Asset Management, Culture and Housing Cabinet Member – Minutes – 18 October 2012

21                (21) STRATEGIC HOUSING MARKET ASSESSMENT – The Director of Places submitted a report advising the Cabinet Member of the Strategic Housing Market Assessment.

The council had a legal duty to review the housing needs of its residents and the local housing market.  The government had issued guidance as to how councils should carry out these reviews.

A Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA) commenced in January 2012.  The SHMA covered the following key areas:

·         The current housing market

·         The future housing market to 2026

·         Housing needs

·         Needs of specific sectors of the community

As part of the SHMA, over 1,500 questionnaires were filled in by the public, the results of which provided information on housing needs.  The report gave information on key findings of the SHMA.

A Financial Viability Assessment (FVA) for housing building in North Lincolnshire was also completed.  The FVA confirmed that conditions for house building were challenging.

Both the SHMA and the FVA would be published on the council’s website.  They would inform the council’s housing policy and Local Development Framework.

Resolved – (a) That the Strategic Housing Market Assessment and the Financial Viability Assessment be used to inform the council’s Local Development Framework and housing policy, and (b) that a Working Group be formed to analyse the findings of the assessments, and set out plan for the future housing policy for North Lincolnshire.

The corresponding reports of the following items (Minutes 22 and 23 refer) contain exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended).

22                (22) ALLOCATION OF PROPERTY TRADING ACCOUNT FUNDS ANNUAL STRATEGY DOCUMENT – The Director of Places submitted a report seeking approval to provisionally allocate Property Trading Account (PTA) funds to development schemes, and to progress the schemes listed in Appendix 1 to the report.

The council had previously approved an Industrial/Commercial Property Management and Development Policy.  It allowed the use of PTA funds for development schemes that were linked to the wider Regeneration Agenda and Priority Framework.

The Policy required an annual strategy document reviewed at six monthly intervals.  This approved and reported on any proposed development schemes/investment projects.

Most schemes were property related and would usually involve a period of negotiation to achieve good value for money.  Certainty of funding to the process was essential.  Negotiations would ultimately result in a legal commitment by the council.  Some schemes could require external funding support prior to commencement.

Approval was required to provisionally allocate PTA funds against proposed development schemes, in order that negotiations could begin or continue.

Cabinet Member approval was given in February 2012 (Minute 42 refers) to provisionally allocate funds to the schemes in Appendix 1 to the report, the latest status of those projects was included.  Appendix 2 provided an appraisal for strategic fit.

Resolved – (a) That the proposal to provisionally allocate Property Trading Account funds against the anticipated development schemes listed in Appendix 1 to the report,  be approved, (b) that the Director of Places be authorised to progress negotiations to advance the approved schemes, and (c) that the transfer of funds to progress the redevelopment of Crowle Market Place to the Property Trading Account, as set out in paragraph 3.3iv of the report, be approved.

23        (23) PROPERTY TRANSACTION SCHEDULES – The Director of Places submitted a report for consideration, and where necessary, approval of a schedule containing the terms of all recently negotiated property transactions.

The schedules covered both operational and commercial property.

Resolved – That the schedules appended to the report be approved.

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Where there is no report this is because it is exempt, as it contains information which is considered to be of a confidential nature, as detailed in the Local Government (Access to Information) Act.