Officer said the Council was protecting affordable rented homes in light of the First Homes scheme and this would impact on the number of shared ownership homes delivered. In mitigation, the majority of shared-ownership homes that would be built in future should be 3-bedroom houses.  

In response to a question regarding whether the re-modelling of the three sheltered schemes would result in a net gain in terms of the number of properties, the Housing Officer said he would check the figures and advise Councillor Caton after the meeting.

Councillor Caton said he was disappointed. A new Local Plan would not be adopted for four years and a number of recommendations arising from the ARK consultation report, such as the Council setting up a company in order to build more social housing, had not been adopted.

Councillor Lees said the Council was committed to building more council housing but it would need to be affordable, attainable and sustainable. The Strategy stated that work was ongoing on the Housing Revenue Account and such metrics would be contained in the Action Plan.

Councillor Hargreaves said a good example of re-modelling was the work carried out at Reynolds Court, Newport, where the number of units available was increased. In terms of the number of council houses built, he said a vital consideration was the need for decent land to build upon. He said all members and the third tier councils had a role in identifying land for council housing. 

Councillor Caton said if the Administration was serious about building council housing, then money would need to be borrowed.

The Leader said the Council was hamstrung by central government rules; they would borrow where possible in order to build council housing.

Councillor Evans raised the point of ‘retrofitting’; across the county, he said 800,000 homes required works on insulation and the like. He commended the authors of the Strategy for its readability and the clarity of the document.

            RESOLVED to approve for adoption the Housing Strategy 2021-2026.