Decision details

Decision:

(1)        That the remaining land at Guildford Park car park be appropriated into the HRA with immediate effect.

(2)        That the expenditure on the general fund capital programme relating to Guildford Park Car Park be transferred into the HRA following the appropriation.

(3)        That no replacement car parking be delivered as part of the Bright Hill Scheme.

(4)        That, once Secretary of State approval and an appropriate valuation is obtained, the allotments site (Plot 1) at Weyside Urban Village be appropriated into the HRA and that the Council commits to delivering Plot 1 at Weyside Urban Village as either a fully affordable or mixed tenure project within the Housing Investment Programme.

(5)        That further consideration be given as to whether key sites within the Guildford Economic Regeneration should be appropriated into the HRA for Housing Development in due course.

(6)        That the acquisition strategy, as set out in paragraphs 3.31 to 3.33 of the report, be approved.

(7)        That a supplementary estimate of £2.2million, to be funded from HRA reserves, to increase the HRA acquisition budget to £7million for 2021-22 be approved, and that the supplementary estimate be moved straight onto the approved capital programme.

(8)        That the HRA acquisition budget of £3million for 2021-22 be moved from the provisional to the approved capital programme.

(9)        That the Major Projects Programme Board be re-invigorated in a revised form.

(10)     That a Councillor/Officer Housing Working Group be established to monitor delivery of the Housing Investment Programme and to continue to develop the pipeline of projects.

(11)     That a formal Use of Retained Right to Buy Receipts Policy be developed and brought forward for adoption by the Executive at a later meeting.

(12)     That further legal advice be sought on the matter of whether granting RTB receipts to local housing associations, other local authorities (without a HRA) or other registered providers is a viable option for the Council and subject to that advice, officers be authorised to enter into discussions with local housing associations to ascertain if there would be a willingness to partner with the Council in this regard.

(13)     That additional resources within the Housing Strategy and corporate Programmes team be approved to accelerate delivery of the Housing Investment Programme.

(14)     That officers be requested to consider the logistics and viability of acquiring or developing housing outside of the borough boundary to increase its housing stock within the HRA.

Reason:

To facilitate the delivery of affordable housing in the borough and try to mitigate the risk of repaying RTB receipts to government in the future

Other options considered and rejected by the Executive:

To close the Bright Hill car park for redevelopment once the lease to the hospital expires.

Details of any conflict of interest declared by the lead or lead councillors and any dispensation granted:

None.