Issue - meetings

Report of the Leader

RESOLVED THAT

the consultation responses set out in Appendix 2 as amended be approved for submission to the government consultation on behalf of Cheltenham Borough Council, and to form part of a joint response where other JCS authorities agree.

The Leader introduced the report which set out a response to the government consultation on the housing white paper setting out their plans to reform the housing market and boost the supply of new homes in England. He highlighted that it was good to see that the direction of travel of the government supported the aims of the JCS. He disagreed with the government proposal for starter homes and this was reflected in the response.

Appendix 2 of this paper contained a list of the consultation questions and proposed answers. The answers given here, if agreed by the other Joint Core Strategy authorities, were likely to form the body of a joint response from the JCS.

The report noted that any responses to the consultation must be made by 11:45pm on 2nd May 2017 

The Cabinet Member Healthy Lifestyles requested an amendment to the second paragraph of the response to question 15 with the insertion of the words "or for shared ownership" after "build homes to rent".  She felt this was important as it would enable people on middle incomes and young people to have a modicum of home ownership and would enable CBH to provide more affordable homes to rent or buy.

Other Members supported the response and felt the proposed changes to planning would put the council in a better position to provide a five-year supply of housing. However there were concerns that the proposals failed to address the insufficiency of housing and in particular affordable housing. There was also concern that an increasingly large private rented sector was providing very poor quality accommodation or top end leaving housing associations or local authorities to fill the gap.

RESOLVED THAT

the consultation responses set out in Appendix 2 as amended be approved for submission to the government consultation on behalf of Cheltenham Borough Council, and to form part of a joint response where other JCS authorities agree.