Agenda item

a period of up to 15 minutes is available to deal with questions submitted to the Council in accordance with the Executive Procedure Rules;

E.14/24            

It was noted that three public questions had been received in accordance with the Executive Procedure Rules, for consideration at this meeting:

a) Richard O’Connell

Background:

My family recently offered two acres of land at Follaton free of charge to the council to use for social housing. We were led to believe that there is a desperate need in the Totnes area for such accommodation. The site offered is beside the main road and abuts the end of the present housing development. We were surprised and disappointed to be told by the housing dept that the planning department had rejected our offer stating that the site has "challenging access which would make the site unviable" when it is actually right next to the main road?

Question:       

Would the Executive please tell us today of their costing for the proposed development, which led to the Planning department rejecting our offer.

Response from the Lead Executive Member for Housing, Environmental Health & Licensing:

“We would like to thank Mr O’Connell for the offer of part of his land-holding adjacent to Plymouth Road, on the outskirts of Totnes. Unfortunately, the Council does not make public details of viability costings as this is commercially sensitive information, but I can confirm that, after careful consideration of the site, including lack of support from planning and highways for development, the housing department here at the Council decided to decline the offer. Cited problems include access and the steep gradient, as well as lack of connectivity to the town.

Officers have a duty to allocate time and resources efficiently to provide best value, while at the same time minimising the risk of incurring abortive costs. As such we are proud to be currently progressing 5 other schemes around the district funded through the recently launched South Hams Housing Offer, under which community affordable housing schemes are brought forward.

The Council is appreciative of Mr O’Connell’s desire to help deliver affordable housing and, if he wishes, we can forward details of the site to Registered Housing Providers we work with should Mr O’Connell wish to extend the same offer. To further assist, subject to agreement of terms for a 100% affordable scheme, the Council is prepared to contribute £5,000 from the South Hams Housing Offer viability fund to support the scheme, payable direct to the Registered Provider.”

b) John Grocock

Background:

In May last year the Liberal Democrats ‘swept to power’ (Cllr Julian Brazil Totnes Times May 16), No doubt that fact that the previous Conservative incumbents had overseen a rise in Band A-D from 693 to 766 households played a significant part in this. However, with power comes responsibility, consequently:

Question:

I should like to know what that current figure is, how the electorate will be informed and what plans there are to reduce it.

Response from the Lead Executive Member for Housing, Environmental Health and Licensing:

“The housing register as of the 16 July 2024 has 933 applicants in housing need – Bands A-D and a further 796 people in no housing need. A total of 1729. Locally we are doing all that is possible to tackle the housing crisis, including acquiring property to use as temporary accommodation, and setting up our Community Affordable housing project, the South Hams Housing Offer, which has got off to a promising start.

However, because this is a National Emergency, changes in policy and legislation are required – we heard a lot about the Government’s priorities in the King’s Speech yesterday and the announced Renters’ Rights Bill for example should be a positive step forward, including a pledge to end Section 21 so called ‘no-fault evictions’.  The Government plans to deliver 1.5 million homes this Parliament however local councils and Housing Associations have written to the Government to say that this will be impossible unless they get urgent help to ease the financial pressure that they are under. New figures show Housing Associations, the biggest developers of Social Housing, started 30% fewer homes in 2023/24 than they did in 2022/23.

Coming back here to the South Hams, our Council Plan gives details of some of the action that we will be taking in relation to lobbying for change. The Council Plan is reviewed and updated annually. Alongside this, we have a Housing & Homeless Strategy and an annual action plan which details all of our priorities and how we plan to address them. This is also reviewed annually through the Executive. All of these documents are available on our website and in paper form by request. Further to this, there is a housing update at every meeting of the Executive.”

c)Joe Johnston

(Relating to Agenda item 15: Beesands Village Green Advisory Group Minute E.24/24 refers)

Question:

This Group is ideally placed to advise on maintenance and unlawful encroachments on the Green and there has been a lack of transparency and consultation over this proposal. As it's voluntary with no cost to Council, why is revoking being proposed as nothing has changed from when set up?

Response from the Leader of Council:

“A letter was sent to all households in Beesands asking for residents’ views on the future of the Village Green Advisory Group. The responses received had stated that the Group’s remit was too narrow and wider considerations were now required, to include the merits of replacing a Village Association that would encompass, for example, village car parking and the village pub and restaurant.

The Leader further advised the matter would be considered as a standalone agenda item later in the meeting (agenda item 15 Minute E.24/24 below refers).”