Agenda item

Report DRS25 from the Corporate Director Regulatory Services.

(Enclosure)

·                  Private Sector Stock Survey                                     (Report to follow)

·                  Gypsies & Travellers Needs Survey                        (Report to follow)

Decision

(1)       That the Community DSP recommends that the Cabinet adopt the draft strategy following an Equality Impact Assessment.

(2)       That the outline “Affordable Housing Policies within the Housing Strategy” as identified in Section 7 of report DRS25 be included and also to include these proposals within the supplementary planning documents.

(3)       That the Community DSP recommends Cabinet to include the Private Sector Housing Strategies within the overall Housing Strategy as identified in section 4 of report DRS25a.

(4)       That the Community DSP recommends Cabinet to include the outline policy proposals within the Housing Strategy as identified in Section 4 of Report DRS25b and seek inclusion of the proposals for gypsies and travellers within the Local Development Framework.

The Corporate Director Regulatory Services submitted report DRS25 which had been circulated with the agenda together with the following supplementary reports DRS25a, DRS25b and DRS28.  She apologised for the lateness of the latter reports but this had been due to having to wait for other draft reports over the Christmas period.

The Council’s Housing Strategy had been under review and subject to consultation.  The revised strategy had taken account of previous feedback from GOEM and also the outcome of the Strategic Housing Inspection.

In May Fordham Research Limited had been commissioned to undertake a combined Housing Needs Survey and Private Sector Stock Condition Survey.  Three reports had been received back on Housing Needs Study report, Private Sector Stock Condition Survey and Gypsy and Travellers Study.  Fordham’s had briefed the Portfolio Holder, the Corporate Director Regulatory Services and the relevant senior managers on their findings and they would be available in the future to speak to the Panel of their findings if the Panel wished.  The executive summaries of the various reports were appended to the individual reports.  The strategy had also taken account of the emerging Government policies including Sustainable Communities: People, places and prosperity, Homes for All Plan and the Consultation Paper on a new Planning Policy Statement 3 (PPS3).   The Corporate Director Regulatory Services introduced the Senior Planning Officer for Policy to the Panel, Rachel Armstrong as some of the Housing Strategy recommendations would have an impact on the housing part of the Local Development Framework (LDF).

The Housing Needs assessment and the need for affordable housing was measured in two different ways.  By following the Basic Needs Assessment model an estimated requirement of 646 affordable dwellings per annum was required.  The “balancing housing market” methodology estimated new dwellings per annum of 460 units, both highlighting a substantial need for affordable housing in the district.  Affordable housing needed to be across the range including the rented sector, private rented, owner/occupier, shared ownership and the report detailed the analysis undertaken by Fordham’s and the various factors involved.   The Housing Need Survey had implications for the LDF and in particular to Supplementary Planning documents.

The Senior Planning Officer for Policy then briefly outlined the LDF which would comprise a number of different documents including two main policy documents – a Core Strategy and a Housing and Economic Development Plan Document. It would also include a number of Supplementary Planning Documents (SPD).  The Housing and Economic Development Plan Document would set the policies that concern affordable housing and the information from the Fordham research would be used as evidence. 

The timetable for the preparation of these documents extends to the Autumn of 2007 when hopefully they will be formally adopted.  Consultation is in three stages with the first stage nearing completion.  The Senior Planning Officer then outlined the current national policy guidance and the recent publication of a consultation draft of Planning Policy Statement 3 (PPS3) which sought to change some of the underlying principles of the current national policy.  In particular the consultation PPS3 redefined “affordable housing” and reduced the minimum size threshold to 15.  The report then listed the proposed new affordable housing policies for South Kesteven. 

Various comments were made about the report and its sobering message especially to young people trying to gain access to the property ladder.  Another question was asked about conflict between authorities, who arbitrated to which the Senior Planning Officer indicated that as the District Council determined the planning application it was up to them however, it was hoped that a protocol would be put in place in the LDF to establish a “pecking order” when disputes arose.  Questions were also asked about the threshold numbers and the rural exceptions policy to which Mrs Armstrong replied.   Further questions were asked about what was classed as affordable housing and shared ownership to which the Partnership and Project Officer replied.

Report DRS25a was a supplementary report to DRS25 and concerned Private Sector Stock Condition. The Corporate Director Regulatory Services informed the panel that it was the first time such a survey had been undertaken.  The stock condition survey looked at two main indicators, fitness and disrepair as laid out in S.604 of the 1985 housing Act and it also took account of energy efficiency, decent homes and the new requirements of the Housing and Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS).

The survey showed that the Private sector stock was in a reasonable condition in relation to the rest of the East Midlands and Nationally.  The main problem areas in terms of the amount of money needing to be spent was in relation to walls, fences, paved areas and outbuildings on houses in disrepair also those dwellings constructed between 1919 and 1944.  Unfit dwellings accounted for 2.7%of the housing stock which compared to an unfitness rate nationally of 4.2% and 4.0% in the East Midlands was comparatively low.  The report found that private rented dwellings tended to be the most likely to be unfit as were the pre1919 dwellings and converted flats.   The research took account of the Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) system for home energy ratings.  The average SAP rating for homes in South Kesteven was estimated to be 50 which was comparable with the national average.  The survey suggested three main ways in which energy efficiency of dwellings could be improved:

·        Add/increase insulation for hot water cylinders, lofts and cavity walls.

·        Upgrade or install heating systems to gas powered programmable central 

     heating.

·        Upgrade all windows to double-glazing.

The report concluded that improving energy efficiency by 30% in South Kesteven was possible but difficult to achieve.  The Corporate Director Regulatory Services said that private sector grant allocation from the government was decreasing only £52,000 had been allocated to South Kesteven this year.  Other councils had received more as they spent more on the private sector.  In order that the money was best utilized the Corporate Director Regulatory Services indicated that the council would be looking at energy efficiency measures, as this would assist more people.  The decent homes aspect of the survey had found that 19.7% of homes failed the decent homes standard compared to 32% nationally. The HHSRS took into account potential hazards of the dwelling such as areas where trips and slips could occur 8.4% of dwellings required a mandatory response which was above the estimated level of unfitness in the district of 3%.  The survey then looked at the total cost of repairs and energy efficiency improvements required and evaluated the extent to which households were able to fund the necessary improvements and these were listed within the report.  The report concluded with policy implications which had been identified for inclusion within the Council’s Housing Strategy one of the key issues was to improve the energy efficiency of dwelling stock and to seek partnerships with energy efficiency organisations.

Comments were then made about the issues raised.  It was asked if the Council’s DWO could carry out work and with regard to houses in multiple occupation whether the council was pro-active or re-active.

The Corporate Director Regulatory Services indicated that equity release was something that needed researching to see if it would be feasible with regard to private sector stock.  The issue of houses in multiple occupation was something that the housing solutions team would be looking at in detail once all the posts had been filled and they were aware of the current issues.  One member referred to the care and repair service that was offered in other authorities and the Corporate Director Regulatory Services indicated that this was something that would be looked at in the future as historically housing had just looked at the landlord function, however with the new structure in place a broader view of housing could be undertaken.

Report DRS25b concerned the findings of Fordhams research on the study of gypsies and traveller housing needs in South Kesteven.  The Housing Act 2004 required the Council to include gypsies and travellers in their local housing needs assessments.

The study considered five key issues and these were listed in the report.  South Kesteven had a relatively small gypsy and traveller population although it had seen a 60% rise in the last two years which pointed to a rise in unauthorised encampments.

The stakeholders consulted had identified three key issues:

·        More sites are needed although no overall consensus about the type of sites that need to be delivered.

·        Assistance to be provided to gypsies and travellers wanting to buy their own land.

·        A case for a fulltime liaison officer within the county to understand the needs of gypsies and travellers, including the relations with the settled community, and their ability to travel and maintain a traditional lifestyle whilst accessing services such as health and education.

Site capacity was also an issue and the report suggested that up to twenty authorised pitches would be needed with authorised transits pitches increasing by five.  The report concluded with a list of recommendations. The Senior Planning Officer for Policy highlighted two sides with regard to planning, to identify sites within the LDF for gypsy and travellers or to have a policy with regard to any planning application that came in.  There was also the possibility of extending the current site in the district.  The LDF would work closely to find the best route, however any site proposed had the potential to be contentious.

Members felt that a co-ordinator for the traveller’s site was a good idea and the idea of partnerships with other local authorities was also beneficial.  The recommendation that site capacity on council sites be reviewed every three to five years was queried and it was suggested that maybe this should be every three years otherwise the time frame would slip to five.

It was agreed that the recommendations within the reports be forwarded to Cabinet.