Issue - meetings

The BCP Housing Strategy has been developed over a number of months following a 10-week public consultation. This along with a number of stakeholder engagement sessions has contributed to the development of final strategy document which includes a vision statement and clear priorities and is to be considered by cabinet for approval.

It is a high-level document which sets out a clear vision with strong leadership for BCP to ensure that housing, planning, economic development, and regeneration work together and are integrated to best influence the housing market.

This is a key document that frames our partnership work together, drives place shaping and contributes to health and wellbeing of our population. It provides evidence of housing needs and demands and will set out the Council’s strategic approach to inform how it will need forward to achieve its ambitions and attract funding opportunities to support that work.

The Council’s housing responsibilities covers a broad range of issues, from identifying land for new homes to improving old ones and meeting the wide variety of housing needs of our communities. More detailed strategies and policies sit beneath this Housing Strategy, setting out our aims and delivery plans in specific areas ensuring they are clearly linked.

This document will be complimented by an Action Plan which will set out a summary of actions and more detail as to how those actions will be carried out to deliver the strategy.

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

Cabinet was advised that the BCP Housing Strategy had been developed over a number of months following a 10-week public consultation, and that this along with a number of stakeholder engagement sessions had contributed to the development of the final strategy document which includes a vision statement and clear priorities and is to be considered by cabinet for approval.

In relation to this Cabinet was informed that it is a high-level document which sets out a clear vision with strong leadership for BCP to ensure that housing, planning, economic development, and regeneration work together and are integrated to best influence the housing market.

Cabinet was further advised that this is a key document that frames our partnership work together, drives place shaping and contributes to health and wellbeing of our population, and that it provides evidence of housing needs and demands and will set out the Council’s strategic approach to inform how it will need forward to achieve its ambitions and attract funding opportunities to support that work.

Cabinet was informed that the Council’s housing responsibilities covered a broad range of issues, from identifying land for new homes to improving old ones and meeting the wide variety of housing needs of our communities, and that more detailed strategies and policies sit beneath this Housing Strategy, setting out the aims and delivery plans in specific areas ensuring they are clearly linked.

In addition Cabinet was informed that this document will be complimented by an Action Plan which will set out a summary of actions and more detail as to how those actions will be carried out to deliver the strategy.

RECOMMENDED that Council approves the strategy set out in the Appendix to the report.

Voting: Unanimous

Portfolio Holder: Homes

To consider the following Homes related reports scheduled for Cabinet consideration on 29 September 2021:

·       BCP Housing Strategy 2021-2026 "Our commitment to our communities"

·       Council Newbuild Housing & Acquisition Strategy (CNHAS), 2021-2026

The O&S Board is asked to scrutinise the reports and make recommendations to Cabinet as appropriate.

Cabinet member invited to attend for this item: Councillor Robert Lawton, Portfolio Holder for Homes and Councillor Philip Broadhead, Portfolio Holder for Regernation

The Cabinet report for this item is included with the agenda for consideration by the Overview and Scrutiny Board.

BCP Housing Strategy 2021-2026 "Our commitment to our communities" – The Portfolio Holder for Homespresented a report, a copy of which had been circulated to each member of the Board and a copy of which appears as Appendix 'A' to these minutes in the Minute Book. The Portfolio Holder and officers addressed a number of points raised by the Board including:

• Concerns that the commitment to social housing in new developments wasn’t being adhered to. There was a need to ensure that developers worked to the targets rather than make excuses that the location or development was the wrong place for it. In response the Board was advised that the majority of Council stock was socially rented housing but the points raised would be taken into consideration
• There was a team in place who worked with external providers to address issues with housing need. It was noted that Priority no. 3 stated that the housing service had to work closely with internal and external partners, identifying specialist housing requirements and recognise the current unmet need and predict future housing requitements.
• In response to a query it was confirmed that the priority was currently identifying and addressing the current unmet need and trying to avoid crisis situations and emergency placements. However, there was also a need to look to future demands and needs and this was being done alongside the immediate priority.
• A Councillor suggested that the reason why only properties in Bournemouth and Poole were referred to should be clearly explained and an explanation that all social housing was owned by the Sovereign Housing Association in Christchurch should be provided.
• A Board member sought assurance that property construction using Modern Methods of Construction (MMC). The Portfolio Holder advised that they would not do anything which was ‘cheap or quick’. The Council would employ good labour methods and correct materials.
• In response to a query regarding homes which were unoccupied the Chief Financial Officer advised that there was a strategy set out by government on Council tax requiring a 100 percent premium if a home was empty for more than 2 years. A Board member asked if there was a strategy for bringing these back into use. The Portfolio Holder advised that there was previously an empty homes officer which they would like to reinstate, and they were looking at the resource needed to move forward the empty homes strategy.
• A Board member asked how the target Energy Performance Certificate rating of D was arrived at, given the mix of housing stock, both old and new, the newer stock being able to achieve a higher rating. By 2030 the objective was to get council houses to an EPC rating of C. A working group was examining the modelling to get properties up to this standard. It was suggested that this was confusing when there was a proposed government target set at a different level for new tenancies. Councillors commented that the strategy should be more ambitious.
• The housing waiting list  ...  view the full minutes text for item 78