Issue - meetings

Notice of Motion - Cllr K Davis - Housing Allocations

Meeting: 21/07/2022 - Council (Item 7)

Notice of Motion - Cllr K Davis - Housing Allocations EXE22-041

Additional documents:

Minutes:

At its meeting on 31 March 2022, the Council had referred the following Notice of Motion to the Executive.

“It is vitally important that our residents directly benefit from new housing development in their local area.  The Council already requires a 2-year local connection for applicants joining its Housing Register for affordable homes, as well as expecting any shared ownership homes secured through the Section 106 process to be first marketed to those living or working in the Borough.

However, the Council should consider going further in promoting a “Local First” approach by:

·                Investigating any further flexibilities that could be incorporated into the Housing Allocations Policy to prioritise local residents;

·                Exclusively marketing any new homes built and sold by Thameswey for a set period of time to residents living in that Ward or Neighbourhood Area;

·                Considering a local connection policy for any new homes delivered under the Government’s new “First Homes” tenure that prioritises residents living in that Ward or Neighbourhood Area before opening up to the Borough.”

At the meeting of the Executive, the Leader had advised that, whilst the Executive was broadly supportive of the Motion, there were concerns in relation to some of the criteria suggested.  The Leader had therefore proposed the following amendment:

“It is vitally important that our residents directly benefit from new housing development in their local area.  The Council already requires a 2-year local connection for applicants joining its Housing Register for affordable homes, as well as expecting any shared ownership homes secured through the Section 106 process to be first marketed to those living or working in the Borough. 

However, the Council should consider going further by asking officers to develop a scheme, in which, taking into account all other considerations of housing allocations, new homes are offered first to those with local connections, for a period of 3 months. These local connections should be flexibly defined by ward, neighbourhood area, a certain distance or a natural boundary.”

The recommendation of the Executive to support the motion as amended was introduced by the Portfolio Holder, Councillor Johnson, and welcomed by the Councillor Davis.

RESOLVED

That the motion, as amended by the Executive, be approved.


Meeting: 16/06/2022 - Executive (Item 6)

6 Notice of Motion - Cllr K Davis - Housing Allocations EXE22-041 pdf icon PDF 67 KB

Reporting Person – Corporate Leadership Team

Additional documents:

Minutes:

At its meeting on 31 March 2022, the Council referred the following Notice of Motion to the Executive.

Councillor K M Davis

“It is vitally important that our residents directly benefit from new housing development in their local area. The Council already requires a 2-year local connection for applicants joining its Housing Register for affordable homes, as well as expecting any shared ownership homes secured through the Section 106 process to be first marketed to those living or working in the Borough.

However, the Council should consider going further in promoting a “Local First” approach by:

·                Investigating any further flexibilities that could be incorporated into the Housing Allocations Policy to prioritise local residents;

·                Exclusively marketing any new homes built and sold by Thameswey for a set period of time to residents living in that Ward or Neighbourhood Area;

·                Considering a local connection policy for any new homes delivered under the Government’s new “First Homes” tenure that prioritises residents living in that Ward or Neighbourhood Area before opening up to the Borough.”

Councillor Davis attended the meeting and spoke in support of the Motion.  The Leader advised that the Executive was broadly supportive of the Motion.  However the Executive did have some concerns in relation to some of the criteria suggested, such as by Ward or Neighbourhood area, as it was considered necessary to have regard to residents who had moved away from an area temporarily.  The Leader proposed an amendment to the Motion to read as follows:

It is vitally important that our residents directly benefit from new housing development in their local area. The Council already requires a 2-year local connection for applicants joining its Housing Register for affordable homes, as well as expecting any shared ownership homes secured through the Section 106 process to be first marketed to those living or working in the Borough.

However, the Council should consider going further by asking officers to develop a scheme, in which, taking into account all other considerations of housing allocations, new homes are offered first to those with local connections, for a period of 3 months. These local connections should be flexibly defined by ward, neighbourhood area, a certain distance or a natural boundary.”

The Executive agreed the amended Motion, noting the need to take into account existing housing criteria.

RECOMMENDED to Council

That the Motion, as amended by the Executive, be supported.