St Ann’s Chapel and Housing Offer Task and Finish Group: Draft Terms of Reference

The Audit and Governance Committee has resolved to establish a Task and Finish Group to explore in detail the genesis outcomes of the St Ann’s Chapel development. The, almost complete, development will provide housing for local residents and is owned by South Hams District Council.

The objectives of the Group are to:

· Assess the original objectives of the development against what has been delivered;

· Examine the business case for the development, including the funding and financing of the capital project to build 11 houses at St Ann’s Chapel in Bigbury, of which 8 are new affordable homes;

· Assess the value for money unit cost to build affordable rented homes in Bigbury;

· Explore the costs of the development against original plans and alternative acquisition / building options;

· Assess the ownership structure of the development and lettings policy;

· Using the above (and other pertinent information that arises), identify any risks to the Council and residents, and propose appropriate mitigations, if possible;

· Based on the above, make recommendations in the first instance to the Audit and Governance Committee, to make recommendations to  Council as to suitability of the approach to housing used in the development to meet the housing crisis in South Hams; and

· report on the new approach of the South Hams Housing Offer to communities to support affordable housing delivery (as set out in the Executive Report ‘Housing Policy Update’ on 30^th November 2023). To take the learning from St Anns Chapel and assess how this has been applied to the new delivery model within the South Hams Housing Offer.

Methodology

The Task and Finish Group will complete its work through both examination of key documentation as well as through informal sessions with relevant Officers.  Officers may want to present key information to Members of the Task and Finish Group but it is expected that Members will have opportunity to question Officers. It is expected that Members will want the opportunity to present a list of questions to Officers prior to meetings, this will enable full answers to be given and for any relevant data to be produced. It is also expected that Members will want the opportunity to visit the development.

It is intended that that Group will meet on no more than 3 separate occasions and will agree dates of the remaining meetings at its first meeting.

Outputs

The Task and Finish Group will produce a concluding report based on the above. The report will be produced by Members of the Group in consultation with officers and presented to the Audit and Governance Committee and/or to the Executive, with recommendations to Council if appropriate.

Membership of the Task and Finish Group

Cllr David Hancock (Chair), Cllr Alison Nix, Cllr Chris Oram and Cllr Anna Presswell

Meeting invites to also be extended to Cllr Denise O’Callaghan (Executive Member for Housing)