Agenda item

The Housing Strategy and Development Officer presented the report to the Board.

Within the new Strategy 2024-2029, the Council would deliver the corporate priorities relating to Housing as set out in the Council’s corporate plan – Bolsover District: The Future.  These priorities would be addressed within the new strategy through:

·       Priority 1 – Providing Good Quality Housing (this would cover building more council housing and being a decent landlord);

·       Priority 2 – Enabling Housing Growth (this would cover all strategic housing growth and working with the East Midlands Combined County Authority in the area);

·       Priority 3 – Supporting Vulnerable and Disadvantaged People (this would cover all aspects related to homelessness, supported housing and partnership working to deliver solutions to the District’s vulnerable residents.  This would also support delivery of one of the Council’s ‘Customer’ priorities – Promoting equality, diversity, and inclusion, and supporting and involving vulnerable and disadvantaged people); and,

·       Priority 4 – Maintaining and improving property and housing management standards and ensuring that standards and living conditions in the District contributed towards better health outcomes for all (this would cover all aspects related to the private sector (rented and owner occupier) and partnership working with the Council’s colleagues in environmental health and public health, and any work with the East Midlands Combined County Authority in the area).

For Priority 1: the Council was due to complete a Stock Condition Survey by April 2025 (once completed, the Council would move to a rolling annual inspection programme covering 1,000 properties per year); there was a target to build a further 200 homes by March 2028; the Council would meet the Regulator’s revised Consumer Standards; increase Council stock through private developers; through the Tenant Engagement Strategy 2023-2026, a wide range of options for tenants to get involved with, to help the Council evaluate delivery of services and make improvements, had been devised; and meet Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) C-Rating where possible for all Council stock.

The Board were also informed of the increase of 1 bed properties and 3 bed bungalows to provide adapted homes for those with specific needs.

Identifying where the Council could improve would also help achieve the desired C1 Grading.

For Priority 3, the Council would: allocate housing to the most vulnerable through the Allocations Policy; support Care Leavers through the revised Allocations Policy for 2024; support Armed Forces personnel through the revised Allocations Policy for 2024; and provide support through the Bolsover Lifeline Services.

To a question of what defined an ‘affordable’ property, the Head of Property (Repairs and Maintenance) informed the Council used the 80% of rent measure to define affordable accommodation (not what the Planning Committee used – 10% lower than market value).

To a question on the cost to elevate older properties to EPC C-Ratings, the Head of Property (Repairs and Maintenance) explained, once completed, the Stock Condition Survey would help shape the Council’s 30-Year Business Plan – once the data was available, the Council could then investigate the need to elevate properties to EPC C-Ratings.

The Housing Strategy and Development Officer added a new version of the Decent Homes Standard was in production and the Council expected the UK National Government’s consultation on this in due course.  Once the Stock Condition Survey was completed, the Council would proceed from there.

RESOLVED that the Board note the proposed outline structure of the new strategy and provide comment on the proposals, revised timetable for development and the planned consultation.