Agenda item

To consider the Housing Strategy report.

The Housing Strategy and Operations Manager presented the report and highlighted the following: -

·         There had been a 6 week public consultation, as well as the report being shared with Essex County Council; stakeholders; internal colleagues and the Local Plan team.

·         There had been feedback and the document had been amended appropriately and all responses had been acknowledged. 

·         She thanked the Housing Enabling and Development Officer for all his work on the document.

·         It was an interim document until the Local Plan was in place.

·         There was an action plan which would be monitored by the Housing Board.

The recommendation was for this document to go forward to Cabinet and for it to be adopted by the end of the year.

In response to a query from Councillor Khan, the Housing Enabling and Development Officer said that a section at the end of the document would be added to capture and incorporate details of the feedback and responses given.  The Housing Strategy and Operations Manager said the report had been changed in places because of the feedback but agreed, in order to make it clearer, to circulate a revised document which would include the responses.

Councillor Khan said that more council homes were desperately needed and there had been a commitment from the administration to build more homes. 

The Housing Strategy and Operations Manager said that the report set out a clear strategy of what was needed within the district and an action plan to increase the number of council homes, but this involved investment and it was up to Members to decide how they would fund the extra homes.  

The Housing Strategy Manager said that there had been new council homes built but there was no more council owned land apart from the odd single plot.  The Local Plan made it more difficult due to the current ‘call for sites’ which Landowners and Developers were focused on and were therefore less likely to engage with negotiations with the Council to invest in council houses. 

Other Members agreed that more social housing was needed.

Councillor Lemon said there was a need for more bungalows to be built but he said there was a misalignment between Planning and Housing who needed to work together and communicate so that Planning was not allowing owners of bungalows to demolish and rebuild or extend upwards.

The Chair said that once the strategy was adopted the next step would be to try and implement the action plan which would include funding for social housing.  It would be looked at as an administration and this would be within the Investment Board’s remit. 

The Housing Strategy and Operations Manager said that the strategy provided the framework to move things forward and this would include discussion at future Housing Board meetings.

Councillor Merifield said that there was a requirement for developers to provide 40% affordable housing within each development.  This would feed into the Local Plan and she said it would be up to the Council what percentage of affordable housing would be required going forward. It could be increased.

In response to a question from Councillor Reeve the Housing Enabling and Development Officer said that the 5% target to build bungalows could not be enforced until it was part of the Local Plan, but discussions did take place with developers.  An action point from the report was to investigate through the census data the local requirements for bungalows.  He agreed that this would be followed up with the Local Plan team.

The Housing Enabling and Development Officer said that the change in definition of the gypsy and traveller sites had been considered and Essex County Council (ECC) had provided the data in the report.  He said he was also liaising with the Local Plan team.

Councillor Khan said that Uttlesford District Council (UDC) needed to be clear on the correct numbers for the gypsy and traveller sites and asked that this was fed into the Local Plan team.  The Housing Strategy and Operations Manager said this data had been provided to the Local Plan team and they had received no indication that there were any problems.

Councillor Reeve said that UDC had a high level of fuel poverty, the Housing Enabling and Development Officer said that the Environmental Health department had fed into the document and the action and wording was taken from their information and knowledge of the district.  There was funding available for residents with low incomes.

Councillor Dean asked about community led housing and whether the action plan addressed this. 

The Housing Strategy and Operations Manager said it was a fairly new concept, and that there were grants set up to support groups to get started.  She said that a Rural Community Council of Essex (RCCE) Enabling Officer and the Housing Enabling and Development Officer from UDC were available for help.  There had been funding for the Eastern Homes hub which provided information and support.  She said there had been interest from some parishes. 

The Chair recommended that the document was taken onto Cabinet with the feedback responses added to the report and the policy about gypsy and traveller sites clarified with the Local Plan team.  There was also a commitment given from Housing and Planning, via Councillor Merifeld, to work together and have a joint understanding on bungalows. 

RESOLVED: That the Housing Board recommend the report to Cabinet with the following changes: -

·         Feedback responses added

·         Gypsy and traveller sites clarified with the Local Plan team.

Councillor Driscoll left the meeting at 3:30pm