Decision details

Purpose of Report: To update Members on the Housing Delivery Programme including making recommendations which aim to accelerate the delivery of affordable housing in York.

The Executive will be asked: To consider recommendations related to developing sites for housing, including the disposal of land and partnership opportunities.

Recommended:

                         i.         To full council a contribution of £1.47m of Housing Revenue Account (HRA) borrowing to enable the purchase of up to 10 homes for the Local Authority Housing Fund (LAHF) programme.

Resolved:

                        ii.         To seek planning permission at the Ordnance Lane site, with the aim of delivering a 100% affordable housing scheme (with associated communal and commercial spaces);

                      iii.         That in consultation with the Head of Commercial Procurement (and their delegated officers), to tender a building contract to develop 100% affordable housing, communal and commercial spaces at the Ordnance Lane site, in line with the Council’s Contract Procedure Rules (“CPRs”), the Public Contract Regulations 2015 (the “Procurement Regs”), the revised planning permission, and return to Executive with a budget ask following the completion of this process;

                      iv.         To seek planning permission at the Willow House site with the aim of delivering a 100% affordable housing scheme;

                       v.         Accepted the Local Authority Housing Fund (“LAHF”) grant funding offer of £1.2m to purchase 10 homes for resettlement and temporary accommodation;

                      vi.         Delegated authority to the Director of Housing, Economy & Regeneration (and their delegated officers), in consultation with the Director of Governance (and their delegated officers), to negotiate the provisions, and conclude the entry into any funding terms and conditions prior to acceptance of the LAHF grant, subject to compliance with the requirements of the Subsidy Control Act 2022;

                    vii.         To seek to dispose of land at the former Woolnough House care home site to a registered provider for the purposes of developing general needs 100% affordable housing;

                   viii.         To seek to dispose of land at the former 68 Centre site to a registered provider for the purposes of developing general needs 100% affordable housing;

                      ix.         Delegated to the Executive Member for Housing, Planning and Safer Communities and Executive Member for Finance, Performance, Major Projects, Human Rights, Equality and Inclusion, the finalisation of the disposal route and evaluation criteria to select a purchaser;

                       x.         Noted that the Council has formally become a member of the ‘York and North Yorkshire Housing Partnership’, ensuring that the Council’s voice is heard in order to influence the type and number of affordable homes developed in the city alongside supporting opportunities for joint working on specific projects and increasing the attractiveness of the sub-region as a place for investment and partnership working to unlock sites for affordable housing;

                      xi.         To work strategically alongside the co-owners of York Central and the master developer to create a business case around the delivery of affordable housing through the Housing Delivery Programme.

Reason:     To deliver more affordable housing in York.