Decision details

The Council's housing development company Aequus Construction Ltd is delivering nine family homes in the Southdown Ward of Bath. This report seeks to utilise this site as an exemplar for a number of priorities including affordable housing, climate emergency and homes for local people.

The Cabinet Member agrees that:

(i)  A grant of £140K capital funding be provided to ACL from the Affordable Housing Programme to support the provision of two shared-ownership affordable family homes within the development which is beyond current planning policy requirements.

(ii)  An allocation of £128K of funding be provided from the Revenue Budget Contingency to enable the Council to fund the measures needed to deliver very low carbon, sustainable family homes and to enable the Council to use this site as an exemplar site for climate change emergency.

(iii)  An allocation of £7K of revenue funding from the Revenue Budget Contingency be provided for title restrictions in favour of the Council against the future use of the properties for HMO purposes.

The decision supports the utilisation of the development site being progressed by the Council’s housing and development company, ACL, to address a number of priorities for the Council, on an exemplar basis, including affordable housing, climate change emergency and homes for local people.

The exemplar development provides an immediate opportunity to progress the priorities identified. The alternative option was for the development to progress as planned in accordance with the approved Business Case for this site.