Agenda item

The Cabinet Member(s) will update the Panel on any relevant issues. Panel members may ask questions on the update(s) provided.

Councillor Paul Myers, Cabinet Member for Economic and Community Regeneration addressed the Panel, a summary of his update is set out below.

Housing

Curo have recently made the decision to stop plans for the redevelopment of the Foxhill site and focus investment in refurbishment of current properties. The Council has and maintains a balanced view on this project and will look to facilitate better communications between local residents and Curo.

Councillor Rob Appleyard asked if a timescale for the Judicial Review relating to Foxhill was known.

The Divisional Director for Development replied that this was a decision that the Courts would make and she was not aware of any dates yet.

Proposal for a new City wide additional HMO licensing scheme to be introduced from January 2019.  The 10 week consultation will be starting in March 2018 on the proposed scheme including: type of HMOs to be included; area to be designated; alternatives considered.

The Government is consulting on a new framework for rents on supported and sheltered homes, which may see fundamental changes in how housing costs for short term supported housing is paid for and the establishment of a ‘Sheltered Housing rent’.  It is expected that we will be required to develop Supported Housing Strategies which will be used to allocate resultant government funding for supported housing.

Bath Enterprise Zone

·  Bath Quays North - The determination process for the Outline Planning Application for comprehensive redevelopment of the Avon St coach and carpark progresses, with initial response clarifications received from the LPA. The project team and supporting consultants are working to provide responses with a target date of Q1 2018.

·  Bath Quays South - Strong market response received during soft marketing phases for Council delivered commercial office. Commercial Estate Investment SMD paper approved.

Design team re-engaged to review potential changes to design to allow for a multi tenanted, rather than single tenanted building. Building completion anticipated late 2019.

Funding - £12.5m of Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF) funding secured following successful bid to Homes England. Bid supports longer-term housing and economic growth objectives by enabling relocation of the City’s waste transfer station and strategic land to come forwards for residential development.

Heritage Services

·  Fashion Museum loans: Two loans are going to two separate exhibitions at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York this month: a wax mannequin bust will be displayed in Like Life at The Met Breuer; and a miniature 18th century court dress (fashion doll’s dress) will be a star exhibit in Visitors to Versailles at The Met Fifth Avenue. These loans highlight the international importance of our Fashion Museum collections.

·  Extreme weather conditions: The effect of the adverse weather conditions in the week Monday 26 February to Sunday 4 March, which included two days of enforced closure, was a loss of just under 6,000 visitors to the Roman Baths, resulting in a drop in primary and secondary income of c.£92,000. This is a reminder of how fluctuations in visitor numbers can affect income and therefore profit.

·  Victoria Art Gallery: Grant award of £31,500 DCMS/Wolfson Museums & Galleries Improvement Fund for new display drawers to make works on paper collections more accessible.

Regeneration

·  Housing Growth: An announcement around the Housing Deal and Housing Infrastructure Fund is expected by MHCLG (Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Govt) in the Spring statement. If positive there could be significant enabling and infrastructure funding towards the two Strategic Development Locations at North Keynsham and Whitchurch;

·  Somer Valley Enterprise Zone: Commercial Delivery Framework (CDF) consultants procured , A362 improvement options underway, key stakeholder group to meet 12th March, Somer Valley Forum to meet 20th March), £50k RIF funding approved towards CDF;

·  Public Realm Programme: Keynsham High Street public consultation closed – nearly 1,500 residents engaged, results to Informal Cabinet at the end of March, Midsomer Norton signage and Town Park concepts in development; Saw Close due for completion May 2018, Kingsmead Square pedestrianisation feasibility underway.

Housing Overview Presentation

The Head of Housing gave a presentation to the Panel, a copy of which can be found on their Minute Book or as an online appendix to these minutes. A summary is set out below.

Demand: This is broadly similar to 2016/17, except more complex homelessness cases, especially around affordability, difficult to place households etc. The Council receives around 2500 cases p.a. / 10 per day.

Housing affordability remains stretched. The average house increased by around 3% last year to £418k (£298k England); £274k for 2 bed flat (£186k England);

Overall affordability ratio is 11.8 – down from 10 2years ago

The Private Rented Sector continues to expand significantly and has more than tripled since 2004 (10%/7,000 households in 2004, now 27%/22,000).

The performance of the service over this year has been good with only two indicators showing as red and one at amber.

·  Red: Customer complaints responded on time – This is a small number.

Invoices paid within 30 days – Again, a small number, recognise that we need to do better

·  Amber: Numbers in Temporary Accommodation; nationally our performance is excellent (28 (Target is 27) to a comparative rate of 250 for an Local Authority of our size)

Housing Associations are currently refusing to accept 8 of the households in temporary accommodation and work continues to assist these groups.

Councillor Rob Appleyard asked how long do people stay in temporary accommodation.

The Head of Housing replied that the average period was 12 weeks.

The Chairman asked if he was aware of any students ever having approached Housing Services either during or after their studies.

The Head of Housing replied that he was not aware of this as an issue.

Councillor Barry Macrae asked if the three month timescale to issue HMO Licences could be shortened.

The Head of Housing replied that he welcomed the challenge, but added that the target set must be both realistic for the Council and the public.

Achievements

·  DFG Audit: Risk Assurance of 5, the highest

·  National Energy Action Funding (£250k): Energy efficient improvement of 53 low income and vulnerable residents with a medical condition.  Partnership with CCG, Centre for Sustainable Energy & NEA. The improvements included various types of heating, loft insulation, solid wall and cavity wall insulation. Only one in the region.

·  Women & Equalities Parliamentary Select Committee were researching the experiences of Gypsies, Travellers & Boat Dwellers. They were impressed with the work we are doing, and in particular the site at Carrswood View. Rt Hon Maria Miller, Chair of the Committee, wrote expressing her gratitude.

·  NPSS (National award scheme for housing options & homelessness services) Silver Standard; highest award in the region & indeed national only 12 LA have received higher recognition;

·  Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government Visit: MHCLG praised our “strong partnership approach to homelessness” and “advanced” preparations for new homelessness duties;

·  Affordable Housing Innovation: 20 units of housing for young people through the Platform for Life project; partnership with YMCA; high capital support meaning low rental; fits under single room rate LHA (£314 pm)

The Year Ahead

·  Housing Regulation: Expanding the types of HMO that fit within mandatory HMO licensing scheme (currently 5 or more people; 3 or more storeys; 2 or more households) – removing the storey requirement. Introduce banning orders for certain offences. HMO space standards

·  Additional HMO licensing: Will be discussed in detail in a later report

·  Homelessness Reduction Act: Requires the Council to provide more pro-active assistance to people who are homeless or at risk of losing their accommodation. There will be a greater emphasis on preventing homelessness by intervening earlier and resolving problems before accommodation is lost. Each applicant will need to receive an individual “Personalised Housing Plan”. Importantly the Council will be required to provide help & assistance regardless of whether the applicant has a local connection or not.

Councillor Barry Macrae asked if any funding had been given with regard to Homelessness Reduction.

The Head of Housing replied £50,000 of new burdens funding has been made available for this work. He added though that as with all Council departments for the coming year Housing Services had savings to achieve within the budget.

·  Affordable Housing – 887 Affordable Homes with planning consent. 72 unit Extracare scheme at Ensleigh North has started on site, with completion due in Spring 2019.  Marketing for the shared ownership units will commence in Spring 2018.

·  Empty Properties – 153 properties have been empty for 2yrs or more; 64 brought back into use last year resorting in £1m of New Homes Bonus

·  New Supported Housing Rent Regime - Used to be HB eligible, then proposal that it was capped at LHA rate, we are now expecting that the additional rent for “supported housing” will be devolved to Councils; will need to develop Supported Housing Strategies 

Councillor Bob Goodman, Cabinet Member for Development and Neighbourhoods addressed the Panel, a summary of his update is set out below.

Landowner AJP Growers, Folly Lane, Stowey were taken to court and prosecuted in 2016 for a building that had been put up without planning permission on greenbelt land in 2008. Demolition of the building took place in February 2018.

The final Draft of the Joint Strategic Plan (JSP) is due for the end of March.

Stadium for Bath – Members of the public are invited to share their views on this project as well as their ideas and aspirations for riverside regeneration in Bath. Further information can be found at http://stadiumforbath.com/huge-opportunity-riverside-regeneration/

University of Bath Masterplan – The process of creating a new Masterplan for the University of Bath’s Claverton Campus has begun. Any feedback is asked to be submitted Thursday 29 March 2018. Further information can be found at http://www.bath.ac.uk/campaigns/consultation-on-the-masterplan-for-the-university-of-baths-claverton-campus/

National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) – The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) published its draft revisions to the NPPF for consultation, on 5 March 2018. The consultation closes at

11:45pm on 10 May 2018. Further information can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/draft-revised-national-planning-policy-framework

Councillor Eleanor Jackson was present and said that she welcomed the action taken with regard to AJP Growers but asked if the Cabinet had considered holding a contingency fund as this work had consumed the department’s enforcement budget and she was aware of 10 homes in the Westfield area that are being obscured by a large Conifer tree.

Councillor Goodman replied that he was aware of the tree in question and would seek the Cabinet’s view on whether any action should be taken.

The Chairman asked if there would be further funding for other areas of the Council with regard to the free Gull egg and nest removal treatments that have previously taken place in the wards of Abbey, Kingsmead, Newbridge, Twerton, Widcombe and Westmoreland.

Councillor Goodman replied that there would be further funding available.

The Chairman thanked the Cabinet Members and the Head of Housing for their contributions to this part of the meeting.