Agenda item

To consider a report by the Director of Environment and Housing which provides an updated draft Housing Strategy and proposed arrangements for monitoring the strategy.

(Report attached)

The Director of Environment and Housing submitted a report which provided an updated draft Housing Strategy and proposed arrangements for monitoring the strategy.

Appended to the report was a copy of the following document:

·  Draft Housing Strategy 2016 – 2021 (Appendix 1 referred)

Mandy Sawyer, Head of Neighbourhood Services, Environment and Housing, presented the report and responded to Members comments and queries.

Detailed discussion ensued on the contents of the report which included:

·  Affordable Housing Growth

·  Housing Quality

·  Promoting Independent Living

·  Creating Sustainable Communities

·  Improving Health Through Housing

·  Meeting the Needs of Older Residents

Tim Woods said the new draft strategy was a significant improvement on the previous version but could the targets be more challenging?

Referring to paragraph 3.1.6 of the submitted report, Councillor Bentley queried if we were meeting housing needs of older residents.

In responding the Director of Environment and Housing said work was ongoing to look at council stock to see if it was meeting the aspiration of tenants. Housing growth monies was already going into extra care provision and development at Yeadon and East Ardsley were schemes already in progress.

The Director further reported that we were also looking to the private sector to build for the elderly but this was down to commercial viability.

Councillor Bentley made reference to the old Cookridge Hospital site which included provision for extra care housing. He said the developer was unable to fund the whole development and finding a partner was difficult, was the extra care housing planned for.

In responding the Chair said developers want to deliver but that can sometimes be challenging.

Offering comment the Director said there were some difficulties due to the cap on housing rent levels on supported housing which could lead to an unwillingness to invest.

Referring to the Core Strategy – Leeds City Council, Councillor Anderson said that older people housing was included as part of the housing mix and this was clear in the Core Strategy. He suggested Planning Officers need to take more notice of the core strategies, it appeared older people housing was not been prioritised.

In responding the Director said that the Core Strategy had clashed with central guidance resulting in the loss of a number of planning appeals, the developers winning on each occasion, planning officers were now more mindful of what they could deliver on.

The Chair asked for the views of Planners on the provision of older people’s housing and the Core Strategy to be provided to the Board.

David Glew welcomed the new draft strategy. In offering comment, he noted £3m was spent on carrying out adaptations to Council Properties. He suggested that if we carry out more adaptations more quickly this may reduce the amount of time patients spend in hospital and could lead to significant savings to the NHS. He asked if a discussion could take place with NHS Leeds with a view to them contributing towards the cost of adaptations.

The Chair suggested that any liaison with NHS Leeds should be done through Adult Social Care.

The Chair thanked Members for their contributions.

RESOLVED –

(i)  To note the progress in delivering the draft Housing Strategy

(ii)  To note and welcome the arrangements for monitoring delivery of the strategy targets

(iii)  That a response from Planners in respect of older people housing and the Core Strategy be provided to the Board

(iv)  That Adult Social care be requested, on behalf of this Board, to explore with NHS Leeds the possibility of contributing towards the cost of adaptations