Issue - meetings

An affordable housing Member Task and Finish Group had been initiated in August 2021 led by the Cabinet Member for Housing, Homelessness and Regulatory Services.  The group had met on a number of occasions to discuss the issues and challenges around the delivery of affordable housing in Buckinghamshire and to develop an affordable housing ‘position statement’, with the aim of reporting back to the Leader and Cabinet.

The draft position statement was intended to set out the Council’s interim approach and immediate commitment to bringing forward a development on a Council owned site that provided affordable housing, potentially with an element of specialist affordable and key worker housing. The interim approach was intended to cover the period while the Homelessness & Rough Sleeping and overarching Housing Strategies were being developed and was expected to provide early tangible progress for the key Council priority of increasing the delivery of affordable housing.

Paragraph 1.2 of the report set out the immediate objectives for the Task and Finish Group.  Some of the longer term objectives of the Member-led TFG were to provide input into the development of the Council’s overarching Housing Strategy and to identify learning from completed pilot projects to inform future schemes, thereby maximising delivery, and also complementing existing delivery that occurred through the planning process and registered provider partnerships.

RESOLVED –

(1)          That the findings of the Affordable Housing Member-led Task and Finish Group, including the proposed interim position statement on affordable housing be NOTED.

(2)          That theAffordable Housing Position Statement be ADOPTED, and the required activities be taken forward by Officers.

An affordable housing Member Task and Finish Group had been initiated in August 2021 led by the Cabinet Member for Housing, Homelessness and Regulatory Services.  The group had met on a number of occasions to discuss the issues and challenges around the delivery of affordable housing in Buckinghamshire and to develop an affordable housing ‘position statement’, with the aim of reporting back to the Leader and Cabinet.

The draft position statement was intended to set out the Council’s interim approach and immediate commitment to bringing forward a development on a Council owned site that provided affordable housing, potentially with an element of specialist affordable and key worker housing. The interim approach was intended to cover the period while the Homelessness & Rough Sleeping and overarching Housing Strategies were being developed and was expected to provide early tangible progress for the key Council priority of increasing the delivery of affordable housing.

Paragraph 1.2 of the report set out the immediate objectives for the Task and Finish Group.  Some of the longer term objectives of the Member-led TFG were to provide input into the development of the Council’s overarching Housing Strategy and to identify learning from completed pilot projects to inform future schemes, thereby maximising delivery, and also complementing existing delivery that occurred through the planning process and registered provider partnerships.

During discussion the following points were made:-

·         This Strategy was in line with other strategies of the Council including planning, communities, economic regeneration, climate change and energy efficiency.

·         It would cover over five years and an Action Plan would be drafted to support the Strategy.

·         A Cabinet Member welcomed the fact that this Strategy was linked to the First Homes Position Statement as this was a challenge in the area with the housing stock available.

·         In terms of the assessment of the three sites identified it was noted that this would be completed later in the Summer.

·         It was one of the Council’s key priorities and important that it was implemented as soon as possible.

RESOLVED –

(1)          That the findings of the Affordable Housing Member-led Task and Finish Group, including the proposed interim position statement on affordable housing be NOTED.

(2)          That theAffordable Housing Position Statement be ADOPTED, and the required activities be taken forward by Officers.

It was agreed that this item would be withdrawn from the agenda for additional work to be done on the Position Statement.  It would be submitted to a future Cabinet meeting.