Agenda item

Councillor Sandra Peake, Portfolio Holder for Housing, introduced a report which provided details relating to the outcome of the consultation on the proposed Housing Strategy 2024-2029, and which sought approval for the revised Housing Strategy 2024-2029.

It was confirmed that the Council’s current Housing Strategy 2021-24 was due to expire in 2024 and the Housing Strategy Team had gathered District profile data and commissioned the Local Housing Needs Assessment jointly with Chesterfield Borough Council.  The assessment would consider the overall need for housing, the different types of homes and the needs for different groups within local communities including affordable housing.

Public consultation was held during the summer and responses were received from parish councils but not from all the District’s wards, details were included in the report.

The new Housing Strategy 2024-2029 would carry forward the corporate priorities relating to the Housing aim as set out in the Council’s new corporate plan – Bolsover District The Future.

·       Priority 1 – providing good quality housing which included building more council housing and being a decent landlord.

·       Priority 2 – enabling housing growth which covered strategic housing growth and working with the East Midlands Combined County Authority.

·       Priority 3 – supporting vulnerable and disadvantaged people which covered all aspects relating to homelessness, supported housing and delivering solutions to the district’s vulnerable residents. This also supported one of the Council’s ‘Customer’ priorities.

·       Priority 4 - maintaining and improving property and housing management standards to ensure that standards and living conditions in the district contributed to better health outcomes for all.  This included all sectors of housing.

The Housing Strategy falls with the Council’s Budget and Policy Framework and was considered to be a key strategic driver for the future of the district.  Once adopted an action plan would be produced to deliver the strategy.

Councillor Will Fletcher stated that whilst he noted there was agreement in the consultation to the proposals there was a lower level of agreement for priority 2 enabling housing growth. Given that the government was consulting on higher housing targets how could meaningful consultation be assured so residents felt heard as to where that housing should go?

It was confirmed that the Council had a Statement of Community Involvement which highlighted how it would carry out consultations with the public.  Engaging with communities extensively and multiple times with planning documents and often holding public drop-in sessions.  Communities also self-promoted and the Council encouraged parish councils to promote when public sessions were held and that this would continue for any future Local Plan and Growth Plan consultations.

Councillor Tom Munro as Chair of Council and the Planning Committee stated he welcomed the report and that it stated it was interesting and helpful particularly appendix 1.  It was reported in the press that there was evidence that the Minister for Housing and Local Government would be reviewing the whole concept of much higher housing targets given that over 75% of local authorities had made representations challenging these targets and that there wasn’t the land available. It was possible that more realistic targets may be published in the new year. He stated that Bolsover District should be justifiably proud of the fact that it was building more council houses and affordable housing than any other area in the United Kingdom.

Moved by Councillor Sandra Peake and seconded by Councillor Duncan McGregor and following a vote

For the motion: Unanimous

Against the motion: 0

Abstentions: 0

RESOLVED that the Housing Strategy 2024-2029 be adopted.