Decision details

The committee considered the head of health and housing’s report on the council’s housing allocation policy.  The government had published for consultation a revised draft code of guidance on the allocation of affordable homes.  This would become statutory advice to councils on their housing allocation policies.  The report set out the council’s response to the consultation that had been submitted by the March 2012 deadline. 

As background information, the report also summarised the existing housing service provided by the council.  The committee welcomed this and asked questions for clarification.  The committee noted that currently, the council had to accept all applicants to the housing register (the waiting list), even if they had no local connection.  The council had a choice-based letting scheme, which allowed people more choice over where they would like to live, compared to the previous scheme where people had no choice of property, and had to accept what they were offered.  Following a request from a councillor, the head of service agreed to supply information about the numbers and categories of people on the housing list and the housing stock and turnover. 

The committee noted the council’s response to the government’s draft revised code of guidance but suggested that in future, instead of a joint response with South Oxfordshire District Council, separate responses might carry greater weight, even if they were the same. 

The committee noted that the Localism Act had given councils a greater degree of discretion to exclude some people from their housing registers, such as:

·        Owner/occupiers who owned a property outright, unless there were exceptional reasons to allow their application

·        People who had the financial capacity to solve their own housing needs

·        People who did not have a local connection with the district (i.e. did not live or work in the district), unless there were exceptional reasons to allow their application

Following another request from a councillor, the head of service agreed to supply information on the guidance the council followed when assessing a person’s financial capacity. 

The draft code of guidance gave councils discretion on how they prioritised applications.  The code had suggested giving enhanced priority to armed forces personnel if they were in urgent housing need.  However, the committee noted that the council already gave priority through the Oxfordshire Armed Forces Covenant. 

The draft code also gave councils discretion on giving additional priority to people in work or looking for work that contributed to the community.  However, officers wished to see the final code of guidance before recommending any change to the policy on this issue and on giving enhanced priority to armed forces personnel.  Councillors asked that these issues were brought back to the committee for reconsideration at a later date; the head of service agreed. 

The committee noted that the council’s existing policy already gave greater priority to under-occupation and overcrowding cases.  This had also been suggested in the draft revised code. 

In answer to a question from a committee member, the officer reported that it might be possible through the national planning policy framework to allow some private housing development in rural exception sites if this resulted in the scheme proceeding, thereby providing some affordable housing for local people.  The officers would have to explore this possibility. 

The committee noted that Cabinet had opted for 20 per cent of new affordable housing to be allocated to local people.  However, this percentage would be kept under close review.  Applicants would be made aware that a local connection was not an absolute guarantee of obtaining affordable housing in their town or village. 

The committee supported the proposals set out in the report, particularly the ability of the council to exclude applicants who had no local connection.  However, the committee considered that there should be a clear definition of ‘local connection’. 

RESOLVED: To advise Cabinet that the Scrutiny Committee:

(a)       notes the intention to make no changes to the housing allocation policy priority given to former armed forces personnel, and persons in work or seeking work that contributes to the community, until either the code of guidance or revised statute is published, but following publication, the officer proposals on these issues be brought back to the committee for further consideration;

(b)       supports the proposals to amend the housing allocation policy to allow the following exceptions from the housing register:

·        Owner/occupiers who own a property outright, unless there are exceptional reasons to allow their application

·        People who have the financial capacity to solve their own housing needs

·        People who do not have a local connection with the district (i.e. living or working in the district), unless there are exceptional reasons to allow their application

(c)        agrees with the proposal to amend the housing allocations policy so that for any new developments in the district, up to 20 per cent of the allocations be ring-fenced in the first instance to people from that parish or falling within adjoining parishes but accepts that this needs to be kept under review.