Issue - meetings

RESOLVED: That the Committee note the report.

6.1      Jeff Endean (Housing Programmes and Strategy Team Manager), gave a presentation to the meeting. The key points to note were:

§  The Elphicke-House review looked at the role of local authorities in supporting the delivery of new homes, and was published on the 27th January 2015.

§  The key recommendations were:

o   Local authorities to become 'housing delivery enablers'.

o   To consult on extending the Transparency Code to cover all HRA land. The Transparency Code 2014 details information which must be made publically available.

o   Government to monitor schemes to support small builders to expand.

o   Government to consider strengthening advice to encourage councils to pro-actively support neighbourhood planning.

o   Councils to pro-actively use existing powers, levers and opportunities and to periodically test value for money of contracts.

o   Government to work with LGA to encourage councils to fulfil the role of 'housing delivery enablers'.

§  The ‘Church Grove Community Housing Development’ went to Mayor and Cabinet on 4 March 2015. The process will now begin to tender bids, and the successful bidder will be chosen in Autumn 2015.

6.2       In response to questions from the Committee, the following was noted:

§  Officers are compiling a list of organisations and community groups who have indicated they are interested in future self-builds. Members should notify officers if they know of anyone who is interested in this project.

§  The Mercator Road development received its first tenants on 12 March 2015 – the Council’s first new build housing in 30 years.

6.3       RESOLVED: That the Committee note the report.