Issue - meetings

This report asks the Executive to endorse the current review of affordable housing policy in York through the Local Development Framework, and to note the affordable housing initiatives that are being prioritised by Housing & Adult Social Services following discussions with house builders and other housing stakeholders in York during 2008.

Note: Annex 1 to the above report has not been included in the printed papers but is available on the Council’s website and in the Members’ Library.

RESOLVED: (i)         That the outcomes of the Developer meetings and the Affordable Housing Workshop be noted.

                        (ii)        That Officers be supported in using the comments received in the Developer meetings and the Affordable Housing Workshop, along with comments received during the Issues and Options stage of the Core Strategy, to inform the Preferred Options Policy to be taken forward through the LDF, as agreed by the Executive in December 2007.

                        (iii)       That the affordable housing initiatives currently being prioritised by Housing and Adult Social Services following the discussions with house builders and from the affordably housing workshops, as well as new initiatives which will develop alongside the new Housing Strategy to be published in 2009, be noted.

REASON:      In accordance with the previous recommendations of the Executive and the Executive Member for City Strategy and to ensure that potential new initiatives are fully explored.

Members considered a report which asked them to endorse the current review of affordable housing policy in York through the Local Development Framework (LDF) and to note the affordable housing initiatives being prioritised by the Housing and Adult Social Services department, following discussions with house builders and other stakeholders.

The report followed on from the resolutions made at the Executive meeting on 18 December 2007 and the meeting of the Executive Member for City Strategy and Advisory Panel (EMAP) on 14 January 2008.  Members had agreed that affordable housing provision should be reviewed through the LDF process and had requested that cross-party dialogue be entered into with developers.  Meetings held as a result included a round table session with the four Group Leaders, individual meetings with house builders and planning consultants and a half day seminar / workshop attended by over 40 key housing stakeholders.

The outcome of these meetings would inform the drafting of the LDF Core Strategy Preferred Options affordable housing policy to be considered by the LDF Working Group in February 2009, as well as the Council’s wider approach to meeting affordable housing needs in the City.  Details of the workshop, facilitated by Icarus on 7 November 2008, were contained in Annex 1 to the report, copies of which had been made available on the Council’s website and in the Members’ Library.  Notes from the meetings with developers and consultants were attached as Annex 2.

Having noted the comments of the Shadow Executive on this item, it was

RESOLVED: (i)         That the outcomes of the Developer meetings and the Affordable Housing Workshop be noted.

                        (ii)        That Officers be supported in using the comments received in the Developer meetings and the Affordable Housing Workshop, along with comments received during the Issues and Options stage of the Core Strategy, to inform the Preferred Options Policy to be taken forward through the LDF, as agreed by the Executive in December 2007.

                        (iii)       That the affordable housing initiatives currently being prioritised by Housing and Adult Social Services following the discussions with house builders and from the affordably housing workshops, as well as new initiatives which will develop alongside the new Housing Strategy to be published in 2009, be noted.

REASON:      In accordance with the previous recommendations of the Executive and the Executive Member for City Strategy and to ensure that potential new initiatives are fully explored.