To receive a presentation on the the Housing and Homelessness Strategy from Zoe Paine, Strategy and Enabling Officer.
Minutes:
The Board welcomed Tim Mills, Head of Economy, Planning and Strategic Housing who provided an update on the work around the Housing and Homelessness Strategy.
The purpose of the session had been to agree the objectives under the themes agreed at the meeting in July, 2022. There were three themes, each with a number of objectives supporting it, as set out below:
· Theme 1 – increase the supply of good quality homes for all residents and prospective residents, for every stage of live
o Ensure we have up to date housing needs information to inform housing priorities in the Borough
o Implement plans and policies which encourage the delivery of a diverse range of housing types and tenures, and which support the local housing market
o Work collaboratively with developers in the private and social sectors and other partner agencies to maximise a sustainable housing supply and overcome challenges
· Theme 2 - Support residents to access affordable, well managed and maintained housing in the private and social sectors
o Continue to focus resources on preventing homelessness
o Re imagine the housing advice front line to increase accessibility by proactively communicating information and advice to residents in order to prevent them getting into crisis situations
o Work collaboratively with partners in the private and social sector to ensure homes are well managed and maintained
· Theme 3 – work proactively to improve the condition and energy efficiency of housing in the Borough
o Focus staff resource on enforcing standards and housing conditions in the knowledge that good housing conditions usually means good thermal efficiency
o Communicate effectively via digital platforms to residents and landlords about the support, advice and funding available to them to install energy efficiency measures in the existing older housing stock
o Work with partner organisations to improve energy efficiency, reduce fuel poverty and seek to support businesses in carbon offsetting through carbon credits to RPs for retrofitting and thereby improve residents' health and wellbeing and reduce carbon emissions per dwelling
The Board discussed each theme and it’s objectives and raised a number of comments, including:
· Ensure we are building the right type of houses
· Work with developers to ensure appropriate development for the Borough - through the pre application process in planning
· Interaction with the Local Plan – it was noted that the Housing Plan sat below the Local Plan and provided a broader vision for the Borough
· Ensure new builds are future proofed
· Promote sustainable/energy efficient methods at pre planning application stage
In response to a query regarding the Local Plan, it was suggested that the work would expect to commence in the Autumn of 2023 due to the current political climate, delays in Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill and likelihood of further potential changes by the Secretary of State. The cost of developing a Local Plan would be in the region of £200,000 - 300,000 and could take up to 3-4 years.
The following comments were made on the wording of the objectives in Theme 3, as follows:
· Theme 3/Objective 1- end after conditions
· Theme 3/Objective 2 – focus on digital platforms may prevent access for some, ensure rolled roll out across the board being aware of staff resource
· Theme 3/Objective 3 – incorporate innovation and creative – ensure broader vision
Mr Mills advised that any further work on the Strategy would be undertake with the Strategic Housing and Local Plan Group (SHLPG), of which Cllr Crerar was the Board’s representative. It was expected that there would be a further two meetings with the SHLPG before the Strategy was presented to the Cabinet in March 2023. Members of the Board should feed comments into the SHLPG via Cllr Crerar.
The Chairman thanked Mr Mills for his presentation.