Agenda item

Update on the Council's Housing Delivery Programme

[Report of the Assistant Director for  Housing. To be introduced by the Cabinet Member for Housing and Estate Renewal.]

 

An update on progress on the Council's commitment to deliver a new generation of Council homes and to ask Cabinet to add new sites to the delivery programme.

Minutes:

The Cabinet Member for Housing and Estate Renewal introduced the report which sought approval for the addition of three new sites of Council-owned land to the housing delivery programme, and to the progress made to date on delivering new Council homes for Council rent.

 

The Cabinet Member advised Members that ,as of the start of 2021, construction was underway on 343 Council homes, and the Council were on course to have 1000 on site by 2022. The Housing Revenue Account business plan made provision for 3088 homes by 2030, with 1600 Council homes at Council rent by 2025.

 

In response to a question from Councillor Ogiehor, it was confirmed that the current forecast was that 220 homes would be completed and habitable by March 2022.

 

Officers responded to questions from the Cabinet:

-           From a standing start position, there were now 26 members of staff in the Housing Delivery Team, and the team would expand to meet the demand for delivering Council housing.

-           1000 completions would be reached by May/June 2024 and the latest by 2025 based on current forecasts.

-           On track to deliver 1600 completions by 2025

-           The starts on homes will be 1000 by March 2022 across 70 sites with a start in every ward.

-           There were a number of different factors which had impacted the delivery due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The main concern was the Health and Safety of all staff during the pandemic, so work had been carried out to ensure that works in the pipeline could still be delivered without putting anyone at risk.

-           Sustainable building programme to continue into the future.

-           Edith Road would be delivered as a zero-carbon scheme. Zero-carbon principles would be used across the board when designing schemes and whilst not every development would be zero-carbon, measures would be taken to mitigate any impact.

 

RESOLVED

 

1.  To agree to add three new sites of Council-owned land to the housing delivery programme in order that their feasibility and capacity for the delivery of new Council homes can be determined, as set out in paragraphs 6.39 to 6.47.

2.  To note the progress made to date on delivering new Council homes for Council rent, as set out in part 6.

3.  To notes the impact to date of the Covid-19 crisis on the housing delivery programme, as set out in paragraphs 6.8 to 6.15, and future risks to the programme associated both with the pandemic and the exit from the European Union, as set out in paragraphs 6.55 – 6.75.

 

Reasons for decision

 

The Borough Plan commits to delivering 1,000 Council homes at Council rents by 2022 as the first step in a new era of Council homebuilding.

 

Adding new sites to the programme ensures that the Council is building up a pipeline of new sites to deliver a long-term sustainable housing programme.

 

Alternative options considered.

 

Not to add new sites to the programme

This option was rejected because identifying new sites on which to continue building homes is necessary to deliver a new era of Council homebuilding.

 

Supporting documents: