Meeting documents

Councillor Winn

Cabinet Member for Communities

To consider the attached report.

The Council was a member of the Bucks Home Choice Partnership which comprised the four District Councils within Bucks.  The Partnership managed the collective housing register and allocation of affordable rented accommodation.  The Partnership's common allocations policy had been reviewed in response to changes made by recent case law following the Localism Act 2011, the Homeless Reduction Act, 2017, and also as a response to the demand for social housing and the need for intelligent use of the available stock.

The proposed changes summarised in the Council report and which could be viewed on the Council’s web site, had no effect on existing local lettings policy.  In particular, the local policy which ring fenced up to 50% of new lets and 25% of any subsequent lets, for applicants with a connection to the respective sub groups in Aylesbury Vale, had proved to be working effectively.

The Environment and Living Scrutiny Committee had considered the proposed changes at its meeting on 29 October, 2018, and having sought clarification around some specific aspects, had supported the proposals and had endorsed the public consultation undertaken in connection with them.  The results of the consultation had been appended to the Council report and could be viewed on the Council’s web site.

The proposed changes had a material effect on who did and who did not qualify for Bucks Home Choice.  They would also affect the relative priority band awarded to certain types of applicant and introduce a new priority Band E in order to manage the changes effectively.  In doing so, the Council sought to:-

·         To respond to recent case law and Government guidance, so that the allocations policy was lawful.

·         To better utilise the allocations policy as a homeless prevention tool.

·         To continue to make best use of housing stock by allocating the largest properties to larger families, who needed it most.

As previously mentioned, the Environment and Living Scrutiny Committee had considered and had supported the proposed changes.  Cabinet had considered the proposed changes at its meeting on 12 February, 2019 and with the exception of final qualification arrangements for those guilty of anti-social behaviour, concerning which legal advice was awaited, had also supported them.  Cabinet had also sought clarification around the effect on the allocations policy of unitary local government.  An equalities impact assessment had been completed and it had been determined that there would be no disproportionate impacts of the policy changes.

With regard to unitary local government arrangements, it was reported that the existing scheme, using the existing District Council boundaries for the award of a local connection, would continue to have force after 1 April, 2020, until such time as the new authority brought forward a new scheme.  This would be a matter for the new authority.

It had been confirmed that applicants who would not qualify for Bucks Home Choice would be those guilty of "general" anti-social behaviour, but who fell within a reasonable preference category, subject to there being a further additional provision for discretion in exceptional cases, as recommended in a recent Counsel’s opinion obtained in relation to this particular aspect.

It was thereupon proposed by Councillor Winn and seconded by Councillor A Cole:-

"That the recommendations contained in the Council report be approved and adopted".

It was thereupon proposed by Councillor Stuchbury and seconded by Councillor Bateman:-

"That the Motion be amended by the addition of the following recommendation:-

"That it be confirmed that, based upon the evidence, AVDC is of the view that the existing sub-allocation policy should be continued by the new Buckinghamshire Council because of the contribution it has made to social cohesion within the Vale since its inception"."

Having indicated that this would ultimately be a matter for the new unitary authority, the proposer of the original Motion (Councillor Winn) agreed, with the consent of his seconder and Council as a whole to take on board the amendment

After debate during which clarification was sought from the Cabinet Member in relation to such issues as the provision of accommodation in cases of relationship breakdowns, domestic violence and the sharing of rooms by same sex siblings, it was,

RESOLVED –

(1)  That the revised allocations scheme (Bucks Home Choice Allocations Policy) be approved and adopted as part of the Council’s Policy Framework.

(2)  That approval be given for the Assistant Director for Customer Fulfilment, after consultation with the Cabinet Member for Communities, to make any necessary minor amendments to the Policy as might be appropriate to deal with any typographical amendments, clarification and to ensure compliance with current statutory provisions.

(3)  That it be confirmed that, based upon the evidence, AVDC is of the view that the existing sub-allocation policy should be continued by the new Buckinghamshire Council because of the contribution it has made to social cohesion within the Vale since its inception.