Issue - items at meetings - Development of Various Garage Sites

Report of the Cabinet Member Housing

RESOLVED THAT

1. the garage strategy at Appendix 2 be approved

2. It be noted that :-

2.1 the Head of Property Services, in consultation with the Cabinet Member – Housing will agree which sites will be taken forward for the further feasibility work as outlined above in the Executive Summary

2.2 following the feasibility work, the Cabinet Member – Housing will receive recommendations from the Head of Property Services to approve those garage sites which should be developed as affordable housing to be owned by the Authority (subject to planning permission and costs being within budget)

2.3 following identification of the garages sites pursuant to recommendation 2.2, CBH, on behalf of the Authority, will apply for planning permission and conduct procurements to select contractors to carry out the design and construction of the new housing

2.4. subject to the tenders for the construction of the new housing being within the budgets approved by full Council and the receipt of planning permission, the Cabinet Member – Housing will approve the change of use of the garage sites to use for the provision of new Council owned affordable housing and will authorise the award of the contracts to the successful bidders where contracts are in excess of £100,000

2.5 if the feasibility work identifies uses for the garage sites other than affordable housing to be owned by the Authority, a further report(s) will be prepared for approval by Cabinet or the Lead Member as required by the Constitution

3. Authority be delegated to the Executive Director – Finance and Assets, in consultation with the Cabinet Member Housing to:-

3.1 submit and accept bids to Homes England for grant funding to support the delivery of new build schemes

3.2 agree the tenure of the affordable housing that will be delivered on individual sites

4. Authority be delegated to the Head of Property, in consultation with the Borough Solicitor, to take all necessary steps and undertake all necessary procedures, including entering into any legal agreements and contracts which do not exceed £100,000 or other documentation as may be required to implement or facilitate the developments

The Cabinet Member Housing introduced the report and referred to the development and use of garage sites for much needed affordable accommodation in the borough. To date 13 former garage sites had been developed to provide 41 affordable housing units. Recognising that this was a resource intensive programme, the operational board had looked at the strategy and how developing potentially a further 35 garage sites could be progressed against the established operational criteria.

The Cabinet Member explained that the recommendations of the report set out the key milestones during which decisions/approvals would be taken in relation to the progression of any proposed sites. He referred Members to Appendix 2 of the report detailing how the sites were spread across the town.

Finally, the Cabinet Member Housing highlighted that this was a good use of land-advocating the brownfield first approach. Whilst small, these represented much needed areas for housing.