Issue - decisions

Matter for Decision:  

The Council has taken the opportunity to establish a new Council house building programme. Eight new homes have been completed to-date and funding has secured from the Homes and Communities Agency to build another 146 by the end of March 2015. The City Homes Business Plan 2012 to 2042 indicates the financial potential to provide a further 500 new homes over the next ten to fifteen years. In some cases the new build programme involves the demolition of existing housing.

 

A number of reports have been produced and considered mainly by the Community Services Scrutiny Committee to achieve the necessary approvals to implement the Council house building programme. The reports included approval of a Home Loss Policy that sets out the Council’s approach to recompensing residents, both tenants and leaseholders, who will be required to move out of their home to allow the new build programme to happen.

 

Decision of Executive Councillor for Housing:

Noted the approach taken to re-house residents’ whose current homes are to be demolished under the Council New Build Housing Programme.

 

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 Strategic Housing regarding the Council New Build Housing Programme.

 

The Committee made the following comments in response to the report:

 

(i)                Acknowledged that tenants could experience disruption and emotional stress when moving.

(ii)              Acknowledged that tenants may feel that they cannot return to the area they came from due to a rise in rent cost once new housing has replaced the old stock.

(iii)            Suggested a protocol was required so that tenants had a transparent process to inform them what to expect if they live in a site identified by the home move programme.

 

In response to Members’ questions the Head of Strategic Housing confirmed the following:

 

(i)                The Council would support tenants to move. Individuals will be offered as much support as they wish to take advantage of. Different levels of support were available. For example, elderly tenants and those with a learning impairment could expect a high level of support.

(ii)              It was a condition of the Homes & Community Agency grant that rents would rise for new housing stock compared to the old.

(iii)            The intention would be to provide more 2 – 3 bedroom houses to replace 1 bedroom ones, but there remains a high number of 1 bedroom flats in the city.

(iv)            The few tenants who have moved to date have taken the opportunity to move into bigger 1 bedroom flats (compared to previous ones).

(v)              An incentive scheme was in place to help people downsize from large to small homes if they wished

(vi)            Officers were analysing local housing needs using the planning framework  and new housing mixes established with reference to the Affordable Housing Supplementary Planning document.

(vii)          The new build programme aimed to address current family and elderly housing needs as demand exceeded supply. Part of the long term development program was to look at general population needs and how these changed over time.

(viii)        Officers would review existing paperwork to ensure tenants living in a site identified by the home move programme received clear guidance on actions being taken and their entitlements. Currently a 3 year rolling program was reviewed at Community Services Scrutiny committee. Once sites were agreed, tenants were given procedural information in writing.

 

Councillor Smart said the Council had previously undertaken housing move programs for tenants. These experiences would be used in the current programme.

 

Councillor Blencowe requested the Head of Strategic Housing brings a report to a future HMB concerning the New Build Housing Programme.

 

The Committee resolved unanimously to endorse the recommendation.

 

The Executive Councillor approved the recommendation.

 

Conflicts of interest declared by the Executive Councillor (and any dispensations granted)

Not applicable.