Issue - items at meetings - Housing Strategy 2015

Report of the Executive Director for Environment Development & Housing (copy attached).

(1)            That the Housing Strategy 2015 as set out in Appendix 1, be approved.

(2)            That the Strategic Housing Partnership be recommended to:

(i) Approve the Housing Strategy 2015.

(ii) Recommend approval of the Housing Strategy 2015 to Brighton & Hove Connected as part of the Sustainable Communities Strategy.

(3)            That Council be recommended to:

(1)  Adopt the Housing Strategy 2015.

(2)  Recommend approval of the Housing Strategy 2015 to Brighton & Hove Connected as part of the Sustainable Communities Strategy.

(3)  Authorises the Executive Director Environment, Development & Housing to take all steps necessary and incidental to implement the Strategy.

(4)      That it be further explored through the Strategic Housing Partnership and the Health & Wellbeing Board how the housing sector can work in partnership with health, social care and voluntary sector providers to improve health and wellbeing of local people.

56.1   The Committee considered the report of the Executive Director Environment, Development and Housing which explained that the city’s current Housing Strategy expired in 2014.  The report summarised the development of the new Housing Strategy 2015 and presented the strategy for approval.  The report was presented by the Head of Housing Strategy & Development – Private Sector Housing and the Housing Strategy Manager. 

56.2   Members were informed that there had been an additional four week consultation for the draft strategy in addition to the consultation in the scoping period which had resulted in 40 responses. This had led to a number of changes in the strategy.  More financial implications had been added.  Changes included modifications to the City Plan, and the Community Land Trust section had been expanded.  More work had been carried out on the Empty Properties section.  The strategy had been published on the council’s website. 

56.3   Councillor Meadows referred to the performance indicator chart at paragraph 3.28 on page 90 of the agenda.  She asked why CP 1.2.2 ‘People using housing related support services to help them to live more independently’ showed a down arrow for the direction of travel.  The Head of Housing Strategy & Development – Private Sector Housing stated that the result was well above target.  He would investigate this query for Councillor Meadows. 

56.4   Councillor Meadows commented that the section on student housing was still vague.  She felt that the strategy should demonstrate what the council were proposing to do with regard to working with the universities.  There appeared to be no planning for action with regard the amount of student accommodation.     

56.5   The Executive Director of Environment, Development & Housing reported that he had raised this issue with both universities in order to work with them.  Discussions were at an early stage and more work would be carried out in the coming year.   The Head of Housing Strategy & Development – Private Sector Housing explained that a joint piece of work was being carried out with Development Control.  There was a need to revisit figures when more information was received from the universities. 

56.6   The Executive Director mentioned that the work being carried out on the Preston Barracks site would reduce housing pressures.  A planning application would be submitted in due course.  

56.7   Councillor Mears thanked the Head of Housing Strategy and Development for the report.  She stressed that prime sites, such as the Co-op site in London Road were being allocated to student housing.  She believed this could have been allocated to older people’s accommodation. Meanwhile, no affordable rented housing was being delivered in the city.  Proposals on the urban fringe would not address the lack of housing. Councillor Mears reported that she had met with the planning minister the previous week and that she was aware that there was funding for brownfield site regeneration.  Brighton & Hove had not applied for funding. 

56.8   The Executive Director explained that the qualifying criteria for this funding had been difficult to meet.  A large brownfield site was needed.  It also required a private developer to be on board.

56.9   Councillor Daniel expressed some frustration that where there were areas of concern such in the bullet points in paragraph 3.28, these were not front and centre of the strategy, whereas, good performance was noted all the way through the document. There was mention of supporting people, preventing homelessness and supporting people to live independently without meeting the social care thresholds. Pages 86 & 88 spoke about aligning supporting people with social care budgets.  Councillor Daniel stressed that Supporting People was never meant to be an aligned budget in that way.  It was always meant to prevent people hitting the threshold for social care. Councillor Daniel asked that a report be prepared on the spending on the Supporting People budget. Councillor Daniel felt that the alignment was a mistake.  

56.10  The Chair explained that supporting people replaced a previous system.  It was originally planned for people with special needs.  The nature of tenants had changed.  The Supporting People budget had gone and the general budget had been cut back.

56.11  Councillor Daniel referred to paragraph 3.28 – Measuring Progress – Key performance indicators.  She requested a report on how concerns expressed in the bullet points would be addressed. The Head of Housing Strategy & Development replied that the strategy had tried to explain where there were issues.  These issues would be addressed.  Action plans needed to be brought back to the Housing Committee.  This would address some of Councillor Daniel’s concerns.

56.12            RESOLVED:

(1)            That the Housing Strategy 2015, as detailed in appendix 1 to the report be approved;

(2)            That the Strategic Housing Partnership be recommended that it:

(i)          Approves the Housing Strategy 2015; and

(ii)         Recommends approval of the Housing Strategy 2015 to Brighton & Hove Connected as part of the Sustainable Communities Strategy.

(3)            That Housing Committee further explore through the Strategic Housing Partnership and the Health & Wellbeing Board how the housing sector can work in partnership with health, social care and voluntary sector providers to improve health and wellbeing of local people.

56.13RESOLVED TO RECOMMEND:

(1)           That the Council adopts the Housing Strategy 2015;

(2)           That the Council recommends approval of the Housing Strategy 2015 to Brighton & Hove Connected as part of the Sustainable Communities Strategy; and

(3)            That the Executive Director Environment, Development & Housing be authorised to take all steps necessary and incidental to implement the Strategy.