Issue - meetings

£7.555 million of grant has been allocated to BCP from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) to obtain accommodation for families with housing needs who have arrived in the UK via Ukrainian and Afghan resettlement and relocation schemes.  This is within the Local Authority Housing Fund (LAHF) Funding Round 1 to 3, and part of the CNHAS Temporary Accommodation programme.

To enable the increase of Temporary Accommodation within the CNHAS programme, additional capital is required.  It is proposed to move budget with this CNHAS programme from the provision of Private rent homes (PRS) to temporary accommodation. This will reduce the reliance on Bed and Breakfast requirement within BCP.  In turn this will reduce the growing financial revenue pressure. The 3 housing development schemes included within this report are also for provision of additional homes within the Temporary Accommodation programme.

RECOMMENDED that Council: -

(a)           Approve the transfer of the existing Council New Homes Acquisitions Strategy (CNHAS) Private Rental Scheme (PRS) budget of £36.3m including delegated powers to the temporary accommodation budget (still within Programme 4a of CNHAS) to provide additional affordable homes;

(b)           Approve the Local Authority Housing Fund (LAHF) Round 1, 2 and 3 funding with the relevant grant funding agreements (Annexe 1, 2 and 6);

(c)           Approve of the Surrey Road Development as per Annexe 3. (specifically, the recommendations of that report);

(d)           Approve of the Crescent Road Development as per Annexe 4. (specifically, the recommendations of that report); and

(e)           Approve of the Darracott Road Development as per Annexe 5. (specifically, the recommendations of that report)

Voting: Unanimous

Portfolio Holders: Dynamic Places

                             Housing and Regulatory Services

Reason

£7.555 million of grant has been allocated to BCP from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) to obtain accommodation for families with housing needs who have arrived in the UK via Ukrainian and Afghan resettlement and relocation schemes.  This is within the Local Authority Housing Fund (LAHF) Funding Round 1 to 3, and part of the CNHAS Temporary Accommodation programme.

To enable the increase of Temporary Accommodation within the CNHAS programme, additional capital is required.  It is proposed to move budget with this CNHAS programme from the provision of Private rent homes (PRS) to temporary accommodation. This will reduce the reliance on Bed and Breakfast requirement within BCP.  In turn this will reduce the growing financial revenue pressure. The 3 housing development schemes included within this report are also for provision of additional homes within the Temporary Accommodation programme.

The Portfolio Holder for Housing and Regulatory Services presented a report, a copy of which had been circulated to each Member and a copy of which appears as Appendix 'D' to these Minutes in the Minute Book.

Cabinet was advised that £7.555 million of grant had been allocated to BCP from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) to obtain accommodation for families with housing needs who have arrived in the UK via Ukrainian and Afghan resettlement and relocation schemes, and that this is within the Local Authority Housing Fund (LAHF) Funding Round 1 to 3, and part of the CNHAS Temporary Accommodation programme.

Cabinet was informed that to enable the increase of Temporary Accommodation within the CNHAS programme, additional capital is required, and that it is proposed to move budget with this CNHAS programme from the provision of Private rent homes (PRS) to temporary accommodation. In relation to this Cabinet was advised that this will reduce the reliance on Bed and Breakfast requirement within BCP, and in turn this will reduce the growing financial revenue pressure.

Cabinet was advised that the 3 housing development schemes included within this report were also for provision of additional homes within the Temporary Accommodation programme.

Councillor Bartlett addressed the Cabinet highlighting the complexity of the paper encompassing a number of different aspects of housing provision. Further to this Councillor Bartlett raised questions on the following areas: -

• Which schemes would be affected by the transfer of the budget?
• Would this effect the Princess Road Scheme
• Cost of the build for three developments seems very expensive.
• Land cost £25k?

In relation to this the Portfolio Holder advised that in terms of transfer of the budget that it made sense to transfer the budget as we are currently not building private rented sector homes as we are needing to get people out of bed and breakfast and into more settled forms of temporary accommodation that will help their wellbeing. Further to this the portfolio holder advised that the build costs were due in part to quality, market, and the local authority regulations.

Officers addressed the Cabinet to add that the land value is based on an affordable product land value and not a market value providing market homes, in effect a discounted land value which is an accepted modelling method and valuation method. Further to this Officers advised that with regards to the Princess Road site that is a named scheme which is outside of the PRS budget and is outside of this discussion and so that scheme is in addition and so this won’t affect the delivery of Princess Road when this can be progressed.

RECOMMENDED that Council: -

(a)           Approve the transfer of the existing Council New Homes Acquisitions Strategy (CNHAS) Private Rental Scheme (PRS) budget of £36.3m including delegated powers to the temporary accommodation budget (still within Programme 4a of CNHAS) to provide additional affordable homes;

(b)           Approve the Local Authority Housing Fund (LAHF) Round 1, 2 and 3 funding  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8