Decision details
To remove the existing Local Lettings Plans at Waterloo Street
Decision Maker: Director of Governance, Housing and Communities and Monitoring Officer - Claire Hughes
Decision status: Recommendations Approved
Is Key decision?: No
Is subject to call in?: No
Decision:
To remove the existing Local Lettings Plans at
Waterloo Street (17 homes)
Reasons for the decision:
Following an
internal review of live Local Lettings Plans across the Borough
with officers, and based on a range of evidence, it has been
decided to remove the Local Lettings Plan at Waterloo Street to
enable the Council to let these properties to local households in
the greatest housing need via Homeseekerplus without
restriction.
The Local Lettings Plan was previously established to help disrupt
and tackle a growing organized criminal gang (OCG) presence in the
Waterloo Street locality. Evidence provided by the Council’s
officers and our key partners indicates that these efforts,
alongside close partnership working with key partners, has had a
positive impact on community cohesion and resilience in this area.
As such, officers have collectively agreed that this Local Lettings
Plan is no longer required.
This decision will allow the Council to make the best use of our
existing stock and meet housing needs within the Borough, in line
with our
2023-2028 Housing, Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy and
updated
2025-2028 Corporate Plan. Officers will have the ability to
re-apply a Local Lettings Plan (following a successful Officer
Decision) if ASB, lettings and community cohesion evidence and/or
anecdotal evidence indicates that a Local Lettings Plan is required
for Waterloo Street in view of OCG activity, or any other form of
ASB.
Alternative options considered:
Officers considered the value of keeping this
Local Lettings Plans in place, however, following an internal
review by officers, and in light of the lack of evidence supporting
any decision to keep this Local Lettings Plans in place following
intensive partnership working with key partners to disrupt the OCG
presence in this community, officers concluded that lifting the
Waterloo Street Local Lettings Plan was the most appropriate course
of action to help meet the significant level of housing need on the
Council’s housing register and make best use of the
Council’s stock. .
Finance Comments: n/a
Declarations: None.
Other reasons / organisations consulted
An internal review of live Local Lettings
Plans was held with officers from Cheltenham Borough
Council’s ASB team, Empty Homes, Housing Options and Housing
Enabling teams to determine whether maintaining the Local Lettings
Plans on Waterloo Street remained necessary in view of evidence
provided by officers. Whilst officers noted that some minor issues
remained (relating to a private home) such issues were not deemed
to be severe enough to maintain the Local Lettings Plan, although
officers, working alongside our key partners, will remain
vigilant.
Following this internal consultation with officers, officers
engaged with the Cabinet Member for Housing and Customer Services,
who supported the removal of the Local Lettings Plan for Waterloo
Street after seeking reassurances from officers about the current
status of community cohesion at Waterloo Street and the surrounding
vicinity.
Contact: Martin Stacy, Head of Strategic Housing Email: [email protected].
Publication date: 24/09/2025
Date of decision: 24/09/2025
Accompanying Documents: