Agenda item

LIST OF BACKGROUND PAPERS AS REQUIRED BY LAW

None

Contact Officer:

Nicky Debbage, Housing Strategy & Delivery Manager, Tel: 01263 516027, email nicky.debbage@north-noroflk.gov.uk

Graham Connolly, Housing Strategy & Delivery Manager, Tel: 01263 516282, email graham.connolly@north-norfolk.gov.uk

DECISION

Resolved:

The Portfolio Holder for Housing & Benefits, Cllr W Fredericks, introduced this item. She said that a significant amount of consultation had been undertaken with a wide range of stakeholders including representatives from town and parish councils, housing associations, community led housing groups, private developers, private landlords, country estates and political parties.

The Housing Strategy & Delivery Manager (NB) explained that the Housing Strategy focussed on four themes; increasing the supply of new housing, improving housing stock condition in the private sector, making better use of existing housing and supporting vulnerable residents. She said that there was an extensive action plan that supported and drove the implementation of the strategy.

Cllr J Rest, said that as a former director of Victory Housing Association, he had some experience of the sector. In his view, it was not the planning system and the number of permissions that was stopping the provision of high quality, affordable homes but a lack of Government investment. He then referred to theme 3 of the action plan and the proposal for the Council to explore mortgage facilitation schemes. He said that he had concerns that the Council could become embroiled in the repossession of homes. In 2019, 4980 homes had been repossessed nationally, so this was a very real possibility and it might be more beneficial to use a third party.

Cllr V Holliday referred to the actions set out regarding the control of the number of second homes in the District. She said that ‘mitigation’ did not seem to be a robust enough approach. Cllr Fredericks replied that this was not something that the District Council could control. It sat with Government to resolve.

Cllr N Dixon referred to page 20 and the aspirations regarding the supply of new housing. He said that despite having ambitious plans and strategies in place, the Council had a history of under-delivery. He asked how confident both the Portfolio Holder and the Housing Strategy & Delivery Manager were that this strategy would be different and deliver. Cllr Fredericks replied that she was very confident as the target had already been exceeded for this year. The Housing Strategy & Delivery Manager added that there was a pipeline which identified upcoming schemes which gave her confidence that the Council would be delivering its target. There were also additional measures in place to support this, such as the use of s106 grants.  The Portfolio Holder concurred, saying that she also had a strong belief that the target would be achieved.

Cllr A Brown, Chairman of the Planning Policy & Built Heritage Working Party, said that he wanted to assure Members that the working party had considered in depth which measures could be put in place locally as part of the Local Plan to restrict the number of properties for use as second homes. He reiterated the view that the Council was very limited as to what it could do. He then referred to the figures on page 20 and said that the Council did meet its affordable homes target. He added that the deduction of right to buy and voluntary sales did impact on this.

Cllr C Cushing said that other local authorities had undertaken work alongside developers to deliver their planning strategy. He asked whether NNDC were taking the same approach. Cllr Fredericks confirmed that the Council had been liaising with Housing Associations and some developers to progress this. In response to a further question, she said that she was pleased that some developers had come forward expressing an interest to build social housing ahead of market housing and said that she would encourage any developers interested in taking this approach to come forward.

Cllr J Rest commented on ‘right to buy’. He said these were virtually non-existent and were replaced with ‘right to acquire’. This was much more expensive process. The Leader agreed but added that family members were increasingly buying such properties and this was causing some issues in North Norfolk.

It was proposed by Cllr W Fredericks, seconded by Cllr L Shires and

DECISION

Resolved: