Issue - meetings

To consider the Consultant’s Brief for Uttlesford Housing Strategy and Allocations Policy report.

Councillor Redfern summarised the report for the Committee’s consideration. She said the affordable strategy outlined in the report had been produced with the Garden Communities primarily in mind, with particular attention paid to providing homes for those that worked in the district, but could not afford to live in Uttlesford. She said it had been a challenging process, and there was much more work to be done, but the strategy before members was an ambitious step forwards in an attempt to address the challenge of delivering affordable housing. She said there were two additions to the Housing Strategy, as recommended by the Housing Board, they were as follows:

Section 11

Advice would be given to everyone on the option of downsizing to increase the provision of homes suitable for families.

Section 12

The guidance outlined in the Housing Strategy would be applied to the whole of the District, not just the proposed Garden Communities. 

Councillor G Barker commended the report but asked where the money would come from to fund the preparatory work to refresh the Strategy and Allocations Policy.

Councillor Redfern said the money would be drawn from the Planning Policy budget.

RESOLVED that Scrutiny endorses the brief (Appendix A) so that work can commence on preparing the evidence for the refresh of the Uttlesford Housing Strategy and amendments to the Allocations Policy