Issue - meetings

To consider a joint report by Councillors Tony Thomas, Lead Member for Housing and Communities and Bobby Feeley, Lead Member for Well-being and Independence (copy enclosed) presenting the draft revised Housing and Homelessness Strategy for Cabinet’s consideration prior to submission to full Council for approval.

Vote taken: 8 in favour, 0 against, 0 abstentions

RESOLVED that Cabinet recommends the draft Housing and Homelessness Strategy to Council for approval.

Councillors Tony Thomas and Bobby Feeley presented the joint report and draft revised Housing and Homelessness Strategy for Cabinet’s consideration prior to submission to full Council for approval.

The Housing Strategy was being reviewed and revised to form a new Housing and Homelessness Strategy for the county and would provide a clear statement of the council’s vision and aims for the next five years.  Ensuring everyone was supported to live in homes that met their needs was a key corporate priority and the revised Strategy would provide a framework for all relevant council functions to successfully address the priority.  It was proposed to retain the 5 key themes within the current Housing Strategy with the addition of a separate theme ‘Preventing and addressing Homelessness’.  The draft Strategy included a new action plan structured around the 6 key themes and set out the actions required to deliver the desired outcomes.

Councillor Feeley welcomed the link made between housing and homelessness in the draft Strategy and the approach taken to future working; she also thanked the officers for their hard work in bringing the document together.  The Leader also supported the approach taken and queried how that work would link with the Local Development Plan (LDP).  Councillor Mark Young responded that the LDP sat alongside the Strategy and they would inform each other.  He also reported upon his attendance at meetings of the Strategic Housing and Homelessness Group and positive discussions in that regard.  In terms of next steps data evidence would be considered by the Strategic Planning Group (SPG) early in the New Year which would help inform the housing allocations moving forward in the LDP.  In terms of the draft Strategy the Strategic Planning and Housing Manager highlighted the significant consultation carried out which had informed that document.  If approved by Council in December, delivery of the Strategy and action plan would be overseen and monitored by the Strategic Housing and Homelessness Group and regular reports would be submitted to scrutiny.

Councillor Meirick Davies felt that the Strategy should reflect the council’s future aspirations such as increasing the current 10% stipulation for affordable housing.  Officers confirmed that the action plan referred to increasing the supply of affordable homes and the current approach and thresholds in LDP policies would be reviewed as part of the emerging LDP work.  The 10% requirement referred to market housing schemes but there was a range of ways which contributed to affordable housing with the majority of affordable housing delivered via registered social landlords and housing associations.  The overall percentage of affordable homes delivered from houses built in 2019/20 was 57%.  The requirement for affordable homes delivered on private sector housing schemes had to be based on viability and be taken into account alongside other criteria and planning gain such as ecology or education contributions.  Councillor Mark Young reiterated the role of the SPG in scrutinising the relevant data in order to agree a deliverable figure for affordable housing in the private sector as part of the new LDP.

RESOLVED that Cabinet recommends the draft Housing and Homelessness Strategy to Council for approval.

[At this point (11.45 am) the meeting adjourned for a ten minute refreshment break]