Issue - meetings

To consider the Housing Delivery Strategy for 2020-2025.  

RESOLVED that:

(i)              The Housing Delivery Strategy 2020-2025 be approved for publication and implementation; and

(ii)             The Head of Housing be authorised, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Housing and Benefits, to make any additional minor amendments to the Housing Delivery Strategy to ensure factual accuracy and clarity prior to publication.

Councillor G. Knight, Executive Member for Housing and Benefits, presented the Housing Delivery Strategy 2020-2025 for approval. The Strategy would be a significant contribution towards the delivery of ‘Reigate & Banstead 2025’, which included an objective to secure the delivery of homes that could be afforded by local people, and the provision of a wider choice of tenure, type and size of housing.

Developers recognised the geographical advantages of the Borough, and had delivered 4-5 bedroom homes to meet demand. However, the demand for affordable housing, whilst recognised, had not yet been met. Further challenges included: local planning constraints, land supply, delivery performance, the construction sector, and the need for significant financial resources to deliver the Strategy. Those challenges would be addressed by the Council continuing to work in partnership with others.

In response to observations made by Visiting Members, it was noted that:

-           The Local Government Association would continue to lobby the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government regarding the impact of Permitted Development Rights for change of use from office buildings to residential,

-           An implementation plan would be developed to deliver the Strategy; and

-           The Strategy would enable the Council to manage housing need through home ownership options, private rented housing, and affordable housing. 

The Leader explained that the Strategy demonstrated a welcome change in policy direction for the Council.

RESOLVED that:

(i)         The Housing Delivery Strategy 2020-2025 be approved for publication and implementation; and

(ii)        The Head of Housing be authorised, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Housing and Benefits, to make any additional minor amendments to the Housing Delivery Strategy to ensure factual accuracy and clarity prior to publication.

Reason for decision: The Strategy was a significant contribution towards the delivery of ‘Reigate & Banstead 2025’ and specifically the housing objective to secure the delivery of homes that could be afforded by local people and which provide a wider choice of tenure, type and size of housing.

Alternative options: To delay the publication of the Strategy and seek further amendments and / or changes to the objectives.

To consider the draft Housing Delivery Strategy 2020-2025 and, where appropriate, provide feedback for the Executive on 5 December 2019.

Members considered the draft Housing Delivery Strategy 2020-25 and provided feedback on the strategy prior to it being finalised for the Executive on 5 December 2019.

The Director of People Services gave an overview of the Housing Delivery Strategy. The Executive Portfolio Holder for Housing and Benefits Councillor G. Knight was not present at the meeting.

The strategy document was an important step towards delivering the Corporate Plan 2020-25 housing objective to develop and implement a housing delivery strategy. It outlined the Borough’s housing priorities, considered affordability issues as well as the planning policy background and construction challenges.  An all-Member briefing had taken place on 26 September. The strategy set out six objectives to enable more households working or living in the Borough to have a home that is affordable to them. Underpinning these objectives was a commitment to partnership work with housing associations, public landowners, investors, developers and others. An Action Plan 2020-25 was set out in the document.

Councillor S. Walsh declared a non-pecuniary interest in respect of his capacity as a partner of a property management company.

Committee Members had a number of questions and comments in the discussion that followed:

·       Affordable housing – Members noted the Council had a good track record of meeting the Government’s affordable housing target each year but the target for delivering affordable housing on Council land was still small. Members asked if affordable housing schemes could be expanded on current development projects such as Cromwell Road in Redhill town centre.

Members asked if the objective to deliver housing to meet local needs through planning policy (objective 6) could set out more detail about how the plans for building affordable housing were linked with transport strategies and support for local businesses through employment opportunities.

Members asked whether the aim to provide more affordable homes could be set out in the housing vision so it was clear for residents that the housing strategy was not only about building more homes. Clear statements setting out the legal definitions of affordable housing, affordable rented and shared ownership and shared equity also would be helpful for residents who did not feel schemes were currently affordable for them. It was noted that if more affordable housing was not built then young people would move outside the borough to Croydon and Crawley where there was more social rented housing.

It was noted that the Council had increased the affordable housing requirement on greenfield sites to 35 per cent in the Core Strategy. The Corporate Plan committed Reigate and Banstead Borough Council to deliver a minimum of 30 per cent affordable housing on all Council development schemes. Members asked if the 35 per cent target could apply for the Council’s own schemes. They also commented whether the 35 per cent figure could be achieved on greenfield sites due to the high cost of land. Members pointed out that building on the green belt led to additional costs to put in infrastructure such as roads and other services. It  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7