Housing Delivery Strategy Action Plan
The resources required to deliver these actions will either be found from within existing resources, or a separate report for decision will be brought to councillors where additional resources are required
Short term – Aim to be complete by end of March 2023
|
Action
|
Description |
Strategic Priority Area |
Scope |
Lead Service Area + Support Service(s) |
Measurable outcome |
|
1.1 |
Empty Homes – Identify the number of empty homes in the districts and consider the need for a strategy for reduction |
1 |
Use existing data on homes empty for more than 2 years. Any outline of a strategy for reduction will focus on the benefits for all, the tools available to the council and the resources required. |
Housing Needs |
Report to councillors |
|
1.2 |
S.106 funding – Update process and criteria for award of S.106 funds to social and affordable housing schemes. Ensure that the role of low carbon developments is fully recognised.
|
2,4 |
As described |
Housing Delivery
|
Report to councillors
|
|
1.3 |
Resources - Appoint a Housing Delivery Manager and create a Housing Delivery team |
2,3,4 |
To deliver this strategy, and identified actions. |
Housing Delivery |
Service Manager is in post |
|
1.4 |
Closer working with Registered Housing Providers - Work with Registered Providers of social housing to ensure the councils have an up to date and accurate picture of all registered social and affordable housing in the districts.
|
2 |
Request data from significant RPs Aim for data on 90%+ of social housing. · Number of bedrooms · Location · Tenure |
Housing Needs
|
List of all RP properties in both districts (not for publication) |
|
1.5 |
Information for residents – Ensure that information on housing, particularly advice on grants, loans and maximising energy efficiency, is up to date and clear on council webpages
|
1, 4 |
Review (and update) currently provided advice. Any information related to retrofitting existing homes, or building new homes, to lower carbon. |
Housing
|
Updated webpages
|
|
1.6 |
Closer working with Registered Housing Providers and other land and/or property owning organisations – Investigate opportunities to deliver more affordable and social rent. |
1,2,3,4 |
Use the outcome from the Strategic Property Review |
Strategic Property
Housing Delivery |
Begin dialogue |
|
1.7 |
Closer working with Registered Housing Providers – Request retrofit plans to understand plans to decarbonise social housing stock |
4 |
Existing plans |
Housing Delivery |
Begin dialogue |
Medium term – Aim to be complete by end of March 2024*
|
Action
|
Description |
Strategic Priority Area |
Scope |
Lead Service + support Services |
Measurable outcome |
|
2.1 |
Private Rental Sector Strategy - Develop a draft Private Rental Sector Strategy for consultation, leading to formal approval. |
1 |
This will include · Approach to the management of Houses of Multiple Occupation How to ensure a private rental sector that works for all |
Housing Needs |
Report to councillors of draft strategy for consultation |
|
2.2 |
First Homes - Evaluate the local impact of First Homes policy |
2 |
|
Housing Delivery
|
Report to councillors
|
|
2.3 |
First Homes - Develop a strategic approach to First Homes in the districts |
2 |
Introduce local connection and local eligibility criteria and consider the need for a higher minimum discount level |
Housing Delivery/Planning Policy |
Report to councillors of draft strategy for consultation |
|
2.4 |
Closer working with Registered Housing Providers - Work with Registered Providers of social housing in the districts to ensure that the Charter for Social Housing is delivered and that the voice of the tenant is taken into account. |
2 |
Feedback from Registered Providers on plans |
Housing Delivery |
Completed financial model Purchase of properties Identified model for management of tenancies and property |
|
2.5 |
Closer working with Registered Housing Providers - Work with Registered Providers of social housing to ensure that any bids for funding are supported in line with corporate priorities
|
2,4 |
S.106 funding bids |
Housing Delivery
|
Ongoing relationship with Registered Providers Regular report on supported bids to cabinet members |
|
2.6 |
Resources - Develop the Housing Delivery team to ensure that they have the skills, qualifications and experience to deliver the relevant actions within this plan. Must include ability to evaluate zero and low carbon house building |
3, 4 |
Housing Delivery team |
Housing Delivery
|
Ongoing work |
|
2.7 |
Community Led Housing - Develop a policy and process for accessing community led housing schemes |
3,4 |
|
Housing Delivery Planning policy Planning |
Report to councillors |
|
2.8 |
Community Led Housing - Provide support and assistance to successful community led housing schemes to enable them to deliver affordable housing |
3,4 |
|
Housing Delivery
Planning |
Ongoing work Regular report on supported bids to councillors |
|
2.9 |
Increase social housing - Assess council-owned sites for suitability for use for housing, and develop a process to take suitable sites forward for consideration |
3,4 |
Using existing sites identified by the review of existing assets in each council area. |
Strategic Property
Housing Delivery |
Information will form part of development reports for specific sites |
|
2.10 |
Increase social housing - Using data from the Housing Register and other sources, ensure that housing need plays a vital role in informing the delivery of new affordable and social housing |
1 |
Use of existing social register to identify needs, including · Location · Property size · Adaptations · Amenities |
Housing Needs
Housing Delivery |
|
|
2.11 |
Leadership – Review this strategy, and the progress of actions, in line with the corporate plan |
1,2,3,4 |
The strategy and the action plan |
All services covered by this action plan |
Report to councillors |
Long term – post March 2024*
|
Action
|
Description |
Strategic Priority Area |
Scope |
Lead Service + support Services |
Measurable outcome |
|
3.1 |
Local Plan - Complete the new Joint Local Plan with overall housing targets including affordable and specialist housing targets. Specifically to take account of · Social rent · Threshold for affordable housing in rural areas · % of affordable homes · % of first homes · Community led housing · Specialist accommodation eg for older people · Type and size of new homes · Self and custom-build |
1,2,3 |
|
Planning Policy |
Joint Local Plan is adopted |
|
3.2 |
Increase social housing - Make better use of One Public Estate approach to identify suitable sites for affordable housing or other housing related shared objectives |
3 |
|
Property |
Report to councillors
|
|
3.3 |
Zero/low carbon housing - Encourage and assist carbon neutral and climate positive housing development in our districts |
4 |
|
Planning Policy |
Number of zero/low carbon homes built in the districts |
|
3.4 |
Increase social housing – Bring through a pipeline of suitable sites for development as social housing. Opportunities for the councils to consider direct build, operate and maintain must be considered. Ensure that the role of low carbon developments is fully recognised |
3, 4 |
|
Housing Delivery
Planning
Strategic Property |
Number of council assets used to create new housing |
*Specific timescales for delivery will be worked up within each strategic action. Regular updates on timescales for delivery will be provided to each council