Agenda and minutes

County Councillors D. Evans, M. Hickman, S. Howarth, P. Watts and S. White.

None.

Scrutiny of Supplementary Planning Guidance on Affordable Housing in Monmouthshire to include:

·      Affordable housing delivery since LDP adoption (approvals and completions)

·      Progress on 60/40 sites

·      The Grant Programme

·      the impact of the recently adopted SPG which secures commuted sums from smaller plots

WG 20,000 affordable homes target in the next 5 years in Wales.

Context:

To provide Members with an update on the delivery of affordable housing since LDP adoption, including:

·         The number of affordable homes granted planning permission and the number constructed;

·         Progress on the LDP’s strategic, urban and rural housing sites;

·         Progress on the LDP’s 60/40 sites;

·         The implementation of the Affordable Housing SPG since it took effect on 1st April 2016; and

·         An overview of forthcoming Welsh Government grant funding.

Recommendations:

1. To note the progress update and to support the policy framework and ongoing hard work by officers to maximise affordable housing delivery, which is a Council priority.

2. To consider a follow up review in twelve months on the impact of, and contributions secured via, the Affordable Housing SPG to ensure the policy is resulting in the desired outcomes.

Key Issues:

On-site Affordable Homes Secured via Planning Permissions

1. 305 affordable housing units have been secured through planning permissions since the Plan’s adoption in 2014. LDP allocated sites accounted for the majority of affordable units permitted (181). 100% affordable housing schemes and windfall sites accounted for a further 78 units and 44 units respectively. Two affordable units were secured on a small site.

2. The spatial distribution of affordable units secured via planning permissions is as follows:

Main towns:

·         Total of 166 affordable units permitted.

·         Allocated LDP sites accounted for the majority of these units: 102 units at

·         Wonastow Road, Monmouth (30%) and 18 units at Coed Glas, Abergavenny

·         (35%).

·         100% affordable housing schemes accounted for 27 of the affordable units permitted (Abergavenny 20 and Chepstow 7).

·         The remaining permissions related to windfall sites in Abergavenny (15) and Chepstow (4).

Severnside Settlements:

·         Total of 72 affordable units permitted.

·         100% affordable housing schemes accounted for a significant proportion of affordable unit permissions (41 – Caldicot 22, Rogiet 19).

·         The allocated strategic LDP site at Sudbrook Paper Mill accounted for a further 20 affordable units (9.4%).

·         The remaining permissions related to a windfall site in Sudbrook (9 units) and a small site in Caldicot (2 units).

Rural Secondary Settlements:

·         Total of 49 affordable units permitted.

·         Allocated LDP site at Penperlleni accounted for almost half (23) of these (35%).

·         16 units were secured on a windfall site at Llanfoist.

·         A 100% affordable housing scheme in Raglan accounted for a further 10 units.

Main Villages:

·         Total of 18 affordable units secured on allocated Main Village sites identified in Policy SAH11 for 60% affordable units - Trellech 9, Shirenewton 3 and Penallt 6.

3. An additional affordable unit was permitted through the ‘build your own affordable home’ scheme (rural exception).

4. The above indicates that a significant number of on-site affordable units have been secured via planning permissions since the LDP’s adoption and that the policy framework is operating effectively in this regard. The policy is clear that the targets of

35% or 25% are subject to viability testing, and the Council is currently using the District Valuation Service to provide a robust, independent assessment of viability evidence provided by developers on an  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

Scrutiny of the proposed approach for accessing private rented sector accommodation to prevent homelessness.

This item was deferred until Adults Select Committee meeting 28^th February 2017.

Pre-decision Scrutiny of the Scheme, which is a component of the above (Monmouthshire Lettings Service).

Context:

The purpose of this report is to propose to establish a budget account to enable the Council to offer rent guarantees and ‘paper’ deposit bonds to further strengthen the homeless prevention toolkit through improving access to private rented accommodation.

Recommendations:

1. To consider how the Homeless Prevention Reserve Fund will support the Council’s statutory duty to prevent homelessness and provide the foundations for a future income generation opportunity and make recommendations as appropriate.

2. To recommend to Cabinet to agree to establish a Homeless Prevention Reserve Fund.

Key Issues:

1. Under the Housing (Wales) Act 2014, the Council has a legal duty to both respond to homelessness and to prevent homelessness. The Act also provided local authorities with the power to discharge the associated duties through the private rented sector. The Committee will be aware that it has been a priority for the Council to expand and strengthen homeless prevention activity. The Committee will also be aware that in seeking to improve homeless prevention, focus has been given to enabling access to the private rented sector as an alternative to over reliance on social housing and the need to utilise bed & breakfast.

2. Although the Council is increasingly accessing the private rented sector to prevent homelessness, this continues to be a challenge for a range of reasons. This includes:

·         Homeless applicants are often low income households and in receipt of benefit.

·         Lettings agencies and landlords are often reluctant to accept households on benefit.

·         Many households cannot afford to meet upfront payments and costs associated with securing private sector accommodation. These are routinely agency fees, bonds/deposits and rent in advance.

·         Vulnerable and low income households are often perceived as a risk to landlords with regards to potential damage and non-payment of rent.

·         Some households with complex needs are difficult to accommodate in any sector

·         Some landlords refuse to work with certain external preventative agencies

3. In this context, there is often a reluctance of landlords to support the Council with rehousing applicants. There is a need, therefore, for the Council to try and strengthen the support provided to private landlords to help overcome fears and perceived risks

4. Established practice already exists through the Housing Options Team to provide support to tenants that benefits landlords through an existing Prevention budget. This regularly includes making payments for letting agency fees, bonds/deposits and rent in advance. It is considered though there is scope to further both strengthen this level of support and improve procedures to minimise the financial risk and cost to the Council.

5. It is, therefore, considered appropriate and prudent to establish a ring-fenced Homeless Prevention Budget Reserve to operate alongside the Housing Options Team’s Prevention Fund. The intention is that when appropriate, the Council will seek to make under-written financial commitments/promises to landlords as an alternative to making a cash payment. For example, a landlord may require a bond of £500. This would be transferred into the Reserve rather than being paid directly to the landlord. Should the landlord  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.