Agenda item

This Council regrets that the current Administration’s delivery of affordable housing for the people of Leeds has been sub-optimal, and in particular has led to a worsening shortage of affordable homes to rent and buy:

The Council’s mismanagement of the much-vaunted Council Housing Growth program has delivered considerably less than the promised 300 homes per year; The Housing Company promised to help deliver affordable homes has been abandoned before even being constituted; the tendency to accept commuted sums, and the Council’s reliance on city centre schemes to achieve its citywide housing targets has allowed the lowest percentage of affordable homes built through private development for years.

Council therefore calls on the Administration to review its current Council Housing Growth Strategy to:

Vary the housing delivery options allowed within the business model; constitute a housing company to enable council housing growth opportunities in communities with little council owned land; commit to refurbishing properties to create new council housing; ensure that policy compliant affordable housing is built within and reflects the needs of individual local communities; commit to delivery of new Council housing in every Leeds City Council ward within the next five years.

It was moved by Councillor Golton, seconded by Councillor Campbell that this Council regrets that the current Administration’s delivery of affordable housing for the people of Leeds has been sub-optimal, and in particular has led to a worsening shortage of affordable homes to rent and buy:

The Council’s mismanagement of the much-vaunted Council Housing Growth program has delivered considerably less than the promised 300 homes per year; The Housing Company promised to help deliver affordable homes has been abandoned before even being constituted; the tendency to accept commuted sums, and the Council’s reliance on city centre schemes to achieve its citywide housing targets has allowed the lowest percentage of affordable homes built through private development for years.

Council therefore calls on the Administration to review its current Council Housing Growth Strategy to:

Vary the housing delivery options allowed within the business model; constitute a housing company to enable council housing growth opportunities in communities with little council owned land; commit to refurbishing properties to create new council housing; ensure that policy compliant affordable housing is built within and reflects the needs of individual local communities; commit to delivery of new Council housing in every Leeds City Council ward within the next five years.

An amendment was moved by Councillor B Anderson, seconded by Councillor Collins

Delete all after ‘homes to rent and buy’.

And replace with:

Council recognises the use of innovative measures such as commuted sums, which can enable funding to be prioritised to sites and areas that need affordable housing the most and also notes that City Centre and Inner Area development has, following the regrettable involvement of the High Court, led to reduced development on Greenfield and Greenbelt sites in the city. However, Council is concerned that the Council Housing Growth programme has delivered considerably less than the promised 300 homes per year and is disappointed by the failure to constitute a housing company after finally appearing to agree with opposition groups that have been proposing one for years.

Council notes the lack of attendance at the recent SAP remittal public inquiry, which confirmed the removal of Greenbelt sites from the Site Allocations Plan, from both the Administration and Liberal Democrat Group.

Council calls on the Administration to review its current Council Housing Growth Strategy to:

Vary the housing delivery options allowed within the business model; constitute a housing company to enable council housing growth opportunities in communities with little council owned land; commit to refurbishing properties to create new council housing; ensure that policy compliant affordable housing is built within and reflects the needs of individual local communities; commit to the delivery of the right homes in the right places in every ward in the city.’

Motion will read:

‘This Council regrets that the current Administration’s delivery of affordable housing for the people of Leeds has been sub-optimal, and in particular has led to a worsening shortage of affordable homes to rent and buy.

Council recognises the use of innovative measures such as commuted sums, which can enable funding to be prioritised to sites and areas that need affordable housing the most and also notes that City Centre and Inner Area development has, following the regrettable involvement of the High Court, led to reduced development on Greenfield and Greenbelt sites in the city. However, Council is concerned that the Council Housing Growth programme has delivered considerably less than the promised 300 homes per year and is disappointed by the failure to constitute a housing company after finally appearing to agree with opposition groups that have been proposing one for years.

Council notes the lack of attendance at the recent SAP remittal public inquiry, which confirmed the removal of Greenbelt sites from the Site Allocations Plan, from both the Administration and Liberal Democrat Group.

Council calls on the Administration to review its current Council Housing Growth Strategy to:

Vary the housing delivery options allowed within the business model; constitute a housing company to enable council housing growth opportunities in communities with little council owned land; commit to refurbishing properties to create new council housing; ensure that policy compliant affordable housing is built within and reflects the needs of individual local communities; commit to the delivery of the right homes in the right places in every ward in the city.’

A second amendment was moved by Councillor Hayden, seconded by Councillor Ragan

Delete all after “This Council” and replace with:

“is proud of its ambitious Council House Building Programme, established in 2014/15, and its work with Registered Providers to deliver thousands more affordable, high quality, green homes across Leeds. 

Council condemns the Government’s systematic and harmful underfunding of Local Authorities though 11 years of Austerity introduced by the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats at a time when the need for more affordable housing has increased dramatically.

Council calls on the Government to abolish No Fault Evictions, reform Right to Buy, strengthen Tenant’s Rights, reduce the lobbying power of private developers, and provide more power and funding to Local Authorities to enable more council houses to be built.”

The amendment in the name of Councillor B Anderson was declared lost, the amendment in the name of Councillor Hayden was carried and upon being put to the vote it was

RESOLVED – That this Council is proud of its ambitious Council House Building Programme, established in 2014/15, and its work with Registered Providers to deliver thousands more affordable, high quality, green homes across Leeds. 

Council condemns the Government’s systematic and harmful underfunding of Local Authorities though 11 years of Austerity introduced by the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats at a time when the need for more affordable housing has increased dramatically.

Council calls on the Government to abolish No Fault Evictions, reform Right to Buy, strengthen Tenant’s Rights, reduce the lobbying power of private developers, and provide more power and funding to Local Authorities to enable more council houses to be built.