Executive	13 January 2022
Report of the Housing & Safer Neighbourhoods Scrutiny Committee

Provision of Affordable Homes on New Developments Scrutiny Review Final Report – Cover Report

Summary

1. This cover report presents the final report from the Affordable Homes Scrutiny Review undertaken by the Housing & Safer Neighbourhoods Scrutiny Committee. It seeks approval to the recommendations from the Executive.

Recommendation

2. Having considered the Affordable Homes on New Developments Scrutiny Review Final Report at Appendix 1 and its annexes the Executive is asked to approve the recommendations as shown in paragraph 6, below.

Reason: To conclude this scrutiny review in line with CYC scrutiny procedures and protocols.   

Background

3. Prior to the onset of the pandemic, at its meeting on 28 October 2019, the Housing & Safe Neighbourhoods Committee considered a referral from the 5 September 2019 meeting of the Area Planning Sub Committee which requested that the Committee consider the impact of service charges on the delivery of social rented housing by housing associations through the planning gain process.

4. The Committee discussed this referral and resolved to form a task group whose aim would be to better understand the current situation with regard to the delivery of affordable dwellings arising from new developments with planning permission. The following objectives were set:

a. To Investigate the delivery of homes for discounted sale resulting from the granting of planning permission for a new development;

b. To investigate the council’s working relationship with housing associations in relation to the allocation of properties for social rent resulting from the granting of planning permission for a new development;

c. To explore what barriers exist that make it difficult for housing associations to take up affordable housing contributions and what policy options could help to overcome any barriers.

Consultation

5. The review involved wide-ranging and extensive consultation of key stakeholders, details of which are fully set out in the final report at Appendix 1.

Review Recommendations

6. Arising from the Committee’s extensive consultation and key findings are a number of recommendations which it approved for the Executive to consider, as follows:

Recommendation 1 - When the First Homes initiative comes to be implemented in York, 75% of homes delivered through developer contributions as part of planning obligations agreed under section 106 should be for social rent

· Recommendation 2 - For future iterations of the CYC Housing Delivery Programme, CYC actively considers sale to - or joint working with - RPs for potential housing development sites

· Recommendation 3 - For future iterations of the CYC Housing Delivery Programme, officers consider how the programme can be structured and financed in a way that would deliver an increased proportion of affordable homes

· Recommendation 4 - Officers review what steps could be taken to make it more likely that open space can be managed by CYC, particularly on CYC Housing Delivery Programme sites

· Recommendation 5 – Officers consider improvements that can be made to the section 106 legal agreement template and steps that could be taken to reduce the risk of post-planning delays

· Recommendation 6 - Officers consider how they might be able to more positively respond to approaches from developers and RPs for informal discussions at an early stage, prior to a scheme proposal being submitted

Options

7. Having considered the final report at Appendix 1 and its annexes the Executive may chose to approve and/or amend, or reject the recommendations arising from the review as set out in paragraph 5, above.

Council Plan 2019-23

8. This review is linked to one of the key outcomes of the Plan which aims to ‘create homes and world class infrastructure’.

Implications and Risk Management

9. The risks and implications associated with the review recommendations were taken into account by the Committee in arriving at its final report at Appendix 1.

Contact Details

Author: Dawn Steel Head of Civic, Democratic & Scrutiny Services dawn.steel@york.gov.uk	Chief Officer Responsible for the report: Janie Berry Director of Governance Janie.berry@york.gov.uk
	Report Approved	P	Date		18/11/2021
Wards Affected:				All		P
For further information please contact the author of the report

Annexes

Appendix 1 – Affordable Homes Scrutiny Review