Agenda item - Affordable Housing

Proposed by Councillor Loughran on behalf of the Labour Group.

89.1   The Notice of Motion as listed in the agenda was proposed by Councillor Loughran on behalf of the Labour Group and formally seconded by Councillor Thomson.

89.2    The deputy mayor congratulated Councillor Thomson on their maiden speech on behalf of the council.

89.3    The deputy mayor noted that there was an amendment in relation to this motion as set out in the addendum papers.

89.4    Councillor McLeay moved the amendment on behalf of the Green Group which was formally seconded by Councillor Hill.

89.5    Councillors Theobald, Fishleigh and Lyons spoke on the matter.

89.6    Councillor Loughran confirmed that they would not accept the amendment.

89.7    The deputy mayor then put the Green Group amendment to the vote which was lost.

89.8    The deputy mayor then put the following motion to the vote:

           This council notes:

1)   The Council has not been achieving its Affordable Housing supply target in recent years and there can be resistance, actual and perceived, from some developers to the implementation of the Affordable Housing policy in full.

2)   The proposal for the publication of new Council guidance in the form of an Affordable Housing Practice Note (AHPN) which is intended to inform and guide applicants and their agents, landowners, developers, Homes England, Registered Providers and BHCC’s Development Management Officers (DMO’s) and the Council’s Housing team of the steps that must be taken by all parties with respect to the implementation of these policies and targets.

3)   A significant proportion of sites coming forward for housing are for small sites where implementing the Council’s affordable housing requirements is challenging.

Therefore, council resolves to call for an officer report to Culture, Heritage, Sport, Tourism & Economic Development Committee which addresses the following:

4)   A proposal for a model draft of an AHPN that can be delivered in Brighton & Hove

5)   Ways of requiring or encouraging developers of all sizes to meet the affordable housing target percentages set out in relevant Local Plan policies without public subsidy, with the AHPN setting out how this will be done on submission of the planning application in accordance with an AHPN Compliance Statement or, as agreed, on officer assessment of whether S106 Obligations have been met

6)   Ways of incorporating, as part of this developer model, support for smaller developers such as ‘alternative’ community-run providers of housing to deliver Affordable Housing (AH) units as part of a stand-alone planning application or as a party to a scheme with another developer.  Alternative providers could include community-led development organisations, custom-build or self-build developer schemes

7)   A process that strengthens all participants’ expertise and knowledge around models of delivery 

8)   Incorporating possibilities for affordable units on smaller sites where there is a desire to ensure that such units are provided to meet a Council area’s housing need, albeit that the number of units may be very small on such sites.

89.9    The deputy mayor confirmed that the motion had been carried.