Decision details

Regular update showing the HDA's progress against the 500 homes target. The report will include an update on the contractual arrangements with the Cambridge Investment Partnership and will also include a decision on a change to the home-loss policy.

Matter for Decision

     i.        The report provided an update on the programme to deliver 500 Council homes with funding from the Combined Authority.

    ii.        All 500 homes had now been identified and the HDA was focusing its efforts on delivering the schemes in the programme.

  iii.        The Council now had 162 Council rented homes being built on site and was forecasting a further 176 due to start by the end of financial year 2019/20.

  iv.        14 homes of the City Council programme had now been completed across three sites.

   v.        There had been a change in the approach to contract arrangements for schemes developed by the Cambridge Investment Partnership which is detailed in Appendix 3.

 

Decision of Executive Councillor for Housing

     i.        Noted the continued progress on the delivery of the Combined Authority programme.

    ii.        Noted the funding structure for the Combined Authority programme.

  iii.        Approved the revised approach to land transactions for schemes developed by the Cambridge Investment Partnership as described in Appendix 3.

 

Reason for the Decision

As set out in the Officer’s report.

 

Any Alternative Options Considered and Rejected

Not applicable.

 

Scrutiny Considerations

 

The Committee received a report from the Head of Housing Development Agency.

 

Officers confirmed that a Housing Tour for all Members of the Committee would be arranged shortly.

 

The Head of Housing Development Agency said the following in response to Members’ questions:

     i.        Confirmed the tenure mix across the Mill Road site as single tenure block with the blocks mixed across the site.

    ii.        Confirmed that a planning application was expected shortly for the Meadows site.

  iii.        Stated that the utility cost across the Mill Road site would be at a flat rate and that the Council was seeking the best rate for the standing charges.

 

The Strategic Director (FB) stated the following in response to Members’ questions:

       i.        Confirmed that the team had worked very hard to progress sites as quickly as possible.

     ii.         Stated that the clustering policy was currently under review.

    iii.        The tenure mix across new sites was seeking to establish mixed and diverse communities but needed to be flexible to suit different locations.

 

Councillor Executive Councillor for Housing stated that any transfer funding required to progress the Meadows Scheme would be small.

 

The Committee resolved by 4 votes to 0 to endorse the recommendations.

 

The Executive Councillor approved the recommendations.

 

Conflicts of Interest Declared by the Executive Councillor (and any Dispensations Granted)

No conflicts of interest were declared by the Executive Councillor.