Issue - meetings

Report of the Assistant Director of Place (Economic Growth and Housing)

The Committee considered the report of the Assistant Director of Place (Economic Growth and Housing) that updated on the Council’s Housing Programme.

The report indicated that Cabinet, at its meeting held on 7 January 2021, (Minute No. 79) approved the strategic case for Sefton Council re-entering the social housing market through the provision of council housing for rent; that the Council currently had approximately £5m of capital available to fund the acquisition of Council Housing as a result of the Right to Buy Receipts Sharing Agreement with One Vision Housing and from commuted sums secured via S106 agreements; and that the strategic rationale for the scheme was that over the past few years there had been a growing acceptance in Government that councils needed to play a greater role in meeting new build housing targets; that although very little additional council housing had been developed in the last 50 years the active participation of local councils acting as developers and landlords was something that government were actively encouraging; and that Sefton hads already partly responded to this through the establishment of Sandway Homes, its wholly owned private housing development company.

The report also set out the progress to date; the Phase 1 Business Plan Delivery Model Option Appraisal; that direct delivery option was selected; that under this model homes would be in the legal ownership of the Council and the programme under the Council’s direction; and that because the Council had already registered with the Regulator of Social Housing, an application could be made to access Homes England grant on eligible schemes.

The report concluded by detailing the Business Plan Overview for the Council Housing Programme which set out the sites, number of units and timescales for scheme completions.

Members of the Committee asked questions/commented on the following matters:

·       The classification of temporary accommodation

·       The ‘Cost Floor Rule’ associated with a Council Tenant’s Right to Buy their home   

·       Statistics on the numbers of One Vision Housing properties purchased under the Right to Buy scheme

·       The Homes England grant on the Buckley Hill Lane housing scheme and the application for Homes England Investment Partner status

·       The need to ensure that new build properties enjoyed high levels of energy efficiency; and that there should be an aspiration to achieve energy efficiency levels over and above those specified in current building regulations

·       How new build properties would be allocated and the use of Property Pool Plus

RESOLVED:

That the report updating on the Council’s Housing Programme be noted.