Agenda item

This council acknowledges that the decades-long failure to build social and affordable housing has resulted in a desperate shortage of these forms of accommodation and too many people forced into low quality, insecure and expensive housing in the private rented sector.

This council calls on the Chancellor of the Exchequer to use the opportunity of the forthcoming budget to remove the Housing Revenue Borrowing Cap that needlessly prevents the council building new homes to address the dire shortage of social housing in the city.

This council believes that the administration could also do more to increase the supply of affordable housing in Leeds and calls on the Executive Member for Communities and the Executive member for Regeneration, Transport and Planning to consider options such as a joint venture or arms-length trading building company and bring proposals to the Executive Board at the earliest opportunity.

It was moved by Councillor S Golton, seconded by Councillor J Bentley that this council acknowledges that the decades-long failure to build social and affordable housing has resulted in a desperate shortage of these forms of accommodation and too many people forced into low quality, insecure and expensive housing in the private rented sector.

This council calls on the Chancellor of the Exchequer to use the opportunity of the forthcoming budget to remove the Housing Revenue Borrowing Cap that needlessly prevents the council building new homes to address the dire shortage of social housing in the city.

This council believes that the administration could also do more to increase the supply of affordable housing in Leeds and calls on the Executive Member for Communities and the Executive member for Regeneration, Transport and Planning to consider options such as a joint venture or arms-length trading building company and bring proposals to the Executive Board at the earliest opportunity.

An amendment was moved by Councillor Coupar, seconded by Councillor R Lewis

Delete all after “This Council” and replace with:

“is dismayed that the failure of both the current Conservative and previous Conservative-Liberal Democrat governments has created a crisis in social and affordable housing.

Council is concerned by the devastating impact this crisis is having on young people, and in some cases entire communities, who are often forced to live in poor quality, insecure and expensive housing in the private rented sector.

This council calls on the Chancellor of the Exchequer to use the forthcoming Budget to remove the Housing Revenue Borrowing Cap that needlessly prevents the council building new homes to address the dire shortage of social housing in the city.

This Council further calls on government to allow councils to retain 100% of Right to Buy receipts for reinvestment in social housing; to end the ban on long-term council tenancies to give council tenants security in their home; and to drop legislation to force the sale of council homes through their high value levy.

This Council welcomes that, despite the dysfunctional state of Conservative government housing policy, the Council is embarking on a large-scale Council Housing Growth Programme to help alleviate the housing crisis in Leeds.”

A second amendment was moved by Councillor Andrew Carter, seconded by Councillor J Procter

Delete wording between: ‘This Council acknowledges’ and ‘This Council believes’ and insert:

‘the need to deliver more social and affordable housing and calls on the Chancellor of the Exchequer to consider, in his forthcoming budget, removing the Housing Revenue Account Borrowing Cap that prevents the council building more homes to address the shortage of social housing in the city.

Council notes the recent research carried out by Shelter that suggests that housing developers are not fulfilling their obligations on affordable housing as a result of viability assessments and welcomes the review of guidance on viability assessments contained within the Government consultation ‘Planning for the right homes in the right places.

Council further notes the efforts of the current Government to deliver an increase in the supply of affordable housing, as highlighted by the additional £2bn announced in October 2017 that will see a £9bn fund for affordable homes, delivering an additional 25,000 homes at rents affordable to local people.’

Motion will read:

This Council acknowledges the need to deliver more social and affordable housing and calls on the Chancellor of the Exchequer to consider, in his forthcoming budget, removing the Housing Revenue Account Borrowing Cap that prevents the council building more homes to address the shortage of social housing in the city.

Council notes the recent research carried out by Shelter that suggests that housing developers are not fulfilling their obligations on affordable housing as a result of viability assessments and welcomes the review of guidance on viability assessments contained within the Government consultation ‘Planning for the right homes in the right places’.

Council further notes the efforts of the current Government to deliver an increase in the supply of affordable housing, as highlighted by the additional £2bn announced in October 2017 that will see a £9bn fund for affordable homes, delivering an additional 25,000 homes at rents affordable to local people.

This council believes that the administration could also do more to increase the supply of affordable housing in Leeds and calls on the Executive Member for Communities and the Executive member for Regeneration, Transport and Planning to consider options such as a joint venture or arms-length trading building company and bring proposals to the Executive Board at the earliest opportunity.

The amendment in the name of Councillor Andrew Carter was declared lost.

The amendment in the name of Councillor Coupar was carried and upon being put to the vote it was

RESOLVED – That this Council is dismayed that the failure of both the current Conservative and previous Conservative-Liberal Democrat governments has created a crisis in social and affordable housing.

Council is concerned by the devastating impact this crisis is having on young people, and in some cases entire communities, who are often forced to live in poor quality, insecure and expensive housing in the private rented sector.

This council calls on the Chancellor of the Exchequer to use the forthcoming Budget to remove the Housing Revenue Borrowing Cap that needlessly prevents the council building new homes to address the dire shortage of social housing in the city.

This Council further calls on government to allow councils to retain 100% of Right to Buy receipts for reinvestment in social housing; to end the ban on long-term council tenancies to give council tenants security in their home; and to drop legislation to force the sale of council homes through their high value levy.

This Council welcomes that, despite the dysfunctional state of Conservative government housing policy, the Council is embarking on a large-scale Council Housing Growth Programme to help alleviate the housing crisis in Leeds.”