Decision details

Further to Minute No. 36 of the meeting of full Council held on 14 September 2021, the Director of City Development and the Director of Communities, Environment and Housing submitted a joint report providing information on how the Council was responding to the issues arising from the proposed redevelopment of the privately owned housing estate at Sugar Hill Close and Wordsworth Drive, Oulton.

In considering the report, and in response to comments and concerns raised, the Board discussed / received further details on the following:-

-  the actions taken to date, and which continued to be taken to support those on Assured Shorthold Tenancies and in receipt of ‘no fault’ evictions, and in the longer term, the proposals for further action as detailed within the submitted report, which aimed to secure new build affordable housing provision on the site;

-  the length of time in which the matter had been ongoing;

-  the role of the Council and that of the site owner / landlord;

-  the number of ‘no fault’ evictions issued across the city in recent years.

In noting that a recommendation within the report proposed the submission of a further report to the Board in due course, responding to a Member’s enquiry, it was undertaken that the future report would provide further details on the actions being taken to support affected residents. 

Following consideration of Appendix 2 to the submitted report designated as being exempt from publication under the provisions of Access to Information Procedure Rule 10.4(3), which was considered in private at the conclusion of the public part of the meeting, it was

RESOLVED –

(a)  That the Council’s offer of support from Housing Leeds to tenants of the Sugar Hill Close and Wordsworth Drive estate to support them in securing alternative housing where they may be at risk of homelessness following no-fault evictions, be noted and supported;

(b)  That the Council’s further engagement with the Housing Association as identified in exempt Appendix 2 to the submitted report, be supported, with a view to maximising the affordable housing that could be delivered at Sugar Hill Close and Wordsworth Drive through the application of pooled commuted sums or other resources as may be identified and agreed by the Directors in consultation with the Executive Member for ‘Infrastructure and Climate’ and the Executive Member for ‘Resources’;

(c)  That the options considered as detailed within the submitted report, be noted; and that the potential for the Council to directly acquire homes in the completed development as outlined in paragraph 47.3 of the submitted report and/or use commuted sums to secure the delivery of additional affordable housing alongside a local lettings policy for the benefit of tenants rehoused from the estate, as outlined in paragraphs 48.1 - 48.4, be supported;

(d)  That an update on the progress made in taking forward the preferred approach, as outlined in the submitted report, be provided, with a further report requiring any subsequent decisions on the use of resources to support the detailed proposals, be brought to Executive Board in due course, which also provides further details of the actions being taken to support affected residents.

(Under the provisions of Council Procedure Rule 16.5, Councillor S Golton required it to be recorded that he abstained from voting on the decisions referred to within this minute)