Agenda item

Councillor Damian White, Cabinet member for Housing, introduced the report

The Leader reminded those present that this report contained an exempt appendix and that if Members wished to discauss elements contained within the appendix, Cabinet would have to go into private session.

The report before Cabinet sought approval of additions to the affordable housing development programme in the years 2015/16 and 2016/17.

Members were reminded that the report followed their approval of a report presented to it on 23 September 2015 entitled: “Housing Development Plan – Strategic Overview” and sought to set out the first years of the programme within the financial envelope approved  in that report.

The report proposed a range of new housing development schemes for the period up to and including 2016/17.  This period was the first two years of phase 3 of the Council’s affordable housing development programme and followed earlier phases of new-build that were currently either completed or in development.

The range of accommodation provided would seek to maximise provision for vulnerable people thereby contributing to planned revenue social care savings.

Reasons for the decision:

The increased provision of affordable housing for rent and shared ownership would support the aspirations for new-build development set out within the agreed Housing Strategy 2014-17.  The schemes would make a positive contribution to the HRA.  The shared ownership dwellings would assist local residents who aspired to home ownership but were unable to purchase outright to buy their own home for the first time.

New-build development could also have a regenerative impact on a locality by removing unsightly or disused places such as redundant garage blocks and by replacing run-down buildings that were no longer fit for purpose such as those at Lombard Court.

Other options considered:

The option of not increasing affordable housing provision was considered and rejected as it would not begin to deal with the lack of housing supply.  It would also not provide opportunities for Havering residents to access low-cost home ownership through the shared ownership element of the programme.

As the appendix was not discussed Cabinet continued in open session.

Cabinet:

1.            Approved the additions to the affordable housing development programme for 2015/16 and 2016/17 as set out in the report.

2.            Delegated authority to the Group Director for Children, Adults and Housing after consultation with the Cabinet Member for Housing to make variations to, or substitutions for, any of the schemes covered in the report, including virement between schemes deemed desirable following scheme review, resident consultation and/or identified as a planning requirement unless the variations would incur additional capital investment beyond the existing programme budget. 

3.            Approved the submission of funding bids to the Greater London Authority to support the affordable housing development programme as set out in the report.