Agenda item

Matter for Decision

The report sought approval of a revised Housing Strategy for Cambridge City and South Cambridgeshire District Councils for 2024 to 2029, to replace the existing Greater Cambridge Housing Strategy 2019-2023.

 

Decision of Executive Councillor for Housing

i.    Approved the overarching vision for the Greater Cambridge Housing Strategy 2024-2029 (attached as Appendix A to the officer’s report): “Affordable, Healthy, Safe and Sustainable: Homes and Communities for All”.

ii.  Approved the objectives laid out in the Greater Cambridge Housing Strategy 2024-2029 (attached as Appendix A to the officer’s report):

a.    Building the right homes in the right places that people need and can afford to live in.

b.    High quality, low carbon, energy and water efficient homes.

c.    Settled lives.

d.    Building strong partnerships.

iii.            Approved the priorities laid out in the Greater Cambridge Housing Strategy 2024-2029 (attached as Appendix A to the officer’s report):

a.    Increasing the supply of new homes, including affordable housing, contributing to healthy and sustainable communities.

b.    Enabling the housing market to meet a wide range of local housing needs and to support sustainable growth.

c.    Mitigating and adapting to climate change through good design and quality of new homes.

d.    Improving housing conditions, management, safety and environmental sustainability of homes, and making best use of existing homes.

e.    Promoting health and wellbeing, tackling poverty, and promoting equality and social inclusion.

f.     Preventing homelessness.

g.    Working with partners to innovate and maximise resources.

iv.           Approved the updated Greater Cambridge Housing Strategy 2024-2029 document itself (attached as Appendix A to the officer’s report)

v.             Approved the new and updated policy annexes to the Greater Cambridge Housing Strategy 2024-2029 (attached within Appendix B to the officer’s report):

a.    Annex 1: Housing for specific groups.

b.    Annex 2: Affordable Housing Requirements.

c.    Annex 3: Clustering and distribution of affordable housing.

d.    Annex 4: Affordable Rents policy.

e.    Annex 5: Build to Rent Policy.

vi.           Noted the content of the non-policy related annexes to the Greater Cambridge Housing Strategy 2024-2029 (attached within Appendix B to this report):

a.    Annex 6: Summary of Evidence.

b.    Annex 7: Glossary.

c.    Annex 8: Key Achievements 2019-2023.

vii.          Approved the Year 1 action plan attached as Appendix C to this report.

viii.        Subject to Executive Councillor approval of the Greater Cambridge Housing Strategy 2024-2029, Annexes, and Year 1 action plan (attached at Appendices A,B & C to this report), gave delegated authority to the Assistant Director of Housing & Homelessness to agree any minor changes which may subsequently be required.

 

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 Housing Strategy Manager.

 

The Housing Strategy Manager, Joint Director for Planning, Assistant Director for Housing and Homelessness said the following in response to Members’ questions:

      i.         Used to have an Older Persons Housing Strategy several years ago, as well as other separate housing related strategies, but had moved towards having one Housing Strategy (as well as a statutory Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy) which covered all different groups of people. 

    ii.         The requirement for a proportion of home ownership in terms of affordable housing delivery had been in Council policy for several years. Under the Affordable Housing Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) in 2006 which required 75% of new affordable homes on larger developments to be rented homes, the remainder would be of an intermediate home ownership tenure. National Planning Policy requires at least 10% of all homes on new developments of 10 or more dwellings to be affordable home ownership. For the Council’s new policy it was not being specified that this had to be shared ownership, but that shared ownership was the preferred tenure when considering intermediate tenures, although it was recognised that there may be areas within Greater Cambridgeshire where this was not deliverable. For example, since the last strategy was introduced, a new First Homes Policy had been introduced by the Government. A First Homes Statement had been published on the Council’s website to explain why First Homes did not really work in a high value area like Cambridge.  Also, some Housing Associations were able to cross subsidise the delivery of shared ownership properties to be able to deliver affordable rent properties.

   iii.         There was evidence provided through the work carried out on the emerging new Local Plan which gave a starting point for the sizes of affordable homes which might be required. There was a separate set of individual criteria which is considered when each individual site comes forward including the number of applicants on the Housing Register and how many homes are becoming available in that area. Acknowledged that there could be differences between City Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council need. Will also look at the size of properties required by people coming through the homelessness route and any house size requirements through existing Section 106 Agreements across the wider development. For example in large scale developments it might be more appropriate to develop smaller houses in one phase of the development and take this into account when looking at the next phase of development to try and get a balance across a development. The affordable housing mix will be considered taking into account the overall housing mix proposed for the development.

  iv.         The Housing Strategy was to be read in parallel with the National Planning Policy Framework and would be used to shape third party new development. The strategy was a facilitator alongside Planning Policy which would look to customise the housing format, tenure split etc based upon locality and circumstances. It would then be put in front of the Planning Committee for their final judgment on the point of balance.

    v.         With reference to Annex 5 (Build to Rent) a minimum of 20% of homes in developments of 10 or more homes would be required to be provided as affordable private rent and the rent should be set at least 20% below market rent. At the moment there was no evidence to suggest that more than 20% could be delivered. Including a higher target figure within the strategy would need to be considered in the context of the national planning guidance which set those figures.

  vi.         One of the other elements in the Build to Rent Policy was that when large scale developments came forward with several different tenures, then the council would seek 40% affordable housing across the whole development. Whether this was achievable or not would have to be considered on a case-by-case basis.

 vii.         The affordable private rent levels for Build to Rent housing schemes as a percentage of market rent had to be determined through the Local Plan process. The way that the affordable private rent process is delivered is through the regulatory framework provided by the Town and Country Planning Act.

viii.         The design of new homes would be dealt with via the planning process and would be bound by the requirements in the Local Plan and any Supplementary Planning Documents. The Local Plan process was subject to independent examination, so the policies (and requirements within them) were appropriately tested. The Housing Strategy was a material planning consideration but was not subject to the same examination process and could not be used to set planning policy.  However, the Housing Strategy was the appropriate document to contain guidance on affordable housing mixt, tenure, and form.

  ix.         Noted that the number of comments made on the draft Housing Strategy during the consultation period were low in comparison to the number of residents in Cambridge and corporately the council was looking at how it can engage with residents better. 

    x.         When development applications came forward if they were unable to meet requirements set out in the Housing Strategy, they would need to provide evidence why. 

  xi.         Had tried to set out within the Strategy that there could be differences in certain areas of the strategy between Cambridge City Council compared to South Cambridgeshire District Council. A Cambridge City Council specific annex on a particular theme could be developed. However consideration would need to be given to any impacts of this for example where developments straddled the two authority’s boundaries.  

 xii.         It was noted that requirements which were dictated by the National Planning Policy Framework and national guidance and those which could be set by the council could be made clearer within the strategy.           

 

The Committee resolved by 6 votes to 0 against with 3 abstentions 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.