The Chairman welcomed the
Deputy Leader of the Council and Lead Councillor for Community and
Housing and reminded the Committee that Councillor Julia
McShane’s main areas of responsibility included health,
wellbeing, access and disability, safety, grants and voluntary services, Careline,
handyperson, care and repair, housing, homelessness, housing
standards (HMOs and the private rented sector), and human
resources. The Chairman indicated that
the Deputy Leader of the Council and Lead Councillor for Community
and Housing had been advised of several question areas in advance
of the meeting and that other questions would naturally
arise.
During the ensuing discussion
a number of points were made,
including:
- In reply to questions
about void properties across the Council’s housing stock, the
Deputy Leader of the Council and Lead Councillor for Community and
Housing indicated that there were 102 houses currently progressing
through the void process. She advised
the meeting that the timetable for each void property varied
according to the work required and that delays were due to
shortages of materials and staff. The
Deputy Leader of the Council and Lead Councillor for Community and
Housing indicated that the financial impact of each property being
unoccupied could be up to a week’s rent and that provision
was made for this within the annual budget. The meeting was informed that relevant performance
monitoring had been reviewed and would lead to a standard,
benchmarked approach.
- In reply to a
question on accessible home improvements, the Deputy Leader of the
Council and Lead Councillor for Community and Housing advised the
meeting that the respective numbers of adaptations completed via
the Home Improvement Agency Care & Repair service and the
handyperson service, the number of self-funded private projects,
and adaptations within the Council’s housing stock could be
provided to Committee members. She
indicated that details of the types of adaptations completed in the
Council’s housing stock could be provided if requested by
members. The Deputy Leader of the
Council and Lead Councillor for Community and Housing informed the
Committee of the delivery of the service during the pandemic and
increasing demand for the service, including from the introduction
of further grants for home adaptations.
- A member of the
Committee questioned the take-up of the Council’s community
transport service and queried whether resources were sufficient to
meet demand. The Deputy Leader of the
Council and Lead Councillor for Community and Housing indicated
that the community transport service was operated in accordance
with licence controls and staff contracts. The Committee was advised that the scheduling of
the service was centred on customer need and aimed to ensure that
the journey times of the most vulnerable users were as short as
possible. The Deputy Leader of the
Council and Lead Councillor for Community and Housing advised that
the amendment of licensing conditions to promote community use of
the minibuses during weekends and evenings was being
progressed.
- In response to a
question, the Head of Community Services agreed that not all
aspects of the community transport service were operating at full
capacity and some elements could be promoted further.
- A member of the
Committee asked how much social housing would be included in the
Guildford Park Road, the Weyside Urban
Village, and the North Street developments. In response, the Interim Head of Housing, Exchequer and
Development informed the meeting that the schemes would be
compliant with the Council’s planning policies and aimed to
deliver at least 40% affordable homes.
- In response to a
question about progress with a target of building 3,000 council
houses by 2029, the Deputy Leader of the Council and Lead
Councillor for Community and Housing indicated the Council had
delivered approximately 110 additional affordable homes each year
recently and was not working to a particular delivery
date. The Deputy Leader of the Council
and Lead Councillor for Community and Housing indicated that the
Council anticipated that approximately 700 affordable homes would
be built over the next five years, with additional affordable homes
also expected to be delivered by developers and housing
associations. The Interim Head of Housing,
Exchequer and Development informed the meeting that in terms of
a legal definition, social housing and affordable housing were
considered the same. In reply to
questions, the Interim Head of Housing, Exchequer and Development
stated that affordable housing and social housing were essentially
the same thing.
- In reply to a
question, the Interim Head of Housing, Exchequer and Development
outlined the affordable housing requirements of the Council’s
planning policies.
- In reply to
questions, the Deputy Leader of the Council and Lead Councillor for
Community and Housing updated the Committee on implemented and
planned improvements to the Number 5
night shelter and indicated that options for further
development would be shared with Councillors.
- In response to a
question, the Head of Community Services advised the meeting that
the third tranche of the Household Support Fund had come through
from Surrey County Council and its distribution to families and
pensioners would be administered by the Council’s community
services team. She advised the
Committee of efforts to ensure that people most in need were
identified and supported.
- The response to a
request, the Deputy Leader of the Council and Lead Councillor for
Community and Housing advised the meeting that the Council’s
social housing consisted of 5,281 homes, while housing associations
had a further 2,281 social homes in the Borough. She indicated that there were 1,491 households on
the housing needs register. The
Committee was advised that a recent review of the housing needs
register had reduced the number significantly. The Deputy Leader of the Council and Lead Councillor
for Community and Housing informed the meeting that in the last
year 15 homes had been sold under the Right to Buy scheme, with
Right to Buy funds used to purchase 22 homes. The Deputy Leader of the Council and Lead
Councillor for Community and Housing indicated that members of the
Committee could be provided with the number of new build homes on
former garage sites, on vacant land on estates, and on sites in
West Horsley and elsewhere.
- The Deputy Leader of
the Council and Lead Councillor for Community and Housing thanked
the former directors of North Downs Housing Ltd for their time,
effort, and expertise. In reply to a
question, the Interim Head of Housing, Exchequer and Development
informed the meeting that North Downs Housing Limited would look to
develop sites in future when possible.
- The value in
providing Councillors with a summary of the different types of
affordable and social housing was agreed by the Deputy Leader of
the Council and Lead Councillor for Community and Housing and the
Interim Head of Housing, Exchequer and Development undertook to
provide the details and definitions of affordable housing for
circulation to Councillors. In
addition, he referred members to the glossary at the back of
Guildford’s Local Plan.
The Chairman thanked the Deputy
Leader of the Council and Lead Councillor for Community and Housing
and officers for attending and answering questions.