CM.56/21
In the
absence of Cllr B Ratcliffe, it was
moved by Cllr N Jory and seconded by Cllr C Edmonds
that:
“Background:
“House prices in our Borough are the least affordable
inDevon, with
the average house costing more than 12 times the average
salary.
There is an almost complete absence of long term
rented accommodation and an ever increasing pressure on housing
stock that is available due to relocation trends from urban areas
into more rural locations. West Devon
Borough Council continues to deliver what is required through the
Joint Local Plan, by exceeding its housing delivery targets, but
this alone will not tackle the problem or deliver the types of
houses local people need, where they need them at a price they can
afford.
I bring before the Council a motion to elevate the
Council’s response to this crisis, to go further and do more:
collectively, strategically and financially.
In proposing this motion, to declare a
‘housing crisis’ I am asking for the commitment of all
members of this Council to step up to meet this challenge. This
issue should be foremost in member’s minds when engaging with
our communities, debating, challenging, setting strategy and
exercising your democratic decision making powers.
Motion:
That West Devon Borough Council should recognise
current difficulties in the housing market and the effect on the
affordability of good quality housing within the Borough
and:
1.
Demonstrate our commitment to the wellbeing of
homeless people in the Borough by providing quality temporary
accommodation (such as is proposed at Springhill Tavistock) and
reduce the need for less appropriate forms of temporary
accommodation;
2.
Act where the Council has a land holding and take
an interventionist approach to the housing market over the longer-
term, where there is demonstrable housing need, leading to improved
long term housing outcomes;
3.
Recognise the market failures locally around
accommodation options for vulnerable people (exempt accommodation),
work in close partnership with Devon County Council to provide
alternatives – putting people before profit. At the same time lobby national government to make
legislative changes to remove the incentives for unscrupulous
providers and to protect the needs of this vulnerable
group;
4.
Recognise the need for extra care accommodation
in the Borough (such as proposed at Plymouth Rd) and ensure such
schemes are supported to come forward;
5.
Actively contribute to ‘Team
Devon’s’ housing task force and housing commission to
build the case for affordable housing as a key priority in any
pan-Devon devolution ask;
6.
Lobby government through our MPs and the LGA to
review the regulation of holiday accommodation, to ensure all
holiday accommodation is suitably regulated and made subject to
local planning policies and taxes. We should also appeal for an
extension to the 90-day short term let legislation to be extended
outside London and lobby DLUC for a separate planning class for
short term lets and a proper licensing system to cater for
them;
7.
As the Council moves towards a review of the JLP,
aspire to the highest affordable housing threshold that is
sustainable and underpin it in policy;
8.
Create a long term strategic partnership with a
high quality Registered Provider to see the delivery of
affordable-led housing at scale and over the long term in the
Borough;
9.
Continue to work closely with our main Registered
Providers to ensure best occupancy of stock, not just by providing
financial incentives for downsizing, but, where a step into home
ownership may be possible, supporting tenants to make that move
through a deposit grant scheme;
10.
Use any Section 106 affordable housing
contributions as soon as possible to help fund developments
anywhere in the Borough where the terms of the Section 106
Agreement permit this.
11.
As agreed at the last Hub Committee meeting,
campaign for changes to the Broad Market Area to better reflect the
costs of rents in West Devon;
12.
Actively seek opportunities to invest in Council
owned social housing with high sustainability specification
(including modular housing) to support those on low incomes who are
unable to afford ‘affordable’ rented
housing;
13.
Aligned with our Climate Change Emergency,
continue to fund (and bid for further national funding)
improvements to existing private sector houses within the Borough,
recognising that housing is responsible for 40% of national CO2
emissions.”
In his introduction, the Leader
emphasised the scale of the current housing issues in the Borough
and felt that the Council must take every possible step to attempt
to address the crisis. In so doing, it
was recognised that every Member of Council had a role to
play.
During the ensuing debate, the following
points were raised:-
(a)
A proposal to defer the motion for
consideration at the next Council meeting (to be held on 5 April
2022) was PROPOSED and SECONDED. In support of the
proposal to defer, some Members made reference to the absence of
the lead Hub Committee Member from this Council meeting and the
wish for each aspect of such a detailed motion to be given in-depth
consideration by the Homes Hub Advisory Group. In contrast, other Members emphasised the urgency
of the situation and the need to make swift progress on declaring a
housing crisis rather than creating any further unwarranted
delays.
When put to the vote, the proposal was declared
LOST;
(b)
With the agreement of the meeting, the
proposer and seconder accepted the following three amendments for
inclusion within the substantive motion:
1.
Deletion of the following at point
4: (such as proposed at Plymouth
Rd);
2.
The following additional point 14:
“That this authority lobbies our MP’s
and Central Government to provide an incentive to landowners for
the provision of land specifically for Local Needs Affordable
Housing. Giving landowners a tax break
when providing land for affordable housing where there is an
identified need, would, it is believed, help to release land at a
reduced cost to support the small scale provision of affordable
housing in our rural communities. As
Members and Officers will be aware, the cost of land for housing is
a significant deterrent to bringing forward low cost quality
housing in most of the Borough area, without the provision of open
market housing, which most communities do not
want;”
3.
The following additional point
15:
“That, having declared a Housing Crisis (and
recognising the importance of making quick progress), the ideas set
out in points 1 to 14 of the substantive motion be given further
consideration at:
1.
a meeting of the Homes Hub Advisory
Group;
2.
an Informal Council session; and
3.
future meetings of the Hub Committee and Full
Council to be supplemented by published agenda reports and an
evolving draft Action Plan.”
When put to the vote, each of these three
additions were declared CARRIED.
It was then “RESOLVED
that West Devon Borough Council should
recognise current difficulties in the housing market and the effect
on the affordability of good quality housing within the Borough
and:
1.
Demonstrate our commitment to the wellbeing of
homeless people in the Borough by providing quality temporary
accommodation (such as is proposed at Springhill Tavistock) and
reduce the need for less appropriate forms of temporary
accommodation;
2.
Act where the Council has a land holding and take an
interventionist approach to the housing market over the
longer-term, where there is demonstrable housing need, leading to
improved long term housing outcomes;
3.
Recognise the market failures locally around
accommodation options for vulnerable people (exempt accommodation),
work in close partnership with Devon County Council to provide
alternatives –putting people before profit. At the same time
lobby national government to make legislative changes to remove the
incentives for unscrupulous providers and to protect the needs of
this vulnerable group;
4.
Recognise the need for extra care accommodation in
the Borough and ensure such schemes are supported to come
forward;
5.
Actively contribute to ‘Team
Devon’s’ housing task force and housing commission to
build the case for affordable housing as a key priority in any
pan-Devon devolution ask;
6.
Lobby government through our MPs and the LGA to
review the regulation of holiday accommodation, to ensure all
holiday accommodation is suitably regulated and made subject to
local planning policies and taxes. We should also appeal for an
extension to the 90-day short term let legislation to be extended
outside London and lobby DLUC for a separate planning class for
short term lets and a proper licensing system to cater for
them;
7.
As the Council moves towards a review of the JLP,
aspire to the highest affordable housing threshold that is
sustainable and underpin it in policy;
8.
Create a long term strategic partnership with a high
quality Registered Provider to see the delivery of affordable-led
housing at scale and over the long term in the Borough;
9.
Continue to work closely with our main Registered
Providers to ensure best occupancy of stock, not just by providing
financial incentives for downsizing, but, where a step into home
ownership may be possible, supporting tenants to make that move
through a deposit grant scheme;
10.
Use any Section 106 affordable housing contributions
as soon as possible to help fund developments anywhere in the
Borough where the terms of the Section 106 Agreement permit
this;
11.
As agreed at the last Hub Committee meeting,
campaign for changes to the Broad Market Area to better reflect the
costs of rents in West Devon;
12.
Actively seek opportunities to invest in Council
owned social housing with high sustainability specification
(including modular housing) to support those on low incomes who are
unable to afford ‘affordable’ rented
housing;
13.
Aligned with our Climate Change Emergency, continue
to fund (and bid for further national funding) improvements to
existing private sector houses within the Borough, recognising that
housing is responsible for 40% of national CO2
emissions;
14.
That this authority lobbies our MP’s and
Central Government to provide an incentive to landowners for the
provision of land specifically for Local Needs Affordable
Housing. Giving landowners a tax break
when providing land for affordable housing where there is an
identified need, would, it is believed, help to release land at a
reduced cost to support the small scale provision of affordable
housing in our rural communities. As
Members and Officers will be aware, the cost of land for housing is
a significant deterrent to bringing forward low cost quality
housing in most of the Borough area, without the provision of open
market housing, which most communities do not want;
15.
That, having declared a Housing Crisis (and
recognising the importance of making quick progress), the ideas set
out in points 1 to 14 of the substantive motion be given further
consideration at:
4.
a meeting of the Homes Hub Advisory
Group;
5.
an Informal Council session; and
6.
future meetings of the Hub Committee and Full
Council to be supplemented by published agenda reports and an
evolving draft Action Plan.”